How Disapproved Bills Can Become Law

The process of how a bill becomes a law varies across different legislative systems. In the United States, for example, a bill is first introduced and assigned to a committee, which researches, discusses, and makes changes to the bill. The bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on. If a bill passes one body of Congress, it goes to the other body to undergo a similar process. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must reconcile any differences between the two versions. The bill is then sent to the President for review. A bill becomes a law if the President signs it or does not sign it within 10 days while Congress is in session. If the President chooses to veto a bill, Congress can vote to override the veto, and the bill becomes a law. However, if a bill is not enacted into law during the Congress in which it was introduced, it is considered dead.

The bill can be reintroduced in a new Congress

In the United States, Congress is the law-making branch of the federal government. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. The idea for a bill can come from a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives or be proposed during their election campaign. Bills can also be petitioned by people or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them.

If a bill from any Congress does not become law during the Congress in which it is introduced, it is considered "dead." However, a "dead" bill can be enacted in a new Congress if it is reintroduced with a new number and begins its journey through the legislative process anew.

The legislative process begins with the introduction of a bill by any member of Congress. In the House, legislation is handed to the clerk of the House or placed in the hopper. In the Senate, members must gain recognition from the presiding officer to announce the introduction of a bill during the morning hour. If any senator objects, the introduction of the bill is postponed until the next day. The bill is then assigned a number (e.g., HR 1 or S 1) and labeled with the sponsor's name. It is sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO), where copies are made. Senate bills can be jointly sponsored, and members can cosponsor the legislation.

Once a bill is introduced, it is referred to the appropriate committee by the Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate. The referral decision is typically made by the House or Senate parliamentarian. Most bills fall under the jurisdiction of one committee, but they may be referred to more than one committee, and parts of the bill may be sent to different committees. The Speaker of the House may set time limits on committees. Bills are placed on the calendar of the committee to which they have been assigned. If a committee fails to act on a bill, it is considered killed.

The President's veto can be overridden

In the United States, Congress is the law-making branch of the federal government. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The bill is then put before that chamber to be voted on. If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes to the other body to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions. The bill is then sent to the President for review.

The President can approve the bill and sign it into law, or they can refuse to approve a bill, which is called a veto. If the President chooses to veto a bill, Congress can vote to override that veto, and the bill can still become a law. This requires a two-thirds majority vote in each house of Congress. If the President does not sign off on a bill and it remains unsigned when Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be vetoed by default, which is called a "pocket veto". A pocket veto cannot be overridden by Congress.

Historically, Congress has overridden about 7% of presidential vetoes. The first time Congress overrode a presidential veto was on March 3, 1845, during the presidency of John Tyler. The President's veto power continued to be very rarely used until the presidency of Andrew Jackson, who vetoed 12 bills. While none of these vetoes were overridden, several of President Jackson's subsequent vetoes were overturned.

The constitutions of many Native American tribes also contain an executive veto power over bills passed by the tribal council. For example, the chairperson of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians has a veto power, including over budgetary matters.

Congress can be in session when the President vetoes

In the United States, Congress is the federal government's law-making branch. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one. The legislative process is designed to ensure that every citizen is well-informed and understands the work of Congress.

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee that researches, discusses, and makes changes to it. The bill then goes through a process of research, discussion, changes, and voting in both bodies of Congress. If a bill passes one body of Congress, it goes to the other body to undergo the same process. Once both bodies accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions.

The bill is then sent to the President for review. The President can approve the bill and sign it into law, or refuse to approve it, which is called a veto. If Congress is in session when the President vetoes a bill, the bill is sent back to Congress with a note listing the President's reasons for doing so. Congress can then vote to override the veto, and if the veto is overridden in both chambers, the bill becomes a law.

However, if Congress is not in session when the President vetoes a bill, the bill is vetoed by default, and this is called a "pocket veto." A pocket veto cannot be overridden by Congress. Therefore, it is crucial for Congress to be in session when the President vetoes a bill to have the opportunity to override the veto and pass the bill into law.

The bill can be amended before becoming law

A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. The idea for a bill can come from a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives or be proposed during their election campaign. Bills can also be petitioned by people or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them. The right to petition is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The bill is then put before that chamber to be voted on. If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes to the other body to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions. Members from each house form a conference committee and meet to work out the differences. The committee is usually made up of senior members who are appointed by the presiding officers of the committee that originally dealt with the bill. The representatives from each house work to maintain their version of the bill. If the Conference Committee reaches a compromise, it prepares a written conference report, which is submitted to each chamber. The conference report must be approved by both the House and the Senate.

The bill is then sent to the President for review. A bill becomes law if signed by the President or if not signed within 10 days and Congress is in session. If Congress adjourns before the 10 days and the President has not signed the bill, it does not become law ("Pocket Veto"). If the President vetoes the bill, it is sent back to Congress with a note listing his/her reasons. Congress can then vote to override that veto, and the bill becomes a law. However, if the President does not sign off on a bill and it remains unsigned when Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be vetoed by default and cannot be overridden by Congress.

The legislative process allows for ample opportunity for all sides to be heard and make their views known. This often results in the notable improvement of a bill by amendment before it becomes law or in the eventual defeat of an inadvisable proposal. Joint resolutions may originate in either the House of Representatives or the Senate and are subject to the same procedure as bills, except when proposing an amendment to the Constitution. When a joint resolution amending the Constitution is approved by two-thirds of both Houses, it is not presented to the President for approval.

The bill can be reintroduced with a new number

If a bill does not become a law during the Congress in which it is introduced, it is considered "dead". However, a "dead" bill can be revived by reintroducing it with a new number. This process allows the bill to go through the legislative process again, giving it a chance to become a law.

In the United States, the legislative process begins with the introduction of a bill. Any member of Congress can introduce a bill, which is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. The bill is then assigned to a committee, which researches, discusses, and makes changes to it. After this, the bill is put before the chamber to be voted on. If it passes one body of Congress, it moves to the other body, where it undergoes a similar process. Once both bodies have approved the bill, they work together to resolve any differences between their versions.

If a bill fails to pass through one or both bodies of Congress, it can be reintroduced with a new number in a new Congress. This allows the bill to start the legislative process anew, giving it another opportunity to become a law. The bill will be assigned to a committee, which will consider the merits of the proposal and make any necessary revisions. The bill will then be voted on by the committee and, if approved, will move forward to the chamber for consideration.

Reintroducing a bill with a new number gives it a fresh start in the legislative process. This allows for the possibility of gaining enough support to pass through both bodies of Congress. It is important to note that the legislative process is designed to be thorough and deliberative, allowing for full discussion and consideration of proposed bills. This process helps ensure that only well-vetted and approved bills become laws.

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