It is usually provided in state constitutions, as it is in the federal constitution (Art. I, § 7, ¶ 2), that a bill proposed in either house, in order to become a law, must be passed by both houses and approved by the executive, or passed over his veto (see below, § 126), and the passage of a bill by either house requires the approval of a majority of the members thereof present when the action is taken, or under some state constitutions the approval of a majority of the whole membership. Each house acts for itself, but it may act either on bills introduced in that house, which after passage are transmitted to the other house for its action, or on bills which have passed the other house and been transmitted to it for action. In the absence of some such provision as that found in the federal constitution (Art. I, § 7, ¶ 1), that all bills for raising revenue shall originate in the lower house, either house may take the initiative with reference to any kind of legislation, and a bill which has passed one house may be amended in any respect by the other. But it is only when the same identical bill has passed both houses without change that it can become a law. The enactment of a bill by the respective houses of a legislative body is finally evidenced by the signature of the presiding officer of each, and such signature is conclusive. It is not open for the courts in determining whether a statue has been lawfully enacted to go behind the signatures of the presiding officers and to investigate the question whether as a matter of fact it received in each house the necessary number of votes.

In the English Parliament, bills were originally proposed or submitted by or in behalf of the sovereign, but the present practice in Parliament, and in all legislative bodies in this country, is that bills are proposed or introduced by members as they see fit, and are acted on in accordance with the rules adopted by the respective houses to govern their procedure.

There is no specific provision in the federal constitution as to the time when a statute shall take effect; and an act of Congress is therefore deemed to be effectual and in force from the time of its approval by the president unless otherwise provided. This is also the rule under state constitutions containing no specific provision on the subject. But in some of the state constitutions it is provided that statutes shall go into effect either at the end of a specified period after approval, or at a fixed date subsequent to such approval, or on publication in a specified manner. The object of postponing the taking effect of the statute to a time later than that of its enactment and approval is to enable those to be affected thereby to advise themselves as to the statute before being bound by its provisions.