Gavin Howe
The process of how a bill becomes a law is known as the legislative process. In the United States, 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 bill is introduced, it goes through several stages of review, discussion, and voting in both the House of Representatives and the Senate before being presented to the President for approval. The President can approve the bill, veto it, or do nothing (known as a pocket veto). If the President vetoes the bill, Congress can attempt to override the veto, and if two-thirds of the Representatives and Senators support the bill, it becomes a law. This article will provide an overview of the timeline and key steps involved in the legislative process, from the introduction of a bill to its enactment as a law.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Step 1 | The bill is drafted |
| Step 2 | The bill is introduced |
| Step 3 | The bill goes to committee |
| Step 4 | Subcommittee review of the bill |
| Step 5 | Committee mark-up of the bill |
| Step 6 | Voting by the full chamber on the bill |
| Step 7 | Referral of the bill to the other chamber |
| Step 8 | The bill goes to the president |
| Step 9 | Overriding a veto |
What You'll Learn
Bill is drafted
The bill-drafting process begins with an idea for a new law or a change to an existing law. Ideas can come from sitting members 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. Citizens with ideas for new laws can contact their Representatives to discuss their ideas, and if the Representatives agree, they research the ideas and write them into bills.
Once a Representative has written a bill, it needs a sponsor. The Representative talks with other Representatives about the bill to get their support. The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor", and the other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors". 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 is assigned a number that begins with H.R. by the House clerk, or S. by the Senate clerk, depending on where it is introduced.
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Bill is introduced
The bill is introduced when it is placed in the hopper, a special box on the side of the clerk's desk in the U.S. House of Representatives. Only Representatives can introduce bills in the House. 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 House, a bill clerk assigns it a number that begins with H.R. 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.
In the Senate, the bill is introduced by a Senator, and the Senate clerk assigns it a legislative number that begins with S.
Once 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 with particular interests and expertise in different topics, such as health, agriculture, education, or international relations or affairs.
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Bill goes to committee
Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee. The committee is a group of Representatives who are experts on the bill's topic—for example, agriculture, education, or international relations. The committee members review, research, and revise the bill, and they may also hold hearings to better understand the bill's implications. Hearings allow the views of experts, other public officials, supporters, and opponents of the bill to be put on record.
If the committee requires more information before deciding the bill's fate, it is sent to a subcommittee. A subcommittee is a group with further specialisation in the topic. The subcommittee closely examines the bill and gathers expert opinions before sending it back to the committee for approval. The subcommittee may also make changes to the bill and must vote to refer it back to the committee.
Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent, or reported, to the House floor for debate. Representatives discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it. A reading clerk reads the bill section by section, and Representatives recommend changes. Once all changes have been made, the bill is ready to be voted on.
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Bill is reported
Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee. 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 wishes to gather more information before making a decision, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. The subcommittee examines the bill in detail and collects expert opinions before returning it to the committee for approval. This is the stage at which the bill is reported.
When 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. Representatives discuss the bill, explaining their points of agreement or disagreement. 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.
There are three methods for voting on a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives: viva voce, division, and recorded. In the viva voce method, the Speaker of the House asks supporters of the bill to say "aye" and opponents to say "no". In the division method, the supporters and opponents of the bill are asked to stand up and be counted. In the recorded method, Representatives record their votes using an electronic voting system, selecting "yes", "no", or "present" if they do not wish to vote. If a majority of Representatives vote "yes", the bill passes in the U.S. House of Representatives and is certified by the Clerk of the House before being delivered to the U.S. Senate.
After passing in the House, the bill goes through many of the same steps in the U.S. Senate. It 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 vote "yea", the bill passes in the U.S. Senate and is ready to go to the President.
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Bill is voted on
Once a bill has been introduced, assigned to a committee, and reported to the House floor, it is ready to be voted on. There are three methods for voting on a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives. These are 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 who oppose it to say "no." In a division vote, the Speaker of the House asks those who support the bill to stand up and be counted, and then those who oppose the bill to do the same. In a recorded vote, Representatives record their vote using the electronic voting system. They 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 U.S. 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 U.S. Senate and is ready to go to the President.
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Frequently asked questions
The first step is the creation of a bill, which can be drafted by any member of Congress, either from the Senate or the House of Representatives. These ideas can come from Congress members themselves or everyday citizens and advocacy groups.
The second step is the introduction of the bill. 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.
The third step is the committee action. The bill is referred to a committee that will review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether to send it back to the House floor.
