- (3) if there is an amendment, the amended bill shall be returned to the House of Representatives. If the House of Representatives approves such amendment, further proceedings under section 81 shall be taken. In other cases, each House shall appoint persons, being or not being its members, in such an equal number as may be fixed by the House of Representatives, to constitute a joint committee for considering the bill, and the joint committee shall prepare a report thereon and submit that bill which it has already considered to both Houses. If both Houses approve the bill already considered by the joint committee, further proceedings under section 81 shall be taken. If either House disapproves it, whether or not the other House has considered it, the bill shall be withheld.
At a meeting of the joint committee, the presence of the Members of the joint committee appointed by both Houses of not less than one-half of the total number of its members is required to constitute a quorum, and the provisions of section 157 shall apply mutatis mutandis.
If the Senate does not return the bill to the House of Representatives within the period under section 136, it shall be deemed that the Senate approves such bill and further proceedings under section 81 shall be taken.
Section 138. A bill withheld under section 137 may be reconsidered by the House of Representatives only after the lapse of one hundred and eighty days as from the following dates:
- (1) the date the bill is returned to the House of Representatives by the Senate in case of withholding under section 137 (2);
- (2) the date either House disapproves the bill in case of withholding under section 137 (3).
In cases under paragraph one, if the House of Representatives resolves to reaffirm the bill considered by the House of Representativesor the bill considered by the joint committee by the votes of more than one-half of the total number of the existing Members of the House of Representatives, such bill shall be deemed to have been approved by the National Assembly and further proceedings under section 81 shall be taken.
Subject to section 143 paragraph four, if the bill withheld is a money bill, the period of one hundred and eighty days under paragraph one shall be decreased to ten days.
Section 139. While a bill is being withheld under section 137, the Council of Ministers or Members of the House of Representatives may not introduce a bill having the same or similar principle as that of the bill so withheld.
