Understanding The Journey Of A Bill To Law

In the United States, laws begin as ideas. 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, be proposed during their election campaign, or be petitioned by citizens or citizen groups. Once a bill is drafted, it must be introduced, after which it is assigned to a committee for review and revision. The bill then goes through several stages of voting and referral between the House and the Senate before being sent to the President for approval. If the President approves the bill, it becomes a law. If not, it may be vetoed, in which case Congress can attempt to override the veto.

A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law

Once a bill is drafted, it must be introduced. If a Representative is the sponsor, the bill is introduced in the House. If a Senator is the sponsor, the bill is introduced in the Senate. A bill is then placed in the hopper—a special box on the side of the clerk's desk. Only Representatives can introduce bills in the House. A bill clerk then assigns it a number that begins with H.R. A reading clerk then reads the bill to all the Representatives, and the Speaker of the House sends the bill to one of the House standing committees.

The committee members review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the House floor. If the committee members need more information, the bill is sent to a subcommittee to be closely examined and for expert opinions to be gathered. Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent to the House floor, where it is debated by the House of Representatives. Representatives discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it. A reading clerk reads the bill section by section, and the Representatives recommend changes. When all changes have been made, the bill is ready to be voted on.

If the bill passes in the House, it is then referred to the Senate, where it goes through a similar process of committee review, debate, and voting. If the bill passes in the Senate, it is sent to the President. The President can choose to sign and pass the bill, making it a law, or veto it, sending it back to the House with the reasons for the veto. If the bill has the support of two-thirds of Representatives and Senators, the President's veto can be overridden, and the bill becomes a law. Alternatively, the President can do nothing, which is called a "pocket veto". If Congress is not in session, the bill does not become a law.

The bill is drafted and introduced

Any member of Congress – from the Senate or the House of Representatives – can draft a bill. These ideas can come from the members of Congress themselves, everyday citizens, or advocacy groups. The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor", and other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors". A Representative will discuss their idea with other Representatives to gain their support, and once a bill has a sponsor and the support of other Representatives, it is ready to be introduced.

In the House of Representatives, a bill is introduced when it is placed in the hopper – a special box on the side of the clerk's desk. Only Representatives can introduce bills in the House of Representatives. A bill clerk will then assign it a number that begins with H.R. and a reading clerk will read the bill to all the Representatives. The Speaker of the House will then send the bill to one of the House standing committees.

In the Senate, the bill is submitted to clerks on the Senate floor. Upon introduction, the bill will receive a designation based on the chamber of introduction, for example, H.R. or H.J.Res. for House-originated bills or joint resolutions and S. or S.J.Res. for Senate-originated measures. It will also receive a number, which is typically the next number in sequence during that two-year Congress.

The bill is assigned to a committee

The process of a bill becoming a law is a complex one, and the bill's journey starts with being assigned to a committee. Both the House and the Senate have various committees composed of groups of Congress members who are particularly interested in different topics such as health, education, agriculture, or international affairs. These committees are panels of members from both parties that typically take the lead in developing and assessing legislation.

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee members review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send the bill back to the House floor. If the committee members would like more information before deciding, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. A subcommittee is a group under the committee with further specialization in a certain topic. The bill is closely examined, and expert opinions are gathered before it is sent back to the committee for approval.

The committee may even choose to hold hearings to better understand the bill's implications. Hearings allow the views of the executive branch, experts, other public officials, supporters, and opponents of the legislation to be put on record. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead". When the hearings and subcommittee review are completed, the committee will meet to "'mark up' the bill". They make changes and amendments prior to recommending the bill to the "floor". If a committee votes against reporting legislation, the bill dies. If the committee votes in favor of the bill, it is reported to the floor. This procedure is called "ordering a bill reported".

The bill is voted on

The process by which a bill becomes a law can vary, but there are some common steps. Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee, which will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on.

The process of voting on a bill can differ depending on the chamber. In the US House of Representatives, there are three methods of voting: viva voce, division, and recorded. In viva voce, the Speaker of the House asks Representatives to say "aye" if they support the bill and "no" if they oppose it. In division, the Speaker asks those who support the bill to stand up and be counted, and then does the same for those who oppose the bill. In recorded, Representatives use an electronic voting system to record their vote as yes, no, or present. A simple majority is required for a bill to pass in the House of Representatives.

In the US Senate, the process is different. Senators vote by voice, saying "yea" if they support the bill and "nay" if they oppose it. Again, a simple majority is required for a bill to pass.

After a bill has passed in one body of Congress, it goes through a similar process in the other body, including research, discussion, changes, and voting. Once both bodies have voted to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions and then both chambers vote on the same version of the bill.

The bill is approved by the President

The President has three options when a bill is presented to them. They can:

• Sign and pass the bill—the bill becomes a law.
• Refuse to sign, or veto, the bill—the bill is sent back to the U.S. House of Representatives, along with the President's reasons for the veto. If the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate still believe the bill should become a law, they can hold another vote on the bill. If two-thirds of the Representatives and Senators support the bill, the President's veto is overridden and the bill becomes a law.
• Do nothing (pocket veto)—if Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law after 10 days. If Congress is not in session, the bill does not become a law.

If the President approves of the bill, they sign it and it becomes a law. The President is not required to write the word "approved" or the date of approval on the bill. However, the President must sign the bill within 10 days (excluding Sundays) of presentment while Congress is in session. If the President does not sign the bill within this time frame and Congress adjourns, the bill will not become a law. This is called a "pocket veto" and it cannot be overridden by Congress.

On the other hand, if the President opposes the bill, they may veto it. In most cases, Congress can vote to override the veto, and if two-thirds of both the House and the Senate pass the bill, it becomes a law.

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