The Legislative Process: How A Bill Becomes Law

The process of a bill becoming a law is a lengthy one. In the United States, 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 introduced, it goes through several stages of review, discussion, and voting in the House and the Senate before it can be presented to the President to be signed into law. This article will outline the steps that a bill must go through to become a law, highlighting the key roles played by members of Congress and the President in the legislative process.

How a bill is drafted

The process of a bill becoming a law begins with the creation of a bill. 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 member of Congress has an idea for a law, they can draft a bill.

The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor". The sponsor talks with other Representatives about the bill in the hopes of getting their support. The other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors". 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. A bill clerk then assigns it a number that begins with H.R. It is then read by a reading clerk to all the Representatives, and the Speaker of the House sends the bill to one of the House standing committees.

The introduction of a bill

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 House of Representatives. Once introduced, a bill is assigned a number that begins with H.R. by a bill clerk. 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.

If a Senator is the sponsor, the bill is introduced in the Senate. Once a bill is introduced, it can be found on Congress.gov, the official government website that tracks federal legislation.

The bill goes to committee

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee. Committees are composed of groups of legislators or congress members with expertise in a specific area, such as agriculture, education, or international relations. The committee members review, research, and revise the bill. They may also choose to hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill and gather expert opinions. These hearings allow for the recording of viewpoints from various stakeholders, including the executive branch, other public officials, and supporters and opponents of the bill.

If the committee requires additional information or further examination of the bill, it is sent to a subcommittee. A subcommittee is a specialist group that operates under the committee. They may make changes to the bill and must vote to refer it back to the full committee. Once the committee has approved the bill, it is sent back to the House floor, where it is debated and amended by the Representatives.

Committees can take several actions on a bill. They can vote to pass the bill and send it to another committee or the floor. They can also amend the bill or send it to the floor with no recommendations. Committees also have the power to "kill" a bill by voting it down or "tabling" it, which means postponing any action indefinitely. This results in the bill not advancing any further. The committee chair, typically a member of the majority party of that chamber, holds a powerful position as they usually decide whether a bill will be discussed by the committee.

If the bill moves out of committee, it is considered by the full chamber. The "floor" is where legislators debate the bill and can offer amendments, which must be approved by the other members. After all amendments are considered, the chamber may vote on the bill.

The bill is reported

There are three methods for voting on a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives: viva voce, division, and recorded. In the viva voce method, the Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support the bill to say "aye" and those that oppose it to say "no". In the division method, the Speaker asks those who support the bill to stand up and be counted, and then does the same for those who oppose it. In the recorded method, Representatives record their votes using the electronic voting system, and can vote yes, no, or present if they don't want to vote on the bill. If a majority of 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.

When a bill reaches the Senate, it goes through many of the same steps it went through in the House. The bill is discussed in a Senate committee and then reported to the Senate floor to be voted on. Senators vote by voice, with supporters saying "yea" and opponents saying "nay". If a majority of Senators support the bill, it passes in the U.S. Senate and is ready to go to the President.

After both the House and the Senate have approved a bill in identical form, the bill is sent to the President. If the President approves of the legislation, it is signed and becomes law. If the President takes no action for ten days while Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law. If the President opposes the bill, they may veto it. If the President vetoes a bill, Congress may attempt to override the veto, and if two-thirds of the Representatives and Senators support the bill, it becomes a law.

The bill is voted on

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The bill is then put before that chamber to be voted on.

There are three methods for voting on a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives: viva voce, division, and recorded. In a viva voce vote, the Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support the bill to say "aye" and those that oppose it to say "no". In a division vote, 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. In a recorded vote, 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.

In the Senate, the bill is assigned to another committee and, if released, debated and 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 U.S. Senate and is ready to go to the President.

If the bill passes in both the House and the Senate, it is then sent to the President to be signed into law.

Frequently asked questions