The Journey Of A Bill To Law: Snk Edition

Creating laws is the most important function of the U.S. House of Representatives. All laws in the United States begin as bills, which are proposals 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 introduced, it goes through a rigorous process of research, discussion, revision, and voting before it can become a law. This process involves multiple committees, subcommittees, and the input of both chambers of Congress, as well as the President.

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, be proposed during their election campaign, or be petitioned by citizens or citizen groups. Once a member of Congress has an idea for a law, they can draft a bill. This process requires specialised legal training and is usually carried out by the staff of the New York State Legislative Bill Drafting Commission.

When a Representative has written a bill, it needs a sponsor. The sponsor is the primary Congress member supporting the bill, and the bill may also have co-sponsors. The Representative talks with other Representatives about the bill in the hopes of getting their support for it. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, it is ready to be introduced.

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

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 of the bill is postponed until the next day. Senate bills can be jointly sponsored, and members can co-sponsor the legislation.

A bill is introduced

The legislative process begins with a new policy idea. 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 by citizens or citizen groups. Citizens who have ideas for laws can contact their Representatives to discuss their ideas. If the Representatives agree, they research the ideas and write them into bills.

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. 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. The bill is then sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO) and copies are made. 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.

A bill goes to committee

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee. The committee is made up of groups of Representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. They review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the House floor. The committee may also 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, it is considered "dead". If the committee members would like more information before deciding, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. While in subcommittee, the bill is closely examined and expert opinions are gathered before it is sent back to the committee for approval.

After 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 then 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.

A bill is reported

Once a bill has been approved by a committee, it is sent, or reported, to the House floor. At this stage, the bill is ready to be debated by the U.S. House of Representatives. Representatives discuss the bill, explaining their reasons for supporting or opposing it. A reading clerk then reads the bill section by section, and representatives can recommend changes. Once 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. The first is viva voce, where the Speaker of the House asks representatives to say "aye" if they support the bill and "no" if they oppose it. The second is division, where supporters of the bill are asked to stand up and be counted, and then the same is done for those who oppose it. The third is recorded, where representatives record their vote using an electronic voting system. They can vote 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 U.S. House of Representatives and is then certified by the Clerk of the House before being delivered to the U.S. Senate.

When a bill reaches the U.S. Senate, it goes through similar steps to those in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill is discussed in a Senate committee and then 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 say "yea", the bill passes in the U.S. Senate and is ready to go to the President.

A bill is voted on

Once a bill has been introduced, assigned to a committee, and reported, 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 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. 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 US House of Representatives. The bill is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the US Senate.

In the US 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 US Senate.

If the bill passes in both the House and the Senate, it is sent to the President.

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