Understanding Lawmaking: Role-Play Of A Bill's Journey

The process of how a bill becomes a law is a complex one, and it is the most important job of the U.S. House of Representatives. All laws in the United States begin as bills, which can be proposed by a sitting member of the U.S. 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 for review and potential amendments. The bill then goes through several stages of voting and debate in both the House and the Senate, before finally being sent to the President for approval. The President can choose to approve the bill, veto it, or do nothing (a pocket veto). If the bill is vetoed, Congress can attempt to override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers. If the bill is approved by the President or the veto is overridden, it becomes a law.

The bill is proposed and introduced

The first step in the process of turning a bill into a law is for a member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives to draft it. This can be done by a member of Congress themselves or at the request of a citizen or citizen group. The person who comes up with the idea for the bill and primarily supports it is called the "sponsor", and other members of Congress who support it are called "co-sponsors".

Once the bill is drafted, it must 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. 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. 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 goes to committee

Committees are made up of groups of Congress members who are experts on specific topics, such as health, agriculture, international affairs, or education. Once a bill is introduced, it is referred to a committee. The Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate decides which committee will review the bill. Most bills fall under the jurisdiction of one committee, but sometimes a bill might be referred to multiple committees, and each committee will work on the portion of the bill under its jurisdiction.

The committee will carefully examine the bill, holding hearings to better understand its implications and gather expert opinions. These hearings are a formal public setting where feedback is solicited on the policy proposal. Invited witnesses provide oral and written statements on the bill, and committee members take turns asking them questions. The committee may also engage in additional assessment of the bill through informal briefings.

If the committee requires more information before deciding on the bill, it can be sent to a subcommittee for further study and hearings. The subcommittee may make changes to the bill and must vote to refer it back to the full committee.

Once the committee has completed its review, it will meet to mark up the bill, making changes and amendments before recommending it to the "floor". This is a key formal step for the bill to advance. The committee rarely holds a markup unless the proposal is expected to receive majority support. If the committee votes in favor of the bill, it is reported to the floor. This procedure is called "ordering a bill reported".

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

The bill is reported

Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent—or reported—to the House floor. This procedure is called "ordering a bill reported". 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 also write a dissenting opinion in the report. The report is sent back to the whole chamber and is placed on the calendar.

In the House, most bills go to the Rules Committee before reaching the floor. The committee adopts rules that will govern the procedures under which the bill will be considered by the House. A "closed rule", for example, sets strict time limits on debate and forbids the introduction of amendments. These rules can have a major impact on whether the bill passes.

Once reported, a bill is ready to be debated by the U.S. House of Representatives. Representatives discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it. Then, 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.

The bill is voted on

The bill is now ready to be voted on by the U.S. House of Representatives. There are three methods for voting:

• 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).

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 referred to the Senate

Once a bill has been approved by the House of Representatives, it is delivered to the Senate, where it goes through many of the same steps it went through in the House.

The bill is first discussed in a Senate committee. This committee is made up of Senators with a particular interest in the topic of the bill, such as health or international affairs. The committee carefully examines the bill and determines its chances of passage by the entire Senate. They may also hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill, allowing the views of experts and supporters and opponents of the bill to be put on the record.

After the committee has finished its review, the bill is reported to the Senate floor to be voted on. Senators vote by voice, saying "yea" if they support the bill and "nay" if they oppose it. If a majority of Senators vote "yea", the bill passes in the Senate and is ready to go to the President.

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