Diagramming Lawmaking: A Visual Guide To Flvs Bill-To-Law Process

The process of how a bill becomes a law involves several steps and can be challenging to navigate. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one, which can be initiated by a member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives or even arise from citizen input. This journey begins with the drafting and introduction of the bill, followed by its referral to committees and subcommittees for review, research, and potential amendments. The bill then undergoes voting by the full chamber, and if passed, it is referred to the other chamber, repeating the process. Once both chambers approve, they reconcile their versions and present the bill to the President for approval or veto. If vetoed, Congress can attempt to override it, but if left unsigned until Congress adjourns, it results in a pocket veto that cannot be overridden. Understanding this transformation from bill to law is crucial for comprehending the legislative process and the creation of laws in the United States.

Bill is drafted

The bill-drafting process begins with an idea for a law, which can come from a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or be proposed by citizens or advocacy groups. Citizens who have ideas for new laws can contact their Representatives to discuss their ideas. If Representatives agree with the proposal, they research the ideas and write them into bills. 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 has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, it is ready to 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 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, it is assigned a number that begins with H.R. and is read by a reading clerk to all the Representatives. The Speaker of the House then sends the bill to one of the House standing committees. These committees are composed of groups of Representatives who are experts on specific topics, such as agriculture, education, or international relations.

The committee members review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether to send it back to the House floor. If the committee requires additional information before making a decision, the bill is referred to a subcommittee for further examination and to gather expert opinions. After the subcommittee review, the bill is sent back to the committee for approval.

Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent or "reported" to the House floor for debate. Representatives discuss the bill, explaining their agreement or disagreement with it. A reading clerk then reads the bill section by section, and the Representatives recommend changes. This process of debate and revision is crucial to ensure that the bill is thoroughly vetted and improved before proceeding to the next stage of the legislative process.

Bill is introduced

The bill-making process begins with an idea. This idea can come from a Representative, citizen, or advocacy group. Once a Representative has written a bill, it needs a sponsor. The sponsor will talk with other Representatives to get their support. Once a bill has a sponsor and some support, 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 in the House of Representatives. Only Representatives can introduce bills in the House. Once introduced, a bill is given a number by a bill clerk. This number 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 committee reviews, researches, and revises the bill before voting on whether to send it back to the House floor. If the committee would like more information, the bill is sent to a subcommittee to be closely examined and for expert opinions to be gathered. The subcommittee may make changes to the bill and must vote to refer it back to the full committee. Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent to the House floor to be debated.

Bill goes to committee

Once a bill is introduced, it is referred to a committee. Both the House and the Senate have various committees composed of groups of Congress members with expertise in different topics, such as health, agriculture, education, or international affairs and relations. 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".

Subcommittees are organized under committees and have further specialization on a certain topic. Often, committees 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. While in subcommittee, the bill is closely examined and expert opinions are gathered before it is sent back to the committee for approval.

When the hearings and subcommittee review are completed, the committee will meet to "mark up" the bill. They make changes and amendments prior to recommending the bill to the "floor". If a committee votes not to report 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. This procedure is called "ordering a bill reported".

When the bill reaches the committee, the committee members review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send the bill back to the House floor. If the committee members would like more information before deciding, the bill is sent to a subcommittee.

Bill is voted on

Once a bill has been introduced, debated, and amended, it is put to a vote. In the U.S. House of Representatives, there are three methods of voting: viva voce, division, and recorded. In a viva voce vote, the Speaker of the House asks supporters of the bill to say "aye" and opponents to say "no". In a division vote, supporters and opponents of the bill stand up and are counted. In a recorded vote, Representatives record their vote electronically, selecting "yes", "no", or "present" if they do not wish to vote. If a majority of Representatives vote "yes", the bill passes in the House and is certified by the Clerk of the House before being delivered to the U.S. Senate.

In the Senate, voting is done by voice. Supporters of the bill say "yea", while opponents say "nay". If a majority of Senators say "yea", the bill passes in the Senate and is ready to be sent to the President.

If a bill passes in both the House and the Senate, it is then presented to the President, who has three options. They can sign and pass the bill, at which point it becomes a law. They can refuse to sign or veto the bill, sending it back to Congress along with their reasons for the veto. Or they can do nothing, in what is known as a "pocket veto". If Congress is in session, the bill will automatically become law after 10 days of inaction by the President. However, if Congress is not in session, the bill will not become law.

If the President vetoes a bill, Congress can attempt to override the veto by holding another vote. If two-thirds of Representatives and Senators support the bill, the President's veto is overridden and the bill becomes a law.

Bill is sent to the President

When a bill reaches the President, it has already been through a long process, passing through both Houses of Congress and being voted on by both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The President has three options: to sign and pass the bill, to veto it, or to do nothing.

If the President approves of the bill, they will sign it, and it will become a law. It will then be sent to the Office of the Federal Register (OFR) for final publication in Title 3 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). At this point, the bill has legal effect in whatever jurisdiction it applies to.

However, if the President does not approve of the bill, they can choose to veto it. In this case, the bill is sent back to the House of Representatives, along with the President's reasons for the veto. If the House of Representatives and the Senate still believe the bill should become law, they can hold another vote. If two-thirds of the Representatives and Senators support the bill, the President's veto is overridden, and the bill becomes a law.

The President can also choose to do nothing, which is known as a "pocket veto". If Congress is in session, the bill will automatically become law after 10 days. However, if Congress is not in session, the bill will not become a law.

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