Understanding The Law: Chutes And Ladders Of Bills

The process of a bill becoming a law is a long and complex one, much like the children's board game Chutes and Ladders. In the game, players start at the bottom and work their way to the top by rolling dice, either climbing a ladder or sliding down a chute depending on the number rolled. Similarly, a bill must pass through multiple stages and gain approval from various committees and chambers before it can become a law, and it can be rejected and sent back to the beginning at any time. This slow and cumbersome process is designed to prevent unconstitutional or unethical bills from becoming laws.

A bill is proposed

The process of a bill becoming a law is a complex one, and the first step is the proposal of the bill. 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, or it can be proposed by citizens or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them. Citizens with ideas for laws can contact their Representatives to discuss their ideas, and if the Representatives agree, they research the ideas and write them into bills.

Once a Representative has written a bill, it needs a sponsor. The Representative discusses 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 House. Once introduced, the bill is assigned a number that begins with H.R. and read aloud by a reading clerk to all the Representatives. The Speaker of the House then sends the bill to one of the House standing committees.

The process of turning a bill into a law is similar to playing a game of Chutes and Ladders. Each step of the way, a bill either passes and climbs the ladder toward becoming a law, or it takes a slide and has to start over.

The bill is introduced

The process of turning a bill into a law is a complex one, and the first step is the introduction of the bill. This is how it works:

Any member of Congress can introduce a bill, which is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one. These ideas 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. Citizens with ideas for laws can contact their Representatives to discuss their ideas. If the Representatives agree, they research the ideas and write them into bills.

Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, it is ready to be introduced. 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. Only Representatives can introduce bills in the House of Representatives.

When a bill is introduced, a bill clerk assigns it a number that begins with H.R. and it is labelled with the sponsor's name. It is then sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO) and copies are made. The bill is then read by a reading clerk to all the Representatives, and the Speaker of the House sends the bill to one of the House standing committees.

The bill is then 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 various topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. They review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the House floor. If the committee would like more information before making a decision, the bill is sent to a subcommittee for further examination and to gather expert opinions.

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.

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 before voting on whether to send it back to the House floor. Committee members 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 the entire Congress, and may request hearings to better understand the bill's implications. Hearings allow input from the executive branch, experts, other public officials, supporters, and opponents of the bill. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead".

If the committee members require more information before deciding, the bill is referred to a subcommittee for further examination and expert opinions. The subcommittee may also make changes to the bill and must vote to refer it back to the full committee. Once the hearings and subcommittee review are completed, the committee will meet to make changes and amendments before recommending the bill to the "floor". This procedure is called "ordering a bill reported".

If the committee votes against reporting legislation to the full chamber of Congress, the bill dies. However, if they vote in favour of the bill, it is reported to the floor, where 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.

The bill is reported

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. 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" that includes the proposed amendments. This new bill will have a new number and will be sent to the floor while the old bill is discarded.

After the bill is reported, the committee staff prepares a written report explaining why they favor the bill and why they wish to see their amendments, if any, adopted. Committee members who oppose a bill sometimes write a dissenting opinion in the report. The report is sent back to the whole chamber and is placed on the calendar.

In the House, most bills go to the Rules Committee before reaching the floor. The Rules Committee adopts rules that will govern the procedures under which the bill will be considered by the House. A "closed rule" sets strict time limits on debate and forbids the introduction of amendments. These rules can have a major impact on whether the bill passes. The Rules Committee can be bypassed in three ways: 1) members can move rules to be suspended (this requires a two-thirds vote); 2) a discharge petition can be filed; or 3) the House can use a Calendar Wednesday procedure.

The bill is then placed on the Calendar. In the House, there are four House Calendars, and in the Senate, there is a Legislative Calendar and an Executive Calendar. Scheduling legislation is the job of the Majority Leader. Bills can be brought to the floor whenever a majority of the Senate chooses.

The bill is then debated. In the House, debate is limited by the rules formulated in the Rules Committee. The Committee of the Whole debates and amends the bill but cannot technically pass it. In the Senate, debate is unlimited unless cloture is invoked. Members can speak as long as they want and amendments need not be germane—riders are often offered. Entire bills can be offered as amendments to other bills.

The bill is then reported back to the House and is voted on. If the bill passes, it is then sent to the other chamber to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting.

The bill is voted on

The bill is now ready to be voted on. In the US House of Representatives, there are three methods for voting on a bill: viva voce, division, and recorded. In the viva voce method, the Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support the bill to say "aye" and those who oppose it to say "no". In the division method, 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 the recorded method, Representatives record their votes using an electronic voting system, selecting yes, no, or present if they don't want to vote on the bill. A majority of Representatives must vote yes for the bill to pass in the House. The bill is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the US Senate.

In the Senate, Senators vote by voice. Those who support the bill say "yea", and those who oppose it say "nay". If a majority of Senators say "yea", the bill passes in the Senate and is ready to go to the President. If the bill is passed by both the House and the Senate, they must then work out any differences between the two versions of the bill. Then, both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, they present it to the President.

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