Cameron Miranda
The process of how a bill becomes a law has changed over time. In the United States, the legislative process typically begins with the introduction of a bill, which can be proposed by a member of the Senate or House of Representatives, or by citizens and advocacy groups. The bill is then assigned to a committee, which researches and discusses the proposal before voting on whether to send it back to the full chamber. If the bill passes one body of Congress, it moves to the other body, where it undergoes a similar process. Once both chambers approve the bill, they work to reconcile any differences between their versions before voting on the final proposal. The bill is then presented to the president, who can approve it, veto it, or do nothing. If vetoed, Congress can override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| How a bill is drafted | Any member of Congress can draft a bill, which can be supported by other members (co-sponsors) |
| How a bill is introduced | Legislation is handed to the clerk of the House or placed in the hopper in the House. In the Senate, members must gain recognition from the presiding officer to announce the introduction of a bill during the morning hour |
| How a bill is assigned | A bill is assigned a number (e.g. HR 1 or S 1) and labelled with the sponsor's name |
| How a bill is sent to the Government Printing Office | Copies of the bill are made and sent to the Government Printing Office |
| How a bill is referred to a committee | The Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate refers the bill to an appropriate committee. Bills may be referred to more than one committee and can be split so that parts are sent to different committees |
| How a bill is reviewed by a subcommittee | The committee may refer the bill to a subcommittee for further review, hearings, and revisions |
| How a bill is marked up | The committee meets to "mark up" the bill, making changes and amendments prior to recommending it to the "floor" |
| How a bill is voted on by the full chamber | The bill reaches the floor for additional debate, and members of the full chamber vote to approve any amendments before passing or defeating the bill |
| How a bill is referred to the other chamber | When the House or Senate passes a bill, it is referred to the other chamber, where it goes through a similar process of committees and voting |
| How a bill is sent to the President | After both chambers have approved a bill in identical form, it is sent to the President for approval |
| How a bill becomes a law | A bill becomes a law if it is signed by the President or if it is not signed within 10 days while Congress is in session. If the President vetoes the bill, Congress may vote to override the veto |
What You'll Learn
- Bills are drafted by members of the House or Senate, or proposed by citizens
- Bills are introduced to the House or Senate, gaining a sponsor and supporters
- Bills are assigned to a committee, who research and discuss them
- Bills are voted on by the full chamber, and if passed, go to the other chamber
- The President reviews the bill, and can approve or veto it
Bills are drafted by members of the House or Senate, or proposed by citizens
Bills are the most common form of legislative proposal in the United States. They can be drafted by any member of Congress, either from the Senate or the House of Representatives. These bills can be based on ideas that come from the members themselves or from everyday citizens and advocacy groups.
Any member of Congress who drafts a bill is called the "sponsor". Other members of Congress who support the bill are called "co-sponsors". Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of other members of Congress, 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. Once a bill is introduced, it can be found on the official government website that tracks federal legislation.
After a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee. Both the House and the Senate have various committees composed of groups of members of Congress who are particularly interested in different topics, such as health or international affairs. The committee will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. They may also hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill, allowing the views of experts and supporters and opponents of the bill to be put on record.
Once the committee has finished reviewing the bill, it is put before the full chamber to be voted on. If it passes one body of Congress, it goes through a similar process in the other body. If it passes both, then both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes again, it is presented to the President.
The President can choose to approve the bill and sign it into law, or they can veto it. If the President chooses to veto the bill, Congress can vote to override that veto, and the bill becomes a law.
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Bills are introduced to the House or Senate, gaining a sponsor and supporters
The process of a bill becoming a law begins with the introduction of the bill to the House of Representatives or the Senate. Any member of Congress can draft 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 U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, be proposed during their election campaign, or be petitioned by citizens or citizen groups. Once a 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 gains a sponsor and supporters. The sponsor is the primary Congress member supporting the bill, and other members who support the bill are called co-sponsors. Before its introduction, members can circulate the bill and ask others in the chamber to sign on as original co-sponsors to demonstrate a solid base of support for the idea. Once introduced, the bill is assigned a number (e.g. HR 1 or S 1) and is sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO) to be copied. 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. In the Senate, members must gain recognition from the presiding officer to announce the introduction of a bill during the morning hour, and if any senator objects, the introduction is postponed until the next day.
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Bills are assigned to a committee, who research and discuss them
Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee. Committees are made up of groups of members of the House of Representatives or the Senate who are experts on a particular topic, such as health or international affairs. The committee will research and discuss the bill, and may even hold hearings to better understand its implications. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead".
Committees can refer bills to a subcommittee for further study and hearings. Subcommittees are specialised groups that operate under committees. They can make changes to the bill and must vote to refer it back to the full committee.
Once the hearings and subcommittee review are complete, the committee will meet to "mark up" the bill. They will make changes and amendments before recommending the bill to the "floor". If the committee votes against reporting the legislation to the full chamber of Congress, the bill dies. If the committee votes in favour of the bill, it is reported to the floor.
The committee staff will then prepare a written report explaining why they favour the bill and why they wish to see their amendments adopted. Committee members who oppose the bill may write a dissenting opinion in the report. The report is sent back to the whole chamber and is placed on the calendar.
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Bills are voted on by the full chamber, and if passed, go to the other chamber
The process of how a bill becomes a law is a lengthy one. Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The bill is then put before the full chamber to be voted on.
If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes to the other body to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting. This is where the bill is voted on by the full chamber, and if passed, it goes to the other chamber.
In the U.S. House of Representatives, there are three methods for voting on a bill: Viva Voce (voice vote), Division, and Recorded. For a Viva Voce vote, the Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support the bill to say "aye" and those that oppose it say "no." For 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 stand up and be counted. For 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 say or select yes, the bill passes in the U.S. House of Representatives and is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the U.S. Senate.
When a bill reaches the U.S. Senate, it goes through many of the same steps it went through in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill is discussed in a Senate committee and then reported to the Senate floor to be voted on. Senators vote by voice, with supporters saying "yea" and opponents saying "nay." If a majority of the Senators support the bill, it passes in the U.S. Senate and is ready to go to the President.
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The President reviews the bill, and can approve or veto it
Once a bill has been approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, it is sent to the President for review. The President has three options: they can sign and pass the bill, which becomes a law; they can veto the bill, sending it back to the House of Representatives with their reasons for doing so; or they can do nothing, in what is known as a "pocket veto".
If the President chooses to veto a bill, the House of Representatives and the Senate can hold another vote on the bill. If two-thirds of both the Representatives and Senators support the bill, the President's veto is overridden, and the bill becomes a law. This is known as "overriding a veto".
If the President does nothing, and Congress is not in session, the bill does not become a law. This is known as a "pocket veto". However, if the President does nothing for 10 days and Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law.
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Frequently asked questions
A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law.
A bill must be approved by the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and the President. It is first drafted, then introduced, then goes to committee, then to the floor for a vote, then to the other chamber, then to the president, and finally, if approved, it becomes a law.
A committee is assigned to study the bill according to its subject matter. The committee will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee may also refer the bill to a subcommittee for further study and hearings.
If the President vetoes a bill, it is sent back to Congress with a note listing his/her reasons. Congress can then attempt to override the veto by a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and the Senate. If the veto is overridden, the bill becomes a law.
A pocket veto occurs when the President does not sign off on a bill and it remains unsigned when Congress is no longer in session. In this case, the bill will be vetoed by default and cannot be overridden by Congress.
