The Art Of Lawmaking: From Bill To Law

The process of a bill becoming a law is a complex one, with many steps involved. In the United States, laws are created by the Congress, which is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law, and these ideas can come from members of Congress or everyday citizens and advocacy groups. Once a bill is introduced, it must pass through committees and be voted on by both Houses of Congress before going to the President, who can accept or veto it. This visual guide will break down the steps of how a bill becomes a law, providing an overview of the legislative process and the key players involved.

A bill is proposed and introduced

The first step in the legislative process is for a bill to be proposed and introduced. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. Ideas for bills can come from sitting members of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or be proposed during their election campaign. Bills can also be petitioned by citizens or 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 bill has been drafted, it needs a sponsor. The Representative talks with other Representatives about the bill in the hope of getting 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.

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 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.

The bill goes to a committee

Once a bill is introduced, it is sent to a committee. Both the House and the Senate have committees composed of groups of Congress members with specific interests and expertise in different topics, such as health, agriculture, education, or international affairs and relations. The committee carefully examines the bill, exploring its potential implications and determining its chances of passage by Congress.

The committee may hold hearings to gather expert opinions and record the views of the executive branch, other public officials, and supporters and opponents of the bill. If the committee does not act on the bill, it is considered "dead". The committee may also choose to send the bill to a subcommittee for further examination and hearings. The subcommittee may suggest changes to the bill and must vote to refer it back to the full committee.

Once hearings and subcommittee reviews are complete, the committee will meet to make any necessary changes and amendments to the bill. This process is called a "mark-up". 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".

The committee stage is crucial in the legislative process as it allows for detailed scrutiny and potential improvements to be made to the bill before it advances further.

The bill is reported

Once a bill has been through the committee stage, it is then reported to the House floor. This is when the bill is ready to be debated by the U.S. House of Representatives.

During the debate, 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. Once all 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 those who oppose the bill to do the same. The third is recorded, where Representatives record their vote using the electronic voting system. They can vote yes, no, or present if they don't want to vote on the bill.

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.

The bill is voted on

Once a bill has been introduced, it must be voted on. This process varies between the House of Representatives and the Senate.

In the House of Representatives, there are three methods for voting on a bill: viva voce, division, and recorded. In a viva voce vote, the Speaker of the House asks Representatives to say "aye" if they support the bill and "no" if they oppose it. In a division vote, 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 a recorded vote, Representatives record their vote using an electronic voting system, selecting "yes," "no," or "present" if they do not wish to vote on the bill. If a majority of Representatives vote "yes," the bill passes in the House of Representatives and is then sent to the Senate.

In the Senate, voting is done by voice. Senators who support the bill say "yea," and those who oppose it say "nay." If a majority of Senators say "yea," the bill passes in the Senate and is ready to be sent to the President.

If the House and Senate pass different versions of the bill, it is sent to a Conference Committee, which is made up of members from each chamber. The committee works to reconcile the differences between the two versions and prepares a written report with recommendations for the final bill. Both chambers must then vote to approve the conference report. If they do, the bill is sent to the President.

The bill is sent to the president

Once a bill has been approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, it is sent to the President for review. The President has three choices: they can sign and pass the bill, refuse to sign or veto the bill, or do nothing.

If the President chooses to sign the bill, it becomes a law. If the President refuses to sign the bill, it 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 hold another vote on the bill. 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 the President takes no action for ten days while Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law. On the other hand, if the President takes no action for ten days and Congress has already adjourned, there is a "pocket veto", and the bill does not become law.

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