The Bull's Journey: Lawmaking Evolution

In the United States, laws begin as ideas. These ideas can come from a member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or they can be proposed by citizens or citizen groups. Once an idea has been drafted into a bill, it must be introduced by a member of Congress. If introduced by a Representative, the bill is placed in the hopper—a special box on the side of the clerk's desk in the House of Representatives. The bill is then assigned to a committee, which will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on. If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes through a similar process in the other body. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must reconcile any differences between the two versions. The bill then goes back to both chambers for a final vote. If it passes, it is presented to the president. The president can approve the bill and sign it into law, or they can veto it. If the president chooses to veto a bill, Congress can vote to override the veto, and the bill can still become a law.

A bill is proposed by a representative or citizen

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 by citizens or citizen groups during a member's election campaign. Citizens with ideas for new laws can contact and discuss their proposals with their Representatives. If a Representative agrees with a proposal, they will research the idea and write it into a bill.

When a Representative has written a bill, it needs a sponsor. The Representative will talk with other Representatives to get their support. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of other Representatives, it is ready to be introduced. Only Representatives can introduce bills in the U.S. House of Representatives. 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. A bill is assigned a number that begins with H.R. and is then read by a clerk to all the Representatives. The Speaker of the House then sends the bill to a House standing committee.

The committee reviews, researches, and revises the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the House floor. If the committee requires more information, the bill is sent to a subcommittee for further examination and to gather expert opinions. The subcommittee must vote to refer the bill back to the full committee. Once the bill is approved by the committee, it is sent, or reported, to the House floor for debate. Representatives discuss the bill and explain their agreement or disagreement with it. A reading clerk reads the bill section by section, and 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), division, and recorded. 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 and delivered to the U.S. Senate.

The bill is introduced

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned a number that begins with H.R. in the House and S. in the Senate. The bill is then sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO) and copies are made. The bill is also published on Congress.gov, the official government website that tracks federal legislation.

When a bill is introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, 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.

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 to a committee

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee. Committees are made up of groups of representatives who are experts on specific topics, such as agriculture, education, or international relations. The committee members review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether to send it back to the House floor. The committee may also choose to 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.

Subcommittees are specialized groups organized under committees. A bill may be sent to a subcommittee for further study and hearings. The subcommittee may 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 to the bill. They will then vote on whether to recommend the bill to the "floor". If the committee votes against the bill, it dies. If they vote in favor of it, it is reported to the floor.

Once a bill reaches the floor, there is additional debate, and members of the full chamber vote to approve any amendments. The bill is then either passed or defeated by the members' votes. If the bill passes, it is referred to the other chamber, where it goes through a similar process of committee review, discussion, changes, and voting.

The bill is debated and voted on

Once a bill has been introduced and assigned to a committee, it is then debated and voted on. This process happens in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

In the House of Representatives, the bill is debated by the Representatives, who 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. There are three methods for voting on a bill in the House of Representatives: viva voce (voice vote), division, and recorded. In a viva voce vote, the Speaker of the House asks those who support the bill to say "aye" and those who oppose it to say "no". In a division vote, 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 a recorded vote, 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 of Representatives and is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the Senate.

In the Senate, the bill is debated and voted on by Senators. 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 then ready to be sent to the President.

If a bill passes in 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 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 then has three options: they can sign the bill and pass it into law, refuse to sign it and veto it, or do nothing.

If the President chooses to sign the bill, it becomes a law. If they refuse to sign it, the bill is sent back to the House of Representatives and the Senate, 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.

If the President does nothing, this is known as 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 cannot be overridden by Congress.

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

Frequently asked questions