The Lawmaking Process: A Quick Guide To Bills Becoming Laws

A bill is a proposed law that must go through a rigorous process before becoming a law. Anyone can write a bill, but only members of Congress can introduce them. The process begins with the introduction of the bill in either the House of Representatives or the Senate, followed by committee hearings, debates, and votes. If the bill passes both houses, it is sent to the President, who can sign it into law or veto it. If the President does not take action on the bill within ten days, it can automatically become a law, but if Congress adjourns within this period, the bill fails. This process can vary in duration, taking anywhere from a few days to several years.

Drafting a bill

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned a number and given to one or more committees with jurisdiction over its subject matter for review. For example, health-care-related bills are typically referred to the House Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means Committees. At this stage, revisions can be made to the bill before it is approved or rejected by the committee.

If the bill is approved by the committee, it is sent to the floor of the House of Representatives or the Senate, depending on where it was introduced. Here, it is debated and can be further revised before a vote is called. The bill needs to pass with either a simple majority or a 2/3 majority, depending on the chamber.

If the bill passes in the first chamber, it then moves to the other chamber, where it goes through the same process of being assigned to a committee, debated, and voted on. If the second chamber passes a different version of the bill, members of both chambers meet as a conference committee to work out the disagreements and create a new bill. This new bill is then voted on by both chambers and, if approved, is sent to the President.

The President has the power to either veto (reject) the bill or sign it into law. If the President does not take any action on the bill within 10 days, it will automatically become law. However, if Congress adjourns within those 10 days, the bill fails.

Introducing a bill

Anyone can write a bill, or an idea for a new law, but only Members of Congress can introduce them. All bills to raise money must originate in the House of Representatives.

Once a bill is introduced in either house, it is assigned to a committee. The committee with jurisdiction over the bill's subject matter will review the bill. For example, the House Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means Committees typically have jurisdiction over health-care-related legislation. Revisions can be made to the bill at this stage, before it is approved or rejected.

If the bill is approved by the committee, it is sent to the House or Senate floor for debate and a vote. Before the vote, changes and revisions can be made to the bill. The bill is then passed with a 2/3 majority or a simple majority vote. In the House of Representatives, this means 218 out of 435 members must vote in favour of the bill.

Committee review

Once a bill has been introduced in either house and given a number, it is assigned to a committee for review. The committee will have jurisdiction over the bill's subject matter. For example, the House Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means Committees typically review health-care-related legislation. The committee can make revisions to the bill before approving or rejecting it. If the committee approves the bill, it is sent to the House or Senate floor for debate and a vote. If the bill is rejected, it does not proceed further.

The committee review process can involve multiple committees and subcommittees. The main committee may assign the bill to a subcommittee, which will review the bill and make any necessary revisions before passing it back to the main committee. The bill must be approved by a majority vote in the subcommittee and committee hearings to pass to the next stage.

During the committee review stage, the bill is carefully examined, and revisions may be made to improve the bill's effectiveness and ensure it aligns with the relevant policies and regulations. The committee may also seek input from experts and stakeholders to inform their review. This stage is crucial in shaping the final version of the bill.

The committee review process is a critical step in the legislative process, providing an opportunity for detailed scrutiny and revision of the bill. It ensures that the bill is thoroughly considered and refined before progressing to the House or Senate floor for further debate and voting.

Voting on the bill

Once a bill has been introduced, debated, and voted on in the first house, it is sent to the second house where the process is repeated. The bill is assigned to a committee and, if necessary, a subcommittee, where revisions can be made before approval or rejection. If the bill is approved by a majority vote, it is sent to the house floor for debate. Here, it can be changed and revised again before the vote. If the bill is passed with a 2/3rd majority or a simple majority vote, it is then sent to the other house.

If the second house passes a different version of the bill, members of both houses meet as a conference committee to work out disagreements. When the committee is finished, the bill is sent back to both house floors to be voted on again. It may be approved by a majority vote or rejected. An approved bill is then sent to the President.

The President can either sign the bill into law or veto it. If the President does neither, the bill will automatically become a law in ten days, as long as Congress is still in session. If Congress adjourns within those ten days, the bill will not become a law.

If the President vetoes a bill, it returns to Congress for a final vote. If Congress approves the bill with a 2/3 majority, the President's veto is overridden and the bill becomes law.

Presidential approval

Once a bill has been approved by both the House and the Senate, it is sent to the President. The President has the power to either approve or veto (reject) the bill. If the President chooses to veto the bill, it is sent back to Congress for another vote. If Congress can approve the bill with a two-thirds majority, the President's veto is overridden and the bill becomes law.

If the President neither signs nor vetoes the bill within 10 days, it automatically becomes law. However, if Congress adjourns within those 10 days, the bill fails to become law. This is known as a pocket veto, where the President can effectively prevent a bill from becoming law without having to publicly veto it.

In summary, the President has the power to approve, veto, or pocket veto a bill. If the President chooses to veto, Congress can override this with a two-thirds majority vote. If the President does nothing, the bill will become law unless Congress adjourns within 10 days.

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