Gavin Howe
Laws are a set of rules that we all need to follow. In the United States, we elect people to make our laws. These people are called lawmakers. But the lawmakers we elect cannot make just any law they want. They have to follow the state and federal constitutions, which say what they can and cannot do. So, how does an idea become a law? Well, it starts as a bill. A bill is a proposed law. It can be created by a lawmaker or a citizen. Once a bill is written, it needs to be introduced, discussed, and voted on. If it passes all these steps, it then goes to the President. The President can choose to sign the bill and make it a law, or not. Let's follow a bill's journey to becoming a law.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Where do ideas for bills come from? | 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 people or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them. |
| How is a bill introduced? | In the U.S. House of Representatives, a bill is introduced when it is placed in the "hopper", a wooden box on the side of the clerk's desk. |
| Who can introduce a bill? | Any Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner may introduce a bill any time the House is in session. |
| What happens when a bill is introduced? | The title of the bill is entered in the House Journal and printed in the Congressional Record. The Clerk assigns the bill a legislative number and the Speaker of the House assigns the bill to the appropriate committee. |
| What happens when the bill reaches the committee? | The committee members will seek expert input, hold “mark-up” sessions to make any changes or updates deemed important, and, if necessary, send the bill to a subcommittee for further analysis through research and hearings. |
| What happens after the committee stage? | Once the committee is satisfied with the content of the bill, it is sent back to the House for debate. |
| What happens during the debate? | The bill is read aloud, section by section, and Members may offer amendments as each section is read. |
| How is a bill voted on? | There are three methods for voting on a bill: Viva Voce (voice vote), Division, and Recorded. |
| What happens if a bill passes in the U.S. House of Representatives? | An exact copy is sent to the U.S. Senate. The bill is reviewed and discussed by a Senate committee before proceeding to the Senate floor for a vote. |
| What happens if a bill is passed by the Senate? | Both the House and Senate bills are returned to the House with a note indicating any changes. If the Senate has made amendments, the House must vote on the bill again as both Chambers of Congress must agree to identical legislation for it to become law. |
| What happens when both Chambers have passed identical legislation? | The enrolling clerk prepares the final document for presentation to the President of the United States. The enrolled bill is printed on parchment paper and certified by the Clerk of the House. |
| What are the President's options? | The President can approve the bill and sign it into law (Pass), refuse to approve it (Veto), or do nothing (Pocket Veto). |
What You'll Learn
Bills are proposed by Representatives or citizens
So, you want to know how a bill becomes a law? Well, it all starts with an idea. Anyone can have an idea for a new law, but it's up to the Representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives to turn that idea into a bill. Representatives might come up with ideas for new laws themselves, or citizens like you can contact their Representatives to suggest ideas. If a Representative likes a citizen's idea, they will research it and write it up as a bill.
Once a Representative has written a bill, they need to find a sponsor. This means they talk to other Representatives about the bill and try to get them to support it. A bill needs the support of several Representatives before it can be introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. Only Representatives are allowed to introduce bills, and they do this by placing the written bill in a special box called the hopper, which is on the side of the clerk's desk.
The person who introduces the bill is called the primary sponsor, and other Representatives can also add their names to show their support. When the bill is introduced, it is given a number that starts with H.R. and is read out loud to all the Representatives. Then it's time for the bill to be sent to a committee for review.
Let's take a little break here and talk about what a committee is. Committees are groups of Representatives who are experts on different topics, like education or health. The committee will carefully review the bill, discuss it, and make changes if they think it's necessary. They might also send the bill to a subcommittee for even more detailed review. Once the committee is happy with the bill, it's sent back to the U.S. House of Representatives, where all the Representatives can debate it and suggest changes.
So, as you can see, there are lots of steps and people involved in turning an idea into a bill, and we haven't even gotten to the part where it becomes a law yet! Lawmaking is a long process, but it's an important one to make sure that good decisions are made for the country.
The Process of Transforming Bills into Laws
You may want to see also
Bills are introduced to the House of Representatives
So, you want to know how a bill becomes a law? Well, it all starts with an idea. Anyone can have an idea for a new law, but it's up to the members of the U.S. House of Representatives, also known as Representatives, to turn that idea into a bill. Representatives might come up with ideas for laws themselves, or citizens like you can contact their Representatives to suggest ideas. If a Representative likes an idea, they will do some research and then write it up as a bill.
Now, let's talk about how bills are introduced to the House of Representatives. This is an important step because it's when the bill is officially presented to the House for the very first time. Here's how it works:
Introducing the Bill to the House of Representatives
First, the Representative who wrote the bill needs to find a sponsor. They talk to other Representatives about the bill, hoping to get their support. Once the bill has a sponsor and the support of other Representatives, it's ready for introduction.
The next step is for the Representative to officially introduce the bill. This is done by placing the bill in a special box called the "hopper," which is located on the side of the clerk's desk. Only Representatives are allowed to introduce bills in the House of Representatives.
