The Journey Of A Bill To Law

The process of how a bill becomes a law is a long and complex one. In the United States, the lawmaking branch of the federal government is Congress, which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The journey of a bill to become a law begins with an idea, which can come from a sitting member of the Senate or House of Representatives, or be proposed 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, and then both chambers vote on the same version. If it passes, it is presented to the President, who can approve and sign it into law, or veto it. If the President chooses to veto, 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 Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be vetoed by default, known as a pocket veto.

A bill is drafted

Any member of Congress – either from the Senate or the House of Representatives – who has an idea for a law can draft a bill. These ideas can come from the members of Congress themselves or from everyday citizens and advocacy groups. The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor". The 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. Once a bill is introduced, it can be found on Congress.gov, which is the official government website that tracks federal legislation.

Step-by-step guide to drafting a bill

• The idea for a bill can come from a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives or be proposed during their election campaign. Bills can also be petitioned by citizens or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them.
• The bill is then drafted by the member of Congress. This involves writing up the details of the proposed law, including any changes to existing laws.
• The bill is assigned a number and placed in the hopper. In the 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. 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 of the bill is postponed until the next day.
• The bill is then referred to a committee. The Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate assigns the bill to the appropriate committee. Most often, the actual referral decision is made by the House or Senate parliamentarian. Bills may be referred to more than one committee, and they can be split so that parts are sent to different committees.
• The committee reviews, discusses, and makes changes to the bill. The committee members research and revise the bill before voting on whether to send it back to the House or Senate floor. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead".
• The bill may be assigned to a subcommittee. The subcommittee will review the bill and may make changes before reporting their findings back to the full committee.
• The full committee votes on the bill. If the bill is approved, it is sent back to the House or Senate floor. If substantial amendments are made, the committee can order the introduction of a "clean bill" that includes the proposed amendments. This new bill will have a new number and the old bill is discarded.

The bill is introduced

The first step in the process of a bill becoming a law is the introduction of the bill. 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 or be proposed during their election campaign. Bills can also be petitioned by citizens or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them. Once a bill has been drafted, it must be 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 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 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 of the bill is postponed until the next day.

The bill goes to committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee. The committees are made up of groups of representatives who are experts on a range of topics, such as agriculture, education, or international relations. The committees review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether to send it back to the House floor. If the committee members want more information before making their decision, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. The subcommittee closely examines the bill and gathers expert opinions before sending it back to the committee for approval.

The committee 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 record. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead".

Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent or "reported" to the House floor, where it is ready to be debated. The committee will also prepare a committee report, which describes the purpose and scope of the bill and the reasons for its approval.

If the committee votes to report the bill favorably to the House, it may report the bill with or without amendments. If the committee has approved extensive amendments, it can decide to report the original bill with one "amendment in the nature of a substitute" consisting of all the amendments previously adopted, or it can introduce and report a new bill incorporating those amendments, commonly known as a "clean" bill.

The bill is reported

Once a bill has been approved by a committee, it is sent, or reported, to the House floor. This is when the bill is ready to be debated by the U.S. House of Representatives. During the debate, Representatives discuss the bill and explain 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. The first is Viva Voce, where the Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support the bill to say "aye" and those who oppose it to say "no". The second is Division, where the Speaker asks those who support the bill to stand up and be counted, and then does the same for those who oppose it. The third is Recorded, where Representatives record their vote using the electronic voting system, and can vote "yes", "no", or "present" if they don't want to vote on the bill. If a majority of 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.

When a bill reaches the U.S. Senate, it goes through many of the same steps it went through in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill 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 say "yea", the bill passes in the U.S. Senate and is ready to go to the President.

The President has three options when a bill reaches them. 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 U.S. House of Representatives along with their reasons for the veto. Or they can do nothing, which is called 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 a law.

The bill is voted on

Once a bill has been introduced, assigned to a committee, and reported, it is put before the chamber to be voted on. There are three methods for voting on a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives:

• 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."
• 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.

Frequently asked questions