Council Committees and the Legislative Process

The Philadelphia legislative process is the path that proposals take through City Council before they become binding ordinances. It is built around weekly meetings, standing committees that hold public hearings, and a requirement that bills be read and voted on in public.^[1]

1 Types of legislation

Council acts through bills that become ordinances, which amend the Philadelphia Code and have the force of law; resolutions, which express opinions or authorize hearings and are not binding law; and charter amendments proposed for voters (see Ballot Questions and Charter Changes). Bills are numbered with a six-digit identifier that begins with the two-digit year of introduction.

2 Committees

The Council President appoints the chairs and members of standing committees at the start of each term. These cover subjects such as appropriations, finance, law and government, public safety, housing, transportation and utilities, rules, education, and licenses and inspections. Committee chairs control hearing schedules, so they strongly affect which bills move. Hearing notices appear on the Council calendar. The annual budget is examined in departmental hearings each spring (see Philadelphia City Budget Process), and bills that change zoning are heard in the committee that handles land use (see Philadelphia Zoning Code). Committee names and jurisdictions can change each term.

3 From introduction to passage

1. Introduction: any member may introduce a bill at a stated meeting, often at the request of the mayor, an agency, or an advocacy group. The mayor's administration usually works through a sponsoring member.
2. Referral: the President refers the bill to a committee.
3. Hearing and amendment: the committee may hold a public hearing, take testimony from departments and the public, amend the bill, and vote it out. Many bills are held in committee indefinitely.
4. First and final passage: a bill reported from committee is read and voted on at stated meetings; final passage requires a vote of the full Council.
5. Mayoral action: the bill goes to the mayor.

Council generally meets on Thursdays during its session and takes a recess in summer, with returning sessions beginning in September. Bills affecting the Charter, taxes or land have additional requirements, including legal advertisement for zoning and the nine-vote minimum for taxes.^[2]

4 Mayoral action

The mayor may sign a bill, let it become law without signature, or veto it within the time the Charter allows. Council can override a veto with a two-thirds vote, or 12 of 17 members. Vetoes are rare; Billy Penn reported in December 2025 that Mayor Parker had not yet issued one.

5 Participating

Hearings and meetings are open to the public under the Sunshine Act, and agendas are posted in advance. Residents can sign up to testify, submit written comments, and track bills through Council's legislative search tool. Members' district offices help constituents ask for hearings. Records are available under the Right-to-Know Law and the city's open data tools.

See also: Councilmanic Prerogative, Philadelphia Home Rule Charter, Safe and Healthy Homes Act.

References

1. Philadelphia Home Rule Charter, legislative provisions; Philadelphia City Council (phlcouncil.com and Legistar).
2. Philadelphia City Council, FY2027 budget approval release (June 2026), on the nine-vote requirement for new taxes.
3. Billy Penn, "How Philly works: a look at the city's governance," December 1, 2025.