The Journey Of A Bill To Law

The legislative process is a complex and lengthy procedure that begins with an idea for a new law or a change to an existing one. This idea 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 advocacy groups. Once a bill is drafted, it must be introduced and assigned to a committee for research, discussion, and revisions. The bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on. If it passes one body of Congress, it goes through a similar process in the other body. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences, and both chambers vote on the same version. If it passes, they present it to the president, who can approve and sign it into law or veto it. If the president chooses to veto, Congress can vote to override the veto, and the bill becomes law. However, if the president does not sign off on a bill and Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be vetoed by default, known as a pocket veto, which cannot be overridden.

Bill is proposed and assigned to a committee

The first step in the process of a bill becoming a law is for a bill to be proposed. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. Anyone can have an idea for a bill, including sitting members of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, citizens, or citizen groups. A bill must have a sponsor, who is the primary Congress member supporting it. The sponsor will talk with other Representatives about the bill to try and get their support. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, it is ready to be introduced.

In the U.S. 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 U.S. House of Representatives. When a bill is introduced, a bill clerk 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.

Committees are groups of Representatives who are experts on specific topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. When a bill reaches a committee, 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 would like more information before deciding, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. A subcommittee will closely examine the bill and gather expert opinions before sending it back to the committee for approval.

The Bill is Reported

Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent, or reported, to the House floor. Once reported, a bill is ready to be debated by the U.S. House of Representatives. During the debate, Representatives discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it. Then, 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.

Bill is introduced

The first step in the process of a bill becoming a law is the introduction of the bill. This is when a bill is placed in the hopper, a special box on the side of the clerk's desk. Only members of the House of Representatives can introduce bills. Once introduced, a bill is assigned a number that begins with H.R. by a bill clerk, and then read to all the Representatives by a reading clerk.

The Speaker of the House then sends the bill to one of the House standing committees. These committees are groups of Representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. The committees review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the House floor.

If the committee members would like more information before deciding, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. In a subcommittee, the bill is closely examined and expert opinions are gathered before it is sent back to the committee for approval.

The legislative process

The legislative process is a matter about which every person should be well informed in order to understand and appreciate the work of Congress. It is a practical safeguard of the American democratic way of life, with its emphasis on the protection of the minority, allowing ample opportunity for all sides to be heard and make their views known.

Sources of legislation

The sources of ideas for legislation are unlimited, and proposed drafts of bills originate in many diverse quarters. A primary source is the idea and draft conceived by a member of the House of Representatives. This may emanate from the election campaign during which the member promised, if elected, to introduce legislation on a particular subject. The member may also become aware, after taking office, of the need for amendment to or repeal of an existing law, or the enactment of a statute in an entirely new field.

Bill is reported

Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent, or reported, to the House floor. At this stage, the bill is ready to be debated by the U.S. House of Representatives.

During the debate, Representatives discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it. Then, a reading clerk reads the bill section by section, and the Representatives recommend changes. Once all changes have been made, the bill is ready to be voted on.

Bill is voted on

The process of voting on a bill differs between the House of Representatives and the Senate. In the House of Representatives, there are three methods of voting on a bill:

• Viva Voce (voice vote): The Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support the bill to say "aye" and those that oppose it say "no".
• Division: The Speaker of the House asks those Representatives who support the bill to stand up and be counted, and then those who oppose the bill to stand up and be counted.
• Recorded: Representatives record their vote using the electronic voting system. Representatives can vote yes, no, or present (if they don’t want to vote on the bill).

In the Senate, voting is done by voice. Senators who support the bill say "yea," and those who oppose it say "nay."

If a majority of the Representatives say or select yes, the bill passes in the House of Representatives. The bill is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the Senate. If a majority of Senators say "yea," the bill passes in the Senate and is ready to go to the President.

Bill is referred to the Senate

Once a bill has been passed by the House of Representatives, it is sent to the Senate, where it goes through many of the same steps as it did in the House.

The bill is first discussed in a Senate committee. Here, groups of Senators who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations, review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the Senate floor. If the committee members would like more information before deciding, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. While in the subcommittee, the bill is closely examined and expert opinions are gathered before it is sent back to the committee for approval.

Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent, or reported, to the Senate floor to be voted on. Senators vote by voice. Those who support the bill say "yea", and those who oppose it say "nay". If a majority of the Senators say "yea", the bill passes in the Senate and is ready to go to the President.

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