Understanding The Lawmaking Process: Steps To Enact Legislation

The process of a bill becoming a law is a lengthy one, with many steps to pass through before a bill is passed. The journey of a bill to a law begins with an idea, which can come from a member of the House of Representatives or a citizen. The idea is then written into a bill, which is then proposed and introduced. The bill is then assigned to a committee, which will research and discuss the bill, making changes before it is voted on. Once the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes through a similar process in the other body. Once both bodies have voted to accept the bill, a conference committee is formed to work out any differences between the two versions. The bill then goes to the President, who can approve and sign it into law, or veto it. If the President chooses to veto, Congress can vote to override this and pass the bill into law.

A bill is proposed

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 or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them.

Once a bill has been drafted, it needs a sponsor. The sponsor is the primary Congress member supporting the bill. The other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors". The Representative talks with other Representatives about the bill in the hopes of getting their support for it. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, it is ready to be introduced.

In the U.S. House of Representatives, 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. When a bill is introduced, the House clerk assigns it a legislative number that begins with H.R. (e.g. H.R. 1001). 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.

A bill is introduced

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 or citizen groups. Once a bill is written, it needs a sponsor. The representative talks with other representatives about the bill in the hopes of getting their support. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the representatives, it is ready to be introduced.

In the U.S. House of Representatives, 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. When a bill is introduced, the House clerk assigns it a number that begins with "H.R." (e.g. H.R. 1001). 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 is then assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. Both the House and the Senate have various committees composed of groups of Congress members who are particularly interested in different topics such as health, education, agriculture, or international affairs. When a bill is in the hands of the committee, it is carefully examined and its chances of passage by the entire Congress are determined. The committee may even choose to hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill. Hearings allow the views of the executive branch, experts, other public officials, supporters, and opponents of the legislation to be put on record.

If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead". Often, a committee will refer the bill to one of its subcommittees for further study and hearings. The subcommittee may request reports from government agencies and gather expert opinions before sending the bill back to the committee for approval. The subcommittee may also make changes to the bill and must vote to refer the bill back to the full committee. Once the hearings and subcommittee review are completed, the committee will meet to "mark up" the bill, making changes and amendments prior to recommending the bill to the "floor".

A bill goes to committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee. Committees are groups of representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. They review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the House floor. The committee may also choose to hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill and gather expert opinions.

If the committee requires more information before making a decision, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. A subcommittee will closely examine the bill and gather expert opinions before sending it back to the committee for approval. The committee may then make a recommendation to pass the bill, revise and release the bill (also known as reporting the bill out of the committee), or lay the bill aside (also known as tabling the bill).

If the committee approves the bill, it is sent or reported to the House floor, where it is debated by the House of Representatives. Representatives discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it. A reading clerk reads the bill section by section, and representatives recommend changes. Once all changes have been made, the bill is ready to be voted on.

A bill is reported

Once a bill has been approved by a committee, it is sent to the House floor to be debated. This is when a bill is reported.

When a bill is reported, a reading clerk will read the bill section by section. Representatives will then discuss the bill, explaining why they agree or disagree with it, and recommend changes. Once all changes have been made, the bill 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. The bill is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the U.S. Senate.

A bill is voted on

Once a bill has been introduced and assigned to a committee, it will be researched, discussed, and amended before being put to a vote. 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 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 Representatives vote yes, the bill passes in the House of Representatives. The bill is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the U.S. Senate.

In the Senate, Senators vote by voice. Those who support the bill say "yea", and those who oppose it say "nay". If a majority of Senators say "yea", the bill passes in the U.S. Senate.

If a bill has passed in both the House and the Senate, it is then sent to the President.

Frequently asked questions