The Lawmaking Legacy Of Frank Lucas

The process of a bill becoming a law is a long and complex one, with many steps and potential setbacks. In the US, any member of Congress can propose a bill, but only members of Congress can introduce one. The bill is then assigned a number and a sponsor, and it is sent to the Government Printing Office, where copies are made. The bill is then referred to a committee, which will research, discuss, and make changes to it. The bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on. If it passes one body of Congress, it goes to the other to go through the same process. Once both bodies have voted to accept the bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions and vote again. The bill is then presented to the President, who can approve it and sign it into law, or refuse to approve it, which is called a veto. If the President chooses to veto the bill, Congress can vote to override the veto, and the bill becomes a law. However, if the President does not sign off on the bill and Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be vetoed by default, which is called a pocket veto.

Bill proposal

A bill proposal is the first step in the process of a bill becoming a law. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. Ideas for bills can come from anyone, but only Members of Congress can introduce a bill in Congress. The bill proposal stage involves the following steps:

Step 1: Idea for a Bill

Anyone can propose an idea for a bill, but it must be introduced by a Member of Congress. This can be a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or it can be proposed during their election campaign. Citizens can also propose ideas for bills by contacting their Representatives. If the Representatives agree with the idea, they will research and draft it into a bill.

Step 2: Bill is Drafted

Once a Member of Congress has an idea for a bill, they become the bill's sponsor. They will then discuss the bill with other Representatives to gain support. A bill can have multiple sponsors, known as co-sponsors.

Step 3: Bill is Introduced

A bill is introduced when it is placed in a special box called the hopper, located on the side of the clerk's desk in the U.S. House of Representatives. A bill can only be introduced when the House is in session. Once introduced, a bill is given a number and read to all the Representatives.

Step 4: Bill Goes to Committee

After being introduced, a bill is referred to a committee. Committees are groups of Representatives who are experts on specific topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. The committee reviews, researches, and revises the bill. They may also hold hearings to gather expert opinions before deciding whether to send the bill back to the House floor.

Step 5: Subcommittee Review

Committees may refer bills to a subcommittee for further review and hearings. The subcommittee can make changes to the bill and must vote to refer it back to the full committee.

Step 6: Committee Markup

Once the hearings and subcommittee review are complete, the committee will meet to make changes and amendments to the bill. If substantial amendments are made, the committee may introduce a "clean bill" with a new number. The committee then votes on whether to report the bill to the full chamber of Congress. If the committee votes against the bill, it dies. If they vote in favor, the bill is reported to the floor.

Bill introduction

The idea for a bill can come from anyone, but only Members of Congress can introduce a bill in Congress. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. Bills can be introduced at any time the House is in session.

There are four basic types of legislation: bills, joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions, and simple resolutions. A bill's type must be determined. A private bill affects a specific person or organisation rather than the population at large, while a public bill affects the general public.

Once the idea for a bill is developed and the text of the bill is written, a Member of Congress must officially introduce the bill in Congress by becoming the bill's sponsor. Representatives usually sponsor bills that are important to them and their constituents. Representatives who sponsor bills will try to gain support for them, in hopes that they will become laws. Two or more sponsors for the same bill are called co-sponsors.

In the House, bills are officially introduced by placing them in a special box known as the hopper, which is located at the rostrum, or Speaker's platform. In the Senate, a bill is introduced by placing it on the presiding officer's desk or by formally introducing it on the Senate Floor.

In the House, a bill clerk assigns the bill a number. House bills begin with "H.R.", while resolutions begin with "H. Res.," "H. Con. Res.," or "H. J. Res.," depending on their type. Senate bills begin with "S." The first reading of a bill means the bill's title is read on the House Floor. The bill is then referred to a committee for markup.

The Library of Congress then receives an electronic copy of the bill and posts the bill and its status on Congress Bill Search, a public website. The bill is referred to the appropriate committee. There are 19 House standing committees and 16 Senate committees, each with jurisdiction over different areas of public policy, such as agriculture, education, and international relations.

