The Legislative Process: From Bill To Law

In the United States, the process of turning a bill into a law involves several steps and the participation of Congress, which consists of the US Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as the President. The journey of a bill to become a law begins with an idea, which can come from a Representative or a citizen. This idea is then drafted into a bill, introduced, and assigned to a committee for review, research, and potential revisions. The bill then goes through several stages of voting and approval by the House and the Senate, with the potential for amendments, before being presented to the President for approval or veto. If vetoed, Congress can override the decision under certain conditions. Understanding these steps is crucial for effective advocacy and influencing public policy.

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, be proposed during their election campaign, or be petitioned by citizens or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them.

Once an idea for a bill has been formulated, the bill needs to be drafted. Any member of Congress can introduce legislation, but the person who introduces a bill is called the "sponsor". The primary Congress member supporting the bill is the sponsor, and other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors". The sponsor will talk with other Representatives about the bill in the hopes of getting their support for it. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, it is ready to be introduced.

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. The House clerk assigns a legislative number for bills introduced in the House of Representatives (e.g. H.R. 1001). 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 U.S. Senate, the Senate clerk assigns a legislative number for bills (e.g. S. 1002). 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 bill is introduced, it can be found on Congress.gov, which is the official government website that tracks federal legislation.

A bill is introduced

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. Once a bill is 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. Only Representatives can introduce bills in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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. A bill clerk then 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.

When a bill is introduced in the U.S. Senate, the Senate clerk assigns a legislative number for bills introduced in the Senate (e.g. S. 1002). 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.

Once 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 who are particularly interested in different topics such as health, education, agriculture, or international affairs. 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, the bill is considered to be "dead". Often, committees refer bills to a subcommittee for study and their own hearings. The subcommittee may make changes to the bill and must vote to refer a bill back to the full committee.

A bill goes to committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee. Committees are groups of members of Congress or Representatives who are experts on a particular topic, such as health, agriculture, education, or international relations. Both the House and the Senate have various committees. The committee carefully examines the bill and determines its chances of passage by Congress.

Committees may hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill and gather expert opinions. These hearings allow the views of the executive branch, experts, other public officials, supporters, and opponents of the legislation to be put on the record. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead".

Committees can also refer bills to a subcommittee for further study and hearings. Subcommittees have further specialization in a certain topic. The subcommittee may make changes to the bill and must vote to refer it back to the full committee. The full committee will then meet to "mark up" the bill, making changes and amendments before recommending it to the "floor". If the committee votes against the bill, it dies. If they vote in favour, it is reported to the floor.

When a bill reaches the floor, there is additional debate, and members of the full chamber vote to approve any amendments. The bill is then either passed or defeated.

A bill is reported

Once a bill has been introduced, it is sent to a committee. Committees are composed of groups of members of the House of Representatives or Senate who are experts on the topic of the bill. The committee will review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether to send it back to the House or Senate floor. If the committee would like more information before making a decision, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. The subcommittee will closely examine the bill and gather expert opinions before sending it back to the committee for approval.

If the committee approves a bill, it is sent, or reported, to the House or Senate floor. Once reported, a bill is ready to be debated. Representatives or Senators will discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it. A reading clerk will then read the bill section by section, and the members of the House or Senate will recommend changes. When all changes have been made, the bill is ready to be voted on.

There are three methods for voting on a bill in the House of Representatives: viva voce, division, and recorded. In the Senate, members vote by voice, saying "yea" if they support the bill and "nay" if they oppose it. If a majority of members of the House or Senate support the bill, it passes and is ready to be referred to the other chamber.

A bill is voted on

Once a bill has been introduced, assigned a number, and passed through the committee stage, it is ready to be voted on. In the US House of Representatives, there are three methods of voting on a bill: viva voce, division, and recorded. In viva voce, the Speaker of the House asks Representatives to say "aye" if they support the bill and "no" if they oppose it. In division, the Speaker asks supporters of the bill to stand up and be counted, and then asks the same of those who oppose it. In recorded, Representatives record their vote using an electronic voting system, selecting "yes", "no", or "present" if they don't want to vote on the bill. A majority vote is required for a bill to pass in the House. The bill is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the US 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 Senators say "yea", the bill passes in the Senate and is ready to be sent to the President.

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