Visualizing Lawmaking: A Diagram's Story

The process of how a bill becomes a law involves multiple steps and can be challenging to navigate. All laws in the United States begin as bills, which are proposals for new laws or changes to existing ones. These ideas can come from citizens, representatives, or even during election campaigns. Once introduced, a bill must pass through committees, debates, votes, and potential amendments in both the House of Representatives and the Senate before reaching the President for approval or veto. Understanding this journey is crucial for comprehending the legislative process and the formation of laws in the United States.

The bill is proposed

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 who recommend a new or amended law to their member of Congress. Citizens with ideas for new laws can contact their Representatives to discuss their ideas. If the Representatives agree, they will research the ideas and write them into bills.

Once a Representative has written a bill, it needs a sponsor. The Representative will talk with other Representatives about the bill, hoping to gain their support. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, it is ready to be introduced. A 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 of Representatives.

When a bill is introduced, a bill clerk assigns it a number that begins with H.R. (indicating a House Bill). 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. The committee reviews, researches, and revises the bill before voting on whether to send it back to the House floor. If the committee would like more information before making a decision, the bill is sent to a subcommittee for close examination and to gather expert opinions.

The process of turning a bill into a law is challenging, with approximately two-thirds of bills introduced in the U.S. Congress never being enacted. A bill becomes a law when it successfully passes through both Houses of Congress and is signed by the President.

The bill is introduced

The bill-making process begins with an idea. This idea 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 written, it needs a sponsor and the support of other Representatives before it can be introduced.

The introduction of a bill is a formal process. 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 House of Representatives. Once a bill is introduced, a bill clerk assigns it a number that begins with H.R. to signify that it is a House bill. 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.

The introduction of a bill marks the beginning of its journey through the legislative process. The next steps include committee review, research, and revisions, followed by debates, votes, and, if successful, presentation to the President for approval or veto.

The introduction of a bill is a critical step in the law-making process. It is the point at which a bill, having gained support and sponsorship, is formally entered into the legislative process and assigned a unique identifier. This sets the stage for the subsequent steps of review, debate, and voting that will determine the bill's fate.

The bill goes to committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is sent to a committee. The Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate will refer the bill to the appropriate committee. The referral decision is often made by the House or Senate parliamentarian. The bill may be referred to multiple committees, and parts of it may be sent to different committees.

Committees are 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 to send it back to the House floor. If the committee members want more information, the bill is sent to a subcommittee, where it is closely examined and expert opinions are gathered before it is sent back to the committee for approval.

The committee will hold a "mark-up" session, during which they 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 may write a dissenting opinion in the report. The report is sent back to the whole chamber and is placed on the calendar.

The bill is reported

Once a bill has been approved by a committee, it is reported to the House floor. This means that it is ready to be debated by the U.S. House of Representatives.

During the debate, Representatives discuss the bill and explain their agreement or disagreement 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, division, and recorded. In a viva voce vote, the Speaker of the House asks supporters of the bill to say "aye" and opponents to say "no." In a division vote, supporters and opponents of the bill are asked to stand up and be counted. In a recorded vote, Representatives record their vote using an electronic voting system, selecting yes, no, or present if they don't want 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.

The 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 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 to be closely examined and for expert opinions to be gathered. Once reported, a bill is ready to be 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.

There are three methods for voting on a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives: 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 to say "no". In a division, the Speaker asks those who support the bill to stand up and be counted, and then does the same for those who oppose it. In a recorded vote, Representatives record their vote using the electronic voting system, selecting 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.

The process is similar in the Senate, with Senators voting by voice. Those who support the bill say "yea", and those who oppose it say "nay". If a majority of the Senators support the bill, it passes in the U.S. Senate and is sent to the President.

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