The Legislative Process: A Bill's Journey To Becoming Law

The process of turning a bill into a law is a long and complex one. Here is a brief overview of the six major points:

1. Bill Creation: 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.

2. Introduction: Once a bill is drafted, it is introduced by a sponsor and assigned a legislative number. In the House of Representatives, this is done by placing it in the hopper, a special box on the side of the clerk's desk.

3. Committee Action: The bill is then assigned to a committee, which will research, discuss, and make changes to it. The committee may also refer the bill to a subcommittee for further study and hearings.

4. Floor Action: After the committee stage, the bill is returned to the full House or Senate for further debate and approval. Members can propose amendments, add text, or otherwise alter the bill.

5. Voting: The bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on. If it passes one body of Congress, it goes to the other body to go through a similar process.

6. Presidential Action: Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions. The final bill is then presented to the President for approval. The President can approve the bill, veto it, or do nothing (known as a pocket veto). If the President vetoes the bill, Congress can vote to override the veto, and the bill becomes a law.

Bill creation

Step 1: The Creation of a Bill

Any member of the House of Representatives or the Senate can draft a bill. These ideas can come from the members themselves or from everyday citizens and advocacy groups. The member of Congress who drafts the bill is known as the "sponsor", and other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors".

Step 2: The Bill is Proposed

The Representative who has written the bill must find a sponsor and gain the support of other Representatives. Once the bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, it is ready to be introduced.

Step 3: The Bill is Introduced

In 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. A bill clerk assigns it a number that begins with "H.R." (e.g., H.R. 1001), and a reading clerk then reads the bill to all the Representatives.

Step 4: The Bill Goes to Committee

The Speaker of the House then sends the bill to one of the House standing committees, whose members review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether to send it back to the House floor. If the committee members want 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.

Step 5: The Bill is Reported

When the committee has approved a bill, it is sent or "reported" to the House floor, where it is ready to be 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.

Step 6: The Bill is Voted On

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

• Viva Voce (voice vote): The Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support the bill to say "aye" and those who oppose it to say "no."
• Division: The Speaker asks those who support the bill to stand up and be counted, and then does the same for those who oppose it.
• Recorded: Representatives record their vote using the electronic voting system, selecting "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 House of Representatives. The bill is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the Senate.

Committee action

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee will then decide whether to pass the bill, revise and release the bill, or lay the bill aside.

Committees are assigned according to the subject matter of the bill. For example, a bill about agriculture will be assigned to a committee of representatives who are experts on that topic. Committees may also refer the bill to one of their subcommittees.

The subcommittee may request reports from government agencies, hold hearings so experts and interested parties have an opportunity to offer testimony regarding the issue, "mark up" or revise the bill, or report the legislation to the full committee for its consideration.

If the committee members would like more information before deciding if the bill should be sent to the House floor, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. While in subcommittee, the bill is closely examined and expert opinions are gathered before it is sent back to the committee for approval.

Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent—or reported—to the House floor. Once reported, a bill is ready to be debated by the U.S. House of Representatives.

Floor action

Once a bill has been through the committee stage, it is returned to the full House or Senate for further debate and approval. This is known as the floor action stage. At this point, members may propose amendments to the bill, add additional text, or otherwise alter the bill.

During floor action, members of the House or Senate can propose amendments to the bill, which may include adding, modifying, or deleting provisions. These amendments are subject to debate and require a majority vote to be adopted. The specific process for proposing and adopting amendments can vary depending on the chamber's rules and procedures.

After floor action, the bill is voted on by the members of the House or Senate. This vote typically requires a simple majority to pass the bill. However, the rules may differ depending on the chamber and the type of bill being considered.

In the case of the House of Representatives, there are three methods for voting on a bill: viva voce (voice vote), division, and recorded vote. In a voice vote, the Speaker of the House asks those in support to say "aye" and those opposed to say "no." For a division vote, the Speaker asks supporters to stand and be counted, followed by those opposed. A recorded vote allows representatives to vote electronically, choosing "yes," "no," or "present" if they do not wish to vote.

The floor action stage is a critical juncture in the journey of a bill towards becoming a law. It provides an opportunity for members to engage in robust debate, propose amendments, and ultimately shape the final version of the bill before it advances to the next stage of the legislative process.

Conference committees

Once the Conference Report has been agreed to by both chambers, the resulting bill returns to the House and Senate for final approval. If the bill is approved by both chambers, the Government Publishing Office prints the revised bill in a process called enrolling. The President then has 10 days to sign or veto the enrolled bill. If the President does not act within 10 days, the bill automatically becomes law.

Presidential action

Once a bill has been passed by both chambers of Congress, it is sent to the President for their approval or signature, which, if granted, creates a Public Law. The President has three options:

• Sign and pass the bill — The President can approve the bill and sign it into law.
• Veto the bill — The President can refuse to approve a bill. This is called a veto. If the President chooses to veto a bill, in most cases, Congress can vote to override that veto, and the bill becomes a law.
• Pocket veto — 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. This action is called a pocket veto, and it cannot be overridden by Congress.

Frequently asked questions