The Capitol Source: How Bills Become Laws

The process of a bill becoming a law is a lengthy one, with many steps to be followed. In the United States, the creation and modification of laws is the primary function of Congress, the legislative branch of the government. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one, and it can be introduced by any member of the Senate or House of Representatives. Once introduced, a bill is assigned to a committee, which researches, discusses, and makes changes to it. The bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on. If it passes one body of Congress, it goes through a similar process in the other body. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions and then vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, it is presented to the President, who can approve and sign it into law, or veto it. If the President chooses to veto, Congress can vote to override that veto, and the bill becomes a law.

A bill is proposed by a member of Congress

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. When 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.

The sponsor of the bill may be a member of the House of Representatives or the Senate. 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.

The bill is introduced to the House of Representatives

The process of a bill becoming a law begins with its introduction to the House of Representatives. This is the first step in a long journey, and it is where the bill is born.

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 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 their Congressional representative. Once an idea for a bill has been formulated, it must be drafted.

The bill is then introduced to the House of Representatives. This is done by placing the bill in the 'hopper'—a special box on the side of the clerk's desk. Only Representatives can introduce bills in the House. Once introduced, the bill 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's standing committees.

The committee members—groups of Representatives who are experts on specific topics—then review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether to send it back to the House floor. If the committee wishes to gather more information before making a decision, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. In the 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, where it is ready to be debated. Representatives discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it. A reading clerk then 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.

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

• Viva Voce (voice vote): The Speaker of the House asks those 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 asks those who oppose the bill to do the same.
• Recorded: Representatives record their vote using the electronic voting system, selecting "yes," "no," or "present" if they don't want to vote.

If a majority of Representatives vote "yes," the bill passes in the House and is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the Senate.

The bill is sent to a committee

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. 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 the record. If the committee does not act on a bill, the bill is considered to be "dead".

Committees are composed of groups of Congress members who are particularly interested in different topics such as health or international affairs. Committee members are experts on these topics and will review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the House floor.

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. A subcommittee is a group of experts with further specialization on a certain topic. While in subcommittee, the bill is closely examined and expert opinions are gathered before it is sent back to the committee for approval.

The committee will then 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".

The committee reviews the bill

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee. The committee members are groups of representatives who are experts on specific topics, such as agriculture, education, or international relations. The committee will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. They will also determine the bill's chances of passage by the entire Congress.

The committee may 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 legislation to be put on record. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead".

Subcommittees are organised under committees and have further specialisation on a certain topic. Committees often refer bills to a subcommittee for study and hearings. The subcommittee may make changes to the bill and must vote to refer it back to the full committee.

When the hearings and subcommittee review are completed, the committee will meet to "mark up" the bill. They will make changes and amendments prior to recommending the bill to the "floor". If a committee votes against reporting legislation to the full chamber of Congress, the bill dies. If the committee votes in favour of the bill, it is reported to the floor. This procedure is called "ordering a bill reported".

The bill is voted on

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 may also hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill, allowing the views of experts and the public to be put on record. If the committee does not act on a bill, the bill is considered to be "dead".

If the committee votes in favour of the bill, it is reported to the floor. This procedure is called "ordering a bill reported". Once the bill reaches the floor, there is additional debate, and members of the full chamber vote to approve any amendments. The bill is then passed or defeated by the members' votes.

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 asks 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 vote "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.

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