Further Steps

The bill is placed on the committee's calendar. The committee debates and marks up the proposed bill and may or may not make changes to it. Committee members then vote to accept or reject the changes made during the markup session. If a bill includes many amendments, the committee may decide to introduce a "clean bill" with a new number. The committee then votes on the bill after it has been debated and/or amended.

A committee may stop action or "table" a bill it deems unwise or unnecessary. Congress Bill Search, a Library of Congress website, posts the status of the bill and updates on major actions taken. Each version of the text of a bill is posted on Congress Bill Search, under Text of Legislation.

If the bill is not tabled, it will be sent either to a subcommittee for intensive study or reported back to the House Floor. The bill is referred to a subcommittee and placed on its calendar. The bill is carefully studied, and the subcommittee may hold hearings to obtain the views of experts, supporters, and opponents. The bill is tabled when the subcommittee deems it unwise or unnecessary. If changes are needed, the subcommittee will meet to mark up the bill.

Subcommittee members then vote to accept or reject the changes. If the subcommittee accepts the bill, it is sent back to the full committee for approval or rejection. Congress Bill Search, from the Library of Congress website, receives updates on the status of the bill from the subcommittee and posts the most recent major action.

Committee referral

Once a bill is introduced, it is referred to a committee. Both the House and Senate have various committees composed of groups of Congress members who are particularly interested in different topics such as health or international affairs. When a bill is in the hands of the committee, it is carefully examined and its chances of passage by the entire Congress are determined. The committee may even choose to hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill. Hearings allow the views of the executive branch, experts, other public officials, supporters, and opponents of the legislation to be put on record. If the committee does not act on a bill, the bill is considered to be "dead".

Subcommittees are organized under committees and have further specialization on a certain topic. Often, committees refer bills to a subcommittee for study and their own hearings. The subcommittee may make changes to the bill and must vote to refer a bill back to the full committee.

When 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".

A committee will hold a "mark-up" session during which it will make revisions and additions. If substantial amendments are made, the committee can order the introduction of a "clean bill" which will include the proposed amendments. This new bill will have a new number and will be sent to the floor while the old bill is discarded. The chamber must approve, change or reject all committee amendments before conducting a final passage vote.

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.

Committee review

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee reviews the bill and determines its chances of passage by the entire Congress. The committee may even choose to hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill. Hearings allow the views of the executive branch, experts, other public officials, supporters, and opponents of the legislation to be put on the record. If the committee does not act on a bill, the bill is considered to be "dead".

Committees are groups of Representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. Committees provide the most intensive consideration of a proposed bill and serve as a forum for the public to be heard. There are 19 House standing committees and 16 Senate committees, each with jurisdiction over different areas of public policy.

If the committee members would like more information before deciding if the bill should be sent to the House floor, 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. Subcommittees are organized under committees and have further specialization on a certain topic.

The committee will then 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".

A committee may stop action, or "table" a bill it deems unwise or unnecessary. If a bill includes many amendments, the committee may decide to introduce a "clean bill" with a new number. The committee votes on the bill after it has been debated and/or amended.

Floor vote

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The bill is then put before that chamber to be voted on. If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes to the other body to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting.

The floor vote is the vote that takes place after a bill has been introduced, assigned to a committee, and put before the chamber. The floor vote is a crucial step in the process of a bill becoming a law, as it is the first time that members of Congress will vote on the bill.

During the floor vote, members of Congress will debate the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it. After the debate, the bill is read section by section, and amendments may be offered. At the conclusion of all amendment debates, the bill is read a third time. The House is then ready to vote on the bill.

The current floor proceedings, including major actions on bills, are posted for public view on the website of the Clerk of the House. The Congress Bill Search website, a Library of Congress website, also receives an electronic copy of the debate as it appears in the Congressional Record and posts the latest major action on a bill.

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 who oppose it to 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.

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.

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