The Law-Making Process: How Bills Become Laws For Kids

Have you ever wondered how laws are made? In the United States, laws are made by the U.S. government, which is split into two groups: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Together, these two groups are called Congress. So, how does an idea become a law? Well, first, someone has to come up with an idea for a law. This could be a member of Congress, the President, or even a regular citizen! Then, a member of Congress has to agree to sponsor the idea, meaning they believe in it and want to help turn it into a law. Next, the idea is written down and explained, turning it into a bill. The bill is then introduced to either the House or the Senate, where it is discussed and debated. If it passes this stage, it moves on to the other group, where the whole process happens again! If it passes both groups, it is sent to the President, who can choose to sign it into law or veto it. If the President vetoes the bill, Congress can still choose to override the veto and turn it into a law anyway, but only if two-thirds of them agree. So, there you have it! That's the journey of how a bill becomes a law.

Bills are proposed by a Representative or citizen

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, even you! But how does that idea become a bill, and then a law?

Let's say you have an idea for a new law. You can contact your Representative to discuss your idea. If they like it, they will do some research and write it up as a bill. This is called "drafting" a bill. The person who does this is called the "sponsor". The sponsor is someone who believes in the bill and wants to see it become a law.

The sponsor of the bill will then talk to other Representatives about it, to try and get their support. This is important because once a bill has a sponsor and the support of other Representatives, it is ready to be introduced.

Introducing the Bill

To introduce a bill, a Representative places it in the "hopper", which is a special wooden box on the side of the clerk's desk. The Representative who introduces the bill is called the “primary sponsor". Other Representatives can also support the bill, and they are called “cosponsors". There can be an unlimited number of cosponsors.

Bills are introduced to the House of Representatives

Once the bill has been introduced, it is assigned a number and officially recorded as a bill. 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 beginning with H.R. and the Speaker of the House assigns the bill to the appropriate committee. A reading clerk then reads the bill to all the Representatives.

Bills are sent to a committee for review

Once a bill has been introduced, it is sent to a committee. Committees are smaller groups of Congress that are experts in certain areas. For example, if the bill is about classroom size in public schools, it would be sent to the Committee on Education. The committee discusses the details of the bill and can make changes to it. They bring in experts from outside Congress to give their opinions and debate the pros and cons of the bill. The committee might also send the bill to a subcommittee for further analysis and research.

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. If the committee decides it needs more information before deciding whether to send the bill back to the House floor, it will be sent to a subcommittee. The subcommittee will closely examine the bill and gather expert opinions before sending it back to the committee for approval.

If the committee is satisfied with the content of the bill, it is sent back to the House for debate. However, it is possible for a bill to die in committee if the legislation is deemed unnecessary. In fact, around 90% of bills "die in committee." If the committee votes in favour of the bill, it is reported to the House floor and is ready to be debated by the U.S. House of Representatives.

Bills are voted on by the House of Representatives

Once a bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives, it is ready to be voted on by the members of the House. But before that, it goes through several stages. Firstly, it is placed in the hopper, a special wooden box on the side of the clerk's desk. A reading clerk then reads the bill out loud to all the Representatives, after which the Speaker of the House sends the bill to a committee.

The committee members are groups of Representatives who are experts on specific topics, such as education or international relations. They review, research, and revise the bill, and they may also send the bill to a subcommittee for further examination and expert opinions. If the committee approves the bill, it is sent back to the House floor, where Representatives debate the bill and explain their points of agreement or disagreement. A reading clerk then reads the bill section by section, and Representatives recommend any necessary changes.

Finally, the bill is ready to be voted on. There are three methods of voting: viva voce, division, and recorded. In the viva voce method, the Speaker of the House asks supporters of the bill to say "aye" and opponents to say "no." In the division method, the Speaker asks supporters to stand up and be counted, and then does the same for the opponents. In the recorded method, Representatives record their votes electronically, selecting "yes," "no," or "present" if they don't want to vote. If a majority of Representatives vote "yes," the bill passes in the House and is then sent to the U.S. Senate.

Bills are sent to the President to be signed into law

So, the bill has been debated, voted on, and approved by both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Now, it's time for the President to make a decision!

The President has three choices: they can sign the bill and pass it, which means it becomes a law; they can veto the bill, which means it is sent back to the U.S. House of Representatives, along with the President's reasons for not agreeing with it; or they can do nothing, which is called a 'pocket veto'. If the President chooses to do nothing and there is a pocket veto, the bill will only automatically become a law if Congress is in session. If Congress is not in session, the bill does not become a law.

If the President chooses to veto the bill, the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate can still try to make the bill into a law. They can hold another vote on the bill, and if two-thirds of the Representatives and Senators support it, the President's veto is overridden and the bill becomes a law.

If the President agrees with the bill and signs it, the bill officially becomes a new law of the country!

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