Understanding The Law: Activity 7-1 Explained

The process of turning a bill into a law is a long and complex one. In the United States, all laws begin as bills, which can be proposed by a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or by citizens and advocacy groups. Once a bill has been drafted and introduced, it is assigned to a committee, which will research, discuss, and make changes to it. The bill will then be voted on, and if it passes, it will go through a similar process in the other body of Congress. Once both bodies have voted to accept the bill, they will work together to create a single version of the bill, which will then be presented to the President. The President can choose to approve the bill and sign it into law, or veto it. If the President chooses to veto the bill, Congress can hold another vote, and if two-thirds of Representatives and Senators support the bill, it will become a law.

A bill is proposed and introduced

Ideas for bills 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. Citizens can contact their Representatives to discuss their ideas for new laws. If Representatives agree with the proposal, they research the ideas and write them into bills.

When a Representative has written a bill, they need to find a sponsor. They talk with other Representatives to 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.

The bill is assigned to a committee

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee. The committee members are groups of Representatives who are experts on specific topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. They review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the House floor. The committee may also send the bill to a subcommittee, where it is closely examined and expert opinions are gathered before being sent back to the committee for approval.

The Speaker of the House assigns the bill to one of the House's 22 standing committees, each with jurisdiction over bills in certain areas. The standing committee, or one of its subcommittees, studies the bill and hears testimony from experts and interested parties. The committee can then choose to release the bill with a recommendation to pass it, revise and release it, or lay it aside so that the House cannot vote on it. Releasing the bill is called reporting it out, while laying it aside is called tabling.

If the bill is released, it goes on the House Calendar. Here, the House Rules Committee may call for the bill to be voted on quickly, limit the debate, or limit or prohibit amendments. Undisputed bills may be passed by unanimous consent or by a two-thirds vote if Members of the House agree to suspend the rules.

The committee plays a crucial role in shaping the bill before it returns to the House floor for further consideration and voting.

The bill is voted on

Once a bill has been debated, it is ready to be voted on. There are three methods for voting on a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives:

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).

If a majority of the Representatives say or select yes, the bill passes in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the U.S. Senate.

The bill is sent to the President

Once a bill has been approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, it is sent to the President. The President has three options:

• Sign and pass the bill, which becomes a law.
• Refuse to sign or veto the bill, sending it back to the House of Representatives with reasons for the veto. If the House and Senate still believe the bill should become a law, they can hold another vote, and if two-thirds of Representatives and Senators support it, the President's veto is overridden and the bill becomes a law.
• Do nothing, also known as a 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 law.

The bill becomes a law

The process of a bill becoming a law is a long and complex one. It involves multiple stages of drafting, reviewing, debating, voting, amending, and approving. Here is a detailed overview of the journey:

Drafting and Introducing the Bill

The process begins with an idea, which can come from a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or even be proposed by citizens or advocacy groups. Once an idea is formed, a bill is drafted. This involves writing down the proposed legislation, which can be done by a representative or a senator. The person who drafts the bill is known as the "sponsor," and other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors." After the bill is drafted, it must be introduced. The introduction process varies depending on whether it is introduced in the House or the Senate.

Committee Review

Once introduced, the bill is referred to a committee for review. Committees are groups of representatives or senators with expertise in specific topics such as health or international affairs. They carefully examine the bill, research it, discuss it, and make changes. Committees may also hold hearings to better understand the bill's implications and gather opinions from experts and stakeholders. If the committee approves the bill, it moves forward; otherwise, it may be sent to a subcommittee for further review or even be considered "dead."

Voting and Amendments

After the committee review stage, the bill is put before the full chamber (either the House or the Senate) for a vote. Before the vote, there is additional debate, and members can propose amendments to the bill. The bill is then voted on, and if it passes, it moves to the other chamber (Senate or House) to go through a similar process of review, debate, and voting.

Conference Committee

Once the bill has passed in both the House and the Senate, a conference committee is formed, consisting of members from both chambers. This committee works to reconcile any differences between the two versions of the bill and create a single, agreed-upon version.

Presidential Approval

The final version of the bill is then presented to the President for approval. The President has several options: they can sign and pass the bill into law, veto the bill and send it back to Congress with their reasons, or do nothing, resulting in a "pocket veto" if Congress is not in session. If the President vetoes the bill, Congress can still override the veto if two-thirds of both the House and the Senate support the bill.

Enrolling and Publication

Once a bill has been approved by both chambers of Congress and the President, it is enrolled. This involves preparing a final, official copy of the bill, which is then sent to the Archivist of the United States for publication. The bill is printed and distributed, becoming a binding statute and part of the United States law.

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