Understanding The Lawmaking Process: Steps To Enact Legislation

In the United States, laws are created by the House of Representatives, and all laws begin as bills. The process of a bill becoming a law involves several steps, including proposal, introduction, committee review, voting, referral to the Senate, and, finally, approval by the President. This journey from bill to law is a complex and lengthy procedure, with many opportunities for the bill to be amended or rejected.

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, or it can be proposed by citizens or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to their member of Congress. 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.

Once a Representative has written a bill, it needs a sponsor. The Representative talks with other Representatives about the bill in the hopes of gaining their support. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, it is ready to be introduced. 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, a bill clerk assigns it a number that begins with H.R.

When a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. Both the House and Senate have various committees composed of groups of Congress members with particular interests and expertise in different topics, such as health or international affairs. When a bill is with the committee, it is carefully examined and its chances of passage by the entire Congress are determined. The committee may choose to hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill, allowing the views of experts and supporters and opponents of the bill to be put on record. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead".

Subcommittees are organised under committees and have further specialisation on a certain topic. Committees often refer bills to a subcommittee for study and hearings. The subcommittee may make changes to the bill and must vote to refer a bill back to the full committee.

A bill is introduced

The first step in the process of a bill becoming a law is for it to be introduced. This can be done by any member of Congress, either from the Senate or the House of Representatives. The idea for a bill can also be proposed by citizens or citizen groups, who can recommend a new or amended law to their member of Congress. Citizens can contact their Representatives to discuss their ideas, and if the Representatives agree, they will research the ideas and write them into bills.

Once a bill has been drafted, it needs a sponsor—the primary Congress member supporting it. Other members who support the bill are called co-sponsors. The Representative will then talk to other Representatives about the bill to try to get their support. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, it is ready to be introduced. In the US 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 House of Representatives.

When a bill is introduced in the 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. In the Senate, the bill clerk assigns a legislative number that begins with S.

Once a bill has been introduced, it can be found on Congress.gov, the official government website that tracks federal legislation.

A bill goes to committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is sent to a committee. The committee is made up of groups of representatives who are experts on the topic of the bill. For example, a bill about agriculture will be sent to a committee of representatives with expertise in that area.

The committee will then review, research, and revise the bill. They may also hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill and gather expert opinions. The committee may also choose to send the bill to a subcommittee for further examination and to gather more expert opinions before it is sent back to the committee for approval.

If the committee approves the bill, it is sent or reported to the House floor, where it can be debated by the House of Representatives. Representatives can discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it.

The committee stage is a crucial part of the legislative process, as it allows for a detailed examination of the bill and gives an opportunity for experts in the relevant field to provide input. This helps to ensure that the bill is thoroughly vetted before it moves forward in the legislative process.

A bill is reported

Once a bill has been reviewed by a committee and, if necessary, a subcommittee, it is sent back to the committee for final approval. This is known as "ordering a bill reported" or "reporting the bill out of committee". If the committee approves the bill, it is reported to the floor, meaning it is sent or "reported" to the House floor and is ready to be debated by the U.S. House of Representatives.

When a bill is debated, Representatives discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it. A reading clerk reads the bill section by section, and the Representatives 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, division, and recorded. In a viva voce vote, the Speaker of the House asks supporters of the bill to say "aye" and those against it to say "no". In a division vote, the Speaker asks supporters to stand up and be counted, and then does the same for opponents of the bill. In a recorded vote, Representatives record their vote using an electronic voting system, and 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 U.S. House of Representatives and is certified by the Clerk of the House before being delivered to the U.S. Senate.

A bill is voted on

Once a bill has been introduced and assigned to a committee, it is put before the chamber 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 say or select 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.

In the Senate, the bill is also debated and voted on. Again, a simple majority (51 out of 100) passes the bill. If the bill passes in the Senate, it is sent to the President.

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