Committees In The House: How A Bill Becomes Law

The legislative process is a crucial aspect of the American democratic system, allowing for the protection of minorities and providing all sides with an opportunity to be heard. The journey of a bill to becoming a law involves multiple stages, with committees playing a pivotal role in this process.

The legislative process begins with the introduction of a bill, which can be proposed by a member of the House of Representatives or the Senate, or even by citizens who can contact their representatives to discuss their ideas. Once a bill finds a sponsor and gains support, it is introduced in the House, where a bill clerk assigns it a number and reads it to all representatives. The Speaker of the House then sends the bill to one of the House's standing committees.

The committee stage is where the bill is thoroughly examined and debated. The committee members, who are experts in specific areas like agriculture or international relations, review, research, and revise the bill. If further information is needed, the bill is sent to a subcommittee for closer examination and expert opinions. The subcommittee then reports its findings to the full committee.

After the committee has approved the bill, it is sent back to the House floor, where representatives debate and discuss the bill. A reading clerk reads the bill section by section, and representatives recommend changes. Once all changes are incorporated, the bill is ready for a vote.

The House employs three methods for voting: viva voce (voice vote), division, and recorded electronic voting. If the bill passes with a majority vote, it is certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the Senate.

The Senate follows a similar process, with the bill being discussed in a Senate committee and then reported to the Senate floor for a vote. Senators vote by voice, with a majority yea leading to the bill's passage and progression to the President.

The role of committees in the legislative process is crucial, as they provide a forum for intensive consideration of the bill and allow the public to be heard. The committees' expertise and research help shape the final version of the bill before it advances further in the legislative journey.

The Bill Is Proposed

The process of a bill becoming a law begins with an idea. This idea can come from a Representative or citizen. If a Representative agrees with a citizen's idea, they will research the idea and write it into a bill.

When a Representative has written a bill, they will need to find a sponsor. The Representative will then discuss the bill with other Representatives to gain their support. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of other 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. Once introduced, a bill is assigned a number that begins with H.R. and is then read to all the Representatives. The Speaker of the House then sends the bill to one of the House standing committees.

The committee members, who are groups of Representatives that are experts on specific topics, 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 would like more information, the bill is sent to a subcommittee to be closely examined and for expert opinions to be gathered. The subcommittee will then report its findings to the full committee.

Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent, or reported, to the House floor. A bill is ready to be debated by the U.S. House of Representatives once it has been reported. Representatives will then discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it. A reading clerk will then read the bill section by section, and Representatives will recommend changes. When all changes have been made, the bill is ready to be voted on.

The Bill Is Introduced

The first step in the legislative process is the introduction of a bill to Congress. Anyone can write a bill, but only members of Congress can introduce legislation. Some important bills are traditionally introduced at the request of the President, such as the annual federal budget.

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.

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 of the bill is postponed until the next day. The bill is then assigned a number (e.g. S 1) and sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO) to be copied.

Members of Congress can cosponsor the bill.

The Bill Goes to Committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is sent to a committee. In the House, the Speaker of the House decides which committee will receive the bill. The committee members are groups of Representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. In the Senate, the presiding officer makes the referral decision. Bills may be referred to more than one committee, and parts of a bill may be sent to different committees. The Speaker of the House may also set time limits on committees.

The committee members will review, research, and revise the bill. If the committee members would like more information before deciding whether to send the bill back to the House floor, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. In a subcommittee, the bill is closely examined and expert opinions are gathered before it is sent back to the committee for approval.

The committee may hold a "mark-up" session, during which it will make revisions and additions. If substantial amendments are made, the committee can order the introduction of a "clean bill" which 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.

After the bill is approved by the committee, it is sent to the House floor. Once reported, a bill is ready to be debated by the House.

The Bill Is Reported

Once a bill has been approved by the committee, it is sent to the House floor, a process known as "reporting". Once reported, a bill is ready to be debated by the House of Representatives.

When a bill is debated, representatives discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it. A reading clerk then reads the bill section by section, and the representatives recommend changes. When all changes have been made, the bill is ready to be voted on.

There are three methods for voting on a bill in the 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 vote yes, the bill passes in the House of Representatives. The bill is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the Senate.

The Bill Is Voted On

Once a bill has been debated and all changes have been made, 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 process for voting on a bill in the Senate is different. 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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