Understanding The Legislative Process: Bill To Law Worksheet

The process of a bill becoming a law is a long and complex one. It involves multiple stages and stakeholders, from the drafting of the bill to its introduction, committee review, voting, and, ultimately, approval or veto by the President. This transformation from bill to law is a cornerstone of the US legislative process and is an essential part of the country's system of checks and balances. The process ensures that laws are thoroughly debated and scrutinized before they are passed.

The role of the committee

The committee plays a crucial role in the process of a bill becoming a law. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will discuss, research, and make changes to the bill. The committee members are groups of representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. They will review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the House floor. The committee's goal is to analyze the bill and make necessary amendments, and they may involve technical experts, lawyers, and policy analysts to do so.

If the committee desires more information before deciding on the bill, it 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. If the committee does not take any action on a bill, or decides to stop working on it, the bill is said to have "died in committee" and will not become a law.

Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent or "reported" to the House floor, where it is ready to be debated.

The Conference Committee

The conference report cannot be amended. The vote is an “up or down” vote, meaning the chamber can either take it or leave it. Once the bill has passed in both the House and the Senate, it is sent to the President for signature.

Quorum and voting

Quorum refers to the minimum number of members of a group or organization that need to be present for a meeting to be considered valid. In the House of Representatives, a quorum is 218 members, while in the Senate, it is 51 members. However, the Senate can conduct daily business without a quorum unless it is challenged by a point of order.

There are different methods of voting on a bill in the House of Representatives:

• Viva Voce: The Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support the bill to say "aye" and those who oppose it to say "no."
• Division: The Speaker asks those who support the bill to stand up and be counted, and then those who oppose it to do the same.
• Recorded: Representatives record their vote electronically, selecting "yes," "no," or "present" if they don't want to vote.

In the Senate, voting is done by voice, with supporters of the bill saying "yea" and opponents saying "nay."

What is a model bill?

A model bill, also called a model act, model law, or model legislation, is a proposed version of a bill that is meant to guide lawmakers in drafting the final version of the bill that will be introduced to a legislative body for voting. In other words, it is a sample bill that outlines the structure and content that a final bill should have.

Model bills are created to provide a template for lawmakers to work from when drafting legislation. They are often created by interest groups, think tanks, or other organizations that want to promote a specific policy or idea. The organizations create these model bills and then distribute them to lawmakers in the hopes that they will introduce them as legislation.

Model bills can cover a wide range of topics and issues, and they can be introduced at the federal, state, or local level. They are usually written in a very general manner so that they can be adapted to fit the specific needs and requirements of a particular jurisdiction.

While model bills are not legally binding, they play an important role in the legislative process by providing a starting point for lawmakers and helping to shape the debate around a particular issue. They can also help to streamline the law-making process by providing a pre-written framework that lawmakers can work from, thereby saving time and resources.

What is a veto?

A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. The term comes from the Latin for "I forbid". In most cases, a veto is used by a president or monarch to stop a bill from becoming law. The veto power is one of the main tools that the executive has in the legislative process.

In the context of how a bill becomes a law, a veto can be used by the president to block a bill that has been passed by Congress. The president may choose to exercise their veto power if they disagree with a bill, think it is unnecessary, or feel that it does not align with their agenda for the country. When the president vetoes a bill, it returns to the chamber of Congress that originated it, along with the president's objections. Congress can then debate the bill again and attempt to override the veto. In the United States, a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate is required to override a presidential veto.

Veto powers are established in the constitutions of many countries and can also be found at other levels of government, such as state, provincial, or local government, as well as in international bodies. While some vetoes can be overridden by a supermajority vote, others are absolute and cannot be overridden. The type of veto power and the process for overriding it may vary depending on the political system and the level of government.

In addition to the executive veto, there are also legislative and judicial vetoes, which are enacted by the legislative and judicial branches of government, respectively. The legislative veto, for example, can be used by one chamber of a bicameral legislature to veto the actions of the other chamber.

Frequently asked questions