Understanding The Legislative Process: A Comprehensive Review Sheet

The process of a bill becoming a law involves multiple stages and the involvement of various stakeholders. It begins with an idea, which can come from citizens, Congress, businesses, or the President. The bill is then drafted and introduced in the House or Senate, where it is assigned a number and a sponsor. It is then referred to a committee for research, discussion, and potential changes. The bill is then reported to the House or Senate floor for debate and voting. If it passes one body of Congress, it goes through a similar process in the other body. Once both bodies approve, they reconcile any differences and vote on the final version. If passed, the bill is presented to the President for approval. The President can sign it into law, veto it, or do nothing (pocket veto). If vetoed, Congress can override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote, and the bill becomes law. This review sheet outlines the key steps and considerations in the process of a bill becoming a law.

Characteristics	Values
Where do ideas for a bill come from?	1. Citizens 2. Congress 3. Business 4. President
Who can introduce a bill?	1. Congress 2. Senate 3. HOR
Step 1: Bill introduced	1. Bill introduced in the House - Hopper 2. Bill introduced in the Senate - VP or Pres Protempo 3. Clerk gives bill a title and number
Step 2: Bill assigned to committee	1. Speaker of the House assigns bill to a committee in the house 2. Majority Leader assigns a bill to a committee in the Senate
Step 3: Committee review	1. Committee research, analyze and study 2. Committees can immediately pigeonhole a bill- kill 3. Bills referred to sub-committees for further research and changes
Step 4: Sub-committee review	1. Sub-committees have "mark-up" sessions- add/change things to bill 2. Sub-committees hold a full committee vote - favorable or unfavorable
Step 5: Rules committee	1. Rules committee decides which bills come off the calendar and in what order 2. Limited debate time in the House but not in the Senate
Step 6: Bill reaches House/Senate floor	1. Bill reaches House/Senate floor for debate 2. Vote is taken after the debate by the full House or Senate
Step 7: Bill passes one body of Congress	1. Bill goes to the other body to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting
Step 8: Reconciliation	1. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must reconcile any differences between the two versions
Step 9: Bill presented to President	1. President can approve the bill and sign it into law 2. President can refuse to approve a bill (veto)
Step 10: Veto	1. Congress can vote to override the veto and the bill becomes a law 2. If the President does not sign off on a bill when Congress is not in session, the bill will be vetoed by default (pocket veto)

Sources of ideas for bills

The sources of ideas for bills are unlimited and diverse. A bill can originate from a 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. This right to petition is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Additionally, the executive branch can be a source of ideas for bills. The President, a member of the President's Cabinet, or the head of an independent agency may transmit a draft of a proposed bill to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate. This is known as an "executive communication".

State legislatures may also propose ideas for bills by passing resolutions to be transmitted to the House and Senate as memorials.

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The bill is introduced

Once introduced, the bill is assigned a number that begins with H.R. in the House and S. in the Senate. A bill clerk gives the bill its title. 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 bill is then sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO), where copies are made. The bill is also published on Congress.gov, the official government website that tracks federal legislation.

The bill is labelled with the name of its sponsor, the primary Congress member supporting it. The sponsor talks with other Representatives about the bill to gain their support. The other members who support the bill are called co-sponsors.

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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 bill's subject matter. For example, a bill about agricultural policy would be handled by a committee of Representatives well-versed in agriculture. The committee reviews, researches, and revises the bill, and may also hold hearings to better understand the bill's implications. Hearings allow for the recording of views from experts, public officials, and supporters and opponents of the bill.

If the committee requires more information, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. A subcommittee has further specialization on a certain topic and will closely examine the bill and gather expert opinions before sending it back to the committee for approval. The subcommittee may also make changes to the bill.

The committee will then meet to "mark up" the bill, making changes and amendments before recommending it to the "floor". If the committee votes against the bill, it is not reported to the floor and the bill dies. If the committee votes in favor of the bill, it is reported to the floor.

After the bill is reported, the committee staff prepares a written report explaining why they favor the bill and why they wish to see their amendments, if any, adopted. Committee members who oppose a bill may write a dissenting opinion in the report. The report is sent back to the whole chamber and is placed on the calendar.

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The bill is reported

When the committee has approved a bill, it is sent—or reported—to the House floor. 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 say “no.”. In a Division vote, 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. In a Recorded vote, Representatives record their vote using the electronic voting system, with options to 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.

Once a bill is reported, the committee staff prepares a written report explaining why they favor the bill and why they wish to see their amendments, if any, adopted. Committee members who oppose a bill sometimes write a dissenting opinion in the report. The report is sent back to the whole chamber and is placed on the calendar.

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The bill is voted on

Once a bill has been introduced, assigned to a committee, and debated, it is ready to be voted on. In the US House of Representatives, there are three methods for voting on a bill: viva voce, division, and recorded. In a viva voce vote, the Speaker of the House asks Representatives to say "aye" if they support the bill and "no" if they oppose it. In a division vote, the Speaker of the House 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 an electronic voting system, selecting "yes," "no," or "present" if they don't want to vote on the bill.

If a majority of Representatives vote "yes," the bill passes in the House and is certified by the Clerk of the House before being delivered to the US Senate. In the Senate, the vote is conducted by voice. Senators who support the bill say "yea," and those who oppose it say "nay." If a majority of Senators say "yea," the bill passes in the Senate and is ready to be sent to the President.

If the bill passes in only one body of Congress, it goes to the other body to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting. Once both bodies 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.

It is worth noting that the Senate and the House have some procedural differences. While both are equal in how they function, only the House can initiate tax and revenue-related legislation, and only the Senate can draft legislation related to presidential nominations and treaties. While the House processes legislation through a majority vote, the Senate does so through deliberation and debate prior to voting.