Kahoot: Understanding How A Bill Becomes Law

The process of a bill becoming a law involves several steps and the involvement of various stakeholders. In the United States, the journey of a bill to a law begins with an idea, which can come from a citizen or a member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives. The bill is then drafted and introduced, after which it is assigned to a committee for review, discussion, and potential changes. Following this, the bill is put before the chamber for a vote, and if it passes, it moves to the other body for a similar process. Once both bodies approve, they must reconcile any differences, and both chambers vote on the final version. If passed, the bill is presented to the President for approval, who can sign it into law or veto it. However, Congress can override a presidential veto with a two-thirds majority vote. This comprehensive process ensures that proposed bills are carefully considered and that the public is informed and engaged.

How a bill is proposed

A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. The idea for a bill 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.

In the U.S., 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. A bill needs a sponsor, and the support of other Representatives, to be introduced. 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.

In Australia, bills are mostly introduced into the House of Representatives and then sent to the Senate. Bills may start in the Senate, except for money and taxation bills. Most bills are introduced by government ministers, but other members of parliament can introduce their own bills, known as private members' or private senators' bills. A minister who wants to introduce a bill usually gives written notice of their intention to do so.

Introducing the bill

The first step in turning an idea into a bill is to draft it. Any member of Congress, from the Senate or the House of Representatives, can do this if they have an idea for a law. These ideas can come from Congress members themselves, everyday citizens, or advocacy groups. The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor", and other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors". 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, 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.

In the U.S. Senate, bills are introduced during "morning hour", between 12 and 2 pm. The senator must introduce the bill to the senate clerk verbally. Once a bill is introduced, it can be found on Congress.gov, the official government website that tracks federal legislation.

The bill goes to committee

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee. In the US, the Speaker of the House sends the bill to one of the House standing committees. These committees are 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. If the committee members would like more information before making a decision, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. A subcommittee examines the bill in closer detail and gathers expert opinions before sending it back to the committee for approval.

At the committee stage, the bill is studied in detail by a smaller group of parliamentarians, who may invite government officials and experts to answer questions. Committees examine bills section by section and can suggest amendments. Once this process is complete, the chairperson of the committee submits a report back to the chamber.

The committee will then meet to make changes and amendments before recommending the bill to the "floor". If the committee votes not to report legislation to the full chamber of Congress, the bill dies. 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 is reported

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

When a bill is debated, 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. Amendments are an important part of the legislative process, and they can be proposed by any Representative. When 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:

• Viva Voce (voice vote): 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 say or select 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.

In the U.S. Senate, the bill goes through many of the same steps it went through in the House. The bill is discussed in a Senate committee and then reported to the Senate floor to be voted on. Senators vote by voice, with supporters saying “yea” and opponents saying “nay.” If a majority of Senators say “yea,” the bill passes in the U.S. Senate and is ready to go to the President.

The bill is voted on

In the U.S., the process of a bill being voted on differs slightly between the House of Representatives and the Senate. In the House of Representatives, there are three methods for voting on a bill: Viva Voce, Division, and Recorded. In a Viva Voce 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 of the House asks those Representatives who support the bill to stand up and be counted, and then those who oppose the bill to do the same. In a Recorded vote, Representatives record their vote using an electronic voting system, and 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 of Representatives and is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the Senate.

In the Senate, 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 ready to go to the President.

Once a bill has passed in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, it is presented to the President. The President can then choose to approve the bill and sign it into law, or veto it. If the President chooses to veto the bill, Congress can vote to override the veto, and if two-thirds of Representatives and Senators support the bill, it becomes a law. However, 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, in what is called a "pocket veto". This type of veto cannot be overridden by Congress.

In Canada, the process for a bill to become law is similar. After a bill is introduced in either the Senate or the House of Commons, it is debated and voted on by parliamentarians. If the bill passes, it is sent to a committee, which studies it in-depth and may suggest changes. The bill then goes back for a final debate and vote, based on the committee's report. If the bill passes this vote, it is sent to the other chamber, where it goes through the same process. Once the bill has been passed by both chambers in identical form, it goes to the Governor General for Royal Assent and becomes Canadian law.

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