Understanding The Legislative Process: Reading Activity

Teaching students about how a bill becomes a law can be challenging, but there are many creative ways to make the legislative process more engaging. For younger students, one activity involves writing and illustrating a children's book about the topic, while another uses a board game to teach students about the lawmaking process. Older students can create comic strips or take part in a simulation, and there are also lesson plans that use PowerPoint presentations, interactive notebooks, and guided reading and note-taking activities to teach about the U.S. and Canadian legislative processes.

The Bill Is Proposed

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

The process begins when a Representative or citizen has an idea for a new law. Citizens with ideas for new laws can contact their Representatives to discuss their ideas. If the Representatives agree with the idea, they will research it and write it into a bill.

When a Representative has written a bill, they will need to find a sponsor. They will talk with other Representatives about the bill, hoping to get their support. A bill needs the support of some of the Representatives to be introduced.

Example

A Representative wants to write a bill to lower taxes. They talk to other Representatives about the bill and ask for their support. Some of the Representatives agree with the idea, so the bill is ready to be introduced.

The Bill Is Introduced

The bill-making process begins with a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. 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 bill has been written, it needs a sponsor. The representative talks to other representatives about the bill, hoping to gain their support. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of 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 House of Representatives. A bill clerk then assigns it a number that begins with H.R. A reading clerk reads the bill to all the representatives, and the Speaker of the House sends the bill to one of the House standing committees.

The committee members—groups of representatives who are experts on various topics—then review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether to send it back to the House floor. If the committee members need more information, the bill is sent to a subcommittee for close examination and to gather expert opinions. Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent to the House floor to be debated.

The Bill Goes to Committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is sent to a committee. The Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate refers it to the appropriate committee. In the House, the Speaker may set time limits on committees. The committees are made up of groups of Representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations.

In most cases, a bill will fall under the jurisdiction of one committee, but sometimes a bill might be referred to several committees, and each will work on the portion of the bill under its jurisdiction. One of those committees will be designated the primary committee of jurisdiction and will likely take the lead on any action that may occur.

The committee members review, research, and revise the bill. They may hold hearings and gather expert opinions before voting on whether to send the bill back to the House floor. If the committee members would like more information before making this decision, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. The subcommittee closely examines the bill and reports its findings to the full committee.

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

The Bill Is Reported

Once the committee has approved a bill, 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. Representatives discuss the bill, explaining their reasons for agreeing or disagreeing with it. A reading clerk then reads the bill section by section, and the Representatives recommend changes. Once all the recommended 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, division, and recorded. In the viva voce method, the Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support the bill to say "aye" and those who oppose it to say "no". In the division method, the Speaker of the House asks those who support the bill to stand up and be counted, and then does the same for those who oppose it. In the recorded method, Representatives record their votes using the electronic voting system, and can vote yes, no, or present if they don't want to vote on the bill. If a majority of Representatives vote yes, the bill passes in the U.S. House of Representatives and is then certified by the Clerk of the House before being delivered to the U.S. Senate.

In Canada, the process is similar. After a bill is passed by both the Senate and the House of Commons, it is sent to the Governor General for Royal Assent and becomes Canadian law. If a bill is rejected or if a decision is not made before a session of Parliament ends, the bill stops going through the legislative process.

The Bill Is Voted On

Once a bill has been debated and is ready to be voted on, there are three methods for voting on it in the U.S. House of Representatives: Viva Voce, Division, and Recorded. In the Viva Voce method, the Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support the bill to say "aye" and those who oppose it to say "no". In Division, the Speaker asks those who support the bill to stand up and be counted, and then does the same for those who oppose it. In the Recorded method, Representatives record their vote using an electronic voting system, and can vote yes, no, or present if they don't want to vote on the bill. If a majority of Representatives vote yes, the bill passes in the House and is certified by the Clerk before being delivered to the U.S. Senate.

In the U.S. Senate, Senators vote orally, saying "yea" to support the bill and "nay" to oppose it. If a majority of Senators vote in support, the bill passes in the Senate and is ready to be sent to the President.

Frequently asked questions