Cameron Miranda
The process of how a bill becomes a law differs between the House and the Senate. While there are no rules dictating where a bill should originate, most bills tend to start in the House, as it has more legislators and is responsible for initiating tax and revenue-related legislation. The Senate, on the other hand, has other duties, such as confirming judges and cabinet positions. Once a bill is passed in one chamber, it moves to the other chamber, where it undergoes a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting. If a bill is modified by one chamber, it must be passed again by the originating chamber to verify the changes. If both chambers pass the same bill, it is sent to the President; if they pass different bills, they are sent to a Conference Committee to reconcile the differences.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Where do most bills originate? | Most bills originate in the House as there are more legislators there trying to pass legislation. |
| Where must tax and revenue-related bills originate? | All tax and revenue-related bills must originate in the House. |
| Where must bills relating to presidential nominations and treaties originate? | All bills relating to presidential nominations and treaties must originate in the Senate. |
| What happens after a bill is introduced? | After introduction, a bill is assigned to a committee that researches, discusses, and makes changes to it. |
| What happens after the committee stage? | The bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on. |
| What happens if a bill passes one chamber? | If a bill passes one chamber, it goes to the other chamber to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting. |
| What happens if the two chambers pass the same bill? | If the House and Senate pass the same bill, it is sent to the President. |
| What happens if the two chambers pass different bills? | If the House and Senate pass different bills, they are sent to a Conference Committee. |
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What You'll Learn
Bills can originate in either the House or the Senate
Bills are proposals for new laws or changes to existing laws. They can be introduced by any member of the House of Representatives or the Senate. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned a number and given to the clerk of the House or placed in the hopper. The bill is then assigned to a committee, which researches, discusses, and makes changes to the bill. The committee can be in either the House or the Senate.
While the House and Senate are equal in how they function, there are some differences in the types of bills they can introduce. The House is the only chamber that can initiate tax and revenue-related legislation. The Senate is the only chamber that can draft legislation related to presidential nominations and treaties. Most bills start in the House because there are more legislators there trying to pass legislation. However, this is not a rule, and some bills, such as the bipartisan infrastructure bill, start in the Senate.
After a bill passes in one chamber, it moves to the other chamber, where it goes through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting. If the bill passes in the second chamber, it is sent to the President. If changes are made to the bill, it goes back to the first chamber to be voted on again. If the House and Senate pass different bills, they are sent to a Conference Committee to work out the differences.
In the House, most bills go to the Rules Committee before reaching the floor. The committee adopts rules that govern the procedures under which the bill will be considered by the House. The Rules Committee can be bypassed if members move to suspend the rules (requiring a two-thirds vote) or if a discharge petition is brought to the floor. In the Senate, legislation is placed on the Legislative Calendar.
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Bills are assigned a number and a sponsor
Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned a number (e.g. H.R.51 or S.1077) and labelled with the name of its sponsor. The bill number and committee referral appear in the next issue of the Congressional Record. The bill is then sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO) where copies are made available in the document rooms of both Houses.
The sponsor is usually a member of the House or Senate, and any member can introduce a piece of legislation. In the Senate, bills can be jointly sponsored, and members can co-sponsor legislation. There can be an unlimited number of co-sponsors, and co-sponsors are not required to sign the bill. The primary sponsor's signature must appear on the bill before it is accepted for introduction, and members who co-sponsor a bill upon its introduction are known as original co-sponsors, while those who co-sponsor after its introduction are additional co-sponsors.
After being assigned a number and a sponsor, the bill is referred to the appropriate committee by the Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate. This referral decision is usually made by the House or Senate parliamentarian. Bills may be referred to multiple committees and split so that parts are 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.
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Bills are referred to committees
Once a bill is introduced, it is sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO) where copies are made. The bill is then referred to the appropriate committees by the Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate. The referral decision is usually made by the House or Senate parliamentarian. The Speaker of the House may set time limits on committees.
In the House, most bills go to the Rules Committee before reaching the floor. The committee adopts rules that govern the procedures under which the bill will be considered by the House. A "closed rule" sets strict time limits on debate and forbids the introduction of amendments. These rules can have a significant impact on whether the bill passes. The Rules Committee can be bypassed if members move to suspend the rules (requiring a 2/3 vote), if the Speaker and Majority Leader decide to bring the bill to the floor, or if a discharge petition is filed.
In the Senate, bills are typically referred to committees in a similar process, though they are usually referred only to the committee with jurisdiction over the predominant issue in the bill. In some cases, a bill may not be referred to a committee and may instead be placed directly on the Senate Calendar of Business.
Bills may be referred to more than one committee and may be split so that parts are sent to different committees. Each committee may only work on the portion of the bill under its jurisdiction, and one committee will be designated as the primary committee of jurisdiction. Comments on the bill's merit are requested by government agencies, and the bill may be assigned to a subcommittee by the Committee Chair. Hearings may be held, and subcommittees report their findings to the full committee. The full committee then votes on the bill, and if it passes, the bill is "ordered to be reported."
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Bills are placed on House or Legislative Calendars
Bills are generally introduced by members of the House of Representatives, as there are more legislators there working to pass legislation. However, there is no rule dictating that a bill must start in one place or the other. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee that researches, discusses, and makes changes to the bill. The bill is then placed on the calendar of the committee to which it has been assigned. In the House, there are four House Calendars, while in the Senate, there is a Legislative Calendar. The Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader decide which bills will reach the floor and when.
In the House, most bills go to the Rules Committee before reaching the floor. The committee adopts rules that govern the procedures under which the bill will be considered by the House. A "closed rule" sets strict time limits on debate and forbids the introduction of amendments. These rules can have a major impact on whether the bill passes. The Rules Committee can be bypassed if members move to suspend the rules (requiring a two-thirds vote), if the Speaker of the House sets a time limit on committees, or if a discharge petition is signed by a majority of the House membership (218 members).
After a bill is assigned to a committee, it is placed on the calendar of that committee. Bills may be referred to more than one committee and may be split so that parts are sent to different committees. Failure to act on a bill is equivalent to killing it. Once a bill passes in one chamber, it moves to the other. If there are changes made to the bill in the second chamber, it goes back to the initial chamber to vote on the changes. Once both chambers pass the same bill, it is sent to the President.
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Bills are sent to the President if passed by both chambers
Bills are proposals for new laws or changes to existing laws. Any member of the House of Representatives or the Senate can introduce a bill. The bill is then assigned to a committee, which researches, discusses, and amends the bill. The bill is then voted on. If it passes, it is sent to the other chamber, where it goes through a similar process.
If the House and the Senate pass the same bill, it is sent to the President. At this point, the President can choose to veto the bill. If this happens, Congress can vote to override the veto, and the bill becomes a law. However, if the President does not sign off on the bill and Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be vetoed by default, in what is called a "pocket veto," which cannot be overridden by Congress.
If the House and the Senate pass different bills, they are sent to a Conference Committee, which works out the differences between the two versions. Once both chambers pass the same bill, it is sent to the President.
It is worth noting that there are some procedural differences between the House and the Senate. While both are considered equal in their functions, 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 before voting.
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Frequently asked questions
Most bills originate in the House because there are more legislators there trying to pass legislation. The Senate has other duties, such as confirming judges and cabinet positions.
No, there is no rule that says a bill needs to start in one place or the other. Bills that impact tax revenue, for example, must start in the House.
If the bill passes in one chamber, it moves to the other chamber to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting. If it does not pass in the second chamber, then it dies.
If the House and Senate pass the same bill, it is sent to the President. If they pass different bills, they are sent to a Conference Committee.
