The Journey Of A Federal Bill To Law

Creating laws is the most important job of the US government. In the US, the federal legislative powers – the ability to consider bills and enact laws – reside with Congress, which consists of the US Senate and the House of Representatives.

The process of turning a bill into a law begins with an idea. These ideas can come from a sitting member of the US Senate or House of Representatives, or be proposed during their election campaign. Bills can also be petitioned by citizens or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The bill is then put before that chamber to be voted on. If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes to the other body to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions. Then both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, they present it to the president.

The president then has the choice to 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. However, 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, known as a pocket veto, which cannot be overridden by Congress.

A bill is proposed by a member of the House of Representatives or the Senate

The process of a bill becoming a law at the federal level begins with the proposal of a bill by a member of the House of Representatives or the Senate. The bill is then introduced, during which 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. The bill is assigned a number, with "H.R." signifying a House bill and "S." indicating a Senate bill.

The bill is then sent to a committee, which reviews, researches, and revises the bill before voting on whether to send it back to the House floor. The committee may also send the bill to a subcommittee for further examination and expert opinions before it is sent back to the committee for approval. Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent back to the House floor, where it is debated and changes are recommended.

The bill is then ready to be voted on. There are three methods for voting on a bill in the House of Representatives: viva voce (voice vote), division, and recorded. If the bill passes in the House of Representatives, it is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the Senate.

The bill is introduced to the House or Senate

Once a bill has been 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.

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 US House of Representatives. When a bill is introduced, 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 is then referred to a committee with jurisdiction over the primary issue of the legislation. Sometimes a bill will be referred to multiple committees. And sometimes the bill is referred to a subcommittee first. The chair of the relevant committee determines whether there will be a hearing on the bill (which is an opportunity for witnesses to provide testimony) and then whether there will be a markup, which refers to the process by which the proposed bill is debated, amended, and rewritten. Usually, a subcommittee holds the hearing, and then the bill can be marked up, first in subcommittee and then in full committee (although action can be taken only at the full committee level). After amendments are adopted or rejected, the chair can move to vote the bill favourably out of committee. If the committee votes in favour of the bill, it is reported to the floor. This procedure is called "ordering a bill reported".

Once reported, a bill is ready to be debated by the US House of Representatives. When a bill is debated, Representatives discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it. Then, a reading clerk reads the bill section by section and the Representatives recommend changes. When all changes have been made, the bill is ready to be voted on.

The bill is assigned to a committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee. The committee is made up of groups of Representatives or Senators who are experts on the topic of the bill. For example, a bill about agriculture would be assigned to a committee of Representatives or Senators who are experts on agriculture.

The committee members review, research, and revise the bill. They may also 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 bill to be put on the record.

If the committee members would like more information before deciding whether to send the bill back to the House floor, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. A subcommittee is a group of experts with further specialization on a certain topic. The subcommittee closely examines the bill and gathers expert opinions before sending it back to the committee for approval.

Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent, or reported, to the House floor.

The committee reviews, discusses, and makes changes to the bill

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee. The committee is made up of groups of representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. The committee members review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the House floor.

The committee chair determines whether there will be a hearing on the bill, which is an opportunity for witnesses to provide testimony, and then whether there will be a markup, which refers to the process by which the proposed bill is debated, amended, and rewritten. Usually, a subcommittee holds the hearing, and then the bill can be marked up, first in subcommittee and then in full committee. After amendments are adopted or rejected, the chair can move to vote the bill out of committee.

If the committee approves a bill, it is sent, or reported, to the House floor. Once reported, a bill is ready to be debated by the House.

The committee chair's staff writes a report of the bill, describing the intent of the legislation, the legislative history (such as hearings in the committee), the impact on existing laws and programs, and the position of the majority of members of the committee. The report is sent to the Government Printing Office, where it is printed and copies are made available in the document rooms of both Houses.

If the committee does not act on a bill, the bill is considered to be "dead".

The bill is voted on by the House or Senate

Once a bill has been introduced and assigned to a committee, it is then put before the chamber to be voted on. In the case of the 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. When a bill is introduced, 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.

There are three methods for voting on a bill in the House:

• 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 the Representatives say or select yes, the bill passes in the House. The bill is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the 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 the Senators say "yea," the bill passes in the Senate and is ready to go to the President.

Frequently asked questions