The Journey Of A Bill To A Law Explained

The process of a bill becoming a law is a complex one. In the United States, 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. Once a 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. Once introduced, a bill is assigned to a committee, which will research, discuss, and make changes to it. The bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on. If it passes one body of Congress, it goes through a similar process in the other body. 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, and if it passes, they present it to the president. The president can approve the bill and sign it into law, or they can veto it. If the president chooses to veto a bill, Congress can vote to override that veto, and the bill becomes a law.

A bill is 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 or be proposed during their election campaign. Bills can also be petitioned by people or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them.

Once a bill has been 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. 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 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 is then assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. Both the House and Senate have various committees composed of groups of Congress members with particular interests and expertise in different topics such as health or international affairs. When a bill is in the hands of the committee, it is carefully examined and its chances of passage by the entire Congress are determined. The committee may even 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 legislation to be put on the record. If the committee does not act on a bill, the bill is considered to be "dead".

Subcommittees are organised under committees and have further specialisation on a certain topic. Often, committees refer bills to a subcommittee for study and their own hearings. The subcommittee may make changes to the bill and must vote to refer a bill back to the full committee.

Once the hearings and subcommittee review are completed, the committee will meet to "mark up" the bill. They make changes and amendments prior to 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 introduced

The process of a bill becoming a law begins with the bill being introduced. This can be done by any member of Congress, either from the Senate or the House of Representatives. 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. Once a 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, 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.

In the Senate, a bill is introduced by being submitted to clerks on the Senate floor. Upon introduction, the bill will receive a designation based on the chamber of introduction, for example, H.R. or H.J.Res. for House-originated bills or joint resolutions and S. or S.J.Res. for Senate-originated measures. It will also receive a number, which is typically the next number available in sequence during that two-year Congress.

Once a bill is introduced, it can be found on Congress.gov, the official government website that tracks federal legislation.

The bill goes to committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee. Both the House and the Senate have various committees composed of groups of Congress members with specific interests and expertise in different topics, such as health, agriculture, education, or international affairs. The committee examines the bill carefully, discussing and making changes to it, and determining its chances of passage by the entire Congress. The committee may also hold hearings to better understand the bill's implications and gather the views of experts, supporters, and opponents. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead".

Subcommittees are specialised groups that operate under committees. A committee may refer a bill to a subcommittee for further study and hearings. The subcommittee can make changes to the bill and must vote to refer it back to the full committee. Once the hearings and subcommittee review are complete, the committee will meet to make changes and amendments before recommending the bill to the "floor". If the committee votes against the bill, it dies. If they vote in favour, the bill is reported to the floor.

The committee plays a crucial role in the legislative process. It provides intensive consideration of the proposed measure and serves as a forum for public input. The committee's actions can make or break a bill, as they have the power to recommend changes and amendments that will shape the final version presented to the full chamber for a vote.

The bill is reported

Once a bill is reported, the committee staff prepares a written report explaining why they favour 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 then 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" sets strict time limits on debate and forbids the introduction of amendments. These rules can have a major impact on whether the bill passes. The rules committee can be bypassed in three ways:

• Members can move rules to be suspended (requires a two-thirds vote)
• A discharge petition can be filed
• The House can use a Calendar Wednesday procedure

Bills are then placed on one of four House Calendars, usually in the order they are reported, although they don't usually come to the floor in this order. The Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader decide what will reach the floor and when.

In the Senate, the Majority Leader may ask for unanimous consent for the immediate consideration of the bill. If the bill is non-controversial and there is no objection, the Senate may pass the bill with little or no debate. If there is any objection, the report must lie over one legislative day and the bill is placed on the calendar.

The bill is voted on

Once a bill has been introduced and assigned to a committee, it is then put before the chamber 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).

If a majority of the Representatives say or select 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 process is similar in the Senate. Senators vote by voice. Those 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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