The Legislative Journey: Understanding Lawmaking For Gifted Minds

Teaching gifted students about the legislative process and how a bill becomes a law is an important aspect of civics and government education. While it can be a challenging and time-consuming topic to teach, there are several strategies and resources available to make it more engaging and accessible. The process can be broken down into a few broad steps or spliced into numerous micro-steps, depending on the students' levels and the time available. The basic steps include drafting and introducing the bill, assigning it to a committee, debating and voting on it in the House or Senate, reconciling any differences between the two chambers, and finally, sending it to the President for approval or veto. By incorporating collaborative activities, visual aids, sorting card activities, and games, teachers can help gifted students gain a deeper understanding of the legislative process and its real-world context. Additionally, examining current legislation and incorporating local members of Congress into the lesson can make the topic more relevant and intriguing.

The Legislative Process

The Bill is Proposed and Introduced

A bill begins as an idea, which may come from a Representative or a citizen. Citizens can contact their Representatives to discuss their ideas, and if the Representatives agree, they research the ideas and write them into bills. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of other 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. A bill must be introduced by a Representative, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner and can be co-sponsored by an unlimited number of members.

The Bill Goes to Committee

Once introduced, the bill is assigned a number and sent to a committee. The committee members review, research, and revise the bill, and they may send it to a subcommittee for further examination and expert opinions. If the committee is satisfied, the bill is sent back to the House floor for debate. If the committee deems the bill unnecessary, it may die in committee.

The Bill is Debated and Voted On

During the debate, Representatives discuss the bill and propose amendments. A reading clerk reads the bill section by section, and changes are recommended. There are three methods for voting on a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives: viva voce (voice vote), division, and recorded (electronic) voting. If the bill passes with a majority vote, it is certified and delivered to the U.S. Senate. If it fails, the Speaker of the House may send it back to the committee or return it to the House floor for another vote.

The Bill Reaches the Senate

When a bill reaches the U.S. Senate, it goes through similar steps as in the House of Representatives. It is discussed in a Senate committee and then reported to the Senate floor for a vote. Senators vote by voice, saying "yea" or "nay." If the bill passes in the Senate, it is ready to go to the President.

The Bill is Sent to the President

When a bill reaches the President, he has three choices: sign and pass the bill, veto the bill and send it back to the House with his reasons, or do nothing (pocket veto). If the President vetoes the bill, the House and Senate 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. If the President does nothing and Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law after 10 days.

The Role of the U.S. House of Representatives

The U.S. House of Representatives plays a crucial role in the process of a bill becoming a law. This process is known as lawmaking, and it is the most important job of the U.S. House of Representatives. All laws in the United States start as bills, and before a bill can become a law, it must be approved by the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and the President.

The journey of a bill to become a law begins with an idea. These ideas can come from a Representative or a citizen. Citizens with ideas for laws can reach out to their Representatives to discuss their ideas. If the Representatives agree with the idea, they will research and write it into a bill. Once a Representative has written a bill, it needs a sponsor. The Representative will discuss the bill with other Representatives to gain their support.

The next step is to introduce the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives. Only Representatives can introduce bills, and this is done by placing the bill in the hopper, a special box on the side of the clerk's desk. Once introduced, a bill clerk assigns it a number that starts with H.R., and a reading clerk reads the bill to all the Representatives. The Speaker of the House then sends the bill to one of the House standing committees.

In the committee, a group of Representatives with expertise on relevant topics reviews, researches, and revises the bill. If more information is needed, the bill is sent to a subcommittee for further examination and to gather expert opinions. Once the committee is satisfied, the bill is reported to the House floor and is ready for debate. During the debate, Representatives discuss the bill and explain their agreement or disagreement. Changes are recommended, and once all changes are made, the bill is ready for voting.

There are three methods for voting on a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives: Viva Voce (voice vote), Division, and Recorded. If a majority of the Representatives vote yes, the bill passes in the U.S. House of Representatives and is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the U.S. Senate, where it goes through similar steps.

The Role of the U.S. Senate

The U.S. Senate plays a crucial role in the process of turning a bill into a law. After a bill has been introduced and passed in the U.S. House of Representatives, an exact copy is sent to the U.S. Senate. Here, the bill goes through many of the same steps it went through in the House.

First, the bill is sent to a Senate committee for review and discussion. The committee members will seek expert input, hold "mark-up" sessions to make any changes, and, if necessary, send the bill to a subcommittee for further analysis. Once the committee is satisfied with the content, it is reported to the Senate floor and is ready to be debated and voted on by Senators. Senators vote by voice, saying "yea" if they support the bill and "nay" if they oppose it. If a majority of Senators say "yea", the bill passes in the Senate and is ready to go to the President.

If the bill is passed by the Senate, both the House and Senate bills are returned to the House with a note indicating any changes. If amendments have been made, the House must vote on the bill again, as both Chambers of Congress must agree to identical legislation for it to become law. This back-and-forth process between the House and the Senate ensures that the final bill has been thoroughly reviewed and discussed before being sent to the President.

The President's Choices

The President's role in the process of a bill becoming a law is a crucial one. Once a bill has passed in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, it is sent to the President, who has three options:

• Sign and pass the bill: If the President approves of the bill, they can sign it, and it becomes a law. They may also write "approved" and the date, but their signature is the only requirement mandated by the Constitution.
• Veto the bill: If the President does not approve of the bill, they can veto it, which means it is sent back to the U.S. House of Representatives, along with the President's reasons for the veto. If the House and the Senate still believe the bill should become a law, they can hold another vote. 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 the President does nothing with the bill for ten days while Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes a law. However, if Congress is not in session, and the President does not sign or veto the bill within ten days, the bill does not become a law.

The Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act

The Javits Act defines gifted and talented students as those who demonstrate high performance or achievement capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, leadership, or specific academic fields. These students require additional services and activities beyond what is typically provided by schools to fully develop their capabilities. The Act aims to identify and serve students from underrepresented backgrounds, including economically disadvantaged, limited English proficiency, and disabled students, to reduce achievement gaps and promote equal educational opportunities.

The Javits Act has three primary components:

• The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, which brings together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and others to design and conduct research that informs educational policy and practice.
• Competitive demonstration grants awarded to institutions of higher education and state and local education agencies to develop and expand models serving underrepresented students in gifted and talented programs.
• Competitive grants provided to state agencies and school districts since 2001 to enhance gifted education offerings statewide.

The Javits program must be funded annually by Congress, and it has faced repeated threats of elimination during the federal budget process. Advocates have called for more legislative action and stronger state laws to provide greater services and protect the rights of gifted students, who are not covered by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

The Javits Act was reauthorized in 1994 and again through the Every Student Succeeds Act to continue supporting the development of talent in U.S. schools and ensuring that all students have the opportunity to meet their full potential.

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