Cecily Zamora
Anyone can propose a new law or a change to an existing law in the form of a congressional bill. However, to write a bill, one needs a member of the House of Representatives or the Senate to sponsor it. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. If the bill passes the committee, it moves forward to be debated by the second chamber. If it passes this stage, it goes to the President for approval. The President must respond to the bill within 10 days by signing it into law or vetoing it.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Who can create a law? | Anyone can initiate a congressional bill. |
| Who needs to sponsor the bill? | A member of the House or Senate needs to sponsor the bill. |
| What happens after the bill is presented? | The bill is carefully reviewed by a committee of representatives who specialize in the area of government the bill covers. |
| What happens if the committee approves the bill? | The bill is marked up with slight revisions and moved forward. |
| What happens if the committee rejects the bill? | The bill is sent back. |
| What happens after the bill passes the committee? | A report is made on the bill, which is added to its legislative history. |
| What happens after the bill passes through the first chamber? | It goes to the committee for the second chamber. |
| What happens if there are significant changes in the second chamber? | A report is made to the originating chamber for approval. |
| What happens after both chambers agree on the bill? | It goes to the President for approval. |
| What happens if the President does not veto the bill? | The bill is signed into law. |
| What happens if the President does not respond to the bill within 10 days while Congress is in session? | The bill is automatically enacted. |
| What happens if the President does not respond to the bill within 10 days after Congress breaks for the summer? | The bill is pocket vetoed. |
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What You'll Learn
Anyone can initiate a congressional bill
In the United States, Congress is the law-making branch of the federal government. Congress is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The legislative process begins with the introduction of a bill to Congress. Importantly, anyone can write a bill, but only members of Congress can introduce legislation. This means that anyone can initiate the process of creating a congressional bill, but they will need the help of a member of Congress to make it official.
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 initiated by citizens or citizen groups who petition a member of Congress to recommend a new or amended law. This means that anyone can propose a bill, regardless of their position or lack thereof in the government.
Once a bill is introduced to Congress, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. There are numerous committees and subcommittees in both the Senate and the House, each overseeing specific policy areas. The bill is then put before the relevant chamber to be voted on. If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes through a similar process in the other body before both chambers vote on the same version of the bill.
If the bill passes both chambers of Congress, it is presented to the President, who has the power to veto or sign the bill into law. Congress can also establish an annual budget for the government, levy taxes and tariffs, authorize borrowing, and mandate spending on specific items. While both the Senate and the House function equally, there are some procedural differences in how they process legislation. For example, only the House can initiate tax and revenue-related legislation, while only the Senate can draft legislation related to presidential nominations and treaties.
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Bills require a sponsor from the House or Senate
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.
The representative or senator who introduces a bill for consideration is called the bill's sponsor. Sponsors are listed on the first page of a bill, before its main text. In addition to the sponsor, a bill can have multiple cosponsors who sign on to demonstrate their support. The sponsor and cosponsors can be found on the bill information page on Congress.gov.
- House Bill 1550, the Strengthening America's Turning Point Act, passed the House on May 13, 2025.
- House Bill 1829, the Apache County and Navajo County Conveyance Act of 2025, passed the House on May 13, 2025.
- House Bill 1682, to amend the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to provide for lifetime National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes for family members of members of the Armed Forces who lost their lives while serving their country, passed the House on May 13, 2025.
- House Resolution 405, to require the Attorney General to develop reports relating to violent attacks against law enforcement officers, introduced in the House on May 13, 2025.
- Senate Bill 719, the Tribal Forest Protection Act Amendments Act of 2025, introduced in the Senate on May 19, 2025.
It is important to note that while both the House and the Senate are equal in how they function, they have some procedural differences. For example, only the House can initiate tax and revenue-related legislation, while 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 before voting.
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Bills are reviewed by a committee
Standing committees are the most common type of committee. They are formed each session, and all bills introduced during a session must pass through a standing committee before being considered on the floor. Study committees are assigned by one or both houses, typically with a specific issue in mind, and they conduct research between sessions. When the two houses disagree on a bill, a Conference Committee is created, comprising three members of each house, tasked with finding a compromise.
After the committee stage, if the committee agrees to report the bill to the chamber by majority vote, the bill proceeds to the Second Reading. If a committee does not want to pass a bill, it can be marked as "Do Not Pass" or held with no report issued. Most bills die in committee. However, there are ways to force a bill out of committee, such as through a petition for its discharge signed by two-thirds of the house.
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Bills are revised and voted on
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 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, 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. Then both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, they present it to the president.
The president then considers the bill. The president can approve the bill and sign it into law. Or the president can refuse to approve a bill, which is called a veto. If the president vetoes a bill, in most cases, 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.
In the Senate and the House, there are some procedural differences. While both are equal in how they function, only the House can initiate tax and revenue-related legislation. And only the Senate can draft legislation related to presidential nominations and treaties. While the House processes legislation through a majority vote, the Senate does so through deliberation and debate before voting.
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Bills are sent to the President for approval
In the United States, 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 by people or citizen groups who petition their representative in Congress for a new or amended law. Once a bill is introduced, it goes through a process of research, discussion, and amendment before being put to a vote. If a bill passes one body of Congress, it goes through the same process in the other body. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must reconcile any differences between the two versions.
Once a bill passes both houses of Congress, it must be presented to the President for approval or veto. If the President approves of the bill, they sign it into law within ten days (not counting Sundays). The President is not required to write the word "approved" or the date of approval on the bill. If the President does not sign a bill within ten days of presentment while Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law.
However, if Congress adjourns while the bill is awaiting the President's signature, and the President does not sign off on it within ten days of presentment, the bill does not become law. This is called a "pocket veto". A pocket veto cannot be overridden by Congress. In most cases, if the President chooses to veto a bill, Congress can vote to override that veto, and the bill becomes a law.
Bills sent to the President but not yet signed by them can be recalled by concurrent resolution of the two Houses. There have been instances where a bill was approved but later recalled due to discrepancies in the session it was enrolled in.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, anyone can initiate a congressional bill.
First, you need to find a sponsor. A sponsor can be a member of the House or Senate who supports your bill.
Your bill will be presented to a committee of representatives who will review and discuss it. If the committee agrees, your bill will be marked up with slight revisions and moved forward.
After passing both chambers, the bill goes to the President for approval. The President must respond to the bill within 10 days by signing it into law or vetoing it.
