The Journey Of A Bill: From Introduction To Law

In the United States, the process of turning a bill into a law involves several steps and the participation of Congress, which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as the President. The journey of a bill to becoming a law begins with its proposal and introduction, where it is assigned a number and a sponsor. The bill then undergoes committee review, including hearings and markup, before being presented to the full chamber for debate and votes. If the bill passes in one body of Congress, it moves to the other, repeating a similar process. Once both chambers approve the bill, they must reconcile any differences, and both chambers vote on the final version. The bill is then presented to the President for approval, signature, or veto. If vetoed, Congress can attempt to override the veto, turning the bill into law.

A bill is proposed

The first step in the legislative process is the proposal 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, or it can be proposed by citizens or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them. 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 Representative has written a bill, the bill needs a sponsor. The Representative talks with other Representatives about the bill, hoping to gain their support. The sponsor is the primary Congress member supporting the bill, and any 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. When a bill is introduced, it is given a number that begins with H.R. in the House and S. in the Senate. The bill is also labelled with the sponsor's name.

A sponsor is found

Once a bill has been drafted, it needs a sponsor. The sponsor is the first member of the House or Senate to be listed among the potentially numerous lawmakers who introduce a bill for consideration. The sponsor is also known as the primary sponsor. The sponsor is usually a legislator who presents a bill or resolution to a legislature for consideration. In the case of the U.S. House of Representatives, only Representatives can introduce bills.

The Representative who wrote the bill talks with other Representatives about it, hoping to get their support. The sponsor's name must appear on the bill when it is introduced. The sponsor may also use a "'Dear Colleague' letter to advertise the bill to colleagues and gain their support." This is a notice, usually in the form of an email or print-out, delivered to some or all Member offices.

The sponsor may also be the bill's author. Ideas for bills can come from any member of Congress—either from the Senate or the House of Representatives. They can also come from 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.

In the case of multiple sponsors, there can only be one primary sponsor, with the other members listed as co-sponsors or cosponsors. There is no limit to the number of cosponsors a bill can have.

The bill is introduced

Any member of Congress can introduce a bill, and the person who introduces it is the sponsor. If the sponsor is a Representative, the bill is introduced in the House; if they are a Senator, it is introduced in the Senate. 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. 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 next day. Once a bill is introduced, it can be found on Congress.gov, the official government website that tracks federal legislation.

Once introduced, the bill is assigned a number that begins with H.R. if it is a House bill, and S. if it is a Senate bill. It is then referred to a committee with jurisdiction over the primary issue of the legislation. The Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate usually makes the referral decision, and sometimes a bill will be referred to multiple committees or a subcommittee first.

The bill is then sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO), where copies are made. Members can cosponsor the bill, and Senate bills can be jointly sponsored.

The bill is assigned to a committee

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee. Committees are groups of Congress members with a particular interest or expertise in a specific topic, such as health, agriculture, education, or international relations and affairs. The Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate usually makes the referral decision, although the House or Senate parliamentarian often makes the actual referral. Bills may be referred to multiple committees, and sometimes they are referred to a subcommittee first.

The committee chair determines whether there will be a hearing on the bill, which provides an opportunity for witnesses to testify, and whether there will be a "markup" session, where the bill is debated, amended, and rewritten. Hearings allow the views of the executive branch, experts, other public officials, supporters, and opponents of the bill to be recorded. After the hearing and markup, the committee will meet to make any final revisions and additions. If substantial amendments are made, the committee may introduce a “clean bill” that includes the proposed amendments. This new bill will have a new number and will be sent to the floor, while the old bill is discarded.

Once the committee has finished making changes, they vote on whether to send the bill back to the House or Senate floor. If the committee votes against sending the bill back, the bill is considered "dead" and does not progress any further. However, if the committee votes in favour of the bill, it is reported to the floor, and a committee report is prepared. This report describes the intent of the legislation, its legislative history, its impact on existing laws and programs, and the position of the majority of committee members. The report is sent back to the whole chamber, where it is placed on the calendar and is ready to be debated.

The bill is reported

Once the bill has been approved by the committee, 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, explaining their reasons for agreeing or disagreeing with it. A reading clerk then reads the bill section by section, and the Representatives recommend changes. Once all the changes have been made, the bill is ready to be voted on.

There are three methods for voting on a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives. The first is Viva Voce, where the Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support the bill to say "aye" and those that oppose it to say "no". The second is Division, where the Speaker asks those who support the bill to stand up and be counted, and then does the same for those who oppose it. The third is Recorded, where Representatives record their vote using the electronic voting system, selecting "yes", "no", or "present" if they do not want to vote. If a majority of Representatives vote "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 U.S. Senate, it goes through many of the same steps it went through in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill is discussed in a Senate committee and then reported to the Senate floor to be voted on. Senators vote by voice, saying "yea" if they support the bill and "nay" if they oppose it. If a majority of Senators say "yea", the bill passes in the U.S. Senate and is ready to go to the President.

After both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate have approved a bill, it is sent to the President. The President has three options: they can sign and pass the bill, which becomes a law; they can refuse to sign or veto the bill, sending it back to the U.S. House of Representatives with their reasons for the veto; or they can do nothing, in which case, if Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law after 10 days, but if Congress is not in session, the bill does not become a law.

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