The Bill-To-Law Journey: Veto And Flow Map

Creating laws is the most important job of the U.S. House of Representatives. All laws in the United States begin as bills, which can be proposed by a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or even by citizens. Once a bill is introduced, it must be assigned to a committee, then presented to the House of Representatives, and finally, the Senate, where it goes through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting. If the bill passes in both houses, it is sent to the President, who can choose to sign and pass the bill, veto it, or do nothing (pocket veto). If the President chooses to veto, Congress can hold another vote, and if two-thirds of the Representatives and Senators support the bill, the President's veto is overridden and the bill becomes a law.

A bill is proposed

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 a Representative has written a bill, it needs a sponsor. The Representative talks with other Representatives about the bill in the hopes of getting their support. 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, 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 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 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. Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent or reported to the House floor, at which point it is ready to be debated by the U.S. House of Representatives.

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 a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill.

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.

The process for introducing a bill in the Senate 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 next day. The bill is then assigned a number (e.g. S 1) and sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO) for copying.

Once a bill is introduced and assigned a number, it is sent to the relevant committees. The Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate determines the appropriate committee for the bill, and the bill is placed on the committee's calendar. Bills may be referred to more than one committee and can be split so that parts are sent to different committees. The Speaker of the House may set time limits on committees.

Committees play a crucial role in reviewing and refining bills before they are voted on. They provide a forum for public input and expert opinions, ensuring that proposed legislation receives thorough consideration and revision. The committee members research, discuss, and make changes to the bill before voting on whether to send it back to the House floor. If the committee requires more information, the bill may be sent to a subcommittee for further examination.

In summary, introducing a bill is the first step in the legislative process, where an idea for a new law or change is formally proposed and assigned to relevant committees for review, discussion, and potential amendments. This process varies slightly between the House of Representatives and the Senate but ultimately sets the stage for the bill's journey towards becoming a law.

A bill goes to committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is sent to a committee for review, research, revisions, and voting. This committee is a group of Representatives who are experts on the topic of the bill. For example, if the bill concerns agriculture, the committee members will be experts in this area.

If the committee requires more information before making a decision, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. Here, the bill is closely examined, and expert opinions are gathered. The bill is then sent back to the committee for approval.

If the bill is approved by the committee, it is sent or reported to the House floor for debate and voting. At this stage, Representatives discuss the bill, explaining their reasons for agreeing or disagreeing with it. A reading clerk then reads the bill section by section, and Representatives recommend changes. Once all changes have been made, the bill is ready to be voted on.

In the House of Representatives, a simple majority of 218 out of 435 votes are needed for the bill to pass. If the bill passes, it moves to the Senate, where it is assigned to another committee and goes through a similar process of review, debate, and voting. A simple majority of 51 out of 100 votes are required in the Senate for the bill to pass.

Finally, a conference committee, comprising members of both the House and the Senate, works to resolve any differences between the two versions of the bill.

A bill is reported

Once a bill has been approved by a committee, it is sent, or reported, to the House floor. At this stage, 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. Following this, a reading clerk 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 an electronic voting system. They 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 U.S. House of Representatives. The bill is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the U.S. Senate.

A bill is voted on

Once a bill has been debated and 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 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 process for voting in the U.S. Senate is simpler. 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