The Journey Of A Bill To Law

The process of a bill becoming a law is a complex one, with many steps and opportunities for the bill to be altered or rejected. In the US, laws are created by the House of Representatives and the Senate, who are responsible for turning ideas into bills and then passing them through both chambers before they can be sent to the President to be signed into law. This process is intentionally long and challenging, as the founders of the US constitution wanted to ensure that laws were well-considered and not passed on a whim.

A bill is proposed

A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one. Ideas for bills can come from sitting members of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or be proposed by citizens or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them. If a citizen has an idea for a bill, they can contact their Representative to discuss it. If the Representative agrees, they will research the idea and write it into a bill.

Once a Representative has written a bill, it needs a sponsor. The Representative will talk with other Representatives to try to get their support. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, it is ready to 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.

When a bill is introduced, it is placed in the hopper—a special box on the side of the clerk's desk. A bill clerk then assigns it a number, for example, a bill introduced in the House of Representatives will begin 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.

Committees are assigned to study the bill according to its subject matter. For example, bills on farm subsidies generally go to the Agriculture Committee, and bills proposing tax changes would go to the House Ways and Means Committee. Committees are composed of groups of Representatives or Senators who are experts on the topic. The committee members review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the House floor. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead".

A sponsor is found

The first step in the journey of a bill becoming a law is the creation of the bill. Any member of Congress – either from the Senate or the House of Representatives – who has an idea for a law can draft a bill. These ideas can come from the members of Congress themselves, from citizens, advocacy groups, or the president. The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor". The other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors". 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, they need to find a sponsor. They do this by talking with other Representatives about the bill in the hopes of gaining their support. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, it is ready to be introduced.

The role of the sponsor

The sponsor is the original member who introduces a bill. They can be from the House of Representatives or the Senate. 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 process of finding a sponsor

Finding a sponsor can be a challenging and time-consuming process. It requires building relationships with other Representatives, persuading them of the merits of the bill, and negotiating to gain their support. It is important for the bill's author to be able to clearly articulate the purpose and potential impact of the bill, as well as address any concerns or objections that other Representatives may have.

The importance of finding a sponsor

Finding a sponsor is a crucial step in the process of a bill becoming a law. It helps to build momentum and support for the bill, and increases the likelihood of the bill being introduced and moving forward in the legislative process. A sponsor can also provide guidance and expertise to the bill's author, and help navigate the complex world of Congress.

The bill is introduced

In the Senate, the process is slightly different. 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 following day.

Once a bill is introduced, it can be found on Congress.gov, the official government website that tracks federal legislation.

The Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate will refer the bill to the appropriate committee. The referral decision is often made by the House or Senate parliamentarian. Bills may be referred to more than one committee, and parts of a bill can be sent to different committees. The Speaker of the House may set time limits on committees. Bills are placed on the calendar of the committee to which they have been assigned. If no action is taken on a bill, it is considered "dead" or "killed".

In the House, bills can only be released from committee without a proper committee vote by a discharge petition signed by a majority of the House membership (218 members). The Chairman may also assign a bill to a subcommittee.

The next step is for the bill to be read and debated by the Representatives. A reading clerk reads the bill section by section, and the Representatives recommend changes.

The bill is assigned to a committee

The committee may refer the bill to a subcommittee for further study and hearings. The subcommittee may make changes to the bill and must vote to refer it back to the full committee. The committee will then meet to make any further changes and amendments before recommending the bill to the "floor". If the committee votes against the bill, it dies. If they vote in favour, it is reported to the floor. This procedure is called "ordering a bill reported".

Once the bill reaches the floor, there is additional debate, and members of the full chamber vote to approve any amendments. The bill is then either passed or defeated by the members' votes.

The bill is voted on

Once a bill has been debated and is ready to be voted on, there are three methods for voting on it 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.

Frequently asked questions