The Journey Of A Bill To Law Explained

The process of a bill becoming a law is a complex one, and it differs slightly between the House of Representatives and the Senate. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one. It can be proposed by a member of the Senate or House of Representatives, or even by citizens and advocacy groups. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned a number and sent to a committee, which researches and discusses it before making any necessary changes. The bill then goes through a process of voting, debate, and potential amendment before being passed to the other body to go through the same process. If the bill passes both bodies, it is presented to the president, who can approve it, veto it, or do nothing. If the president vetoes the bill, Congress can vote to override this decision in most cases.

A bill is proposed

The first step in the process of a bill becoming a law is for the bill to be proposed. 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, be proposed during their election campaign, or 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 Representative has written a bill, it needs a sponsor. The Representative talks with other Representatives about the bill in the hopes of getting their support. The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor", and the other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors". 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, it can be found on Congress.gov, the official government website that tracks federal legislation. Once introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill.

A sponsor is found

Once a bill has been drafted, it needs a sponsor. The sponsor is the primary Congress member supporting the bill. The sponsor will talk to other Representatives about the bill, in the hopes of getting their support. The sponsor will also need to convince a number of co-sponsors to support the bill. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, it is ready to 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. 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. Once a bill is introduced, it can be found on Congress.gov, the official government website that tracks federal legislation.

When a bill is introduced, it is assigned a number. In the House, this number 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.

The committees are composed of groups of Representatives or Senators who are experts on a particular topic, such as agriculture, education, or international relations. They review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the House floor. If the committee members need more information, the bill is sent to a subcommittee, which will examine the bill in more detail and gather expert opinions before sending it back to the committee for approval.

The bill is introduced

The second step in the legislative process is the introduction of the bill. This occurs after the bill has been drafted, and a sponsor has been found. The sponsor is the primary Congress member supporting the bill, and they will talk with other Representatives to gain their support. Once a bill has been 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 House of Representatives.

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned a number. In the House of Representatives, this number 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. These committees are groups of Representatives who are experts on specific topics, such as agriculture, education, or international relations. The committees review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the House floor.

If the committee members require more information before making a decision, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. The subcommittee examines the bill in detail and gathers expert opinions before sending it back to the committee for approval. Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent or reported to the House floor, where it is ready to be debated. During the debate, Representatives discuss the bill and explain their agreement or disagreement. A reading clerk then reads the bill section by section, and the Representatives recommend changes. Once all changes have been made, the bill is ready to be voted on.

The bill goes to committee

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee. Committees are composed of groups of Congress members with expertise on the topic of the bill, such as agriculture, education, or international relations. 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 before making a decision, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. A subcommittee is a group with further specialisation in the topic. Here, the bill is scrutinised and expert opinions are gathered before it is sent back to the committee for approval.

The committee may also 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 bill to be put on record. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead".

When the hearings and subcommittee review are completed, the committee will meet to "'mark up' the bill. They make changes and amendments before recommending the bill to the "floor". If a committee votes not to report 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

When a committee has approved a bill, it is sent, or reported, to the House floor. This procedure is called "ordering a bill reported". Once reported, a bill is ready to be debated by the U.S. House of Representatives.

When a bill is debated, representatives discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it. 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 to say “no.” In a division, the Speaker asks those 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 say or select yes, the bill passes in the U.S. House of Representatives and is certified by the Clerk of the House before being delivered to the U.S. Senate.

If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered to be "dead". However, if the committee votes in favour of the bill, it is reported to the floor.

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