Markup
The committee phase where members propose, debate, and vote on amendments to the bill before it goes to the floor.
Why it matters
Markup is the single most consequential step most bills ever face, and most people have never heard of it. Before a committee votes on whether a bill advances, members go through it line by line, offering amendments that can strengthen it, weaken it, or quietly rewrite what it does. Because markup happens in committee, with a dozen members instead of a hundred, it's where lobbyists, chairs, and well-prepared opponents have the most leverage per vote.
In the game
In The Bill to Law Game, markup is the climax of the Committee stage. You'll face a sequence of amendments, some friendly, some hostile, some disguised, and every fight costs Political Capital you'll want later on the floor.