The Journey Of A Bill To Law

The process of how a bill becomes a law is a crucial aspect of the legislative system in the United States. It involves a series of steps that begin with the creation and introduction of a bill, followed by committee action, floor action, and potential conference committees to resolve differences. After passing both chambers of Congress, the bill is sent to the President for approval or veto. If signed by the President or left unsigned for 10 days while Congress is in session, it becomes a law. This process ensures that laws are carefully considered and debated before being enacted, allowing for a robust democratic process.

A bill is proposed

The process of a bill becoming a law begins with the creation of a bill. Members of the House or Senate draft, sponsor and introduce bills for consideration by Congress. 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 people or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to their representative.

Once a bill has been written, it needs a sponsor. The representative talks with other representatives about the bill, hoping to get their support. Once a bill has 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, 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.

A bill is introduced

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 people or citizen groups. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill.

The process of introducing a bill is as follows:

Step 1: The Creation of a Bill

Members of the House or Senate draft, sponsor, and introduce bills for consideration by Congress. The House clerk assigns a legislative number for bills introduced in the House of Representatives (e.g., H.R. 1001) and the Senate clerk assigns a legislative number for bills introduced in the Senate (e.g., S. 1002).

Step 2: Finding a Sponsor

When a Representative has written a bill, they need to find a sponsor. The Representative talks with other Representatives to get their support for the bill. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, it is ready to be introduced.

Step 3: The Bill is 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. A bill clerk then 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.

Step 4: The Bill Goes to Committee

When the bill reaches the committee, the committee members—groups of Representatives who are experts on various topics—review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send the bill back to the House floor. If the committee members would like more information before deciding, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. While in subcommittee, the bill is closely examined and expert opinions are gathered before it is sent back to the committee for approval.

A bill goes to committee

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, 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. The committee may refer the bill to one of its subcommittees. The subcommittee may request reports from government agencies, hold hearings so experts and interested parties have an opportunity to offer testimony regarding the issue, “mark up” or revise the bill, or report the legislation to the full committee for its consideration. The full committee may make a recommendation to pass the bill, to revise and release the bill (also known as reporting the bill out of committee), or to lay the bill aside (also known as tabling the bill).

If the committee members would like more information before deciding if the bill should be sent to the House floor, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. While in subcommittee, the bill is closely examined and expert opinions are gathered before it is sent back to the committee for approval.

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 sometimes write a dissenting opinion in the report. The report is sent back to the whole chamber and is placed on the calendar.

A bill is reported

Once a bill is reported, it is sent to the House floor to be debated. Representatives discuss the bill, explaining 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 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 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 U.S. House of Representatives. The bill is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the U.S. Senate.

A bill is voted on

Once a bill has been introduced, assigned a number, labelled with the sponsor's name, and sent to the Government Printing Office to be copied, it is then ready 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 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 say or select 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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