The Lawmaking Process: From Bill To Law

The How a Bill Becomes a Law poster is an educational resource that outlines the complex process of lawmaking in the United States. This 8.5 x 11 poster simplifies and maps out the journey of a bill, from its introduction by a member of Congress, through the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate, to its final approval by the President. It is a useful tool for understanding the legislative process and the many steps involved in turning an idea into a law. The poster is recommended for elementary school classrooms and libraries, providing a visual guide to engage and inform students about the Federal lawmaking process.

Congressional committees

The committee will review the bill in detail, considering its potential impact and any necessary amendments. This process can take some time, as the committee may call for hearings and invite experts to give their opinions on the bill. The committee may also request information from federal agencies to inform their decision-making.

After the committee has finished its review, it will report its findings to the full chamber. The committee's report will include any amendments that have been proposed, as well as the committee's recommendation on whether the bill should be passed.

The committee stage is a crucial part of the legislative process, as it allows for detailed scrutiny and debate of the bill before it moves forward. It is also an opportunity for the public to have input, as hearings are usually open to the public and allow for witness testimony.

U.S. House of Representatives

The U.S. House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress, the federal government's law-making branch. The House of Representatives is made up of 435 elected members, divided among the 50 states in proportion to their total population. Additionally, there are six non-voting members representing the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and four other U.S. territories.

The House of Representatives has several powers assigned exclusively to it, including the power to initiate revenue bills, impeach federal officials, and elect the President in the case of an Electoral College tie.

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Any member of the House of Representatives can introduce a bill at any time while the House is in session by simply placing it in the "hopper", a wooden box on the side of the Clerk's desk. The bill is then assigned a legislative number by the Clerk and referred to the appropriate committee by the Speaker, with the assistance of the Parliamentarian.

Committee Review

The committee members will seek expert input, hold "mark-up" sessions to make any changes or updates deemed important, and, if necessary, send the bill to a subcommittee for further analysis through research and hearings. Once the committee is satisfied with the content of the bill, it is sent back to the House for debate.

House Debate and Vote

By tradition, all bills must be given consideration by the entire membership of the House, with adequate opportunity for the Members to debate and propose amendments. The rules of debate are decided during the first day of each new Congress, including the amount of time allocated for debate on the bill. Typically, the bill is read section by section, and Members are given the opportunity to propose amendments and debate the bill's content.

When debate is over, the Speaker asks, "Shall the bill be engrossed and read a third time?" If the Members agree, the bill is read by title only.

There are three methods for voting: viva voce (voice vote), division, and recorded. The most common way to collect votes is through the recorded method, where Members either slide their electronic voting cards into the electronic voting machine and select "yea," "nay," or "present," or complete a paper ballot, which is handed to the tally clerk to be recorded.

If a majority of the House has voted in favor of the legislation, it passes and is sent to the U.S. Senate. If the bill fails, yet the Speaker feels the bill should become a law, it may be sent back to the committee for further research and updates. Otherwise, the bill dies.

The Bill Returns to the House

If the bill is passed by the Senate, both the House and Senate bills are returned to the House with a note indicating any changes. If the Senate has made amendments, the House must vote on the bill again, as both chambers of Congress must agree to identical legislation for it to become law. If the Speaker of the House decides that the Senate amendments require further research, the bill can be sent back to the committee before the House votes again.

The Bill Is Enrolled

When both chambers have passed identical legislation, the enrolling clerk prepares the final document for presentation to the President of the United States. The enrolled bill is printed on parchment paper and certified by the Clerk of the House. The Clerk reviews the bill to ensure its accuracy and sends it to the Speaker to be signed. The Speaker then passes the document to the President of the Senate for their signature.

Presidential Action

Once the leaders of both chambers have signed off, the Clerk of the House delivers the bill to a clerk at the White House and obtains a receipt. When the President receives the bill, they have three options:

• Pass: If the President approves the bill, they sign it, and usually write "approved" with the date.
• Veto: If the President does not approve the bill, they must return it to its chamber of origin with their objections within 10 days.
• Pocket Veto: If the President does not sign or return the bill to Congress with objections within 10 days (excluding Sundays)—and Congress is no longer in session—the bill will be vetoed by default. This action cannot be overridden by Congress.

If the President chooses to veto the bill, in most cases, Congress can vote to override that veto, and the bill becomes a law.

U.S. Senate

The U.S. Senate is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress, the federal government's law-making branch. The Senate is composed of 100 members, two from each state, elected by the people for six-year terms. Senators must be at least 30 years old, have been a citizen of the United States for nine years, and be an inhabitant of the state they represent.

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 be proposed during their election campaign. 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 Senators who are experts on specific topics. The bill is then put before the Senate chamber to be voted on. If the bill passes the Senate, it goes to the House of Representatives to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting.

Once both chambers of Congress 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 President 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, known as a pocket veto, which cannot be overridden by Congress.

Presidential approval

The final stage of the bill's journey to becoming a law is Presidential Approval. This is the last step in the US Federal lawmaking process, and it is a critical moment. The bill has now passed through the House of Representatives and the Senate, and it is presented to the President of the United States for their approval.

The President has three options at this stage: they can sign the bill into law, effectively approving it and bringing the legislative process to an end. This is the most common outcome, and it is what most bills that have successfully navigated the House and the Senate can expect.

However, if the President does not agree with the bill, they can veto it. This means that the bill will be sent back to Congress, where a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and the Senate can override the President's veto and still pass the bill into law. This is a rare outcome, as it requires a significant majority in both chambers to disagree with the President.

The third option is that the President chooses to take no action on the bill, neither signing nor vetoing it. In this case, the bill will automatically become law after ten days, as long as Congress is still in session. If Congress is not in session, the bill will be 'pocket vetoed', meaning it will not become law. This is a way for the President to block a bill without having to formally veto it.

Federal lawmaking process

The Federal lawmaking process in the United States involves numerous steps, from the introduction of a bill by a member of Congress to its passage by the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, and finally, approval by the President. This process is visualised in posters that are often used as educational tools in classrooms.

The first step in the Federal lawmaking process is the introduction of a bill by a member of Congress. This can be done by any member of the House of Representatives or the Senate. Once a bill is introduced, it is referred to the appropriate committee for review and consideration. The committee may hold hearings, debate the bill, and make amendments before reporting it back to the full chamber. If the committee does not take action on the bill, it may die in committee.

If the committee reports the bill back to the full chamber, the next step is for the chamber to consider and debate the bill. This includes discussing the bill's merits, potential impacts, and any amendments that have been proposed. After the debate, a vote is held, and if the bill receives a majority of votes, it passes that chamber. The bill then moves to the other chamber, where the process repeats. If the bill passes both chambers, it is sent to the President for approval.

The President has three options at this stage: signing and passing the bill into law, taking no action and allowing the bill to become law after ten days (excluding Sundays), or vetoing the bill. If the President vetoes the bill, it is sent back to Congress, which can then attempt to override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers. If the veto is overridden, the bill becomes law.

Frequently asked questions