Understanding The Process: Bill To Law Diagram

The process of how a bill becomes a law is a complex one, and it's helpful to visualise it as a diagram. In the United States, all laws begin as bills, which can be proposed by any member of Congress or by everyday citizens and advocacy groups. Once a bill is drafted, it must be introduced, and this is where the journey to becoming a law truly begins. The bill is assigned to a committee, then voted on, and if passed, referred to the other chamber. If the bill passes through both chambers, it is presented to the President, who can approve or veto it. However, even if the President vetoes it, Congress may still attempt to override the veto, and the bill can become a law.

Bill is drafted

The bill-drafting process begins with an idea for a new law or a change to an existing one. Ideas can come from sitting members of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or they can be proposed by citizens or advocacy groups. Citizens can contact their representatives to discuss their ideas, and if the representatives agree, they will research and write them into bills.

Once a representative has written a bill, it needs a sponsor. The representative will discuss the bill with other representatives to gain their support. The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor", and other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors". Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of other representatives, it is ready to 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. 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 is assigned a legislative number, for example, H.R. 1001 in the House of Representatives or S. 1002 in the Senate.

After a bill is introduced, it is referred to a committee. Both the House and the Senate have various committees composed of groups of Congress members with specific interests and expertise in different topics such as health, education, agriculture, or international relations. The committee will carefully examine the bill and determine its chances of passage by the entire Congress. The committee may hold hearings to better understand the bill's implications and gather the views of experts, public officials, supporters, and opponents of the legislation.

Bill is introduced

The first step in the legislative process is the creation of a bill, which can be proposed by any member of Congress, either from the Senate or the House of Representatives. These ideas can also come from everyday citizens and advocacy groups, who can petition their representatives to propose a bill on their behalf. The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor", and 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 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. A bill clerk then assigns it a number, for example, a bill introduced in the House of Representatives might begin with "H.R.", while a bill introduced in the Senate might begin with "S.". A reading clerk then reads the bill aloud to all the Representatives, and the Speaker of the House sends the bill to one of the House standing committees.

The committees are composed of groups of Congress members with expertise on specific topics, such as agriculture, education, or international relations. The committees 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 additional information or expertise, the bill may be sent to a subcommittee for further examination and to gather expert opinions. The subcommittee may make changes to the bill and must vote to refer it back to the full committee.

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 topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. They will 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. The subcommittee will closely examine the bill and gather expert opinions before sending it back to the committee for approval.

The committee may also choose to hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill. Hearings allow the views of the executive branch, experts, other public officials, supporters, and opponents of the legislation to be put on record. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead".

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.

Subcommittee review

Once a bill is introduced, it is referred to a committee. Both the House and the Senate have various committees composed of groups of Congress members who are particularly interested in different topics such as health or international affairs. Committees often refer bills to a subcommittee for study and hearings.

Subcommittees are organized under committees and have further specialization on a certain topic. The subcommittee may request reports from government agencies, hold hearings so that experts and interested parties have an opportunity to offer testimony regarding the issue, "mark up" or revise the bill, or report the legislation to the full committee for its consideration. The subcommittee may also make changes to the bill.

The subcommittee must vote to refer a bill back to the full committee. If the subcommittee votes to refer a bill back to the full committee, the bill is then reported to the House floor. Once reported, a bill is ready to be debated by the U.S. House of Representatives.

Voting by the full chamber

Once a bill has been introduced, it is sent to a committee for review. The committee will then send the bill to a subcommittee for further examination. The subcommittee will then report their findings to the committee, who will then vote on whether to pass the bill to the full chamber.

The full chamber will then debate the bill and members may propose amendments. The members of the full chamber will then vote to approve any amendments. The bill is then passed or defeated by the members' votes.

There are several methods for voting on a bill. In the U.S. House of Representatives, the Speaker of the House may ask members to say "aye" or "no", stand up and be counted, or record their vote electronically. In the Senate, members vote by voice, saying "yea" or "nay".

If a majority of members vote to pass the bill, it is then sent to the other chamber. If the bill is defeated, it does not proceed any further.

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