The Evolution Of Law: From Idea To Article

The process of a law becoming an article is a complex one, and differs between countries. In the United States, laws begin as bills, which are proposed by a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or are proposed during their election campaign. Bills can also be petitioned by citizens or citizen groups, who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee, whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The bill is then put before that chamber to be voted on. If the bill passes one body of Congress, 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, and then both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, they present it to the president. The president then has the choice to approve the bill and sign it into law, or refuse to approve it, which 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. However, 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, which is called a pocket veto, and cannot be overridden by Congress.

The role of the House of Representatives

The House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress, the other being the Senate. The House of Representatives is composed of 435 members, apportioned among the 50 states according to their total populations.

The House of Representatives has a crucial role in the legislative process, which is the process of making laws. The legislative process begins with a bill, which is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. A bill can be introduced by a sitting member of the House of Representatives or be petitioned by people or citizen groups. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee, which will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee will then put the bill before the House of Representatives to be voted on. If the bill passes the House of Representatives, it goes to the Senate to go through a similar process. Once both the House of Representatives and the Senate have voted to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions of the bill. Then, both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, they present it to the president.

The House of Representatives has some unique powers in the legislative process. For example, it is the only chamber that can initiate tax and revenue-related legislation. It also originates appropriation bills by tradition.

The Senate's role

The Senate plays a crucial role in the process of turning a bill into a law. Here is a detailed overview of the Senate's role:

Initiation and Sponsorship

The legislative process begins with the introduction of a bill, which can be initiated by a sitting member of the Senate. The idea for a bill can also come from a member's election campaign or be proposed by citizen groups through petitions.

Committee Assignment and Research

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a Senate committee, whose members will thoroughly research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. Committees provide an opportunity for public input and are considered a vital phase in the legislative process.

Voting and Amendments

After the committee's review, the bill is put before the Senate for a vote. If the bill passes in the Senate, it moves on to the House of Representatives, where it undergoes a similar process of committee review and voting. If the bill passes in the House, it returns to the Senate for further action.

Conference Committee

When a bill has been passed by both the Senate and the House, a conference committee, consisting of members from both chambers, works to resolve any differences between the two versions of the bill. This committee aims to create a single, unified bill that can be presented to both chambers for final approval.

Final Approval and Presidential Consideration

Once the conference committee has reached an agreement, the resulting bill is sent back to the Senate and the House for a final vote. If the bill passes this final hurdle, it is presented to the President for approval or veto.

The President's role

The President also has the power to make suggestions about things that should be new laws, and they can initiate the law-making process by sending a draft of a proposed bill to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate.

Additionally, the President can negotiate and sign treaties, which the Senate then ratifies. The President can also issue executive orders, which direct executive officers or clarify and further existing laws.

How a bill becomes a law

Creating laws is the most important job of the U.S. House of Representatives. All laws in the United States begin as bills. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one. 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. 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 and read by a reading clerk to all the Representatives. It is then sent to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. Committees are groups of Representatives who are experts on specific topics, such as agriculture, education, or international relations. The bill may also be sent to a subcommittee for further examination and expert opinions before being sent back to the committee for approval.

Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent to the House floor for debate. Representatives discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it. Amendments are recommended, and 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), division, and recorded. If a majority of Representatives support the bill, it passes in the House and is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the U.S. Senate.

The bill then goes through many of the same steps in the Senate: it is discussed in a Senate committee, reported to the Senate floor, debated, and voted on. If the bill passes in the Senate, it is ready to be sent to the President.

When a bill reaches the President, they have several options. They can choose to sign and pass the bill, in which case it becomes a law. They can refuse to sign or veto the bill, sending it back to the House of Representatives with their reasons for the veto. Or, they can do nothing, which is called a pocket veto. If Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law after 10 days of inaction; if Congress is not in session, the bill does not become a law.

If the President vetoes a bill, Congress can attempt to override the veto by holding another vote. If two-thirds of the Representatives and Senators support the bill, the President's veto is overridden, and the bill becomes a law.

The legislative process

Once introduced, a bill is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee members are groups of Representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. The committee may send the bill to a subcommittee to be closely examined and for expert opinions to be 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 to be debated.

When a bill is 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. 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 U.S. House of Representatives: viva voce (voice vote), division, and recorded. If a majority of the Representatives vote yes, the bill passes in the U.S. House of Representatives and is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the U.S. Senate.

The bill then goes through many of the same steps in the U.S. Senate. The bill is discussed in a Senate committee and then reported to the Senate floor to be voted on. Senators vote by voice. If a majority of the Senators vote yes, the bill passes in the U.S. Senate and is ready to go to the President.

When a bill reaches the President, they have three choices. They can sign and pass the bill, refuse to sign or veto the bill, or do nothing (pocket 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. 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 and cannot be overridden by Congress.

If a bill has passed in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and has been approved by the President, or if a presidential veto has been overridden, the bill becomes a law and is enforced by the government.

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