A Village's Journey To Law And Order

In the United States, laws are made by the Congress, which consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The process of turning a bill into a law begins with a bill, which is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one. Anyone can draft a bill, but only members of Congress can introduce one. A bill is introduced when it is placed in the hopper—a special box on the side of the clerk's desk in the House of Representatives. It is then assigned to a committee, which will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. If the bill passes in one body of Congress, it goes through a similar process in the other body. Once both bodies have approved the bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions and vote on the same bill. If it passes, it is presented to the president, who can approve it, veto it, or do nothing. If the president vetoes the bill, Congress can override the veto with a two-thirds vote in both chambers, and the bill becomes a law.

A bill is proposed

A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one. 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 groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress.

Once a member of Congress has an idea for a law, they 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 need to find a sponsor. They talk with other Representatives about the bill in the hope of getting 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 House of Representatives. Once introduced, a bill can be found on Congress.gov, the official government website that tracks federal legislation.

In the House of Representatives, a bill is introduced when it 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 is postponed until the next day.

When a bill is introduced, it is assigned a number (e.g. HR 1 or S 1) and labelled with the sponsor's name. It is then sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO) for copying.

A sponsor is found

The sponsor is the primary Congress member supporting the bill. The sponsor's name will be labelled on the bill. 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 Representative will talk with other Representatives about the bill to get their support. A bill can also be petitioned by people or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them. Citizens who have ideas for laws can also contact their Representatives to discuss their ideas. If the Representatives agree, they research the ideas and write them into bills.

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. Senate bills can be jointly sponsored, and members can co-sponsor the piece of legislation.

The bill is introduced

Once introduced, a bill can be found on Congress.gov, the official government website that tracks federal legislation. 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 bill is then read a first time, when the clerk reads the bill number, the name of the author, and the descriptive title of the bill. The bill is then sent electronically to the Office of State Printing. A bill must be in print for 30 calendar days, giving time for public review, before it can be acted on. There are exceptions to this rule: Budget Bills, bills introduced in an Extraordinary Session, and resolutions are exempt. A three-fourths vote of the members of the house which is considering a measure will dispense with the thirty-day requirement.

The bill cover shows the bill's number, the date of its introduction and first reading, the committee to which it is referred, the dates it is sent to and received from the printer, as well as any other clerical notations made necessary by a deviation from the ordinary procedure. Assembly bill covers are white, while those used by the Senate are goldenrod. Covers for concurrent and joint resolutions and constitutional amendments are each of a different and distinctive colouring, providing the clerks with an easy method of identifying the various types of proposed legislation.

The bill goes to committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee. Committees are 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. This process involves careful examination of the bill and its potential implications, and the committee may hold hearings to gather expert opinions and understand the different viewpoints of supporters and opponents of the bill.

If the committee requires additional information or further specialisation on a certain topic, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. The subcommittee examines the bill in detail and gathers expert opinions before sending it back to the committee for approval. The committee may then meet to make changes and amendments to the bill before recommending it to the "floor". This procedure is called "ordering a bill reported".

After the committee has approved a bill, it is sent 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 recommend changes. Once all changes have been made, the bill is ready for a vote.

The bill is reported

When a bill is debated, 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.

There are three methods for voting on a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives: Viva Voce (voice vote), Division, and Recorded. In a voice vote, the Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support the bill to say “aye” and those that oppose it to say “no.” In a Division vote, 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 do the same. In a Recorded vote, Representatives record their vote using the electronic voting system, selecting yes, no, or present if they don’t want to vote on the bill.

If a majority of the Representatives say or select 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.

Frequently asked questions