Why the US House and Senate must agree on the same bill text
Passage in one chamber is one step in the federal legislative process.
A bill can pass the US House and Senate in different forms. Before it can go to the president, both chambers must agree to the same text.
One chamber can agree to the other's changes, or lawmakers can work to resolve differences and bring the result back for consideration. For people following a bill, the distinction matters because a successful vote on one version does not establish that the other chamber has accepted the same language.