Advocacy Glossary
Committee substitute
What does committee substitute mean?
A committee substitute is a rewritten version of a bill that a committee adopts in place of the original text, common in state legislatures such as Florida's.
Why it matters for advocates
Rather than voting dozens of small amendments, a committee can swap in a whole new draft. The bill keeps its number but the text can change dramatically, so the version you read last month may no longer exist.
Advocates tracking a bill must always check whether they are reading the latest substitute. Citing dead language in a meeting is a credibility killer.
Related terms
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