
The process of a bill becoming a law involves the three branches of the US government: the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the President. 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 US Senate or House of Representatives, or be proposed by citizens or citizen groups. Once a bill is introduced, it 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 the bill 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, it is presented to the president. The president can approve the bill and sign it into law, or veto it. If the president chooses to veto a bill, Congress can vote to override that veto, and the bill becomes a law.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
1. Bill is drafted | A bill is drafted by a member of Congress, either from the Senate or the House of Representatives. |
2. Bill is introduced | A bill is introduced by a Representative in the House of Representatives. |
3. Bill goes to committee | The bill is sent to a committee for review, research, and revision. |
4. Subcommittee review | The bill is sent to a subcommittee for further examination and expert opinions. |
5. Committee mark-up | The committee makes changes and amendments to the bill. |
6. Voting by the full chamber | The bill is voted on by the full chamber. |
7. Referral to the other chamber | The bill is referred to the other chamber, where it follows a similar process. |
8. Bill goes to the President | The President can choose to sign and pass the bill, veto it, or do nothing (pocket veto). |
9. Overriding a veto | If the President vetoes the bill, Congress may attempt to override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote. |
What You'll Learn
A bill is proposed and introduced
The first step in the process of a bill becoming a law is the proposal of the bill. 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 bill, they research the idea and write it into a bill.
The next step is to find a sponsor for the bill. The member of Congress talks with other members of Congress about the bill to get their support. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some other members of Congress, 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 members of the House of Representatives can introduce bills in the House. 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 members of the House, and the Speaker of the House sends the bill to one of the House standing committees.
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A bill is assigned to a committee
Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee. This committee is made up of groups of representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. The committee members review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the House floor. If the committee members would like more information before deciding, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. The subcommittee will closely examine the bill and gather expert opinions before sending it back to the committee for approval.
The committee has the power to kill a bill. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered dead. If the committee votes against reporting legislation to the full chamber of Congress, the bill dies. However, if the committee votes in favour of the bill, it is reported to the floor.
The committee stage is perhaps the most important phase of the legislative process. It is during this stage that the public is given the opportunity to be heard.
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A bill is reported to the floor
Once a bill has been approved by a committee, it is sent to the floor of the House of Representatives to be debated. This is known as the bill being "reported" to the floor.
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 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 House of Representatives. The bill is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the Senate.
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A bill is voted on
Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee will then vote on whether to send the bill back to the House floor. If the committee would like more information before deciding, the bill is sent to a subcommittee.
The bill 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 to say "no."
- Division: The Speaker 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.
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A bill is sent to the President
Once a bill has been approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, it is sent to the President. The President has three options:
- Sign and pass the bill, which becomes a law.
- Refuse to sign, or veto, the bill. The bill is then sent back to the House of Representatives, along with the President's reasons for the veto. If the House of Representatives and the Senate still believe the bill should become a law, they can hold another vote on the bill. If two-thirds of the Representatives and Senators support the bill, the President's veto is overridden and the bill becomes a law.
- Do nothing (pocket veto). If Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law after 10 days. If Congress is not in session, the bill does not become a law.
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Frequently asked questions
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 citizens or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The bill is then put before that chamber to be voted on. If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes to the other body to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting. 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. If it passes, they present it to the president. The president then considers the bill and can approve the bill and sign it into law or refuse to approve a bill, which is called a veto. If the president chooses to veto a bill, in most cases, Congress can vote to override that veto and the bill becomes a law.
The three branches of government are the Congress, the Senate, and the President.
The Congress, which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives, is the law-making branch of the federal government. The Senate and the House have some procedural differences. While both are equal in how they function, only the House can initiate tax and revenue-related legislation. And only the Senate can draft legislation related to presidential nominations and treaties. The president has the power to approve or veto a bill.