Kara Sears
The US population can request a law change by petitioning a bill or supporting an existing petition. Citizens cannot introduce bills on their own, but they can ask a legislator to sponsor a bill on their behalf. Legislators can only request new bills during the fall of each year, and bills are introduced in January. Bills are proposals for new laws or changes to existing laws and can be petitioned by people or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee, which 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. If the bill passes both bodies, it is presented to the president, who can approve the bill and sign it into law or veto it.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Who can propose a law change? | A sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or a citizen or group of citizens who petition a member of Congress |
| Who can introduce a bill? | Only a legislator |
| How to contact a legislator | Phone, email, snail-mail, or in person |
| When can legislators request new bills? | During the Fall of each year |
| How to increase the chances of a petition being successful | Use a personal story, choose a striking image, collect signatures, and get media attention |
| Where to find information about current bills and federal laws | https://www.usa.gov |
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What You'll Learn
- US citizens can request a law change by petitioning for a bill
- Bills can be proposed by a member of the US Senate or House of Representatives
- Citizens can ask a legislator to sponsor a bill on their behalf
- Bills are introduced in January, then public hearings and votes begin
- If a bill passes both bodies of Congress, it goes to the president for approval
US citizens can request a law change by petitioning for a bill
To start the process, citizens can find a legislator who may support their idea. They can begin with their current elected officials or try to find a legislator from another district that might agree with their cause. Citizens can also look for similar bills from previous years and identify the sponsors of those bills. Once a legislator has been found, citizens can transmit their proposals to them.
After legislators file bill requests, they work with legislative staff to draft the exact bill text. Bills are then introduced, usually in January, and public hearings and votes begin. If a citizen's idea is related to a bill that is already going through the legislative process, a legislator might be able to introduce the idea as an amendment to that bill. However, there are rules about bill amendments, so this may not always be possible.
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. Citizens can show up at public hearings to voice support for their bill, contact their elected officials to urge them to vote for the bill, and write letters to the editor to raise awareness of the bill.
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Bills can be proposed by a member of the US Senate or House of Representatives
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 US 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 representing them.
Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee to which the bill is assigned will depend on the subject area of 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.
While the US Senate and the House of Representatives are equal in how they function, there are some procedural differences. For example, only the House can initiate tax and revenue-related legislation, and only the Senate can draft legislation related to presidential nominations and treaties. The House processes legislation through a majority vote, while the Senate does so through deliberation and debate prior to voting.
Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions. Then both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, they present it to the president. The president can approve the bill and sign it into law or refuse to approve it, which is called a veto. If the president chooses to veto a bill, Congress can usually 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, which is called a pocket veto, and it cannot be overridden by Congress.
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Citizens can ask a legislator to sponsor a bill on their behalf
In the United States, citizens can request a law change by asking a legislator to sponsor a bill on their behalf. This is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution, which gives citizens the right to petition. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law.
Any member, delegate, or resident commissioner from Puerto Rico in the House of Representatives can introduce a bill at any time while the House is in session. The member introducing the bill is known as the primary sponsor. The primary sponsor's signature must appear on the bill before it is accepted for introduction. In addition to the sponsor, a bill can have multiple cosponsors who sign onto the bill to demonstrate their support. These cosponsors can be additional cosponsors, who sign on after the bill's introduction, or original cosponsors, who sign on upon the bill's introduction.
Citizens can transmit their proposals to their representative or senator, who then introduces the bill for consideration and becomes the bill's sponsor. Citizens can also form citizen groups to petition their proposals to a legislator. 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.
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Bills are introduced in January, then public hearings and votes begin
In the United States, the lawmaking branch of the federal government is Congress. 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 it can be proposed during their election campaign. Bills can also be petitioned by citizens or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them.
Once a bill is introduced in January, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee may also decide to hold a hearing to examine the legislation. During a hearing, committee members invite policy experts, agency representatives, and other stakeholders to testify on how the bill will impact the country. After the hearing, the committee can decide to hold a "markup", where they debate, modify, and vote for or against the bill. If the majority of the committee votes in favour of the bill, it is advanced to the Senate floor for a full vote.
At this stage, every Senator has an opportunity to review and debate the legislation. The Majority Leader of the Senate decides when to bring up a piece of legislation for a vote and what type of vote it needs. Sometimes, a non-controversial bill will be "hotlined", meaning it is passed by unanimous consent without a roll-call vote to save time. However, more controversial legislation often requires more debate and must be discussed in-depth on the Senate floor.
Once the bill has been voted on by one body of Congress, it goes through a similar process in the other body (either the House of Representatives or the Senate). This includes further research, discussion, changes, and voting.
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If a bill passes both bodies of Congress, it goes to the president for approval
In the United States, Congress is the lawmaking 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.
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 a bill passes both bodies of Congress, they must work out any differences between the two versions. Then, both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, they present it to the president. The president then has the option to approve the bill and sign it into law or refuse to approve it, which is called a veto.
If the president chooses to veto a bill, Congress can 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. This action is called a "pocket veto," and it cannot be overridden by Congress.
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Frequently asked questions
You can request a law change by supporting or starting a petition. You can also contact a legislator by phone, email, or mail to ask them to sponsor a bill on your behalf.
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 by the people through a petition. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee, researched, discussed, and amended before being put to a vote. If the bill passes in both bodies of Congress, both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, it is presented to the president for approval.
There are two types of bills: public and private. A public bill affects the general public, while a private bill affects a specified individual or entity.
