The Journey Of A Bill To Law

A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. The process of a bill becoming a law is known as the legislative process. This process can be illustrated through the nine steps a bill must go through before becoming a law in the United States. The bill is first drafted, then introduced, and assigned to a committee. It is then reviewed by a subcommittee, marked up by the committee, and voted on by the full chamber. After this, it is referred to the other chamber, sent to the president, and, finally, may need to undergo a veto override.

Bill is proposed and sponsored

The first step in the legislative process is for a bill to be proposed and sponsored. This can be done by any member of Congress – either from the Senate or the House of Representatives. The idea for a bill can also be proposed by citizens or citizen groups, who can recommend a new or amended law to their elected representative. The representative will then research the idea and write it into a bill. The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor", and the other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors".

Once a bill has been drafted, the sponsor will talk with other representatives about the bill, in the hopes of gaining their support. The sponsor will then introduce the bill to the House or the Senate, depending on whether they are a Representative or a Senator. In the House, a bill is introduced when it is placed in the hopper, a special box on the side of the clerk's desk. In the Senate, the bill is submitted to the clerks on the Senate floor. Once introduced, the bill is given a designation based on the chamber of introduction, e.g. H.R. for House-originated bills, or S. for Senate-originated bills. It is also assigned a number, which is usually the next number in sequence during that two-year Congress.

Bill is introduced

The bill-making process begins with an idea. Ideas for bills 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 who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them. Citizens who have ideas for laws can contact their Representatives to discuss their ideas. If the Representatives agree, they research the ideas and write them into bills.

Once the 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 U.S. House of Representatives.

When a bill is introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, a bill clerk assigns it a number that begins with H.R. A reading clerk then reads the bill aloud to all the Representatives, and the Speaker of the House sends the bill to one of the House standing committees. Once a bill is introduced, it can be found on Congress.gov, which is the official government website that tracks federal legislation.

Bill goes to committee

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee. Committees are composed of groups of Congress members with a particular interest or expertise in the topic of the bill. For example, a bill about agriculture will be assigned to a committee of Representatives who are experts on this topic.

Committees carefully examine the bill and determine its chances of passage by the entire Congress. Committees may hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill. These hearings provide a forum for committee members and the public to hear about the strengths and weaknesses of a proposal from selected parties, such as relevant industries and groups representing interested citizens. At the hearing, invited witnesses provide oral remarks and written feedback on the bill. Committee members then take turns asking questions of the witnesses.

After hearings, committees engage in additional assessment through informal briefings and other mechanisms. If the committee requires more information before deciding, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. Subcommittees are under committees and have further specialisation on a certain topic. The subcommittee closely examines the bill and gathers expert opinions before sending it back to the committee.

The committee will then meet to make changes and amendments to the bill. They consider possible changes by offering and voting on amendments and may even create a complete substitute for its text. This process is called a "markup". A markup concludes when the committee agrees, by majority vote, to report the bill to the chamber. Committees rarely hold a markup unless the proposal in question is expected to receive majority support.

Bill is voted on

Once a bill has been introduced, debated, and amended, it is ready to be voted on.

The Bill Is Voted On

The U.S. House of Representatives uses three methods for voting on a bill: 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 supporters and opponents of the bill are asked to stand up and be counted. In the Recorded method, Representatives record their vote using an electronic voting system, and they can vote "yes," "no," or "present." A majority of Representatives must vote "yes" for the bill to pass in the House of Representatives.

After the bill passes in the House of Representatives, it is certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the U.S. Senate. In the Senate, the bill is discussed in a Senate committee and then reported to the Senate floor to be voted on. 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 sent to the President.

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. The President has three options:

First, the President can sign the bill into law. If the President agrees with the bill, they may sign it, and the bill is then printed in the Statutes at Large.

Second, the President can veto the bill. If the President believes the bill to be bad policy, they may veto it and send it back to Congress. The President must also provide their reasons for the veto. Congress can then attempt to override the veto by holding another vote on the bill. If two-thirds of both the House and the Senate support the bill, the President's veto is overridden, and the bill becomes a law.

Third, the President can do nothing, which is known as a pocket veto. If Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law after 10 days. However, if Congress is not in session, the bill does not become a law.

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