Nickelodeon's Guide To Understanding How Bills Become Laws

The process of a bill becoming a law in the United States is a lengthy one, and it's been the subject of a Schoolhouse Rock! segment, an episode of The Simpsons, and even a parody on Saturday Night Live. In short, a bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one. The idea for a bill can come from a member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or it can be proposed by citizens or advocacy groups. Once a bill is introduced, it goes through several stages of review, discussion, and voting in both the House and the Senate before it can be presented to the President to be signed into law.

Bills are proposed by a Representative or citizen

The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor". The sponsor will talk with other Representatives about the bill to get their support. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, it is ready to be introduced. Other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors".

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, the official government website that tracks federal legislation.

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.

The Bill is introduced

The process of turning a bill into a law begins with the introduction of the bill. This is an important step, as it marks the official start of the legislative process. Here's a detailed overview of what happens during this stage:

The bill is then assigned a number that typically begins with "H.R." in the House of Representatives. This numbering system helps with identification and tracking as the bill progresses through the legislative process. The number assigned to the bill reflects the order in which it was introduced relative to other bills.

A reading clerk plays a crucial role in this process by reading the bill aloud to all the Representatives. This ensures that everyone present is aware of the contents and specifics of the proposed legislation. After the bill is introduced and read, it is sent to one of the House standing committees by the Speaker of the House.

The introduction of a bill in the Senate follows a slightly different procedure. 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 following day. This step underscores the importance of consensus and agreement in the legislative process.

The bill is also labelled with the name of its sponsor, who is the primary Congress member supporting the bill. Additionally, other members who back the bill are referred to as co-sponsors. At this stage, members can also choose to cosponsor the legislation, demonstrating their support for the proposed ideas.

Next Steps:

After the bill is introduced, it undergoes further scrutiny and debate. It is referred to relevant committees and subcommittees, where experts review, research, and make changes to the bill. This process ensures that the bill is thoroughly examined and amended before moving forward. The committees' decisions play a crucial role in shaping the final version of the bill.

The bill then goes through a series of votes, first in the House of Representatives and then, if successful, in the Senate. If the bill passes both chambers, it is presented to the President for consideration. The President has the power to approve and sign the bill into law or to veto it, sending it back to Congress.

The Bill is sent to committee

When a bill is sent to committee, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, review, discuss, and make changes to the bill. Both the House and the Senate have various committees composed of groups of Congress members who are experts on specific topics, such as agriculture, education, or international relations. These committee members carefully examine the bill and determine its chances of passage by the entire Congress.

Committees may choose to hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill and gather expert opinions. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead". If the committee requires additional 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 reviews are completed, the committee will meet to "mark up" the bill, making changes and amendments before recommending it to the "floor". If the committee votes against reporting the legislation to the full chamber of Congress, the bill is rejected. However, if they vote in favour of the bill, it is reported to the floor, a procedure called "ordering a bill reported".

After the bill is reported, the committee staff prepares a written report explaining their support for the bill and their reasons for proposing any amendments. Committee members who oppose the bill may write a dissenting opinion in the report. The report is then sent back to the whole chamber and placed on the calendar.

The Bill is voted on

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The bill is then put before that chamber 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.

If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes to the other body to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting. 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.

The Bill is sent to the President

Once a bill has been approved by the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, it is sent to the President for review. The President has three options: they can sign and pass the bill, which becomes a law; they can veto the bill, sending it back to the House of Representatives with their reasons for the veto; or they can do nothing, in what is known as a "pocket veto". If the President chooses to sign the bill, it becomes a law and is enforced by the government.

If the President vetoes a bill, it is sent back to the House of Representatives and the Senate, where another vote can be held. If two-thirds of the Representatives and Senators support the bill, the President's veto is overridden, and the bill becomes a law. However, if the President does not sign the bill and Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be vetoed by default, and this cannot be overridden.

The pocket veto is an option for the President if Congress is not in session. If the President takes no action on a bill for ten days while Congress is in session, the bill will automatically become law. However, if Congress adjourns before the ten days are up and the President has not signed the bill, it will not become law.

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