Visualizing Lawmaking: A Bill's Journey To Legislation

The process of a bill becoming a law is a long and complex one. In the United States, all laws begin as bills, and 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.

The journey of a bill begins with an idea, which can come from a Representative or citizen. If a Representative agrees with a citizen's idea, they will research it and write it into a bill. The bill then needs a sponsor, and the Representative will discuss it with other Representatives to gain their support. Once a bill has a sponsor and enough support, it is ready to 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. A bill clerk assigns it a number, and a reading clerk reads it to all the Representatives before sending it to a House standing committee. The committee members review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether to send it back to the House floor. If the committee requires more information, the bill is sent to a subcommittee for closer examination.

Once a bill is reported and ready for debate, Representatives discuss and explain their agreement or disagreement with it. A reading clerk reads the bill section by section, and Representatives recommend changes. After all changes are 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, division, and recorded. If the bill passes in the House, it is certified and delivered to the U.S. Senate.

In the Senate, the bill goes through similar steps, including committee review, reporting, debate, and voting. If the bill passes in the Senate, it is sent to the President.

The President has three choices: sign and pass the bill, veto it, or do nothing (pocket veto). If the President vetoes the bill, it is sent back to the House and Senate, and if two-thirds of the Representatives and Senators support the bill, the veto is overridden, and the bill becomes a law. If the President does nothing and Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law after ten days.

The process of a bill becoming a law involves multiple stages of review, debate, amendment, and voting in both the House and the Senate, followed by approval or veto by the President. It is a detailed and intricate procedure that ensures the careful consideration and enactment of laws in the United States.

How a bill is proposed and introduced

The process of a bill becoming a law begins with an idea. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one, and these ideas can come from a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, be proposed during their election campaign, or be petitioned by citizens or groups who recommend a new or amended law to their member of Congress.

Once a member of Congress has an idea for a law, they can draft a bill. The member of Congress who primarily supports the bill is called the "sponsor", and other members who support it are called "co-sponsors". The sponsor will then talk to other members of Congress about the bill to try and get their support. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some other members, it is ready to be introduced.

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 members of the House can introduce bills in the House. A bill clerk then 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 is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. Both the House and Senate have various committees composed of groups of Congress members with specific interests and expertise in different topics, such as health, education, agriculture, or international affairs and relations.

When a bill is with the committee, it is carefully examined and its chances of passage by the entire Congress are determined. Committees may hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill and gather expert opinions. These hearings allow the views of the executive branch, experts, other public officials, supporters, and opponents of the legislation to be put on the record. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead".

Subcommittees are organised under committees and have further specialisation on a certain topic. Committees may refer bills to a subcommittee for study and hearings. The subcommittee may make changes to the bill and must vote to refer a bill back to the full committee.

Once hearings and subcommittee reviews 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 against reporting legislation to the full chamber of Congress, the bill dies. If the committee votes in favour of the bill, it is reported to the floor. This procedure is called "ordering a bill reported".

The bill is reported

Once a bill passes through the subcommittee and the full committee, it is sent back to the full chamber that it originated from. In this stage, the bill is reported to the full Senate or House of Representatives, depending on where it started. The chamber then schedules the bill for a vote, but before that, there are a few steps that the bill must go through.

First, the bill is placed on the calendar. This calendar is a schedule of upcoming legislative business, and it outlines when the bill will be brought up for consideration and debate. The majority party in the chamber controls this calendar, and they decide which bills will be considered and in what order. This gives them significant power in shaping the legislative agenda and determining which bills have a chance of becoming laws.

Next, the bill is debated on the floor of the chamber. This is a critical stage, as it allows members of the Senate or House to discuss the merits of the bill, suggest amendments, and try to persuade their colleagues to support or oppose the legislation. Debates are governed by rules that vary between the two chambers, but they typically involve strict time limits and procedures to ensure orderly discussions. During the debate, senators or representatives may offer amendments to change, add, or remove parts of the bill. These amendments must be relevant to the bill's subject matter, and they can significantly alter the bill's content or intent.

After the debate, the chamber votes on the bill. The voting procedure can vary depending on the type of bill and the chamber's rules. For most bills, a simple majority is required for passage. However, certain types of legislation, such as those affecting revenue or procedural rules, may require a higher threshold, such as a supermajority of two-thirds or three-fifths of the members present and voting. If the bill receives the necessary number of votes, it is considered passed by that chamber. If not, the bill fails and is usually sent back to committee for further work.

The bill is voted on

Once a bill has been introduced, assigned to a committee, and reported, 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, division, and recorded.

In a viva voce vote, the Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support the bill to say "aye" and those that oppose it to say "no." In a division vote, the Speaker 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. In a recorded vote, 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, 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 bill is referred to the Senate

Once a bill has been introduced, it is referred to the Senate, where it will go through many of the same steps it went through in the House of Representatives. The bill is first discussed in a Senate committee. Senate committees are composed of groups of Congress members who are particularly interested in different topics, such as health or international affairs. When a bill is in the hands of the committee, it is carefully examined and its chances of passage by the entire Senate are determined. 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, supporters, and opponents of the legislation to be put on record. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead".

If the committee members would like more information before deciding, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. A subcommittee will make changes to the bill and must vote to refer it back to the full committee. Once 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 against reporting 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.

When the bill reaches the floor, there is additional debate, and members of the full chamber vote to approve any amendments. The bill is then either passed or defeated by the members' vote. 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 Senate and is ready to go to the President.

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