The Legislative Process: How A Bill Becomes Law

The process of a bill becoming a law is a complex one, but it can be condensed into a few key steps. First, a bill is proposed, usually by a member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, but it can also be proposed by citizens or citizen groups. Once a bill is proposed, it needs a sponsor and the support of other Representatives. If it gains enough support, it is then introduced, at which point it is assigned a number and sent to a committee. The committee will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill before voting on whether to send it back to the House floor. If the bill passes this vote, it goes through a similar process in the other body of Congress. Once both bodies have voted to accept the bill, they must work out any differences between their two versions, and then both chambers vote on the final version. If it passes this vote, the bill is sent to the President, who can choose to approve and sign it into law or veto it. If the President chooses to veto, Congress can vote to override the veto, and the bill becomes a law.

A bill is proposed

The process of a bill becoming a law begins with an idea. Ideas 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 an idea for a bill has been conceived, it must be drafted. This is done by the Legislative Counsel unit at the Capitol, a unit of lawyers tasked with drafting legislation and giving legal opinions to legislators.

Once a bill has been drafted, it needs a sponsor. The sponsor is the primary Congress member supporting the bill. The sponsor will talk with other Representatives about the bill in the hopes of getting their support for it. This process is known as gathering co-sponsors, who are the other members who support the bill. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, it is ready to be introduced.

A bill is introduced

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 an idea for a bill has been formulated, it must be formally drafted by the Legislative Counsel unit at the Capitol. This is a unit of lawyers tasked with drafting legislation and giving legal opinions to legislators. Once the bill has been drafted, 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.

In the Senate, a Senator usually introduces a bill or resolution by presenting it to one of the clerks at the Presiding Officer's desk, without commenting on it from the floor of the Senate. However, a Senator may use a more formal procedure by rising and introducing the bill or resolution from the floor, usually accompanied by a statement about the measure.

Once a bill has been introduced, it will be sent to the Rules Committee in its respective house. This committee is tasked with looking at the language of the bill and deciding which standing committees in the house have jurisdiction over the content of the bill and then assigning the bill to be heard in those committees. A bill can be referred to multiple committees depending on its content.

A bill goes to committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is sent to a committee. Committees are groups of Representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. The committees 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 before deciding, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. While in subcommittee, the bill is closely examined and expert opinions are gathered before it is sent back to the committee for approval.

The committees provide the most intensive consideration to a proposed measure as well as a forum where the public is given the opportunity to be heard. The committees also seek input from relevant departments and agencies about a bill. Frequently, the bill is submitted to the Government Accountability Office with a request for an official report on the necessity or desirability of enacting the bill into law. The committees may also hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill. Hearings allow the views of the executive branch, experts, other public officials, supporters, and opponents of the legislation to be put on record.

If the committee does not act on a bill, the bill is considered to be "dead". If the committee approves a bill, it is sent—or reported—to the House floor.

A bill is reported

Once a bill has been assigned to a committee, the committee members will 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 before deciding, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. While in subcommittee, the bill is closely examined and expert opinions are gathered before it is sent back to the committee for approval.

When the committee has approved a bill, it is sent, or reported, to the House floor. Once reported, a bill is ready to be debated by the U.S. House of Representatives. When a bill is debated, Representatives discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it. Then, a reading clerk 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.

A 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.

Voting on the Bill

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.

In the U.S. Senate, 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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