Before reading... Some definitions....

• Amendment: A change to a bill, may be minor, major, or even an overhaul. AKA Gut-And-Amend.
  A bill will take one amendment to "empty it", and another amendment which will put in new language. Such an action can be to take a "parking ticket" bill and convert it into a full blown gun ban. -This is legal.
  A gut and amend example: Click Here (57k)
• Germane: pertinent and apporpiate
• Reconsideration: A Legislative form of "Do Over!" generally granted, the bill will get a second try at a vote. The author(s) generally start making deals, calling in favors, or twisting arms. (Arms are twisted by threating to getting party leadership to deny any funds and support competing candidates during the non-supporting law maker's next election, or asking buddies to VOTE NO on the non-supporting law maker's bills.)
• Piling On: Not used in this the flow charts, but in both houses, if a bill passes or fails law makers are allowed to change their VOTE AS LONG as it does not change the outcome of the bill. Typically, law makers under pressure will vote "no" on a bill, and if it passes, they will vote "yes" on the bill to appear "politically correct" to the public.
• California "Glossary of Legislative Terms"

The Big Picture: Bill from start to end 54k .pdf Adobe Portable Document Format

The Committee Picture: Inside the committee 26k .pdf Adobe Portable Document Format

For further reference

1. Assembly Rules 134k Plain Text
   http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/rules/assembly_rules.html
2. Senate Rules 107k Plain Text
   http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/rules/senate_rules.html
3. Joint Rules 190k Plain Text
   http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/rules/joint_rules.html
4. 2005 Assembly Tentative Legislative Calendar
   http://www.assembly.ca.gov/clerk/billslegislature/2005legcalendar.html
5. 2005 Senate Tentative Legislative Calendar
   http://www.senate.ca.gov/~newsen/schedules/SENATE_CALENDAR_2005.PDF