The Legislative Process: How A Bill Becomes Law

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. 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 advocacy groups. Once a bill is introduced, it goes through a lengthy process of research, discussion, revision, and voting before it can become a law. This process involves the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and the President.

A bill is drafted and 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 citizens or citizen groups. Once a member of Congress has an idea for a law, they can draft a bill. These ideas can come from the Congress members themselves or everyday citizens and advocacy groups. The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor", and other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors". When a Representative has written a bill, they must find a sponsor. They will talk 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.

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, it is assigned a number that begins with H.R. A bill 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. The bill is also sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO) and copies are made.

The 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 specific topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. They review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send the bill back to the House floor. The committee may also choose to hold hearings to better understand the bill's implications, allowing the views of experts, public officials, supporters, and opponents to be recorded.

If the committee members require more information before deciding, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. Here, the bill is closely examined, and expert opinions are gathered before it is sent back to the committee for approval. Subcommittees are more specialised on a certain topic and often make changes to the bill. They must vote to refer a bill back to the full committee.

Once the hearings and subcommittee review are completed, the committee will meet to "mark up" the bill. They make changes and amendments before recommending 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".

After the bill is reported, the committee staff prepares a written report explaining why they favour the bill and why they wish to see their amendments, if any, adopted. Committee members who oppose a bill may write a dissenting opinion in the report. The report is sent back to the whole chamber and is placed on the calendar.

The bill is voted on

Once a bill has been introduced, assigned to a committee, and reported back to the House floor, it is ready to be voted on.

Voting in the House of Representatives

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 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.

Voting in the Senate

In the Senate, voting is done by voice. Senators 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.

The bill is sent to the President

Once a bill has been approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, it is sent to the President for review. The President has three options: they can sign the bill into law, refuse to sign it, 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 the bill. In this case, the bill is 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 a law, they can hold another vote on the bill. If two-thirds of the Representatives and Senators support the bill, the President's veto is overridden, and the bill becomes a law.

The President can also choose to do nothing, which is called a "pocket veto". If Congress is in session, the bill will automatically become law after 10 days. However, if Congress is not in session, and the President does not sign off on the bill, it will be vetoed by default, and this cannot be overridden by Congress.

The bill becomes law

Once a bill has been approved by the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, it is sent to the President. The President has three options: they can sign and pass the bill, in which case it becomes a law; they can veto the bill, sending it back to the House of Representatives with their reasons for doing so; or they can do nothing, in which case, if Congress is in session, the bill will automatically become law after 10 days. If Congress is not in session, the bill will not become law. This last option is known as a 'pocket veto'.

If the President chooses to veto the bill, Congress can attempt to override the veto. If two-thirds of the Representatives and Senators support the bill, the President's veto is overridden and the bill becomes a law.

Once a bill is signed by the President or their veto is overridden by both houses, it becomes a law and is assigned an official number.

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