The Lawmaking Process: Congressman Frank Lucas' Perspective

how a bill becomes law congressman frank lucas

Congressman Frank Lucas is the U.S. Representative for Oklahoma's 3rd Congressional District. He has been in Congress since 1993 and is a member of the Republican Party.

Lucas has been involved in the passing of several bills, including the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. He has also introduced bills such as the Carbon Sequestration Collaboration Act and the Ostracize China Act of 2022.

Lucas has also been critical of some bills, such as H.R. 5746, which he said stripped bipartisan NASA policy and replaced it with an attempt to seize control of elections from states.

Lucas has been assigned to several committees, including the Committee on Agriculture, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and the Committee on Financial Services.

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Introduction of a Bill

Any member of Congress can introduce a bill at any time the House is in session. Bills are introduced by placing them in a special box known as the hopper, which is located at the rostrum, or Speaker’s platform. In the Senate, a bill is introduced by placing it on the presiding officer’s desk or by formally introducing it on the Senate Floor.

In the House, a bill clerk assigns the bill a number. House bills begin with “H.R.”, while Senate bills begin with “S.”. The first reading of a bill involves reading the bill’s title on the House Floor. The bill is then referred to a committee for markup.

The Library of Congress then receives an electronic copy of the bill and posts the bill and its status on a public website. The bill is then referred to the appropriate committee. The House has 19 standing committees, while the Senate has 16. Each committee has jurisdiction over different areas of public policy, such as agriculture, education, and international relations.

Types of Legislation

There are four basic types of legislation: bills, joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions, and simple resolutions. A private bill affects a specific person or organization rather than the population at large, while a public bill affects the general public.

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Types of Bills

There are four basic types of legislation: bills, joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions, and simple resolutions.

A bill is the most common form of legislation and can be either public or private. A public bill affects the general public, while a private bill affects a specific person or organization rather than the population at large. Bills can be introduced at any time the House is in session.

A joint resolution is similar to a bill and the two forms are sometimes used interchangeably. One difference is that a joint resolution may include a preamble preceding the resolving clause.

A concurrent resolution is used to initiate a matter affecting the operations of both Houses of Congress. It is signed by the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate and transmitted to the Archivist of the United States for publication.

A simple resolution is used to initiate a matter concerning the rules, operation, or opinion of either House alone. It is considered only by the body in which it was introduced and, upon adoption, is attested to by the Clerk of the House or the Secretary of the Senate and published in the Congressional Record.

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Sponsoring a Bill

A member of Congress becomes the bill's sponsor when they officially introduce the bill in Congress. Representatives usually sponsor bills that are important to them and their constituents.

Representatives who sponsor bills will try to gain support for them, in hopes that they will become laws. Two or more sponsors for the same bill are called co-sponsors.

Once a bill has been introduced, it is then referred to the appropriate committee. The committee will then debate and mark up the bill, and may or may not make changes to it.

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Committee Consideration

The next step in the process of a bill becoming a law is committee consideration. Committees are responsible for the most intensive consideration of a proposed bill, as well as providing a forum for the public to be heard. The committees also have the power to prevent a bill from reaching the House floor.

There are 20 standing committees in the House and 16 in the Senate, as well as several select committees. Each committee's jurisdiction is defined by certain subject matter under the rules of each House, and all measures are referred accordingly. For example, the Committee on the Judiciary in the House has jurisdiction over measures relating to judicial proceedings and 18 other categories, including constitutional amendments, immigration policy, bankruptcy, patents, copyrights, and trademarks.

The committees may also refer measures to subcommittees for intensive study. The subcommittees may hold hearings to obtain the views of experts, supporters, and opponents. The subcommittees then report back to the full committee for approval or rejection.

Once a bill has been reported by the subcommittees, the full committee meets to consider the bill. The committee may seek the input of the relevant departments and agencies about a bill. Frequently, the bill is also submitted to the Government Accountability Office with a request for an official report on the necessity or desirability of enacting the bill into law. The committee may also hold public hearings if the bill is of sufficient importance.

After hearings are completed, the full committee meets to debate and amend the bill. The committee members then vote to determine the action of the committee. The committee may decide to report the bill favourably to the House, with or without amendment, or unfavourably, or without recommendation. The committee may also suggest that the bill be 'tabled' or postponed indefinitely.

If the committee votes to report the bill to the House, the committee staff writes a committee report. The report describes the purpose and scope of the bill and the reasons for its recommended approval. Generally, a section-by-section analysis sets forth precisely what each section is intended to accomplish. All changes in existing law must be indicated in the report, and the text of laws being repealed must be set out. This report is then sent to the Government Printing Office for printing and distribution to the public.

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Voting on a Bill

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned a number and referred to a committee. The committee may then study and amend the bill, and may also hold hearings on it. The committee may then report the bill to the House with a favourable, unfavourable, or no recommendation. If the committee votes to report the bill to the House, the committee staff writes a committee report. The report describes the purpose and scope of the bill and the reasons for its recommended approval.

The bill is then placed on one of five House calendars, the Union Calendar and the House Calendar being the most commonly used. The bill is then sent to the House Floor for consideration. A bill can come to the House Floor for consideration in a variety of ways. Many House bills are debated through a parliamentary device known as the Committee of the Whole, which is a mechanism that permits faster consideration.

Floor action begins and members debate the bill. The conduct of debate is dictated by the Rules of the House generally, and may also be governed by a special rule granted specifically for the bill under consideration. Following debate, the second reading of the bill begins in a section-by-section manner, during which amendments may be offered. At the conclusion of all amendment debate, the bill is read a third time.

Next, the House is ready to vote on the bill. Members in attendance will vote to pass or not to pass the bill. Members most often vote electronically in the House Chamber using the Electronic Voting System. Members of the Senate cast their votes by non-electronic means. Roll Call votes cast by the U.S. House of Representatives are recorded in the House Journal, the Congressional Record, and posted on the website of the Clerk of the House. Members may vote “Yea” for approval, “Nay” for disapproval, or “Present” to record that they were in attendance but chose not to vote.

If a majority of the House votes to pass the bill, the bill is then referred to the Senate to undergo a similar process of approval.

Frequently asked questions

A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law.

Only Members of Congress can introduce a bill in Congress.

There are four basic types of legislation: bills, joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions, and simple resolutions.

A private bill affects a specific person or organization rather than the population at large. A public bill is one that affects the general public.

A bill becomes a law when it is approved in identical form by both Houses of Congress and is then signed by the President.

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