The Legislative Process: Federal Bill To Law

The process of a bill becoming a law in the United States is a complex one. It begins with the introduction of a bill, which can be done by any member of Congress. The bill is then referred to a committee, where it is debated and amended. After this, it goes through floor debate and votes before being referred to the other chamber. If the other chamber makes changes, a conference committee may be formed to reconcile the differences. Finally, the bill is sent to the President for review and signature, at which point it becomes a law.

A bill is proposed by a member of the House of Representatives or a citizen

The process of a bill becoming a law begins with the proposal of a bill. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. A bill can be proposed by a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or it can be proposed by citizens or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress. In the case of the latter, citizens with ideas for laws can contact their Representatives to discuss their ideas, and if the Representatives agree, they will research the ideas and write them into bills. Once a bill has been written, it needs a sponsor. The Representative will then discuss the bill with other Representatives to gain their support. 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, 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.

The committee members—groups of Representatives who are experts on various topics—will then review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the House floor. If the committee members require more information before making their decision, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. In a 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, where it 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 Representatives recommend changes. When all changes have been made, the bill is ready to be voted on.

The bill is introduced to the House of Representatives

The process of a bill becoming a law begins with its introduction to the House of Representatives.

Any member of the House of Representatives can introduce a bill, which 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 House of Representatives or be proposed during their election campaign. Bills can also be petitioned by citizens 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.

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, 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.

The Speaker of the House is elected by the Representatives and is third in the line of succession to the Presidency. The Speaker of the House may refer a bill to multiple committees for consideration of those provisions of the bill within the jurisdiction of each committee concerned. The Speaker may also place time limits on the committees' considerations.

Once a bill reaches a committee, the committee members—groups of Representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations—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.

If the committee approves 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.

The bill is assigned to a 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 topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. The committee will hold a "mark-up" session during which it will make revisions and additions. If substantial amendments are made, the committee can order the introduction of a "clean bill" which will include the proposed amendments. This new bill will have a new number and will be sent to the floor while the old bill is discarded. The chamber must approve, change or reject all committee amendments before conducting a final passage vote.

The Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader of the Senate determine if and when a bill comes before the full body of the House and the Senate, respectively, for debate and amendment and then final passage. The committee chair decides whether there will be a hearing on the bill (which is an opportunity for witnesses to provide testimony) and then whether there will be a markup, which refers to the process by which the proposed bill is debated, amended, and rewritten. Usually, a subcommittee holds the hearing, and then the bill can be marked up, first in subcommittee and then in full committee (although action can be taken only at the full committee level).

In the House, 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 in the U.S. House of Representatives, 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, introduced measures and House-passed measures are referred to the one committee of preponderant jurisdiction by the Parliamentarian on behalf of the Presiding Officer. By special or standing order, a measure may be referred to more than one committee in the Senate. The Speaker of the House may set time limits on committees. Bills are placed on the calendar of the committee to which they have been assigned. Failure to act on a bill is equivalent to killing it.

The committee will also request comments about the bill's merit from government agencies. The bill can be assigned to a subcommittee by the Chairman. Subcommittees report their findings to the full committee. Finally, there is a vote by the full committee—the bill is "ordered to be reported."

The bill is voted on by the House of Representatives

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

There are three methods for voting on a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives:

• Viva Voce: 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.

The bill is sent to the President

Once a bill has been passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, it is sent to the President for review. The President has three options:

• Sign and pass the bill, at which point it becomes a law.
• Refuse to sign the bill, or veto it, and send it back to the House of Representatives, along with the 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.
• Do nothing (pocket veto). If Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law after 10 days. If Congress is not in session, the bill does not become a law.

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