The Journey Of A Bill To Law: 8 Steps

The process of a bill becoming a law is a complex one, with many steps to pass through before successful enactment. The journey begins with an idea, which can come from a Representative or citizen, and must be drafted into a bill. The bill is then introduced and assigned a number, before being sent to a committee for review and revision. Following this, the bill is reported to the House floor and debated, before being voted on. If the bill passes, it is sent to the other chamber, where it goes through the same process. Once both chambers have approved the bill, it is sent to the President for review and signature. If the President approves, the bill becomes a law. However, if the President vetoes the bill, it can still become a law if both chambers vote to override the veto.

Drafting and introducing a bill

The legislative process begins when a bill is introduced. Anyone can draft a bill, but only members of Congress can introduce legislation and become sponsors. 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. In the Senate, members must gain recognition from the presiding officer to announce the introduction of a bill during the morning hour. If any senator objects, the introduction is postponed until the following day.

Before a bill is introduced, you need to come up with an idea, find a Senator or Representative to sponsor it, draft the bill, and gather signatures from other legislators. The sponsor is the primary Congress member supporting the bill, and co-sponsors are other members who support it. These ideas can come from Congress members themselves or everyday citizens and advocacy groups. Citizens who have ideas for laws can contact their Representatives to discuss their ideas. If the Representatives agree, they research the ideas and write them into bills.

Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, it is ready to be introduced. When a bill is introduced, it is assigned a number (e.g., HR 1 or S 1) and labelled with the sponsor's name. It is then sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO), where copies are made.

Committee referral

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee. Committees are composed of groups of Congress members with a particular interest in a specific topic, such as health or international affairs. The committee carefully examines the bill, assessing its chances of passage by Congress.

At this stage, the committee may hold hearings to better understand the bill's implications and gather support. These hearings allow for the recording of the views of the executive branch, experts, other public officials, supporters, and opponents of the bill. If the committee does not act on the bill, it is considered "dead".

Subcommittees are organised under committees and have further specialisation on specific topics. Committees often refer bills to subcommittees for study and hearings. The subcommittee may make changes to the bill and must vote to refer it back to the full committee.

Once hearings and subcommittee reviews are completed, the committee will meet to "'mark up' the bill". They make changes and amendments before recommending the bill to the "floor". If the committee votes against reporting the legislation to the full chamber of Congress, the bill dies. If they vote in favour, it is reported to the floor, and this procedure is called "ordering a bill reported".

After a bill is reported, a committee staff prepares a written report explaining why they favour the bill and why they wish to see their amendments, if any, adopted. Committee members who oppose a bill may write a dissenting opinion in the report. The report is sent back to the whole chamber and is placed on the calendar.

Committee review

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee. Committees are composed of groups of Congress members with a particular interest in a specific topic, such as health or international affairs. The committee carefully examines the bill and determines its chances of passage by the entire Congress. The committee may also hold hearings to better understand the bill's implications, allowing for the views of experts, public officials, supporters, and opponents to be recorded.

The committee chair plays a crucial role in this process, as they can decide whether or not to grant a hearing. Advocates of the bill must work to get the committee chair interested in the bill and its potential impact. If a bill does receive a hearing, it provides an opportunity for members of the public to show their support, which often involves a lot of work behind the scenes.

To move forward, a majority of the committee members must support the bill. This involves advocacy efforts, meetings, and phone calls to persuade committee members. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead" and will not advance further in the legislative process.

Subcommittees also play a role in the committee review process. A bill may be referred to a subcommittee for further study and hearings. The subcommittee can make changes to the bill and must vote to refer it back to the full committee. The subcommittee review process allows for a more specialized examination of the bill and provides an opportunity for expert opinions to be considered in detail.

Mark-up and amendments

Once a bill has been introduced, it will be assigned to a committee. The committee will then review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the House floor. If the committee members require more information before making a decision, the bill will be sent to a subcommittee for further examination and to gather expert opinions.

After hearings have been completed, the committee will meet to "mark up" the bill. During this session, the committee will make revisions and additions before recommending the bill to the full committee. If the committee votes not to report the legislation to the full committee, the bill will die. If the committee votes in favour of the bill, it will be reported to the floor. This procedure is called "ordering a bill reported".

If substantial amendments are made during the mark-up session, the committee can order the introduction of a "clean bill" that will include the proposed amendments. This new bill will have a new number and will be sent to the floor while the old bill is discarded. The chamber must approve, change, or reject all committee amendments before conducting a final passage vote.

Voting and passage

Once a bill has been introduced, heard in committee, and voted out of committee, it is pulled to the floor. The bill is then debated by the full chamber, and any amendments are approved. The bill is then voted on by the members of the chamber. If the bill is passed by the House, it is referred to the Senate, and vice versa. The bill then goes through the same process in the second chamber, including committee hearings and a floor vote. If the bill is passed by both chambers, it is sent to the President for review and signature.

In the US House of Representatives, there are three methods for voting on a bill: viva voce, division, and recorded. In viva voce, the Speaker of the House asks supporters of the bill to say "aye" and opponents to say "no." In division, the Speaker asks supporters to stand up and be counted, and then does the same for opponents. In a recorded vote, Representatives use an electronic voting system to record their votes as yes, no, or present. A majority vote is required for the bill to pass.

In the US Senate, the voting process is similar, with Senators voting by voice. Supporters of the bill say "yea," while opponents say "nay." Again, a majority vote is needed for the bill to pass.

If the bill is passed by both the House and the Senate, it is then sent to the President, who has three options: sign and pass the bill, veto it, or do nothing (pocket veto). If the President vetoes the bill, Congress can attempt to override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers. If the veto is overridden, the bill becomes a law.

Frequently asked questions