Kara Sears
The process of turning a bill into law is a long and complex one. Ideas for bills can come from anyone, but the process only begins when a member of the legislature is persuaded to author a bill. This member then sends the idea and language for the bill to the Legislative Counsel's Office, where it is drafted into an official bill. Once the bill is drafted, it must be introduced and then referred to a committee. The committee will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill before it is put before the 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. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must reconcile any differences between the two versions. Finally, the bill is sent to the President, who can approve the bill and sign it into law.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Where do ideas for bills come from? | Ideas for bills can come from anyone, including sitting members of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, everyday citizens, or advocacy groups. |
| Who drafts the bill? | The member of the Legislature who supports the idea for the bill sends the idea and language to the Legislative Counsel's Office, where it is drafted. |
| Who sponsors the bill? | The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor", and other members who support it are called "co-sponsors". |
| Where is the bill 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. |
| What happens after a bill is introduced? | The bill is assigned to a committee, which researches, discusses, and makes changes to it. |
| What happens after the committee stage? | The bill is put before the chamber to be voted on. |
| What happens 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. |
| What happens if both bodies vote to accept the bill? | They must work out any differences between the two versions, and then both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. |
| What happens if the bill passes both chambers? | The bill is sent to the President. |
| What happens if the President approves the bill? | The President signs the bill into law. |
| What happens if the President does not approve the bill? | Congress may attempt to override the veto. If both the Senate and the House pass the bill by a two-thirds majority, the President's veto is overruled, and the bill becomes a law. |
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What You'll Learn
Bills can originate from anyone, but must be authored by a legislator
The process of turning a bill into a law is a complex one. Ideas for bills can come from anyone, be it an individual or a group. However, for a bill to be drafted, a member of the Legislature must be persuaded to author it. This member then sends the idea and the language for the bill to the Legislative Counsel's Office, where the bill is drafted. The drafted bill is then returned to the legislator for review. The persons or groups that originated the idea for the bill may also review it to ensure that their desired provisions are included.
If the author of the bill is a Senator, it is introduced at the Senate Desk, and if the author is an Assembly member, it is introduced at the Assembly Desk. Here, the bill is assigned a number and is read for the first time. The bill then goes to the Senate or Assembly Rules Committee, where it is assigned to a policy committee. The committee reviews the bill and holds meetings to discuss it. The bill is then returned to the full house with a committee report. The committee may recommend the bill, recommend it with amendments, substitute it, or table it.
The bill is then debated in an open session. During the floor debate, the bill can be amended or substituted. For a bill to pass the House of Representatives, it must receive at least 38 votes. Once a bill passes one body of Congress, it goes to the other body to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting. 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. If it passes, they present it to the president. The president can approve the bill, in which case it is signed and becomes a law. If the president vetoes the bill, Congress may attempt to override the veto. If both the Senate and the House pass the bill with a two-thirds majority, the bill becomes a law.
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Bills are assigned to committees for review, discussion, and changes
Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee that will review, research, discuss, and make changes to it. The committee reviews the bill and holds meetings to discuss it. The committee may amend, hold, table, substitute, or make a favourable recommendation on the bill. The bill is then returned to the full house with a committee report.
The committee reports the bill out favourably, favourably with amendments, substituted, or that the bill has been tabled. The bill is then debated in an open session. During the floor debate, the bill can be amended or substituted. It can also be held or circled.
The committees that bills are assigned to are usually related to the bill's subject. Bills that affect the state budget must also go to a fiscal committee for review. For example, if a bill has a fiscal impact or a state cost, it will be heard in either the Senate or Assembly Appropriations Committee.
In California, each bill must appear in the Daily File for four days before being heard in a committee. The Daily File is the agenda of the day's business, along with public notice of bills set for committee hearings.
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Bills must pass through both the House and Senate
The process of turning a bill into a law is a complex one, and it must pass through several stages and committees before it is presented to both the House and the Senate for voting. The bill must pass through both the House and the Senate to become a law.
A bill can be introduced by any member of Congress, either from the Senate or the House of Representatives. It can also be proposed by citizens or advocacy groups. The bill is then assigned a number and introduced in the House or Senate, depending on the sponsor. The bill is then sent to a committee, which researches, discusses, and makes changes to it. The committee may amend, hold, table, substitute, or make a favourable recommendation on the bill. The bill is then returned to the full house, where it is debated and can be amended or substituted. During this floor debate, the bill can also be held or "circled".
After the bill has been introduced and debated, it must pass through the House of Representatives and receive at least 38 votes. If the bill passes in the House, it is referred to the other chamber, where it typically follows a similar process of committee review, discussion, and voting. If the bill passes in both chambers, the two versions must be reconciled, and both chambers must vote on the same version of the bill. If the bill passes this stage, it is presented to the President.
The President has the power to approve or veto the bill. If the President approves, the bill is signed into law. However, if the President vetoes the bill, Congress can attempt to override the veto. If two-thirds of both the Senate and the House pass the bill, the President's veto is overruled, and the bill becomes a law.
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Bills can be vetoed by the President or Governor
In the United States, the President has the power to veto a bill passed by Congress and prevent it from becoming law. If the President does not approve of a bill, they may choose not to sign it and return it, along with their objections, to the house of Congress from which it originated within ten days. This is called a veto.
Congress can override the presidential veto by a two-thirds vote of both chambers. If the bill is not signed within the allotted time and Congress adjourns before the ten days are up, the bill will not become law. This is called a pocket veto and cannot be overridden by Congress.
All state and territorial governors in the US also have the power to veto bills passed by their legislatures. This includes governors of the five permanently inhabited US territories: Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the US Virgin Islands. In many states and territories, governors have additional veto powers, such as line-item, amendatory, and reduction vetoes.
The governor's veto can be overridden by the state legislature, similar to the process at the federal level. Some US mayors and county executives also possess veto power.
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Bills require a majority vote to pass
In the United States, for example, the House of Representatives and the Senate must pass a bill before it can be presented to the President for approval. If the President approves the bill, it is signed into law. If the President vetoes the bill, Congress can attempt to override the veto by passing the bill with a two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate. If this occurs, the bill becomes law without the President's signature.
Similarly, in California, the bill must pass through the State Senate or the Assembly, where it is reviewed and discussed by committees. The bill is then returned to the full house for a vote. If the bill passes in one house, it moves to the other house, where it undergoes a similar process. If there are disagreements between the two houses, a conference committee may be formed to resolve the differences. After passing both houses, the bill is sent to the Governor, who can sign it into law or veto it.
In Washington, the process is similar, with the bill being introduced in either the House of Representatives or the Senate and then referred to committees for review and discussion. If the bill passes both houses, it is sent to the Governor for approval. If the Governor vetoes the bill, the Legislature can attempt to override the veto by achieving a two-thirds majority vote in both houses, which will turn the bill into law without the Governor's signature.
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Frequently asked questions
The first step in passing a bill into law is for a member of the House of Representatives or the Senate to propose a bill. Bills can also be petitioned by citizens or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress.
Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The bill is then put before that 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.
If the House and Senate disagree on changes to a bill, one of them can ask for a conference committee. Members from each house will meet and try to come to an agreement. If they agree, the conference committee will make a report. Both houses must then vote to approve the conference committee report for the bill to pass the Legislature.
