The Legislative Process: How Bills Become Laws

Creating laws is the most important function 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. The process of turning a bill into a law involves several steps, including drafting, introduction, committee review, voting, referral to the other chamber, and, finally, approval by the President. This process ensures that laws are carefully considered and debated before being enacted.

Drafting and proposing a bill

Drafting a bill involves transforming an idea for a law into a formal piece of legislation. Any member of Congress, including members of the Senate or the House of Representatives, can draft a bill. These ideas can originate from the members of Congress themselves or from everyday citizens and advocacy groups. The process typically begins when a citizen or group persuades a member of Congress to support their idea. The member of Congress then researches the idea and writes it into a bill.

The primary sponsor of the bill is called its "sponsor", and any additional members of Congress who support the bill are known as "co-sponsors". Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of other members of Congress, it is ready to be introduced.

When a bill is introduced, it is given a number (e.g. "H.R. 1" or "S. 1") and assigned to a committee. In the US House of Representatives, a bill is introduced by placing it in the hopper, a special box on the side of the clerk's desk. A bill clerk then assigns it a number and reads it to all the Representatives.

The committee reviews, researches, and revises the bill before voting on whether to send it back to the House floor. Committees may be organised around specific topics such as health, education, or international relations. If the committee requires additional information or expertise, the bill may be sent to a subcommittee for further review and hearings.

Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent, or "reported", back to the House floor for debate. Representatives discuss the bill, explaining their reasons for supporting or opposing it. A reading clerk then reads the bill section by section, and Representatives can recommend changes.

After all changes have been made, the bill is ready to be formally proposed and voted on.

Introducing the bill

The first step in the legislative process is the introduction of a bill. 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 citizens or citizen groups. Citizens who have ideas for laws can contact their Representatives to discuss their ideas. If the Representatives agree, they research the ideas and write them into bills.

Once a Representative has written a bill, it needs a sponsor. The Representative talks with other Representatives about the bill to get their support. The other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors". Once a bill has a sponsor and 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. Legislation is handed to the clerk of the House or placed in the hopper. 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.

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned a number that begins with H.R. in the House of Representatives or S. in the Senate. The bill is then sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO) and copies are made. The bill is also assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. Both the House and the Senate have various committees composed of groups of Congress members with particular interests and expertise in different topics such as health, education, international relations, or international affairs.

Committee and subcommittee review

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the House floor. Committee members are groups of Representatives who are experts on specific topics, such as agriculture, education, or international relations. The committee may hold hearings to better understand the bill's implications and gather expert opinions. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead".

If the committee members require more information before deciding, the bill is sent to a subcommittee for further study and hearings. Subcommittees have further specialisation on a certain topic. The subcommittee closely examines the bill and gathers expert opinions before sending it back to the committee for approval. The subcommittee may also make changes to the bill and must vote to refer it back to the full committee.

After the hearings and subcommittee review are completed, the committee will meet to make changes and amendments and then vote on whether to recommend the bill to the "floor". If a committee votes against reporting legislation to the full chamber of Congress, the bill dies. If the committee votes in favour of the bill, it is reported to the floor. This procedure is called "ordering a bill reported".

Voting on the bill

Once a bill has been introduced and assigned to a committee, it will be researched, discussed, and amended before it is voted on. The committee will then vote on whether to send the bill back to the House floor. If the committee requires more information, the bill will be sent to a subcommittee for further examination. Once the committee has approved the bill, it is sent back to the House floor to be debated. Representatives will discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it. Amendments will be recommended, and 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. The first is viva voce, where the Speaker of the House asks Representatives to say "aye" if they support the bill and "no" if they oppose it. The second is division, where the Speaker asks those who support the bill to stand up and be counted, and then does the same for those who oppose it. The third is recorded, where Representatives record their vote using an electronic voting system, selecting "yes," "no," or "present" if they do not wish to vote. If a majority of Representatives vote "yes," the bill passes in the House and is then sent to the Senate.

In the Senate, the bill goes through many of the same steps as in the House. It is discussed in a Senate committee and then reported to the Senate floor to be voted on. Senators vote by voice, saying "yea" if they support the bill and "nay" if they oppose it. If a majority of Senators say "yea," the bill passes in the Senate and is ready to be sent to the President.

If a bill has passed in both the House and the Senate, it is then sent to the President. The President has three options: they can sign and pass the bill, allowing it to become a law; they can refuse to sign or veto the bill, sending it back to the House along with their reasons for the veto; or they can do nothing, which is known as a pocket veto. If Congress is in session, the bill will automatically become a law after 10 days of inaction by the President. However, if Congress is not in session, the bill will not become a law.

Presidential approval

Once a bill has been approved by both the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, it is sent to the President for review. The President then has the choice to approve the bill and sign it into law, refuse to sign it and veto the bill, or do nothing.

If the President approves of the bill, they will sign it, and it will become a law. If the President does not approve, they may veto it. In this case, the bill will be sent back to the House of Representatives, along with the President's reasons for the veto. If the House and the Senate still believe the bill should become law, they can hold another vote. If two-thirds of the Representatives and Senators support the bill, the President's veto is overridden, and the bill becomes a law.

If the President does nothing, and there is a "pocket veto", the bill will not become a law. This happens if the President does not sign off on a bill and it remains unsigned when Congress is no longer in session. This type of veto cannot be overridden by Congress. However, if Congress is in session, the bill will automatically become law after 10 days, even without the President's signature.

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