Understanding Lawmaking: 5-Minute Guide To Legislative Process

The process of turning a bill into a law in the United States is a complex one, involving multiple steps and stakeholders. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one, which can be introduced by a member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or even proposed by citizens or advocacy groups. Once introduced, a bill goes through several stages of review and discussion by committees and subcommittees, before being voted on. If a bill passes one body of Congress, it goes through a similar process in the other body. Once both bodies approve a bill, they work out any differences, and then both chambers vote on the final version. The bill is then presented to the President for approval or veto. If vetoed, Congress can override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers, and the bill becomes a law.

The bill is drafted

In the 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 House of Representatives. When a bill is introduced, a bill clerk assigns it a number that begins with H.R. The bill is also labelled with the sponsor's name. It is then sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO) and copies are made.

In the Senate, members must gain recognition from the presiding officer to announce the introduction of a bill during the morning hour. If any senator objects, the introduction of the bill is postponed until the next day.

The bill is introduced

The bill is assigned a number that begins with H.R. in the House and S. in the Senate. For example, a bill number may look like "H.R. 1" or "S. 1". The bill is labelled with the sponsor's name. It is sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO), where copies are made. Senate bills can be jointly sponsored, and members can cosponsor the piece of legislation.

The bill goes to committee

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee. The committee is made up of groups of Representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. The committee members review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the House floor. The committee may also hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill, allowing the views of experts, other public officials, and supporters and opponents of the legislation to be recorded.

If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead". If the committee requires more information before making a decision, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. A subcommittee will closely examine the bill and gather expert opinions before sending it back to the committee for approval.

Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent to the House floor for debate. A committee will also 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 bill is voted on

Once a bill has been introduced, debated, and amended, it is put to a vote. In the U.S. House of Representatives, there are three methods of voting: viva voce, division, and recorded. In a viva voce vote, the Speaker of the House asks Representatives to say "aye" if they support the bill and "no" if they oppose it. In a division vote, the Speaker asks those in support of the bill to stand up and be counted, and then does the same for those who oppose it. In a recorded vote, Representatives use an electronic voting system to record their votes as yes, no, or present if they don't want to vote. A simple majority is required for a bill to pass in the House, which means at least 218 out of 435 Representatives must vote yes.

After passing in the House, a bill is then delivered to the U.S. Senate, where it goes through a similar process of debate and voting. Senators vote by voice, saying "yea" if they support the bill and "nay" if they oppose it. A simple majority is also required in the Senate, with at least 51 out of 100 Senators needing to vote in favour.

If a bill passes in both the House and the Senate, it is then presented to the President. However, if either chamber rejects the bill, it dies and does not become law.

The 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 for review. The President has three options: they can sign and pass the bill, refuse to sign or veto the bill, or do nothing.

If the President chooses to sign the bill, it becomes a law. If the President refuses to sign the bill, it is sent back to the House of Representatives, along with the President's reasons for the veto. If the House of Representatives and the Senate still believe the bill should become a law, they can hold another vote on the bill. 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, this is known as a "pocket veto". If Congress is in session, the bill will automatically become law after 10 days. However, if Congress is not in session, the bill will not become a law. Additionally, if the President does not sign off on a bill and it remains unsigned when Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be vetoed by default, and this cannot be overridden by Congress.

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