The Long Road: A Bill's Journey To Becoming Law

The process of turning a bill into a law is a long one, with many steps and potential setbacks. In the US, 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 US Senate or House of Representatives, be proposed during their election campaign, or be petitioned by citizens or citizen groups. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee, which will research, discuss, and make changes to it. The bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on. If it passes one body of Congress, it goes through a similar process in the other body. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions. Then both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, they present it to the president, who can approve the bill and sign it into law or refuse to approve it and veto it. If the president chooses to veto a bill, Congress can vote to override that veto and the bill 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, which is called a pocket veto.

Committee review

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee members are groups of representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. The committee may even choose to hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill. Hearings allow the views of the executive branch, experts, other public officials and supporters, and opponents of the legislation to be put on the record. If the committee does not act on a bill, the bill is considered to be "dead".

Subcommittees are organized under committees and have further specialization on a certain topic. Often, committees refer bills to a subcommittee for study and their own hearings. The subcommittee may make changes to the bill and must vote to refer a bill back to the full committee.

When the hearings and subcommittee review are completed, the committee will meet to "mark up" the bill. They make changes and amendments prior to recommending the bill to the "floor". If a 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".

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, adopted. Committee members who oppose a bill sometimes write a dissenting opinion in the report. The report is sent back to the whole chamber and is placed on the calendar.

Subcommittee review

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee. Committees are groups of members of Congress who are particularly interested in a specific topic, such as health or international affairs. Committees can refer bills to a subcommittee for further study and hearings.

Subcommittees are specialized groups that operate under committees. They closely examine the bill and gather expert opinions before sending it back to the committee for approval. The subcommittee may also make changes to the bill and must vote to refer it back to the full committee.

The subcommittee review process can be lengthy, as subcommittees conduct thorough investigations and gather input from relevant departments, agencies, and the public. They may hold public hearings, during which witnesses testify and provide further insights on the bill. After the hearings are completed, the subcommittee will typically consider the bill in a "markup" session, where they study the views of both supporters and opponents of the bill in detail before taking a vote.

The subcommittee's vote determines the bill's fate. They may decide to report the bill favorably to the full committee, with or without amendments, or they may choose to report it unfavorably or without recommendation. In some cases, the subcommittee may suggest tabling the bill or postponing action indefinitely.

Amendments

Once a bill has been drafted and introduced, it is referred to a committee for review. The committee may hold hearings to better understand the bill's implications and invite input from relevant departments, agencies, and the public. If the committee decides to move forward with the bill, it will go through a "mark-up" session, where revisions and amendments are made. This process allows for a detailed examination of the bill and gives stakeholders an opportunity to provide feedback.

After the committee has finished its work, the bill is reported back to the full chamber, where it is debated and voted on. During this stage, members can offer amendments, which are then approved or rejected by the chamber. The bill, along with any approved amendments, is then passed on to the other chamber for further review and voting.

If both chambers pass the bill, they must work together to reconcile any differences between their respective versions. This is done through a conference committee, which consists of members from both chambers. The conference committee aims to reach a compromise and prepare a final version of the bill that both chambers can agree on.

Throughout the legislative process, there are multiple opportunities for amendments to be proposed and considered. This back-and-forth collaboration between committees, subcommittees, chambers, and conference committees ensures that the final version of the bill is thoroughly vetted and reflects the input of various stakeholders.

Votes

The process of a bill becoming a law involves several steps, and voting is a crucial aspect of this journey. In the US, the legislative branch, Congress, is responsible for creating and modifying laws. This process begins with the introduction of legislation, which can be initiated by any member of Congress. Once a bill is introduced, it undergoes rigorous scrutiny and debate before progressing through the legislative stages.

After a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee. Committees are groups of Congress members with specific interests or expertise in different areas, such as health or international affairs. These committees play a vital role in shaping the bill by researching, discussing, and making amendments. The committee may also hold hearings to gather input from various stakeholders, including the executive branch, experts, and supporters or opponents of the bill. This committee review process is a critical step in refining the bill and determining its chances of passage by Congress.

Once the committee has completed its work, the bill is then brought before the full chamber for further debate and voting. This stage involves additional discussions and the consideration of any proposed amendments. The bill is then put to a vote, and if it receives a majority, it passes in that chamber.

However, the journey doesn't end there. The bill must then go through a similar process in the other chamber. It undergoes research, discussion, potential amendments, and, most importantly, another round of voting. This back-and-forth between the chambers ensures that both sides have a say in shaping the legislation.

If the bill manages to pass both chambers, the next critical step is to reconcile any differences between the two versions. This is where compromise and negotiation come into play. A conference committee, usually comprising senior members from both chambers, works to find common ground and create a final version of the bill that both sides can agree on. This step is crucial to ensuring that the bill has the best chance of becoming a law.

Once the conference committee reaches an agreement, their recommended version of the bill is sent back to both chambers for another round of voting. This time, both chambers must vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes this final hurdle, it is then presented to the President for approval.

The President has several options at this stage. They can choose to approve the bill and sign it into law, or they may veto it, effectively blocking its progress. However, even a presidential veto is not the end of the road. Congress has the power to override a veto and pass the bill into law anyway. This override requires a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and the Senate, demonstrating the critical role that voting plays at every stage of the legislative process.

Presidential approval

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

• Sign and pass the bill — the bill becomes a law.
• Refuse to sign, or veto, the bill — the bill is sent back to the House of Representatives, along with the President's reasons for the veto. If the House of Representatives 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 (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 a law.

If a bill has passed in both the House of Representatives 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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