All topics are dealt with successively by each Council. The Leaders of each chamber determine whether a given issue will be examined first by the National Council and then by the Council of States or vice versa; the first chamber that deals with an issue is referred to as the “first Council”. Subsequently, the committee considers the issue. If this is a National Council committee, it appoints two of its members as “reporters”, one French-speaking and the other German-speaking. In the Council of States, however, only one “reporter” is appointed.
The Leader of the chamber starts by opening a general debate to decide whether or not the item is to be introduced before parliament. Once this has been decided there follows a discussion of each article separately. If the amendments proposed by the committee are not challenged by the chamber they are taken as accepted. Each member may propose other amendments. Once all the articles have been approved, with or without modification, the Council proceeds to vote on the entire bill.
It may happen that the opinions of the two Councils diverge; in this case differences are ironed out. If opinions still do not converge after three debates in each Council a reconciliation conference is called where a compromise has to be reached.
Once a general agreement has been reached and the issue in hand concerns a modification of the constitution, or a law or a federal decree entailing an optional or compulsory referendum, or a Federal Assembly ordinance, a final vote is held during the last meeting of the session and in both Councils.
If one of the chambers refuses to introduce the bill on two occasions it is removed from the Federal Assembly’s agenda.
Finally, a distinction should be made between, on the one hand, introducing a bill before parliament and, on the other, sending part or all of the bill back to the Federal Council or the committee to be re-examined or amended.