Once the bill is in the hopper, a bill clerk gives it a number that starts with "H.R." for short. Then, a reading clerk reads the bill out loud to all the Representatives, so everyone knows what the bill is about. After that, the Speaker of the House sends the bill to one of the House standing committees.
The committees are groups of Representatives who are experts on different topics, like education or health. These committees will carefully review the bill, do more research, and even make changes to it if they think it's necessary. They might also send the bill to a subcommittee for an even closer look.
If the committee likes the bill, they will approve it and send it back to the House of Representatives, where all the Representatives can debate it. This is where things get really interesting! The Representatives will discuss the bill, explaining why they agree or disagree with it. They can also suggest changes to the bill during this time.
So, there you have it! That's how a bill is introduced to the House of Representatives. It's just the first step in the journey of a bill becoming a law, but it's a very important one. Stay tuned to learn more about the other steps and how a bill makes its way through Congress and to the President's desk!
The Journey of a Bill to Becoming a Law
You may want to see also
Bills are assigned to a committee for review
Once a bill has been introduced, it is sent to a committee. The committee is made up of groups of Representatives who are experts on the topic of the bill. For example, if the bill is about education, the committee will be made up of Representatives who know a lot about education.
The committee will carefully review the bill and research it. They will also revise the bill, which means they will make changes to it. They might send the bill to a subcommittee, which is a smaller group of people, to get more information and expert opinions. The subcommittee will then send the bill back to the committee.
After the committee has finished reviewing the bill, they will vote on whether to send it back to the House floor. The House floor is where all the Representatives meet to discuss and vote on bills. If the committee approves the bill, it will be sent back to the House floor for further discussion and a vote.
If the committee does not approve the bill, it might be changed or updated and sent back to the committee for another review. This process can happen multiple times until the committee is satisfied with the bill. If the committee still does not approve the bill after multiple reviews, the bill can be rejected and will not become a law.
Understanding the Legislative Process: Bills to Laws and Payments
You may want to see also
Bills are voted on by the House of Representatives
So, you want to know about how a bill becomes a law? Well, it's the U.S. House of Representatives' most important job to create laws. All laws in the United States start as bills. Now, let's imagine a bill's journey to becoming a law.
First, a bill needs a sponsor. A Representative will talk to other Representatives about the bill, hoping to get their support. Once a bill has a sponsor and some supporters, it is ready to be introduced.
When a bill is introduced, a Member of the House of Representatives places it in the hopper, a special wooden box on the side of the clerk's desk. The person who introduces the bill is called the primary sponsor, and other Members can also support it. The title of the bill is written in the House Journal and printed in the Congressional Record. The Clerk gives the bill a number that starts with H.R. Then, the Speaker of the House sends the bill to a committee.
Now, the bill is with a group of Representatives who are experts on the topic. They will review, research, and revise the bill. They might also send it to a subcommittee for a closer look and to gather expert opinions. If the committee likes the bill, they will send it back to the House floor, and it will be ready for debate.
During the debate, 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. After all the changes are made, the bill is ready to be voted on.
This is where we are now! The House of Representatives is voting on the bill. There are three ways to do this: Viva Voce (voice vote), Division, and Recorded. In a voice vote, the Speaker of the House asks those who support the bill to say "aye" and those who don't to say "no." In a Division vote, the Speaker asks supporters to stand up and be counted, and then the same for those who oppose. In a Recorded vote, Representatives use an electronic system to record their vote as yes, no, or present (if they don't want to vote). If most Representatives vote yes, the bill passes in the House of Representatives and goes to the U.S. Senate. But if they vote no, the bill might be sent back to the committee for more work, or it might be dropped completely.
Ohio House Bill 751: Law or Not?
You may want to see also
Bills are sent to the President for approval
So, the bill has been through a lot by this point! It has been discussed, debated, and voted on by both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Phew! But it's not done yet. Now, it's time for the President to look at the bill.
The President has three choices: they can sign and pass the bill, which means it becomes a law; they can refuse to sign or veto the bill, which means it goes back to the U.S. House of Representatives, along with the President's reasons for the veto; or they can do nothing, which is called a pocket veto.
If the President chooses to sign the bill, it becomes a law! But, if they choose to veto it, the bill is not dead in the water yet. If the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate still believe the bill should become a law, they can hold another vote on it. If two-thirds of the Representatives and Senators support the bill, the President's veto is overridden, and the bill becomes a law anyway!
However, if the President chooses to do a pocket veto, the bill will not become a law unless Congress is in session. If Congress is not in session, the bill cannot become a law.
Understanding Lawmaking: Activity Sheet for Curious Minds
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law.
First, a bill is introduced, then it is assigned to a committee, then it is voted on by the chamber, then it goes to the other body of Congress, and finally, it is presented to the President.
The President can choose to approve the bill and sign it into law, or they can refuse to approve it, which is called a veto. If the President chooses to veto a bill, Congress can vote to override this and the bill can still become a law.
