Gavin Howe
The process of a bill becoming a law is a complex one, but it is the most important job of the U.S. House of Representatives. The first step is for a bill to be proposed, which can be done by any member of the House or Senate, or even by citizens who have ideas for laws. Once a bill has been proposed, it needs a sponsor, and the support of other Representatives, before it can be introduced. The introduction of a bill involves it being placed in the hopper, a special box on the side of the clerk's desk, where it is assigned a number and read to all the Representatives. The Speaker of the House then sends the bill to one of the House standing committees, where committee 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 for closer examination and to gather expert opinions. Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent back to the House floor to be debated and voted on. If the bill passes in the House, it is then certified by the Clerk of the House and sent to the U.S. Senate, where it goes through a similar process. If the bill passes in the Senate, it is sent to the President, who can choose to sign and pass the bill, refuse to sign or veto it, or do nothing (pocket veto). If the President vetoes the bill, Congress may attempt to override the veto with a two-thirds vote. If the President does nothing and Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law after 10 days.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Who can propose a bill? | A sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or be proposed during their election campaign. Bills can also be petitioned by people or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them. |
| Who can introduce a bill? | Only members of Congress can introduce legislation. |
| Who can be a sponsor? | The Representative who wrote the bill. |
| Who can be a co-sponsor? | Any member of the same body (House or Senate) can add their name as a co-sponsor after the day of introduction. |
| What is the first step in the legislative process? | The introduction of a bill to Congress. |
| What is the second step in the legislative process? | The bill is referred to the appropriate committee for review. |
| What is the third step in the legislative process? | The bill is reported to the floor of the House or Senate, and the majority party leadership decides when to place the bill on the calendar for consideration. |
| What is the fourth step in the legislative process? | The bill is debated and voted on. |
| What is the fifth step in the legislative process? | The bill is sent to the President for consideration. |
| What are the President's options? | The President can sign it into law, veto it and send it back to Congress, take no action, or use a pocket veto. |
| What is a pocket veto? | If the President takes no action on a bill and Congress adjourns before the 10-day period is up, the bill dies and Congress may not vote to override. |
| What is the sixth step in the legislative process? | If the President vetoes, Congress can override the veto by passing the bill again in each chamber with at least two-thirds of each body voting in favor. |
What You'll Learn
A bill is proposed
The first step in the legislative process is the introduction of a bill to Congress. Anyone can write a bill, but only members of Congress can introduce legislation. 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 written, it needs a sponsor. The sponsor will talk to other members of Congress about the bill to try and get their support. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of other members of Congress, it is ready to be introduced.
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A bill is introduced
The first step in the legislative process is the introduction of a bill to Congress. Anyone can write a bill, but only members of Congress can introduce legislation. Some important bills are traditionally introduced at the request of the President, such as the annual federal budget.
When a Representative has written a bill, the bill needs a sponsor. The Representative talks 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. When 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.
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A bill goes to committee
Once a bill has been introduced, it is sent to a committee for review. There are 17 Senate committees, with 70 subcommittees, and 23 House committees, with 104 subcommittees. Each committee oversees a specific policy area, and the subcommittees take on more specialised policy areas. For example, the House Committee on Ways and Means includes subcommittees on Social Security and Trade.
A bill is first considered in a subcommittee, where it may be accepted, amended, or rejected entirely. If the members of the subcommittee agree to move a bill forward, it is reported to the full committee, where the process is repeated again. Throughout this stage, the committees and subcommittees call hearings to investigate the merits and flaws of the bill. They invite experts, advocates, and opponents to appear before the committee and provide testimony, and can compel people to appear using subpoena power if necessary.
If the full committee votes to approve the bill, it is reported to the floor of the House or Senate, and the majority party leadership decides when to place the bill on the calendar for consideration. If a bill is particularly pressing, it may be considered right away. Others may wait for months or never be scheduled at all.
When the bill comes up for consideration, the House has a very structured debate process. Each member who wishes to speak only has a few minutes, and the number and kind of amendments are usually limited. In the Senate, debate on most bills is unlimited — Senators may speak to issues other than the bill under consideration during their speeches, and any amendment can be introduced. Senators can use this to filibuster bills under consideration, a procedure by which a Senator delays a vote on a bill — and by extension its passage — by refusing to stand down. A supermajority of 60 Senators can break a filibuster by invoking cloture, or the cession of debate on the bill, and forcing a vote. Once debate is over, the votes of a simple majority pass the bill.
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A bill is reported
Once a bill has been reviewed, researched, and revised by a committee, it is then sent, or reported, to the House floor. At this stage, the bill is ready to be debated by the U.S. House of Representatives.
During the debate, 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 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 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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A bill is voted on
Once a bill has been proposed, introduced, and gone through the committee stage, it 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 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.
The process is similar in the Senate, with Senators voting by voice. Those 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.
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Frequently asked questions
A federal bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law.
A bill must be introduced, assigned to a committee, put to a vote, and approved by the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the President.
Anyone can write a federal bill, but only members of Congress can introduce legislation.
The bill is assigned to a committee, which will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on.
It goes to the other body to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions. Then, both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, they present it to the President.
