Understanding The Legislative Process: A Skit Guide

The process of how a bill becomes a law has been the subject of many skits and songs, including the 1976 Schoolhouse Rock! segment I'm Just a Bill, which has been referenced and parodied in popular culture, including The Simpsons, Family Guy, and Saturday Night Live. The legislative process of a bill becoming a law involves several steps, including introduction to Congress, committee review, floor debate and vote, potential veto by the President, and override of a veto by Congress. The specific procedures can vary between the House of Representatives and the Senate, with the House initiating tax and revenue-related legislation and the Senate handling presidential nominations and treaties.

The Bill Is Proposed

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. Anyone can suggest an idea for a law, but only a member of Congress can take a proposed law to the House of Representatives.

Once an idea for a bill has been formulated, it is introduced to Congress. In the House, legislation is handed to the clerk or placed in the hopper. In the Senate, members must gain recognition from the presiding officer to announce the introduction of a bill during the morning hour. If any senator objects, the introduction is postponed until the following day.

The bill is then assigned a number (e.g. HR 1 or S 1) and labelled with the sponsor's name. It is sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO) for copying. Members can cosponsor the bill. Senate bills can be jointly sponsored.

The bill is then referred to the appropriate committee by the Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate. The referral decision is often made by the House or Senate parliamentarian. Bills may be referred to multiple committees and split so that parts are sent to different committees. The Speaker of the House may set time limits on committees. Bills are placed on the calendar of the committee to which they have been assigned. Failure to act on a bill is equivalent to killing it.

The Bill Is Introduced

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.

Any member of Congress can introduce a bill. In the House, legislation is handed to the clerk of the House or placed in the hopper. In the Senate, members must gain recognition from the presiding officer to announce the introduction of a bill during the morning hour. If any senator objects, the introduction is postponed until the next day.

The bill is then assigned a number, e.g. HR 1 or S 1, and labelled with the sponsor's name. It is sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO) and copies are made. Senate bills can be jointly sponsored, and members can cosponsor the legislation.

The Bill Goes to Committee

The Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate refers the bill to the appropriate committee. The House or Senate parliamentarian usually makes the actual referral decision. Bills may be referred to more than one committee and split so that parts are sent to different committees. The Speaker of the House may set time limits on committees.

Bills are placed on the calendar of the committee to which they have been assigned. Failure to act on a bill is equivalent to killing it. Bills in the House can only be released from committee without a proper committee vote by a discharge petition signed by a majority of the House membership (218 members).

The Committee Reviews the Bill

The committee requests comments about the bill's merit from government agencies. The chairman can assign the bill to a subcommittee. Hearings may be held, and subcommittees report their findings to the full committee. Finally, there is a vote by the full committee, and the bill is "ordered to be reported".

The committee will hold a "mark-up" session during which it will make revisions and additions. If substantial amendments are made, the committee can order the introduction of a "clean bill" which will include the proposed amendments. This new bill will have a new number and will be sent to the floor while the old bill is discarded. The chamber must approve, change or reject all committee amendments before conducting a final passage vote.

After the 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 sometimes write a dissenting opinion in the report. The report is sent back to the whole chamber and is placed on the calendar.

The Bill Goes to Committee

Now that the bill has been introduced, it is sent to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate will refer the bill to the appropriate committee. Bills may be referred to more than one committee and sometimes be split so that parts are sent to different committees. The Speaker of the House may set time limits on committees.

The committee will hold hearings and make revisions and additions to the bill. If substantial amendments are made, the committee can order the introduction of a "clean bill" which will include the proposed amendments. This new bill will have a new number and the old bill is discarded.

The committee staff then 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.

The Bill Is Voted On

Now that the bill has been introduced, it is time for it to be put to a vote. In the House of Representatives, the bill is handed to the clerk or placed in the hopper, while in the Senate, members must gain recognition from the presiding officer to announce the introduction of a bill during the morning hour. If any senator objects, the introduction is postponed until the next day. The bill is then assigned a number, such as HR 1 or S 1, and labelled with the sponsor's name. Copies of the bill are made and it is sent to the relevant committee, which will research, discuss, and make changes to it.

The committee will hold a "mark-up" session, where revisions and additions are made. If significant amendments are suggested, a "clean bill" with the proposed amendments is introduced, given a new number, and sent to the floor, while the old bill is discarded. The chamber must approve, change, or reject all committee amendments before a final passage vote. After the 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 the bill may write a dissenting opinion in the report.

The bill is then placed on the calendar. In the House, there are four House Calendars, while in the Senate, there is a Legislative Calendar and an Executive Calendar for treaties and nominations. The Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader decide what will reach the floor and when. Scheduling in the Senate is the job of the Majority Leader, and bills can be brought to the floor whenever a majority of the Senate chooses.

In the House, debate is limited by the rules formulated in the Rules Committee, while in the Senate, debate is unlimited unless cloture is invoked. Senators can speak as long as they want and amendments do not need to be related to the subject of the bill. The bill is then reported back to the House and voted on. If there are not enough members present for a final vote, the House will adjourn or send the Sergeant at Arms to round up missing members. If the bill passes, it is sent to the other chamber to go through a similar process. If it fails, the bill dies.

The Bill Is Sent to the President

Now, the bill is sent to the President's office. The President has the power to approve the bill and sign it into law. Or, the President can refuse to approve the bill and issue a veto.

If the President chooses to veto the bill, Congress can, in most cases, vote to override this veto, and the bill will become a law. However, if the President does not sign off on the bill and it remains unsigned when Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be vetoed by default. This is called a 'pocket veto' and cannot be overridden by Congress.

If the bill is sent to the President and he or she takes no action within 10 days, but Congress remains in session, the bill will become law.

The President's role in the process is crucial, as it is the final stage before a bill becomes a law. The President has the power to approve or reject a bill, but Congress can override this decision in some cases.

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