Anaya Nolan
Creating laws is the most important job of the U.S. House of Representatives. All laws in the United States begin as bills, which are proposals for a new law or a change to an existing one. These ideas can come from anyone, from a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or be proposed by citizens or citizen groups. Before a bill can become a law, it must go through several stages, including being introduced, assigned to a committee, voted on, and potentially signed off by the President.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Step 1 | A bill is drafted |
| Step 2 | The bill is introduced |
| Step 3 | The bill goes to committee |
| Step 4 | Subcommittee review of the bill |
| Step 5 | Committee mark up of the bill |
| Step 6 | Voting by the full chamber on the bill |
| Step 7 | Referral of the bill to the other chamber |
| Step 8 | The bill goes to the president |
| Step 9 | Overriding a veto |
What You'll Learn
A bill is proposed
The process of a bill becoming a law 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 member of Congress has an idea for a bill, they can begin to draft it.
The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor". The other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors". Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some other 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. Once introduced, a bill is assigned a number that begins with H.R. and is read to all the Representatives. The Speaker of the House then sends the bill to one of the House standing committees.
Committees are groups of Representatives who are experts on specific topics, such as agriculture, education, or international relations. They review, research, and revise 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. While in 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, or reported, to the House floor. Once reported, a bill is ready to be debated by the U.S. House of Representatives. 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.
Law Degree: A Must for Aspiring Lobbyists?
You may want to see also
The bill is introduced
The process of introducing a bill is the first step in the journey of an idea becoming a law. This is how it works:
The Bill is Drafted
Any member of Congress – either from the Senate or the House of Representatives – who has an idea for a law can draft a bill. These ideas can come from the Congress members themselves or from everyday citizens and advocacy groups. The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor". The other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors".
Once the bill is drafted, it must be introduced. If a Representative is the sponsor, the bill is introduced in the House. If a Senator is the sponsor, the bill is introduced in the Senate.
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. Once 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.
In the Senate, members must gain recognition from the presiding officer to announce the introduction of a bill during the morning hour. If any Senator objects, the introduction of the bill is postponed until the next day.
The Bill is Assigned a Number and Sponsor
The bill is then assigned a number (e.g. HR 1 or S 1) and labelled with the sponsor's name.
The Bill is Sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO)
The bill is sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO), and copies are made.
The Bill Can Be Jointly Sponsored and Co-Sponsored
Senate bills can be jointly sponsored. Members can also co-sponsor the piece of legislation.
The Legislative Process: How Bills Become Laws
You may want to see also
The bill goes to committee
Once a bill is introduced, it is referred to a committee. Both the House and the Senate have various committees composed of groups of Congress members who are particularly interested in different topics such as health or international affairs. When a bill is in the hands of the committee, it is carefully examined and its chances of passage by the entire Congress are determined. The committee chair has the chief agenda-setting authority and identifies the bills or issues the committee will try to formally act on through hearings and/or a markup.
The first formal committee action on a bill may be a hearing, which provides a forum for committee members and the public to hear about the strengths and weaknesses of a proposal from selected parties, like key executive branch agencies, relevant industries, and groups representing interested citizens. Hearings also spotlight legislation to colleagues, the public, and the press. At the hearing, invited witnesses provide oral remarks and submit a longer written version of their feedback. After the oral statements, committee members take turns asking questions of the witnesses. While these hearings solicit feedback on the policy proposal, committee members and staff engage in additional assessment through informal briefings and other mechanisms. It is important to note that a hearing is not a required step for a bill to receive further action from the committee.
A committee markup is the key formal step a committee takes for a bill to advance to the floor. The committee chair usually chooses the proposal that will be placed before the committee for markup: a referred bill or a new draft text. At this meeting, which is typically open to the public, committee members consider possible changes to the proposal by offering and voting on amendments.
A markup concludes when the committee agrees by majority vote to report the bill to the chamber. Committees rarely hold a markup unless the proposal is expected to receive majority support. The committee may vote to report a referred bill, with recommended changes reflecting any amendments adopted during the markup. Alternatively, the committee may report an original or "clean" bill that was written during the markup process itself from a draft proposal.
Most House and Senate committees also establish subcommittees to further focus on specific elements of the policy area. The extent to which subcommittees play a formal role in policymaking varies. However, it is important to note that only full committees can report legislation to the chamber.
HIPAA Law: Enacted and Impactful Since 1996
You may want to see also
The bill is reported
Once a bill has been approved by a committee, it is sent or reported to the House floor. At this stage, the bill is ready to be debated by the U.S. House of Representatives. During the debate, Representatives discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it. Then, a reading clerk 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.
Understanding the Legislative Process: Bill to Law
You may want to see also
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. The bill is then put before that chamber to be voted on.
Voting on the Bill
The process of voting on a bill differs between the House of Representatives and the Senate.
House of Representatives
In the House of Representatives, there are three methods for voting on a bill:
- 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 vote yes, the bill passes in the House of Representatives. The bill is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the Senate.
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 vote “yea”, the bill passes in the Senate and is ready to go to the President.
The US Law-Making Process: Bills to Laws
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
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 or be proposed during their election campaign. Bills can also be petitioned by people or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The bill is then put before that chamber to be voted on. If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes to the other body to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions. Then both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, they present it to the president.
The president then considers the bill. The president can approve the bill and sign it into law. Or the president can refuse to approve a bill. This is called a veto. If the president chooses to veto a bill, in most cases, Congress can vote to override that veto, and the bill becomes a law.
If the president does not sign off on a bill and it remains unsigned when Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be vetoed by default. This action is called a pocket veto, and it cannot be overridden by Congress.
The U.S. House of Representatives is responsible for approving a bill before it can become a law. A bill is introduced in the House 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.
The U.S. Senate is also responsible for approving a bill before it can become a law. A Senator can be the sponsor of a bill, in which case the bill is introduced in the Senate. The Senate has the function of advising and consenting to treaties and certain nominations by the President.
