Understanding Lawmaking: A Jigsaw Puzzle Challenge

Jigsaw puzzles are a fun and engaging way to learn about complex topics, and they can be used to teach problem-solving and cognitive skills. The process of turning a bill into a law is a complex one, and it can be likened to assembling a jigsaw puzzle. Just as a jigsaw puzzle requires sorting, organizing, and fitting pieces together, turning a bill into a law involves multiple steps, including proposal, introduction, committee review, reporting, debate, voting, and approval by the President. This process can be challenging, but with persistence and a clear understanding of the goal, it can be achieved.

The bill is proposed

The bill-making process begins with a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one. This proposal can come from various sources, such as party policy, suggestions by senators or members of parliament, or community groups. Most bills are introduced by government ministers, but other members of parliament can also introduce their own bills, known as private members' or private senators' bills.

Once a minister decides to introduce a bill, they give written notice, typically for the next sitting day. In the Australian House of Representatives, the minister lodges their written notice with the Clerk of the House, who includes the bill on the Notice Paper, the House's agenda of business. Notice is not required for bills dealing with the appropriation of money or taxation.

During the next day's business, the minister presents the bill, and the Clerk reads out its title, marking the first reading. This first reading is a formality with no vote taken. The bill has now been introduced to Parliament.

The minister then moves for a second reading of the bill and delivers a speech explaining the purpose, general principles, and expected effects of the bill. This is known as the 'second reading speech'. After the speech, a debate is usually adjourned to allow members time to study the bill and its potential implications before voting on it. The public is also given time to react and provide feedback. However, urgent bills may be debated immediately.

All bills introduced are scrutinised by Legislative Scrutiny Committees, which can request more information from the responsible minister about a bill's potential impact on rights. The Human Rights Committee examines compatibility with international human rights standards, while the Scrutiny of Bills Committee assesses the bill's potential effects on individual rights, liberties, and obligations. The Selection of Bills Committee considers whether the bill should be referred to a Senate committee for further examination and feedback from constituents, interest groups, and affected individuals.

The bill is introduced

The bill-making process begins with a representative sponsoring a bill. The bill is then assigned to a committee for study. The sponsor is the primary Congress member supporting the bill, and any other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors". The bill is then introduced. If a Representative is the sponsor, the bill is introduced in the House. Conversely, if a Senator is the sponsor, the bill is introduced in the Senate. Once a bill is introduced, it can be found on Congress.gov, the official government website that tracks federal legislation.

Any member of the House of Representatives can introduce a bill at any time while the House is in session by placing it in the "hopper" at the side of the Clerk's desk in the House Chamber. The sponsor's signature must appear on the bill, and there may be an unlimited number of cosponsoring members. The bill is then assigned its legislative number by the Clerk and referred to the committee of jurisdiction, which is the committee charged with reviewing the bill.

The House of Representatives divides its work among over twenty permanent committees. After a bill is introduced and referred to the committee of jurisdiction, the committee will often send the measure to its specialized subcommittee(s) for study, hearings, revisions, and approval. The first step in this process is usually a public hearing where the committee or subcommittee members hear witnesses representing various viewpoints on the measure.

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 "dead". Once the hearings and subcommittee review are completed, the committee will meet to "mark up" the bill, making changes and amendments before recommending the bill to the "floor".

If a committee votes not to report legislation to the full chamber of Congress, the bill dies. However, if the committee votes in favor of the bill, it is reported to the floor. This procedure is called "ordering a bill reported".

The bill goes to committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee for study. The Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate refers the bill to the appropriate committee. The referral decision is often made by the House or Senate parliamentarian. Bills may be referred to multiple committees, and parts of a bill may be sent to different committees. 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. Failure to act on a bill is equivalent to killing it. Committees may request comments about the bill's merit from government agencies. The bill can also be assigned to a subcommittee by the Chairman, which will then report its findings to the full committee. After this, there is a vote by the full committee, and the bill is "ordered to be reported".

The committee will then 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" to 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, are adopted. Committee members who oppose a bill may write a dissenting opinion in the report. The report is sent back to the whole chamber and is placed on the calendar.

The bill is reported

Once a bill has been approved by a committee, it is sent, or reported, to the House floor. At this stage, it is ready to be debated by the U.S. House of Representatives.

During the debate, 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 the 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: Viva Voce (voice vote), Division, and Recorded. In a voice vote, the Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support the bill to say "aye" and those that oppose it to say "no". In a Division vote, the Speaker asks those who support the bill to stand up and be counted, and then does the same for those who oppose it. In a Recorded vote, Representatives record their vote using an electronic voting system, selecting "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.

The bill is voted on

Once a bill has been introduced, discussed, and debated, 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, Division, and Recorded. In the Viva Voce method, the Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support the bill to say "aye" and those who oppose it to say "no". In the Division method, the Speaker of the House asks those who support the bill to stand up and be counted, and then those who oppose the bill to do the same. In the Recorded method, Representatives record their votes using an electronic voting system. They 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 House and is certified by the Clerk of the House before being delivered to the U.S. Senate.

The bill then goes through many of the same steps in the Senate. It 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 vote "yea", the bill passes in the Senate and is sent to the President.

The President has three choices at this point. They can sign and pass the bill, in which case it becomes a law. They can refuse to sign or veto the bill, sending it back to the House along with their reasons for the veto. Or they can do nothing, which is called a pocket veto, and if Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law after 10 days. If a bill has passed in both the House and the Senate and has been approved by the President, or if a presidential veto has been overridden, the bill becomes a law and is enforced by the government.

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