Kara Sears
Enacting a law is a complex process that varies across different political systems and governments. In the United States, for example, the process begins with a bill, which is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one. This bill can be introduced by members of the Senate or House of Representatives, or through citizen petitions. Once introduced, the bill undergoes scrutiny by a committee, which researches, discusses, and amends it. The bill then proceeds to the relevant chamber for a vote. If passed, the bill is sent to the President for approval. The President may sign the bill into law or veto it. However, Congress can override a presidential veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both houses. The process of enacting a law involves multiple steps, including input from various stakeholders, and is designed to ensure careful consideration and democratic decision-making.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Who can propose a bill? | A sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, during their election campaign, or petitioned by people or citizen groups |
| What happens once a bill is introduced? | It is assigned to a committee, then put before the chamber to be voted on |
| What is the process after the first vote? | The bill is sent to the Secretary's Office, then to the Bill Clerk, who sends it to the Government Printing Office to be printed on special white paper |
| What is the bill called after it passes the Senate? | The official engrossed bill |
| What is the difference between the House and the Senate? | Only the House can initiate tax and revenue-related legislation, and only the Senate can draft legislation related to presidential nominations and treaties |
| What is the difference between the House and the Senate in terms of voting? | The House processes legislation through a majority vote, while the Senate does so through deliberation and debate prior to voting |
| What is the process if the President vetoes a bill? | Congress can vote to override the veto, but if the President does not sign off on a bill and Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be vetoed by default (a "pocket veto") |
| What is the process if the House of Representatives does not pass a vetoed bill with a two-thirds vote? | The President's veto is sustained and the bill fails to become a law |
| What is the difference between public and private bills? | Public bills affect the general public, while private bills affect a specified individual or entity |
| What is the role of the Government Accountability Office in the process? | The office provides an official report on the necessity or desirability of enacting the bill into law, although these reports are not binding on the committee |
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What You'll Learn
- Bills can be proposed by citizens, citizen groups, or members of the Senate or House of Representatives
- Bills are assigned to a committee for research, discussion, and changes
- The bill is then voted on by the chamber
- If passed, the bill is sent to the Secretary's Office and delivered to the Bill Clerk
- The President can choose to veto a bill, but Congress can override this
Bills can be proposed by citizens, citizen groups, or members of the Senate or House of Representatives
In the United States, bills can be proposed by citizens, citizen groups, or members of the Senate or House of Representatives. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. Anyone can draft a bill, but only members of Congress can introduce legislation. This means that citizens and citizen groups must petition their representatives in Congress to introduce a bill on their behalf. Members of Congress can also propose bills during their election campaigns.
Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee. The committee members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The bill is then put before the chamber—either the Senate or the House of Representatives—to be voted on. The process differs slightly between the Senate and the House. The House processes legislation through a majority vote, while the Senate engages in deliberation and debate prior to voting.
If a bill passes in one chamber, it then goes to the other chamber for a vote. If it passes in both chambers, it is sent to the president for signature. If the president signs the bill, it becomes a law. However, if the president chooses to veto the bill, Congress can vote to override that veto, and the bill will become a law. On the other hand, if the president does not sign off on a bill and it remains unsigned when Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be vetoed by default, which is called a "pocket veto." This action cannot be overridden by Congress.
It is important to note that the Senate and the House have some procedural differences in terms of the types of legislation they can initiate. For example, only the House can initiate tax and revenue-related legislation, while only the Senate can draft legislation related to presidential nominations and treaties.
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Bills are assigned to a committee for research, discussion, and changes
Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate refers the bill to the appropriate committee, and it may be referred to more than one committee. Committees are subsidiary organisations established for the purpose of considering legislation, conducting hearings, and investigations. There are regional, political or ideological, ethnic, and economic-based committees. The Senate currently has 16 standing committees. Joint Committees include members from both houses of Congress.
Committees will often seek the input of relevant departments and agencies about a bill. They may also submit the bill to the Government Accountability Office with a request for an official report on the necessity or desirability of enacting the bill into law. These reports are not binding, but they are given serious consideration. Committees also hold ""mark-up" sessions where revisions and additions are made to the bill. If substantial amendments are made, a "clean bill" is introduced, including the proposed amendments. This new bill will have a new number, and the old bill is discarded. The committee staff then prepares a written report explaining why they favour the bill and why they wish to see their amendments adopted. Committee members who oppose a bill may write a dissenting opinion in the report.
After a committee hearing has concluded, the archived webcast will be posted on the committee's website and Congress.gov. Committees also post witness testimony on their websites, though these often do not include the question-and-answer portion of the hearing. Committees provide access to the webcast of the hearing, which shows the entire hearing. Committee reports are documents produced by Senate committees that address investigations, committee business, and legislative or policy measures.
