Understanding The Process: Bills To Laws

The process of how a bill becomes a law is known as the legislative process. In the United States, all laws begin as bills. A bill 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 introduced, it is assigned to a committee, which will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on. If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes through a similar process in the other body. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions. Then, both chambers vote on the same version of the bill, and if it passes, they present it to the president. The president can approve the bill and sign it into law, or they can refuse to approve it, which is called a veto. If the president chooses to veto a bill, Congress can vote to override that veto, and the bill becomes a law.

How a bill is proposed

The process of a bill becoming a law begins with an idea. 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 citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them. Once a member of the House of Representatives has written a bill, it needs a sponsor. The representative talks with other representatives about the bill 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 U.S. House of Representatives. When a bill is introduced, 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.

How a bill is introduced

In the United States, a bill 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 who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them. Citizens who have ideas for laws can contact their Representatives to discuss their ideas. If the Representatives agree, they research the ideas and write them into bills.

When a Representative has written a bill, it needs a sponsor. The Representative talks with other Representatives about the bill in the hopes 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 U.S. House of Representatives. When a bill is introduced, 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 committee members—groups of Representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations—review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send the bill back to the House floor. If the committee members would like more information before deciding, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. While in subcommittee, the bill is closely examined and expert opinions are gathered before it is sent back to the committee for approval.

How a bill goes to committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee. In the House, the Speaker, on the advice of the nonpartisan parliamentarian, refers the bill to all committees that have jurisdiction over the provisions in the bill, as determined by the chamber's standing rules and past referral decisions. Most bills fall under the jurisdiction of one committee, which will be designated the primary committee of jurisdiction and will likely take the lead on any action that may occur. In the Senate, bills are typically referred to the committee with jurisdiction over the issue that predominates in the bill.

Committees are made up of members from both major political parties, with the proportion of members from each party determined by the majority party. Members usually seek election to the committee that has jurisdiction over a field in which they are most qualified and interested. For example, the Committee on the Judiciary is traditionally populated with numerous lawyers.

Committees are responsible for providing intensive consideration of a proposed measure and serve as a forum for the public to be heard. They are also responsible for seeking input from relevant departments and agencies about a bill. Frequently, the bill is submitted to the Government Accountability Office with a request for an official report on the necessity or desirability of enacting the bill into law.

Once a committee has received a bill, it will be placed on the committee's calendar. Failure to act on a bill is equivalent to killing it. In the House, bills can only be released from committee without a proper committee vote by a discharge petition signed by a majority of the House membership.

How a bill is reported

Once a bill has been introduced and assigned to a committee, it is then reported to the House floor. This is also known as the 'floor action' or 'floor debate and votes'. The bill is then ready to be debated by the U.S. House of Representatives.

Representatives will discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it. A reading clerk will then read the bill section by section, and the Representatives will recommend changes. Once 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): 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.

The bill is then debated and voted on in the U.S. Senate, following a similar process to the House of Representatives. If a majority of Senators support the bill, it passes in the U.S. Senate and is ready to go to the President.

How a bill is voted on

Once a bill has been introduced, assigned to a committee, and researched, discussed, and changed, it is ready to be voted on.

Voting on the Bill

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 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.

Voting 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 the Senators say “yea,” the bill passes in the U.S. Senate and is ready to go to the President.

Voting to Override a Veto

If the President chooses to veto a bill, in most cases, Congress can vote to override that veto, and the bill becomes a law. This requires a two-thirds roll call vote of the members who are present in sufficient numbers for a quorum.

Frequently asked questions