The Journey Of A Bill Becoming A Law

The process of how a bill becomes a law is a complex one, with many steps and procedures. In the United States, the creation and modification of laws is the primary function of Congress, the legislative branch of the government. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one. The idea for a bill can come from a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or it can be proposed by citizens or citizen groups who petition their representative. Once a bill is introduced, it goes through several stages of review, discussion, and voting before it can become a law. This includes being assigned to a committee, undergoing revisions, and receiving approval from both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Finally, the bill is sent to the President for approval and signing into law. If the President vetoes the bill, Congress can still override the veto and pass the bill into law.

The Bill Is Proposed

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 hope of getting their support. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, it is ready to be introduced.

The sponsor is the primary Congress member supporting the bill. The other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors".

The Bill Is 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 a bill is introduced, it can be found on Congress.gov, the official government website that tracks federal legislation. The bill is then given a number (e.g. HR 1 or S 1) and the name of the sponsor. It is then sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO), where copies are made.

The Bill Is Introduced

The first step in the process of a bill becoming a law is its introduction. Any member of Congress can introduce a bill, which is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one. 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 drafted, it must 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.

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 House. 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 bill is also sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO), where copies are made.

Once a bill is introduced, it can be found on Congress.gov, the official government website that tracks federal legislation. The bill is also labeled with the sponsor's name, and members can cosponsor the legislation.

The Bill Goes to Committee

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee. The committee members are groups of representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. They review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the House floor. Committees may also hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill. This allows the views of the executive branch, experts, other public officials, supporters, and opponents of the legislation to be put on record.

If the committee members would like more information before deciding, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. While in the subcommittee, the bill is closely examined and expert opinions are gathered before it is sent back to the committee for approval. Subcommittees are organized under committees and have further specialization on a certain topic.

Once the hearings and subcommittee review are completed, the committee will meet to "mark up" the bill. They make changes and amendments prior to recommending the bill to the "floor". If a committee votes not to report legislation to the full chamber of Congress, the bill dies. If the committee votes in favor of the bill, it is reported to the floor. This procedure is called "ordering a bill reported".

After the bill is reported, the committee staff prepares a written report explaining why they favor the bill and why they wish to see their amendments, if any, adopted. Committee members who oppose a bill sometimes write a dissenting opinion in the report. The report is sent back to the whole chamber and is placed on the calendar.

The Bill Is Voted On

Once a bill has been reported, the committee staff prepares a written report explaining why they support the bill and why they wish to see their amendments, if any, adopted. Committee members who oppose a bill may write a dissenting opinion in the report. The report is sent back to the whole chamber and is placed on the calendar.

In the House, most bills go to the Rules Committee before reaching the floor. The committee adopts rules that will govern the procedures under which the bill will be considered by the House. A "closed rule" sets strict time limits on debate and forbids the introduction of amendments. These rules can have a major impact on whether the bill passes. The rules committee can be bypassed in three ways:

• Members can move rules to be suspended (requires 2/3 vote)
• A discharge petition can be filed
• The House can use a Calendar Wednesday procedure

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.

When a bill reaches the U.S. Senate, it goes through many of the same steps it went through in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill is discussed in a Senate committee and then reported to the Senate floor to be voted on. 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.

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 options:

• Sign and pass the bill, which becomes a law.
• Refuse to sign, or veto, the bill. The bill is then sent back to the House of Representatives, along with the President's reasons for the veto. If the House and 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.
• Do nothing (pocket veto). If Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law after 10 days. If Congress is not in session, the bill does not become a law.

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