Understanding Lawmaking: Interactive Lesson On Bills Becoming Laws

Teaching students about how a bill becomes a law is a crucial component of civics and government education. While this topic is often delivered through lectures, textbooks, or videos, making the legislative process engaging for students can be challenging. To address this, educators have developed interactive lessons and activities to deepen students' understanding of the complex process by which bills are transformed into laws. These activities aim to provide real-world context and encourage active participation, ensuring that students not only learn about the legislative process but also develop critical thinking and collaborative skills.

The Bill Is Proposed

Now that we know how laws are made in the United States, let's take a closer look at the first few steps of the process. The first step in turning a bill into a law is for a Representative to propose the bill. This can be done by any Representative and is often an idea brought to their attention by a citizen. Citizens can contact their Representatives to discuss their ideas for new laws, and if the Representatives agree, they will research the ideas and write them into bills. Once a Representative has written a bill, it needs a sponsor. The Representative will talk to other Representatives about the bill, hoping to gain their support. This is an important step as it will be very difficult for a bill to become a law without the support of multiple Representatives. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, it is ready to be introduced.

The Bill Is Introduced

A bill is introduced when it is placed in the hopper, a special box on the side of the clerk's desk in the House of Representatives. Only Representatives can introduce bills in the House. When a bill is introduced, a bill clerk assigns it a number that begins with H.R. A reading clerk then reads the bill to all the Representatives, and the Speaker of the House sends the bill to one of the House standing committees.

The Bill Goes to Committee

When a bill reaches the committee stage, it is reviewed by a group of Representatives who are experts on the topic. They will carefully examine, debate, and revise the bill before voting on whether to send it back to the House floor. If the committee members would like more information before making their decision, the bill is sent to a subcommittee for further examination. Expert opinions are gathered, and the bill is sent back to the committee for approval.

The Bill Is Reported

Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent or reported to the House floor for a full debate. Representatives discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it. A reading clerk reads the bill section by section, and the Representatives recommend changes. This is a crucial step as it allows for input from all Representatives and ensures that the bill is thoroughly reviewed before proceeding further. After all the changes have been made, the bill is ready to be voted on.

The Bill Is Voted On

There are three methods for voting on a bill in the House: Viva Voce (voice vote), Division, and Recorded. In a voice vote, the Speaker of the House asks supporters to say "aye" and opponents to say "no." In Division, supporters and opponents of the bill are asked to stand up and be counted. In a Recorded vote, Representatives use an electronic system to record their votes as 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 delivered to the U.S. Senate for further consideration.

The Bill Is Introduced

The first step in the process of a bill becoming a law is the introduction of the bill. This is when a bill is placed in the hopper, a special box on the side of the clerk's desk in the U.S. House of Representatives. Only Representatives can introduce bills in the House of Representatives. Once a bill has been introduced, it is given a number by a bill clerk. For example, bills introduced in the House of Representatives are assigned a number that begins with H.R. (e.g. H.R. 1001).

After being assigned a number, the bill is read by a reading clerk to all the Representatives. The Speaker of the House then sends the bill to one of the House standing committees. These committees are groups of Representatives who are experts on specific topics, such as agriculture, education, or international relations. The committees review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether to send it back to the House floor.

The introduction of a bill is a crucial step in the legislative process, as it marks the beginning of the bill's journey to becoming a law. It is during this stage that the bill is assigned a number, read to the Representatives, and sent to the relevant committee for further review and discussion.

The process of introducing a bill can vary slightly between different legislative bodies. For example, in the U.S. Senate, bills are introduced by members of the Senate, and the Senate clerk assigns a legislative number that begins with "S." (e.g. S. 1002). The bill is then referred to one or more committees related to its subject matter.

The Bill Goes to Committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is sent to a committee. The Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate decides which committee the bill will go to. The Speaker of the House may also set time limits on committees. Bills are placed on the calendar of the committee to which they have been assigned. If no action is taken on a bill, it is considered to be killed. In the House, a bill can only be released from committee without a proper committee vote by a discharge petition signed by a majority of the House membership (218 members).

Committees are groups of Representatives who are experts on specific topics, such as agriculture, education, or international relations. They review, research, and revise the bill. If the committee members require more information before deciding on the bill, it is sent to a subcommittee. In a subcommittee, the bill is closely examined, and expert opinions are gathered before it is sent back to the committee for approval.

Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent, or reported, to the House floor for debate.

The Bill Is Reported

Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent, or reported, to the House floor. This procedure is called "ordering a bill reported". When a bill is reported, it is ready to be debated by the U.S. House of Representatives. Representatives discuss the bill, explaining why they agree or disagree with it. A reading clerk then reads the bill section by section, and the Representatives recommend changes. Once all changes have been made, the bill is ready to be voted on.

There are three methods for voting on a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives. The first is Viva Voce (voice vote), where the Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support the bill to say "aye" and those who oppose it to say "no". The second is Division, where the Speaker asks those who support the bill to stand up and be counted, and then those who oppose the bill to do the same. The third is Recorded, where Representatives record their vote using the electronic voting system, selecting "yes", "no", or "present" if they don't want to vote on the bill. If a majority of Representatives vote "yes", the bill passes in the U.S. House of Representatives and is certified by the Clerk of the House before being delivered to the U.S. Senate.

The Bill Is Voted On

Once a bill has been introduced, assigned to a committee, studied, and reported, it is ready to be voted on. There are three methods for voting on a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives:

• Viva Voce: The Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support the bill to say “aye” and those that oppose it 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 and is then certified by the Clerk of the House before being delivered to the U.S. Senate.

Frequently asked questions