The Making Of Laws: Lapbook Unfolds The Legislative Process

A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. The process of turning a bill into a law is known as the legislative process. In the United States, the legislative process involves nine steps, which can be further broken down into several sub-steps.

The bill is drafted

The first step in the process of a bill becoming a law is the drafting of the bill. Any member of Congress, either from the Senate or the House of Representatives, can draft a bill if they have an idea for a law. These ideas can come from the members of Congress themselves or from everyday citizens and advocacy groups. Citizens with ideas for new laws can contact their Representatives to discuss them, and if the Representatives agree, they will research the ideas and write them into bills. The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor", and other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors".

Once a bill has been drafted, it needs a sponsor. The Representative who wrote the bill talks to other Representatives about it, hoping to get their support. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, it is ready to be introduced.

The Bill is Introduced

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 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.

The Bill Goes to Committee

When a bill reaches a committee, the committee members, who are groups of Representatives with expertise on specific topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations, review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the House floor. If the committee members require more information before deciding, the bill is sent to a subcommittee, where it is closely examined and expert opinions are gathered before being sent back to the committee for approval.

The Bill is Reported

Once a committee has approved a bill, it is sent, or reported, to the House floor, where 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. When all changes have been made, the bill is ready to be voted on.

The bill is introduced

The first step in the process of a bill becoming a law is its introduction. Any member of Congress can introduce a bill, and this can be done in the House or the Senate. In the House, 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. Once introduced, the bill is assigned 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 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 is postponed until the next day. The bill is then assigned a number (e.g. S 1) and sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO), where copies are made. Senate bills can be jointly sponsored, and members can cosponsor legislation.

The Bill is Proposed

Before a bill is introduced, it needs a sponsor. The member of Congress talks with other members to gain support for the bill. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of other members, it is ready to be introduced.

The Bill is Drafted

A bill is drafted when a member of Congress has an idea for a law. These ideas can come from Congress members themselves or everyday citizens and advocacy groups. The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor", and other supporting members are called "co-sponsors".

The bill goes to committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee. Committees are groups of Representatives or Congress members who are experts on specific topics, such as agriculture, health, education, or international relations. The bill is carefully examined by the committee, and its chances of passage by the entire Congress are determined. The committee may request comments about the bill's merit from government agencies and may also hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill. Hearings allow the views of the executive branch, experts, other public officials, supporters, and opponents of the bill to be put on the record.

If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead". If the committee requires further information before deciding, the bill is sent to a subcommittee for further study and hearings. The subcommittee may make changes to the bill and must vote to refer it back to the full committee. Once hearings and subcommittee review are completed, the committee will meet to make changes and amendments and then recommend the bill to the "floor". If the committee votes against the bill, it dies. If they vote in favour, it is reported to the floor.

In the House, most bills go to the Rules committee before reaching the floor. The Rules committee adopts rules that will govern the procedures under which the bill will be considered by the House. A "closed rule", for example, sets strict time limits on debate and forbids the introduction of amendments. These rules can have a significant impact on whether the bill passes.

The bill is voted on

Once a bill has been 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 (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 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. The bill is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the U.S. Senate.

In the Senate, senators vote by voice. Those who support the bill say “yea,” and those who oppose it say “nay.” If a majority of the Senators say “yea,” the bill passes in the U.S. Senate and is ready to go to the President.

The bill is sent to the president

Once a bill has been passed by both the House and the Senate, it is sent to the President for review. The President has three options:

• Sign and pass the bill, which becomes a law.
• Refuse to sign or veto the bill, which is then sent back to the House and the Senate, along with the President's reasons for the veto. If the House 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.
• Do nothing, which is known as a "pocket veto". If Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law after 10 days. If Congress is not in session, the bill does not become law.

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