If the House of Representatives and the Senate pass two different versions of the same bill, what will happen next?
If the House of Representatives and the Senate pass two different versions of the same bill, the next step in the legislative process will involve a conference committee. A conference committee is typically formed by members of both the House and Senate, and it aims to reconcile the differences between the two versions of the bill. The members of the conference committee negotiate and draft a compromise bill that can be accepted by both chambers.
Once the conference committee reaches an agreement, the compromised version of the bill is then sent back to both the House and the Senate for a final vote. If the reconciled bill is passed by both chambers, it is sent to the President for approval or veto. The President can either sign the bill into law or veto it. However, if the President does not take any action for ten days (excluding Sundays), the bill becomes law without the President's signature, unless Congress adjourns during that period, in which case it does not become law (also known as a "pocket veto").