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The bill is then voted on by the chamber
The process of enacting a law begins with the introduction of a bill, which is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. This idea for a bill can originate 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 it to a member of Congress. Once introduced, the bill is assigned to a committee that researches, discusses, and makes changes to it.
The bill is then put before the chamber, where it is voted on. This is a crucial step in the legislative process, as it determines whether the bill will advance further. The specific procedures for voting on the bill can vary between the Senate and the House. For example, the Senate may prioritize deliberation and debate before the actual voting takes place. On the other hand, the House typically processes legislation through a majority vote.
During this stage, the bill may be endorsed as having passed. It then undergoes a series of administrative steps, including being sent to the Secretary's Office, the Bill Clerk, and the Enrolling Clerk. These officials maintain proper records and facilitate the printing of the bill on special white paper, known as the official engrossed bill.
After the passage of a bill by one body, it technically becomes an Act, although it is not yet effective as a law. It can still be vetoed by the President, which means it has not been approved and will not become law. However, in most cases, Congress can vote to override the presidential veto, and the bill can still become a law.
The right to petition and transmit proposals for bills is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution. This allows citizens and groups to have a direct impact on the legislative process and shape the laws that govern them.
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If passed, the bill is sent to the Secretary's Office and delivered to the Bill Clerk
The process of enacting a law varies depending on the country and the specific legislative body involved. In the United States, the law-making branch of the federal government is Congress, which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. It can be introduced by a sitting member of the Senate or House of Representatives, proposed during their election campaign, or petitioned by citizens or groups who recommend a new or amended law to their Congressional representative.
Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee that researches, discusses, and makes changes to it. The committee seeks input from relevant departments, agencies, and the Government Accountability Office to assess the necessity and desirability of enacting the bill into law. After being assigned to a committee, the bill is put before the chamber to be voted on. If it passes one body of Congress, it goes through a similar process in the other body, including research, discussion, changes, and voting.
If a bill is passed by both bodies of Congress, they must work out any discrepancies between the two versions. Then, both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes this vote, it is presented to the President for approval. The President can approve the bill and sign it into law or veto it. If the President vetoes the bill, Congress can vote to override the veto, and the bill becomes a law. However, if the President does not sign off on the bill and Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be vetoed by default, which is called a "pocket veto."
If a bill is passed by Congress and not vetoed by the President, it is sent to the Secretary's Office and delivered to the Bill Clerk. The Bill Clerk records the bill in the data retrieval system and turns it over to the Enrolling Clerk, who also records it and sends it to the Government Printing Office. At this point, the bill is printed on special white paper and becomes an official engrossed bill. Even after the passage of a bill by one body of Congress, it is still technically an Act and not yet effective as a law.
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The President can choose to veto a bill, but Congress can override this
In the United States, the process of enacting a law starts with a bill, which is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one. A bill can be introduced by a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, proposed during their election campaign, or petitioned by citizens or citizen groups. Once introduced, a bill is assigned to a committee, which researches, discusses, and makes changes to it. The bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on.
After passing through one body, a bill technically becomes an Act, though it is not yet a law. It is then sent to the other chamber, where it may be voted on again. If the bill passes in both chambers, it is presented to the President for approval. The President may approve the bill by signing it into law, or they may choose to veto it.
If the President vetoes a bill, it is returned to the congressional chamber in which it originated. This chamber may then attempt to override the veto, but this requires a two-thirds majority vote. If the override vote is successful, the other chamber must then vote on whether to override the veto as well, again requiring a two-thirds majority. If both chambers vote to override the veto, the bill becomes law without the President's signature.
It is rare for Congress to successfully override a presidential veto, with only about 7% of presidential vetoes historically being overridden. If Congress fails to override the veto, the bill and veto become legally irrelevant. Additionally, if the President does not sign off on a bill and it remains unsigned when Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be vetoed by default in what is called a "pocket veto," which cannot be overridden by Congress.
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Frequently asked questions
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. Once introduced, a committee will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill before it is put before that chamber to be voted on. If passed by both chambers, the bill is sent to the President, who can choose to veto it. If vetoed, Congress can vote to override the veto, and the bill becomes a law.
Congress is the law-making branch of the federal government. Bills may originate in either the House of Representatives or the Senate, with the exception of bills for raising revenue, which must originate in the House of Representatives. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee, which will seek input from relevant departments and agencies and request official reports on the necessity and desirability of enacting the bill. After this, the bill is put before the chamber to be voted on.
After the passage of a bill by one body, it technically becomes an Act, but it is not yet effective as a law. The bill is then sent to the other body for a vote. If passed by both bodies, the bill is sent to the President. If vetoed by the President, it is sent back to the first body for a vote. If the veto is sustained, the bill fails to become a law. If the veto is overridden, the bill becomes a law and is delivered to the Administrator of the General Services Administration for deposit in the Archives.
