The Long Road: Bills To Laws

The process of a bill becoming a law is a complex one, and it's interesting to see how a bill progresses from an idea to a law. In the U.S., the House of Representatives and the Senate are responsible for creating and modifying laws, and the journey of a bill is a lengthy one. It must pass through several stages and gain approval at each stage to become a law. The process begins with an idea, which can come from a Representative or a citizen, and it's then drafted into a bill. This bill is introduced and assigned a number, before being sent to a committee for review. The committee can make changes and amendments, and the bill is then voted on. If it passes, it goes to the other chamber, where the process is repeated. If it passes again, it is sent to the President for approval. The President can approve or veto the bill, and if vetoed, Congress can attempt to override it.

A bill is proposed by a member of the House of Representatives or a citizen

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, a citizen, or a citizen group. If a citizen has an idea for a bill, they can contact their Representative to discuss it. If the Representative agrees with the proposal, they will research the idea and write it into a bill.

Once a bill is written, it needs a sponsor. The Representative will talk to other Representatives about the bill to try and get their support. Once the bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the other Representatives, it is ready to be 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. Only Representatives can introduce bills in the 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.

The committee members—groups of Representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations—review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the House floor. If the committee would like more information before deciding, 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.

When 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 House of Representatives. Representatives discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it. Then, a reading clerk 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 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 to 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 House of Representatives. The bill is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the Senate.

The bill is introduced to the House of Representatives

The legislative process begins with 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.

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. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned a number that begins with H.R. and is labelled with the name of its sponsor. 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 committees are made up of groups of Representatives who are experts on various topics, such as agriculture, education, or international relations. They 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 making a decision, the bill is sent to a subcommittee, where it is closely examined and expert opinions are gathered. The subcommittee then reports its findings back to the full committee.

Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent, or reported, to the House floor, where it is ready to be debated by the U.S. House of Representatives. Representatives discuss the bill, explaining their reasons for agreeing or disagreeing with it. A reading clerk 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. In a viva voce vote, the Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support the bill to say "aye" and those who oppose it to say "no." In a 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. In a recorded vote, 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 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, where it will go through a similar process.

The bill is assigned to a committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee. The Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate refers the bill to the appropriate committee. In the House, the Speaker may seek advice from the nonpartisan parliamentarian. The bill is then placed on the calendar of the committee to which it has been assigned. The Speaker of the House may also set time limits on committees.

Committees are groups of Representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. They 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 making a decision, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. A subcommittee will closely examine the bill and gather expert opinions before sending it back to the committee for approval.

Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent to the House floor. A committee will also prepare a written report explaining why they favour the bill and why they wish to see their amendments, if any, adopted. Committee members who oppose a bill may write a dissenting opinion in the report.

The bill is voted on by the House of Representatives

The process of turning a bill into a law is a complex one, and it begins with the bill being voted on by the House of Representatives. This is a critical step, as it is the first time that the bill will be put to a vote.

The bill is introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives when it is placed in the hopper, a special box on the side of the clerk's desk. Only Representatives have the power to introduce bills at this stage. Once introduced, the bill is assigned a number that starts with H.R. and is read out by a reading clerk to all Representatives.

The Speaker of the House then sends the bill to one of the House standing committees. These committees are made up of groups of Representatives who are experts in specific topics, such as agriculture, education, or international relations. The committee members review, research, and revise the bill, and they also have the power to send the bill to a subcommittee for further examination and to gather expert opinions.

Once the committee has finished its work, the bill is sent back to the House floor, where it is debated by the Representatives. Each Representative can explain their agreement or disagreement with the bill, and they can also recommend changes. After all the 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 Viva Voce method, the Speaker of the House asks supporters of the bill to say "aye" and opponents to say "no." In the Division method, supporters and opponents of the bill are asked to stand up and be counted separately. In the Recorded method, Representatives use an electronic voting system to record their votes as yes, no, or present if they don't want to vote.

If a majority of the Representatives vote yes, the bill passes in the House of Representatives and is certified by the Clerk of the House before being delivered to the U.S. Senate for further review and voting.

The bill is sent to the President

Once a bill has been passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, it is sent to the President for review and consideration. The President has several options available to them at this stage. They can choose to approve the bill and pass it, in which case it becomes a law. This is the simplest way for a bill to become a law.

However, if the President does not agree with the bill, they can choose to veto it. A veto means that the President refuses to approve the bill, and it is then sent back to Congress, along with the President's reasons for the veto. Congress can still turn the bill into a law by overriding the veto, but this requires a higher level of support for the bill. Specifically, for the veto to be overridden, two-thirds of both the House and the Senate must support the bill.

The President also has the option to do nothing, which is called a pocket veto. If Congress is in session, the bill will automatically become law after 10 days, even without the President's signature. However, if Congress is not in session, and the President does nothing, the bill will not become a law.

Frequently asked questions