The Bill's Journey: Law-Making Process Explained

The process of turning a bill into a law is a long and complex one. In the United States, all laws begin as ideas, which may come from a Representative or citizen. If a Representative agrees with a citizen's idea, they will research it and write it into a bill. The bill then needs a sponsor and the support of other Representatives before it can be introduced. Once introduced, the bill is placed in the hopper, a special box on the side of the clerk's desk, and assigned a number. A reading clerk then reads the bill to all the Representatives before sending it to a committee. The committee reviews, researches, and revises the bill, and may send it to a subcommittee for further examination. If the committee approves the bill, it is sent back to the House floor for debate and voting. If the bill passes in the House, it is sent to the Senate, where it goes through a similar process. Once the bill has passed in both the House and the Senate, it is sent to the President, who can choose to sign and pass the bill, veto it, or do nothing (pocket veto). If the President vetoes the bill, Congress can hold another vote, and if two-thirds of Representatives and Senators support the bill, the President's veto is overridden and the bill becomes a law.

A bill is proposed by a Representative

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. Once 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 introduced

The process of turning a bill into a law begins with the introduction of the bill. 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. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned 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.

When a bill is introduced in the Senate, the process is slightly different. Members must gain recognition from the presiding officer to announce the introduction of a bill during the morning hour. If any senator objects, the introduction of the bill is postponed until the next day. The bill is then assigned a number (e.g. S 1) and sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO), where copies are made.

After a bill is introduced in either the House or the Senate, it is assigned to a committee. This committee will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee may also hold hearings and refer the bill to a subcommittee for further study. Once the committee has finished its work, it will vote on whether to send the bill back to the full chamber. If the bill is approved by the committee, it is sent back to the full chamber for further consideration.

The introduction of a bill is just the first step in the legislative process. Once a bill has been introduced and assigned to a committee, it will go through several more stages of consideration and voting before it can become a law.

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 who are experts on the bill's topic, such as agriculture, education, or international relations. The committee reviews, researches, and revises the bill, and votes on whether to send it back to the House floor. If the committee would like more information, the bill is sent to a subcommittee, where it is closely examined and expert opinions are gathered before being sent back to the committee for approval.

The committee may also choose to hold hearings to better understand the bill's implications. Hearings allow the views of the executive branch, experts, other public officials, supporters, and opponents of the bill to be put on record. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead".

If the committee approves a bill, it is sent or "reported" to the House floor, where it is ready to be debated. A committee will also hold a "mark-up" session, where revisions and additions are made. If substantial amendments are made, the committee can order the introduction of a "clean bill", which will include the proposed amendments. This new bill will have a new number and will be sent to the floor while the old bill is discarded. The chamber must approve, change, or reject all committee amendments before conducting a final passage vote.

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 adopted. Committee members who oppose a bill sometimes write a dissenting opinion in the report. The report is sent back to the whole chamber and is placed on the calendar.

The bill is voted on

Once a bill has been debated and 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 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, voting is done by voice. Senators 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 U.S. Senate and is ready to go to the President.

The bill is sent to the President

When a bill reaches the President, he has three options. Firstly, he can sign the bill and pass it, at which point it becomes law. Secondly, he can veto the bill, sending it back to the House of Representatives with his reasons for doing so. If the House and the Senate still believe the bill should become law, they can hold another vote, and if two-thirds of Representatives and Senators support the bill, the President's veto is overridden and the bill becomes law. Thirdly, the President can 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 law.

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