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This past week marked another key deadline at the State Capitol: the “third reading in the opposite chamber.”

Essentially, Thursday was the final day that bills could be heard and passed by the full House or Senate, whichever chamber they didn’t start in. Any bill not approved by the other chamber by this date is considered dead for the remainder of the legislative session.

By the time this deadline hits, we've already sorted through hundreds of bills. Some made it through both chambers and are on their way to the Governor. Other bills look very different from how they were initially written. Many bills aren't heard in the committee in time and are now dead.

However, bills move to another path called the conference committee process.

This happens when the second chamber makes amendments to a bill that the original chamber disagrees with. Sometimes these changes are simple, like restoring the title or adding the enacting clause, which are two ways to help keep a bill moving through the process while conversations continue about the policy.

However, sometimes these amendments significantly alter the bill's intention. If both the House and Senate can’t agree on the final wording, then the author can request that the bill be sent to a conference committee.

Conference committees are a group of lawmakers from both sides who try to work out a compromise. Conference committees contain at least three members of both chambers assigned by House and Senate leadership.

If a conference committee comes to an agreement, it will propose a Conference Committee Report (CCR). The report must gain a majority of signatures from members assigned to the committee from each chamber.

If the committee agrees on new language in the CCR, both the House and Senate get one last chance to vote on the updated version. If both chambers approve, the bill goes to the Governor. If a CCR is rejected, another conference may be requested with the same or different members appointed by the two chambers.

Much of our work during the rest of the month will be focused on considering these amendments. We're officially in our final stretch of the legislation session, and there's more to be done both on the House floor and behind the scenes. I'll keep you updated on our work over the next few weeks.

As always, please feel free to reach out to my office with any questions or concerns about legislation. You can contact me at (405) 557-7358 or by email at john.kane@okhouse.gov.

Rep. John Kane, a Republican, serves House District 11 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, which covers Tulsa and Washington counties.