Understanding The Process: Bills To Laws

Bills are proposed laws that can be drafted by any member of Congress, or by citizens and advocacy groups. Once a bill is drafted, it must be introduced by a sponsor, who can be a Representative or a Senator depending on where the bill is introduced. The bill then goes through several stages of review and voting before it can be passed into law. This process includes being assigned to a committee, going through a series of readings and debates, and ultimately being voted on by both the House of Representatives and the Senate. If the bill passes both chambers, it is then sent to the President for approval. The President can sign the bill into law or veto it. If the President vetoes the bill, Congress can still override the veto and pass the bill into law with a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers.

A bill is drafted

The process of a bill becoming a law begins with the drafting of the bill. Any member of Congress – either from the Senate or the House of Representatives – who has an idea for a law can draft a bill. These ideas can come from the Congress members themselves or from everyday citizens and advocacy groups. The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor". The other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors".

Once the bill is drafted, it must be introduced. If a Representative is the sponsor, the bill is introduced in the House. If a Senator is the sponsor, the bill is introduced in the Senate. Once a bill is introduced, it can be found on Congress.gov, which is the official government website that tracks federal legislation.

The process of drafting a bill is a detailed and complex task that requires great skill, knowledge, and experience. The drafting of statutes is an art that demands a profound understanding of legislative procedures and the ability to translate ideas into precise and effective legal language.

The bill is introduced

The process of a bill becoming a law begins with an idea. This idea 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 the bill is drafted, it must be introduced. If a Representative is the sponsor, the bill is introduced in the House. If a Senator is the sponsor, the bill is introduced in the Senate.

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. Once a bill is introduced, it can be found on Congress.gov, the official government website that tracks federal legislation. 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.

The House clerk assigns a legislative number for bills introduced in the House of Representatives (e.g., H.R. 1001). The bill is then referred to the appropriate committee or committees by the Speaker, with the assistance of the Parliamentarian. The bill number and committee referral appear in the next issue of the Congressional Record. It is then sent to the Government Printing Office, where it is printed and copies are made available in the document rooms of both Houses. Printed and electronic versions of the bill are also made available to the public.

Copies of the bill are sent to the office of the chairman of each committee to which it has been referred. The clerk of the committee enters it on the committee's Legislative Calendar. The committees provide the most intensive consideration of a proposed measure, as well as a forum where the public is given the opportunity to be heard. There are, at present, 20 standing committees in the House and 16 in the Senate, as well as several select committees. Each committee's jurisdiction is defined by certain subject matter under the rules of each House, and all measures are referred accordingly.

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. Committees are groups of Representatives who are experts on specific topics, such as agriculture, education, or international relations. They carefully examine the bill, determine its chances of passage by Congress, and may hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill by gathering expert opinions.

If the committee requires more information before deciding on the bill, it is sent to a subcommittee. The subcommittee examines the bill in detail and may make changes before sending it back to the committee for approval.

Once the committee has finished reviewing the bill, they will meet to make changes and amendments. They will then vote on whether to send the bill back to the House floor. If the committee votes against the bill, it dies. However, if they vote in favour, the bill is reported to the House floor and is ready to be debated by the U.S. House of Representatives.

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 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 the electronic voting system, and 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 voted on

Once a bill has been debated, 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 (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.

Frequently asked questions