Legislative glossary
Companion bill
Also known as: companion
Definition
An identical or similar bill filed simultaneously in the other chamber to speed passage in both bodies at once.
Why it matters
In a bicameral legislature, a bill must pass both chambers, and doing that one chamber at a time can eat a whole session. Filing an identical companion bill in the second chamber lets both versions move in parallel: committee hearings in the Senate while the House debates, halving the calendar risk. The cost is coordination: two sponsors, two committee fights, and the risk the versions drift apart.
In the game
The Bill to Law Game offers a Companion stage where you can recruit a second-chamber sponsor. It costs capital up front and pays off in weeks saved, usually.
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