Understanding The Process: Bill To Law Worksheet Key

Worksheets are a great way to learn about how a bill becomes a law, especially in the United States. These educational tools are designed to help students understand the complex process of lawmaking, from its early stages as an idea to its journey through the House of Representatives, the Senate, and finally, to the President. The worksheets cover key steps such as ideation, creation, presentation to the legislature, committee analysis, debate, voting, and presidential approval. They also introduce students to important concepts like sponsors, committees, subcommittees, vetoes, and the system of checks and balances. With a variety of formats, including reading passages, graphic organizers, sequencing activities, and even a class play, these worksheets offer an engaging way to learn about the legislative process and the American government.

The Role of the Committee

Committees are an important part of the legislative process and play a crucial role in shaping bills into laws. A committee's primary function is to review, research, and revise a bill before voting on whether to send it back to the House floor for further consideration. Committees are typically composed of groups of representatives who are experts in specific areas such as agriculture, education, or international relations.

Once a bill is assigned to a committee, the committee members will discuss and analyse it in detail. They may seek additional information from relevant departments, agencies, and experts to make informed decisions. The committee may also create a smaller subcommittee to examine the bill more closely and gather expert opinions. This step ensures that the bill is thoroughly vetted and amended as necessary before returning to the full committee for approval.

If the committee approves the bill, it is then sent back to the House floor, where it is debated and voted on by the entire House of Representatives. On the other hand, if the committee takes no action on the bill or decides to stop working on it, the bill is said to have "died in committee" and will not become a law.

The committee plays a critical role in shaping the content and direction of the bill. They have the power to make necessary revisions and ensure that the bill aligns with the relevant subject matter. Their expertise and input are vital in ensuring that the bill is well-informed and ready for further consideration by the House.

In summary, the role of the committee is to thoroughly review, research, and revise the bill before deciding whether to send it back to the House floor. Their expertise and input are crucial in shaping the bill and determining its fate in the legislative process.

The Conference Committee

While Conference Committee meetings are supposed to be open, the committee can vote to hold meetings behind closed doors, and often does. The committee produces a conference report, melding the work of the House and Senate into a final version of the bill. The conference report proposes legislative language as an amendment to the bill. The conference report also includes a joint explanatory statement, which is considered a highly reliable source of legislative history when interpreting a statute.

What is a Veto?

A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In most cases, a president or monarch vetoes a bill to stop it from becoming law. The word "veto" comes from the Latin "I forbid". The concept of a veto originated with the Roman offices of consul and tribune of the plebs. In the US, the veto power is defined in Article 1, Section 7 of the Constitution.

A veto can be used by the president to express their disagreement with a bill, or if they think it is unnecessary, or if 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. There, the president's objections are read aloud, and the body debates it again.

There are different types of vetoes, including absolute vetoes, which cannot be overridden, and qualified vetoes, which can be overridden by a supermajority vote. A pocket veto occurs when the president does not return the legislation to Congress but simply does not act on it. In this case, the bill does not become law.

Creating Laws at the State Level

The bill is then proposed and introduced. When a Representative has written a bill, they need to find a sponsor. They talk with other Representatives about the bill to gain their support. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, it is ready to be introduced. In the 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.

The bill is then assigned a number and read to all the Representatives before being sent to a House standing committee. The committee members review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether to send it back to the House floor. If the committee would like more information, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. While in the subcommittee, the bill is closely examined and expert opinions are gathered before it is sent back to the committee for approval.

Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent back to the House floor, where it is debated and any final changes are made. It is then voted on by the House of Representatives. If it is approved by a majority vote, the bill moves on to the Senate, where it goes through the same process. If it is approved by the Senate, the bill is sent to the President.

The President then has the choice to sign and pass the bill, refuse to sign or veto it, or do nothing (pocket veto). If the President chooses to veto the bill, it is sent back to the House of Representatives, along with their reasons for the veto. If the House and the Senate still believe the bill should become a law, they can hold another vote on the bill, and if two-thirds of the Representatives and Senators support it, the President's veto is overridden and the bill becomes a law. If the President does nothing, the bill automatically becomes law after 10 days if Congress is in session.

Sponsors and Cosponsors

The process of a bill becoming a law begins when a member of Congress introduces it to the House or the Senate. This member of Congress is called the sponsor. Before introducing the bill, the sponsor will typically want to ensure that other members of Congress will support it. The sponsor talks with other Representatives about the bill to gain their support. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, it is ready to be introduced.

The sponsor introduces the bill by placing it in a special box called the hopper, which is located to the side of the clerk's desk. The bill must be accompanied by the original signature of the sponsor. The sponsor can also transmit the bill electronically to a dedicated email server maintained by the Office of the House Clerk.

In addition to the sponsor, a bill can have multiple cosponsors. Cosponsors are members of Congress who sign onto a bill to demonstrate their support. There is no limit to the number of cosponsors a bill can have. The sponsor can add cosponsors by submitting a cosponsorship form, either by placing it in the hopper or electronically. This form is prepared by the Clerk's office and identifies the names and states of the Members who want to be cosponsors. Cosponsors can be added at the time of the bill's introduction or subsequently.

The sponsor and cosponsors of a bill are listed on the first page of the bill, before its main text.

Frequently asked questions