Cameron Miranda
Did you know that all laws in the United States start out as bills? A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one. Anyone can come up with an idea for a bill, but it needs to be approved by the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and the President to become a law. This process is long and challenging, and not all bills make it through. Let's explore the exciting journey of a bill on its way to becoming a law!
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Where do ideas for laws come from? | Ideas for laws can come from a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, be proposed during their election campaign, or be suggested by citizens or citizen groups. |
| How is a bill introduced? | A bill is introduced when it is placed in the "hopper", a special wooden box on the side of the clerk's desk in the U.S. House of Representatives. |
| Who can introduce a bill? | Any Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner may introduce a bill when the House is in session. |
| What is the role of the primary sponsor? | The Member introducing the bill is known as its primary sponsor, and they can gather support from other Representatives and an unlimited number of Members can cosponsor a bill. |
| What happens after introduction? | The title of the bill is entered in the House Journal and printed in the Congressional Record. The Clerk assigns the bill a legislative number and the Speaker of the House assigns it to a committee. |
| What happens in the committee? | The committee members review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether to send it back to the House floor. If further information is needed, the bill is sent to a subcommittee for closer examination and expert opinions. |
| What happens after committee approval? | Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent back to the House floor for debate and voting. |
| How is a bill debated and voted on? | Representatives discuss the bill and explain their agreement or disagreement. The bill is read section by section, and Representatives recommend changes. There are three methods for voting: Viva Voce (voice vote), Division, and Recorded (electronic voting). |
| What happens if the bill passes the House? | If the bill passes in the U.S. House of Representatives, it is certified and delivered to the U.S. Senate, where it goes through a similar process of committee review, reporting, debate, and voting. |
| What happens if the bill passes the Senate? | If the bill passes in the U.S. Senate, it is sent to the President. |
| What are the President's options? | The President can choose to sign and pass the bill, refuse to sign or veto it, or do nothing (pocket veto). If the President vetoes the bill, it can be sent back to the House and Senate for another vote, and their veto can be overridden by a two-thirds majority vote. |
What You'll Learn
Bills are proposed by a Representative or citizen
Bills, or proposals for a new law or a change to an existing one, can be suggested by a Representative or a citizen. The process of turning a bill into a law is a long one, and many bills don't make it through. So, when a Representative or citizen has an idea for a bill, they need to get support for it.
Citizens with ideas for new laws can contact their Representatives to discuss their ideas. If a Representative likes a citizen's idea, they will research it and write it up as a bill. Representatives might also get the idea for a bill from a campaign promise they made.
Once a Representative has written a bill, they need to find a sponsor. They will talk to other Representatives about the bill to try and get their support. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the other Representatives, it is ready to be introduced.
A bill is officially introduced when it is placed in the 'hopper', a special wooden 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, it is given a number that begins with H.R. Then, a reading clerk will read the bill out to all the Representatives, and the Speaker of the House sends the bill to one of the House committees.
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The bill is introduced to the House of Representatives
So, you want to know about how a bill becomes a law? Well, it all starts with an idea. Anyone can have an idea for a new law, but to become a law, that idea has to be written into a bill, and that bill has to be introduced to the House of Representatives.
The House of Representatives is one of two chambers that make up Congress, which is the law-making branch of the US federal government. The other chamber is the Senate. All laws in the United States start as bills in Congress.
Now, let's get back to the bill. Once a Representative has written a bill, they need to find a sponsor. They'll talk to other Representatives about the bill, hoping to get their support. Once the bill has a sponsor and the support of some other Representatives, it's ready to be introduced.
To introduce the bill, a Representative places it in the 'hopper', which is a special wooden box on the side of the clerk's desk. Only Representatives can introduce bills in the House of Representatives. The title of the bill is then entered into the House Journal and printed in the Congressional Record. A bill number beginning with H.R. is assigned by a clerk, and the Speaker of the House sends the bill to one of the House standing committees.
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The bill is sent to committee for review and revision
Once a bill has been introduced, it is sent to a committee for review and revision. The committee is made up of groups of Representatives who are experts on different topics, such as agriculture, education, or international relations. The committee members will carefully review the bill and research it to gather more information. They will also hold "mark-up" sessions, where they can suggest changes or updates to the bill. If the committee needs more information or further analysis, they can send the bill to a subcommittee. A subcommittee will examine the bill in greater detail and gather expert opinions before sending it back to the committee.
When the committee is satisfied with the bill, they will vote on whether to send it back to the House floor for further debate and discussion. If the committee members are not satisfied with the bill, they can vote against sending it back to the House, and the bill may die in committee. This means that the bill will not continue on the path to becoming a law and will need further work or support to be reconsidered.
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The bill is reported to the House floor for debate
Once a bill has been approved by the committee, it is sent to the House floor for debate. This is also known as the "Consideration and Debate" stage. During this stage, all bills must be given consideration by the entire membership of the House, with adequate opportunity for the members to debate and propose amendments. The rules of debate are decided during the first day of each new Congress, including the amount of time allocated for debating the bill.
Typically, the bill is read section by section, and members are given the opportunity to propose amendments and debate the bill's content. Representatives discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it. They may also 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): The Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support the bill to say “aye” and those that oppose it to say “no.”
- Division: The Speaker asks those Representatives who support the bill to stand up and be counted, and then those who oppose the bill to do the same.
- Recorded: Representatives record their votes using the electronic voting system. They can vote yes, no, or present (if they don’t want to vote on the bill).
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The bill is voted on by the House of Representatives
When a bill is ready to be voted on, there are three methods for voting on it in the U.S. House of Representatives. These are viva voce, division, and recorded.
For viva voce, the Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support the bill to say "aye" and those that oppose it to say "no". For division, the Speaker asks those Representatives who support the bill to stand up and be counted, and then those who oppose the bill to do the same. For recorded votes, Representatives record their vote using the 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 U.S. House of Representatives. The bill is then certified by the Clerk of the House and sent to the U.S. Senate. However, if the bill fails, but the Speaker of the House feels it should become a law, it may be sent back to the committee for further research and updates. Otherwise, the bill dies.
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Frequently asked questions
A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law.
All laws in the United States begin as bills. Before a bill can become a law, it must be approved by the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and the President.
Yes, 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.
