The Bill's Journey: Understanding The Law-Making Process

The process of a bill becoming a law is a complex one. In the United States, all laws begin as bills, which can be proposed by a member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or even by citizens. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee, which will research, discuss, and make changes to it. The bill is then 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. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences and vote again. The bill is then presented to the President, who can approve and sign it into law, or veto it. If the President chooses to veto, Congress can override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers, and the bill becomes a law.

The Bill Is Proposed

The journey of a bill to become 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. Once a Representative has written a bill, it needs a sponsor. The Representative then discusses the bill with other Representatives to gain their support. The sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives are crucial before the bill is introduced.

The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor", and the other members who support the bill are known as "co-sponsors". The sponsor and co-sponsors are essential in getting the bill introduced and moving forward in the legislative process. They play a vital role in advocating for the bill and gathering support from their colleagues.

During this stage, the bill is drafted and takes shape. It is important to note that the bill must be carefully crafted, as it will undergo scrutiny and potential amendments in the later stages. The bill's language, scope, and potential impact are all considered during the proposal stage.

The proposal stage is also a time for negotiation and collaboration. The sponsor and co-sponsors may need to make compromises and adjustments to the bill to gain a broader base of support. It is crucial to build a strong foundation of support for the bill before it is introduced, as this will increase its chances of success in the following steps.

The Bill Is Introduced

The first step in the legislative process is the introduction of a bill to Congress. Anyone can write a bill, but only members of Congress can introduce legislation. 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. Once a bill is introduced, it can be found on Congress.gov, the official government website that tracks federal legislation.

When a bill is introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, 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 bill's sponsor is the primary Congress member supporting it. The other members who support the bill are called co-sponsors. Before a bill is introduced, it needs a sponsor. The Representative talks with other Representatives about the bill, hoping to get their support. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, it is ready to be introduced.

The Bill Goes to Committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is sent to a committee. Both the House and the Senate have various committees composed of groups of Congress members with specific interests and expertise in different topics such as health, agriculture, international affairs, and so on.

When a bill reaches the committee, it is carefully examined and its chances of passage by the entire Congress are determined. The committee may hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill, allowing the views of experts, executive branch members, other public officials, supporters, and opponents of the bill to be recorded. Hearings are also used to gather opinions and further examine the bill. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead".

If the committee wishes to gather more information before deciding on whether to send the bill to the House floor, it is sent to a subcommittee. The subcommittee will closely examine the bill and gather expert opinions before sending it back to the committee for approval.

Once the hearings and subcommittee review are completed, the committee will meet to make changes and amendments to the bill. They will then vote on whether to recommend the bill to the "floor". If the committee votes against reporting the bill 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 will then write a committee report, which describes the purpose and scope of the bill, and the reasons for its approval. The report will also include a section-by-section analysis, outlining what each section of the bill is intended to accomplish. All changes to existing laws must be indicated in the report, along with the text of any laws being repealed. The report is then sent to the Government Printing Office to be printed and made available to the public.

The Bill Is Voted On

Once a bill has been introduced, assigned to a committee, and reported to the House floor, it 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 to 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 and is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the U.S. Senate.

The process in the Senate is similar, with Senators voting 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.

The Bill Is Sent to the President

Once a bill has been approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, it is sent to the President. The President has three options:

• Sign and pass the bill, which becomes a law.
• Refuse to sign or veto the bill, which is sent back to the House of Representatives along with the President's reasons for the veto. If the House and the Senate still believe the bill should become law, they can hold another vote on the bill. If two-thirds of the Representatives and Senators support the bill, the President's veto is overridden and the bill becomes a law.
• Do nothing (pocket veto). If Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law after 10 days. If Congress is not in session, the bill does not become law.

Frequently asked questions