The Journey Of A Bill To Law

Laws in the United States are made by Congress, which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The legislative process begins with a proposal, which can come from anyone, but only members of Congress can introduce a bill. This is the topic of today's presentation: the journey of a bill to becoming a law. We will cover the steps a bill must go through, from its proposal to its approval by the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the President. We will also discuss the different types of bills and the role of committees in the legislative process. Finally, we will explore what happens when a bill is vetoed and how it can still become a law.

The bill is proposed

The legislative process begins with a proposal, which can take one of four forms: a bill, a joint resolution, a concurrent resolution, or a simple resolution. Bills are the most common form of legislation and can be public or private. Public bills affect the general public, while private bills affect a specific individual or group. Bills can originate 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 citizen groups.

Once a Representative has written a bill, it needs a sponsor. The Representative discusses the bill with other Representatives to gain their support. An unlimited number of Representatives can cosponsor a bill. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, 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. Only Representatives can introduce bills in the House. When a bill is introduced, the title is entered into the House Journal and printed in the Congressional Record. A bill clerk assigns it a number that begins with H.R., and the Speaker of the House assigns the bill to the appropriate committee.

The bill is introduced

The legislative process begins with a proposal, which 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. Citizens with ideas for laws can contact their Representatives to discuss their ideas. If the Representatives agree, they research the ideas and write them into bills.

Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, 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. Only Representatives can introduce bills in the U.S. House of Representatives.

When a bill is introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, a bill clerk assigns it a number that begins with H.R. The title of the bill is entered in the House Journal and printed in the Congressional Record. 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.

The Member introducing the bill is known as its primary sponsor, and an unlimited number of Members can cosponsor a bill. Representatives usually sponsor bills that are important to them and their constituents. Representatives who sponsor bills will try to gain support for them, in hopes that they will become laws. In the Senate, a bill is introduced by placing it on the presiding officer's desk or by formally introducing it on the Senate Floor.

The bill goes to committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee. This committee is made up of groups of representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. They will review, research, and revise the bill, holding "mark-up" sessions to make any changes or updates deemed important. The committee can also send the bill to a subcommittee for further analysis and expert opinions.

If the committee is satisfied with the bill, it is sent back to the House floor for debate. If not, the bill can die in committee if the legislation is deemed unnecessary. The committee members will vote to accept or reject the changes made during the markup session. After the bill has been debated and/or amended, the committee will vote on the bill again. If the bill is approved by the committee, it is sent to the House Floor for consideration.

The committee stage is a crucial part of the legislative process, as it allows for detailed scrutiny and input from experts in the relevant field. It is also an opportunity for members of Congress to work together across party lines to improve the bill before it moves forward in the legislative process.

The committee will also consider any financial implications of the bill and how it will be paid for. They may seek input from the Congressional Budget Office, which provides non-partisan analysis of the costs of proposed legislation.

The bill is reported

Once the committee has approved a bill, 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 this stage, Representatives discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it.

After the debate, a reading clerk reads the bill section by section, and the Representatives recommend changes. When all 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: Viva Voce (voice vote), Division, and Recorded. In a voice vote, the Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support the bill to say “aye” and those that oppose it 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 do the same. In a Recorded vote, 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 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.

The bill is voted on

Once a bill has been introduced, assigned a number, undergone committee review and revision, and been debated, 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 (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). This is the most common way to collect votes.

If a majority of the House has voted in favour of the bill, 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 committee for further research and updates. Otherwise, the bill dies.

If a bill passes in the U.S. House of Representatives, an exact copy is sent to the U.S. Senate. The bill is reviewed and discussed by a Senate committee before proceeding to the Senate floor for a vote. The Senate, like the House, considers each amendment separately before the bill is voted on. Unlike the House, the Senate typically votes by voice. Senators 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.

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