Understanding The Steps Of A Bill Becoming Law

In the United States, the process of a bill becoming a law involves several steps and the collaboration of different governmental bodies. The journey of a bill to a law involves multiple stages, including its proposal, introduction, committee review, voting, approval by the President, and, ultimately, its enactment as a law. This intricate process is designed to ensure that laws are carefully considered and debated before being implemented.

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. 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.

When a Representative has written a bill, the bill needs a sponsor. The sponsor is the primary Congress member supporting the bill. The Representative talks with other Representatives about the bill in the hopes of getting their support. 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. When a bill is introduced, it can be found on Congress.gov, the official government website that tracks federal legislation.

Once introduced, the bill is assigned a number that begins with H.R. by the House clerk or S. by the Senate clerk, depending on where it was introduced. 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 is introduced

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 it can be proposed by citizens or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to their member of Congress.

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. Only members of each chamber may introduce legislation, and in the House, only Representatives can introduce bills. A bill is introduced when it is placed in the hopper—a special box on the side of the clerk's desk. Upon introduction, the bill is assigned a designation and a number. For example, House-originated bills are designated "H.R." and given a number that begins with H.R., while Senate-originated bills are designated "S." and given a number that begins with S.

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 Senate have various committees composed of groups of Congress members who are experts on different topics such as 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 requires more information before deciding on the bill, it is sent to a subcommittee for further study and hearings. Subcommittees have further specialisation on a certain topic and often make changes to the bill. The subcommittee must vote to refer the bill back to the full committee. Once the hearings and subcommittee review are completed, the committee will meet to make changes and amendments to the bill before recommending it to the "floor".

A bill goes to committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is sent to a committee. The committee is chosen based on its jurisdiction over the bill's provisions. Most bills fall under the jurisdiction of one committee, but sometimes a bill might be shared between multiple committees, with each committee working on the portion of the bill under its jurisdiction. One of the committees will be designated the primary committee of jurisdiction and will lead on any action.

The committee is made up of groups of representatives who are experts on the bill's topic. They review, research, and revise the bill, and they may also request reports from government agencies. The committee may refer the bill to a subcommittee, which will closely examine the bill and gather expert opinions before sending it back to the committee for approval.

The full committee will then vote on whether to send the bill back to the House floor. Before this happens, the committee will hold a "mark-up" session, where 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.

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. At this point, the bill is ready to be debated by the U.S. House of Representatives.

During the debate, 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. 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:

• 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.

A bill is voted on

Once a bill has been introduced, debated, and amended, it is put to a vote. In the U.S. 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 supporters of the bill to say "aye" and those against it to say "no". In a division vote, the Speaker asks supporters to stand up and be counted, and then does the same for opponents of the bill. In a recorded vote, Representatives use an electronic voting system to record their votes. They can vote yes, no, or present if they don't want to vote on the bill. A simple majority is required for a bill to pass in the House.

After a bill is voted on in the House, it is sent to the U.S. Senate, where it goes through a similar process of discussion, changes, and voting. Senators vote by voice, saying "yea" if they support the bill and "nay" if they oppose it. Again, a simple majority is needed for the bill to pass.

Once a bill has passed in both the House and the Senate, a conference committee made up of members from both chambers works out any differences between the two versions of the bill. The final version is then sent back to the House and Senate for final approval.

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