Understanding Bills: Laws And Their Making

how do i know if a bill has become law

In the United States, a bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. A bill can be introduced by a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or be proposed during their election campaign. Members of the public can also petition their representatives to introduce a bill. Once a bill is introduced, it 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. 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 between the two versions, after which both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, it is presented to the president, who can either approve the bill and sign it into law or 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.

lawshun

The bill is drafted

The legislative process begins with the drafting of a bill, which is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one. Any member of Congress, including Senators and Representatives, can draft a bill. These ideas can originate from the members of Congress themselves or from everyday citizens and advocacy groups. When a Representative agrees with a citizen's idea for a bill, they will research the idea and write it into a bill. The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor", and other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors".

Once a bill is drafted, it must be 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. A bill is introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives 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 House. 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.

Committees are composed of groups of Congress members with a particular interest or expertise in different topics, such as health, agriculture, education, or international affairs. The committee members review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether to send it back to the House floor. If the committee members require additional information before making their decision, the bill is sent to a subcommittee for further examination and to gather expert opinions.

After the committee has approved a bill, it is sent, or reported, to the House floor, where it is ready to be debated by the U.S. House of Representatives. During the debate, Representatives discuss the bill and explain their reasons for supporting or opposing it. A reading clerk then reads the bill section by section, and the Representatives recommend changes. Once all the recommended changes have been made, the bill is ready to be voted on.

lawshun

The bill is introduced

The bill-making process begins with the drafting of a bill, which is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. Anyone can propose a bill, from sitting members of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives to citizen groups. However, only members of each chamber may officially introduce a bill. The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor", and other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors".

Once a bill is drafted, it must be introduced. If a Representative is the sponsor, the bill is introduced in the House. This is done by placing the bill in the "hopper" (a wooden box on the House floor) next to the Clerk's desk in the House Chamber. The sponsor's signature must appear on the bill, and the bill is then assigned a legislative number by the Clerk. On the other hand, if a Senator is the sponsor, the bill is introduced in the Senate and submitted to the clerks on the Senate floor. Upon introduction, the bill will receive a designation based on the chamber of introduction. For example, H.R. or H.J.Res. for House-originated bills or joint resolutions and S. or S.J.Res. for Senate-originated measures. It will also receive a number, typically the next number in sequence during that two-year Congress.

In the House, the Speaker refers the bill to all committees that have jurisdiction over the provisions in the bill. Most bills fall under the jurisdiction of one committee, and if multiple committees are involved, each committee works only on the portion of the bill under its jurisdiction. One committee will be designated the primary committee of jurisdiction and will lead on any action. In the Senate, bills are typically referred to just one committee with jurisdiction over the predominant issue in the bill. In rare cases, a bill might not be referred to a committee but is instead placed directly on the Senate Calendar of Business through a series of procedural steps.

Once a bill is introduced and referred to a committee, it is carefully examined, and its chances of passage by the entire Congress are determined. Committees are composed of groups of Congress members with a particular interest in different topics, such as health or international affairs. The committee may hold hearings to better understand the bill's implications and put the views of experts, public officials, supporters, and opponents on the record. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead".

Water Bill Law: What's the Verdict?

You may want to see also

lawshun

The bill goes to committee

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee. Committees are composed of groups of Congress members with a particular interest in a given topic, such as health or international affairs. The bill is carefully examined by the committee, and hearings may be held to better understand the bill's implications. The committee may also choose to hold hearings to put the views of the executive branch, experts, other public officials, supporters, and opponents on the record. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead".

Committees can refer bills to a subcommittee for further study and hearings. The subcommittee may make changes to the bill and must vote to refer it back to the full committee. Once hearings and subcommittee reviews are completed, the committee will meet to make changes and amendments before recommending the bill to the "floor". If a committee votes against reporting legislation to the full chamber of Congress, the bill dies. If the committee votes in favor of the bill, it is reported to the floor, and this procedure is called "ordering a bill reported".

After the bill is reported, the committee staff prepares a written report explaining why they favor the bill and why they wish to see their amendments, if any, adopted. Committee members who oppose a bill may write a dissenting opinion in the report. The report is sent back to the whole chamber and is placed on the calendar. In the House, most bills go to the Rules Committee before reaching the floor. The Rules Committee adopts rules that will govern the procedures under which the bill will be considered by the House. A "closed rule", for example, sets strict time limits on debate and forbids the introduction of amendments. These rules can have a major impact on whether the bill passes.

In the House, the Speaker may set time limits on committees. Bills are placed on the committee's calendar, and failure to act on a bill is equivalent to killing it. Bills in the House can only be released from committee without a proper committee vote by a discharge petition signed by a majority of the House membership (218 members). In the Senate, bills are typically referred to a committee in a similar process, though almost always, the bill is referred only to the committee with jurisdiction over the issue that predominates in the bill.

The Journey of a Bill to an Act in India

You may want to see also

lawshun

The bill is voted on

Once a bill has been drafted, introduced, and assigned to a committee, it is put before the chamber to be voted on. This is known as the "floor". The bill is then passed or defeated by the members voting.

In the House of Representatives, a simple majority (218 out of 435) is required to pass a bill. The bill is first debated and voted on in the House, and if it passes, it is sent to the Senate. In the Senate, a simple majority (51 out of 100) is required to pass a bill. The bill is debated and voted on in the Senate, and if it passes, it is sent back to the House.

If the bill passes both the House and the Senate, the two chambers must work together to reconcile any differences between their versions of the bill. This is done by a conference committee, which is made up of members from both chambers. The conference committee works to create a final version of the bill that is acceptable to both chambers. Once a final version is agreed upon, the bill is sent back to both chambers for a final vote.

It is important to note that the House and Senate have different procedures for debating and amending bills. The House typically uses a majority vote, while the Senate relies more on deliberation and debate before voting. Additionally, there may be multiple rounds of voting and amendments before a final version of the bill is agreed upon.

Overall, the process of a bill being voted on and passing through the chambers is a complex and lengthy one, involving multiple steps and the input of many different parties.

lawshun

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 for review. The President has several options at this stage. If the President approves of the bill, they can sign it into law. If the President does nothing for 10 days and Congress is still in session, the bill will automatically become law.

However, if the President opposes the bill, they can veto it. In this case, the bill will be sent back to Congress, along with the President's reasons for the veto. Congress can then attempt to override the veto by holding 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.

On the other hand, if Congress adjourns before the 10-day period is up and the President has not signed the bill, it will not become law. This is called a "pocket veto". If Congress still wants to pass the legislation after a pocket veto, they must restart the entire legislative process.

Frequently asked questions

The first step is the bill being drafted. Any member of Congress can draft a bill, and these ideas can come from the members themselves or everyday citizens and advocacy groups.

Once a bill is drafted, it must be 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.

After being introduced, a bill is assigned to a committee. The committee will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill.

The bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on. If it passes one body of Congress, it goes to the other body to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting.

If a bill passes both the House and the Senate, it is presented to the President. The President can choose to approve the bill and sign it into law, or they can veto it.

If the President vetoes a bill, Congress can attempt to override the veto. If both the Senate and the House pass the bill with a two-thirds majority vote, the bill becomes a law despite the President's veto.

Written by
Reviewed by
Share this post
Print
Did this article help you?

Leave a comment