Kara Sears
A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. The process of a bill becoming a law involves several steps, including drafting, introduction, committee review, voting, and approval by the legislative bodies and the President. This cheat sheet will outline the key stages and provide an overview of how a bill becomes a law.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of steps | 9 |
| Who can draft a bill? | Any member of Congress or everyday citizens and advocacy groups |
| Who is the sponsor? | The primary Congress member supporting the bill |
| Who are the co-sponsors? | Other members of Congress who support the bill |
| Where is the bill introduced? | The House or the Senate, depending on the sponsor |
| Where can the bill be found? | Congress.gov |
| What happens after introduction? | The bill is referred to a committee |
| What does the committee do? | Examines the bill, determines its chances of passage, may hold hearings |
| What is a subcommittee? | A group under the committee with further specialization on a certain topic |
| What happens after the committee stage? | The bill goes through markup, then to the floor for voting |
| What happens if the bill passes the first chamber? | It is referred to the other chamber, where it follows a similar process |
| What happens if the bill passes both chambers? | It is sent to the President |
| What can the President do? | Sign the bill, take no action, or veto the bill |
| What happens if the President vetoes the bill? | Congress may attempt to override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote |
What You'll Learn
A bill is proposed and introduced
The journey of a bill to become a law begins with an idea. This idea can come from a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or it can be proposed during their election campaign. Bills can also be petitioned 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, it needs a sponsor. The Representative talks with other Representatives about the bill, hoping to gain their support. A 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.
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. Once a bill is introduced, it can be found on Congress.gov, the official government website that tracks federal legislation. When a bill is introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, 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.
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A bill is assigned to a committee
Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. Both the House and the Senate have various committees composed of groups of Congress members with specific interests and expertise in different topics such as health, agriculture, education, or international affairs.
The committee will carefully examine the bill, including holding hearings to better understand its implications and gather expert opinions. They will also determine the bill's chances of passage by the entire Congress. If the committee does not act on the bill, it is considered "dead".
If the committee requires more information before deciding, the bill is sent 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. Once the hearings and subcommittee review are completed, the committee will meet to make any final 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. However, if they vote in favour of the bill, it is reported to the floor, and this procedure is called "ordering a bill reported".
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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 (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 process is similar in the Senate. The bill is discussed in a Senate committee and then 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 U.S. Senate and is ready to go to the President.
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The bill is presented to the president
Once the bill has been approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, it is presented to the President. The President has three options: they can sign the bill into law, refuse to sign it and veto it, or do nothing. If the President approves of the bill, they will sign it, and it will become a law. If the President does not approve, they can veto it. A veto means that the bill is sent back to the House of Representatives, along with the President's reasons for the veto. If the House of Representatives and the Senate still believe the bill should become a law, they can attempt to override the veto by holding another vote. If two-thirds of the Representatives and Senators support the bill, the President's veto is overridden, and the bill becomes a law.
If the President does nothing, the outcome depends on whether Congress is in session. If Congress is in session, and ten days pass with no action from the President, the bill will automatically become a law. However, if Congress is not in session, and the President takes no action, the bill will not become a law. This is called a "pocket veto" and cannot be overridden by Congress.
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A veto can be overridden
The process of a bill becoming a law involves several steps. Firstly, the bill is drafted and introduced by a member of Congress, who can be from either the Senate or the House of Representatives. The bill then goes through committees and subcommittees for review, research, and revisions. After this, the bill is voted on by the full chamber. If it passes, it is referred to the other chamber, where it goes through a similar process. Once both chambers have approved the bill, they work to reconcile any differences between their versions. The bill is then presented to the President. If the President approves, the bill becomes a law. However, if the President chooses to veto the bill, Congress has the power to override this veto by holding another vote.
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Frequently asked questions
Any member of Congress – either from the Senate or the House of Representatives – can draft a bill. The bill's primary sponsor is the Congress member who supports it. Other members who support the bill are called co-sponsors. Citizens can also propose a bill by contacting their Representatives.
Once the bill is drafted, it must be introduced. If a Representative is the sponsor, the bill is introduced in the House. If a Senator is the sponsor, the bill is introduced in the Senate.
The bill is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. Committees are composed of groups of Congress members who are particularly interested in different topics such as health or international affairs.
The bill is put before the chamber to be voted on. If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes to the other body to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting.
Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions. Then both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, they present it to the president.
