Keith Mack
In the United States, laws are made by groups of elected politicians in a legislature, such as Congress, which includes the House of Representatives and the Senate. Anyone can come up with an idea for a bill, including children. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. Once a bill is introduced to Congress, it is assigned to a committee whose members 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. If it passes, they present it to the president for approval. Once the president signs the bill, it is a law.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Idea for a bill | Anyone can come up with an idea for a bill, including kids |
| Introduction in Congress | A sponsor, either a Senator or a member of the House of Representatives, introduces the bill to the House or the Senate |
| Committee | The bill is sent to a committee of experts in the relevant area, who research, discuss, and make changes to the bill |
| House Approval | The bill is sent to the House for approval, where representatives debate and vote on it |
| Senate Approval | The bill is sent to the Senate for approval, where members debate and vote on it |
| Presidential Signature | If the bill passes in the House and Senate, it is sent to the President for approval. If the President signs the bill, it becomes a law |
| Veto | If the President does not sign the bill, it is considered a veto. Congress can vote to override the veto, and the bill will become a law |
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What You'll Learn
Anyone can propose a bill, including kids
The process of turning a bill into a law involves many steps and people. A bill can be proposed by a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or it can be proposed during their election campaign. Bills can also be petitioned by people or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them. This person who believes strongly in the bill and wants to see it turned into a law is called a sponsor. The sponsor can be a Senator or a member of the House of Representatives, and they are responsible for introducing the bill to either the House or the Senate.
Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned a number and officially recorded. It is then sent to a committee, which is a smaller group of Congress experts in certain areas. For example, if the bill is about classroom size in public schools, it would be sent to the Committee on Education. The committee discusses the bill, bringing in experts from outside Congress to give testimony and debate the pros and cons. The committee may make changes to the bill before passing it. If the committee agrees to pass the bill, it moves on to the main chamber of the House or Senate for approval. The representatives discuss, debate, and then vote on the bill. If the bill passes, it goes through the same process in the Senate. If it passes there, it is sent to the President.
The final step in a bill becoming a law is the President's signature. Once the President signs the bill, it officially becomes a law. However, the President can also choose not to sign the bill, which is called a veto. In most cases, Congress can vote to override this veto, and the bill can still become a law.
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Bills are introduced to the House or Senate
Anyone can come up with an idea for a bill, including kids! A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. Once you have an idea, you can recommend it to a member of Congress, who can then sponsor your bill. A sponsor is someone who believes in the bill and wants to see it turned into a law.
Once a member of Congress agrees to sponsor a bill, they will introduce it either to the House or the Senate. Bills are prefixed with 'H.R.' when introduced in the House and ''S.' when introduced in the Senate. They are then followed by a number based on the order in which they were introduced. After being introduced, the bill is assigned a number and is officially recorded. It is then sent to a committee. Committees are smaller groups of Congress that are experts in certain areas. For example, if the bill is about classroom size in public schools, it would be sent to the Committee on Education. The committee discusses the bill, brings in experts to testify, and debates the pros and cons. Before passing the bill, the committee may make changes to it.
If the committee agrees to pass the bill, it will move on to the main chamber of the House or Senate for approval. If the bill was introduced in the House first, it will be discussed, debated, and voted on by the House representatives. If it passes, it will be sent to the Senate. The Senate will then go through the same process of debating and voting on the bill. If the bill passes in the Senate, it will be sent to the President of the United States.
The President can choose to veto (reject) a bill. However, Congress can vote to override this veto, and if the bill passes again, it will become a law. Once the President signs the bill, it becomes a law that all Americans must follow.
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Bills are assigned to a committee
Anyone can have an idea for a bill, including kids! A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. Once a bill has been introduced to Congress, it is assigned a number and sent to a committee. Committees are smaller groups of Congress that are experts in certain areas. For example, if a bill is about classroom size in public schools, it would be sent to the Committee on Education.
The committee will research, discuss, and debate the details of the bill. They bring in experts from outside Congress to give testimony and debate the pros and cons of the bill. Before passing the bill, the committee may decide to make changes. If the committee agrees to pass the bill, it will move on to the main chamber of the House or Senate for approval.
The committee may also 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.
In the House, most bills go to the Rules Committee before reaching the floor. The committee adopts rules that 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. Bills may be referred to more than one committee, and it may be split so that parts are sent to different committees.
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Bills are voted on by the House and Senate
In the United States, bills are proposed pieces of legislation that can be introduced by any citizen. They are discussed and voted on by the House and Senate, who are part of Congress, the law-making branch of the federal government. Anyone can come up with the idea for a bill, and it can be proposed to a member of Congress, who will then write and introduce it.
Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee. Committees are smaller groups of Congress that are experts in certain areas. For example, a bill about classroom size in public schools would be sent to the Committee on Education. The committee discusses the bill, bringing in experts from outside Congress to give testimony and debating the pros and cons. Changes may be made to the bill at this stage.
After the committee stage, the bill is put before the chamber to be voted on. If the bill began in the House, it will go there first for approval. Representatives will discuss and debate the bill, and then members of the House will vote on it. If the bill passes, it will be sent to the Senate. The Senate will then go through the same process of discussion and debate, and then they will vote. If the bill passes in the Senate, it will be sent to the President.
The President has the power to veto a bill, which means it will not become law unless Congress votes to override the veto. If the President does not veto the bill, and it is approved by both the House and the Senate, it becomes a law that all Americans must follow.
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The President signs the bill into law
Anyone can come up with the idea for a bill, including children. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. Once the 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 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. 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 has the power to veto any bill passed by Congress. The President has 10 days, excluding Sundays, to sign or veto the bill. If the President signs the bill within that 10-day period, it becomes law. If the President declines to either sign or veto the bill, it becomes law without their signature, except when Congress has adjourned under certain circumstances.
If the President vetoes the bill, it is returned to the congressional chamber in which it originated. That chamber may attempt to override the President's veto, though a successful override vote requires the support of two-thirds of those voting. If the vote is successful, the other chamber then decides whether or not to attempt its own override vote, which again requires two-thirds of voting members. In most cases, Congress can vote to override a veto, and the bill becomes a law.
The President may also issue a signing statement when signing a bill into law. These are not part of the legislative process and have no legal effect. However, they have been used by Presidents to comment on the law being signed, including giving their interpretation of the law's language, asserting objections to certain provisions, and stating their intent regarding the law.
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Frequently asked questions
Anyone can come up with the idea for a bill, which is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. Kids can write to their representative with their idea, and if they like it, they might turn it into a bill.
The bill is sent to a committee, who will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee will bring in experts from outside Congress to give testimony and debate the pros and cons of the bill.
The bill is then 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 of research, discussion, changes, and voting.
Once both bodies have voted 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. If the president signs the bill, it becomes a law.
