The Legislative Process: A Visual Guide To Lawmaking

In the United States, the process of a bill becoming a law involves multiple steps and can be challenging to navigate. All laws in the United States originate as bills, which can be proposed by members of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or even by citizens and advocacy groups. This process involves several key stages, including the introduction of the bill, committee review, voting, and potential approval or veto by the President. The diagram will visually outline and simplify these steps, providing a concise overview of the journey from bill to law in the U.S. legislative system.

A bill is proposed

The first step in the legislative process is for a bill to be 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, be proposed during their election campaign, or be petitioned by citizens or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them.

Once a Representative has written a bill, the bill needs a sponsor. The Representative talks with other Representatives about the bill, hoping to get their support. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, it is ready to be introduced. Members may circulate the bill and ask others in the chamber to sign on as original co-sponsors of a bill to demonstrate a solid base of support for the idea.

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.

In the Senate, the bill is submitted to clerks on the Senate floor and receives a designation such as S. or S.J.Res. for Senate-originated measures. It will also receive a number, typically the next number available in sequence during that two-year Congress.

A bill is introduced

The first step in the legislative process is the introduction of a bill. This 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 it can be proposed by citizens or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to their member of Congress.

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 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 House. In the Senate, the bill is submitted to clerks on the Senate floor. Upon introduction, the bill is assigned a designation and a number. The designation and number are based on the chamber of introduction. For example, a House-originated bill will be given the designation "H.R." and a sequentially assigned number.

After a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. Both the House and the Senate have various committees composed of groups of Congress members with expertise in different topics such as health, agriculture, education, or international relations. 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.

If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead". If the committee approves a bill, it is sent or "reported" to the House or Senate floor to be debated and voted on.

A bill goes to committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is sent to a committee. The committee is made up of groups of Representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. The committee reviews, researches, and revises the bill before voting on whether to send it back to the House floor. The committee may also send the bill to a subcommittee for further examination and to gather expert opinions.

In the House, the Speaker refers the bill to all committees that have jurisdiction over the provisions in the bill. Most bills fall under the jurisdiction of one committee. If multiple committees are involved, each committee may only work on the portion of the bill under its jurisdiction. One of those committees will be designated the primary committee of jurisdiction and will likely take the lead on any action that may occur.

In the Senate, bills are typically referred to one committee in a similar process, though in almost all cases, the bill is referred to only the committee with jurisdiction over the issue that predominates in the bill. In a limited number of cases, a bill might not be referred to any committee and is instead placed directly on the Senate Calendar of Business through a series of procedural steps.

The committee will hold a "mark-up" session to make revisions and additions. If substantial amendments are made, the committee can order the introduction of a "clean bill" to 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 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.

A bill is reported

Once a bill has been approved by a committee, 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. 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.

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.

A bill is voted on

Once a bill has been introduced and assigned to a committee, it is 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 to 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.

In the Senate, the bill is voted on again. Senators vote by voice, saying "yea" if they support the bill and "nay" if they oppose it. If a majority of the Senators say "yea", the bill passes in the U.S. Senate and is ready to go to the President.

If the bill passes in both the House and the Senate, it is presented to the President to be signed into law.

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