Cecily Zamora
The legislative process of creating a bill varies, with some bills being created in a matter of hours, and others taking up to 100 years. 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 an election campaign, or be petitioned by people or citizen groups. 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. The president then considers the bill and has the power to veto it.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Who can introduce a bill? | A bill can be introduced by a single Member of Congress, or by a group of Members, in either the House of Representatives or the Senate or concurrently in both chambers. |
| How is a bill introduced? | Any Member in the House of Representatives may introduce a bill at any time while the House is in session by simply placing it in the "hopper" at the side of the Clerk's desk in the House Chamber. |
| What happens after a bill is introduced? | The bill is then assigned to a committee for study. |
| What is the committee's role? | The committee reviews the bill, holds hearings to discuss it, and makes changes. The committee provides the most intensive consideration to a proposed measure as well as the forum where the public is given their opportunity to be heard. |
| What happens after the committee reviews the bill? | The bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on. |
| What happens if the bill passes one body of Congress? | 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. |
| What happens once both bodies vote to accept a bill? | Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions. |
| What happens after both bodies agree to the same bill? | The bill is then presented to the President. |
| What happens when the bill reaches the President? | The President considers the bill. The President can approve the bill and sign it into law, or they can refuse to approve it, which is called a veto. |
| What happens if the President vetoes the bill? | If the President vetoes the bill, Congress can vote to override that veto, and the bill becomes a law. |
| What is the role of the Governor? | The Governor makes the final decision on whether a bill should become a law. They may either approve it or veto it. |
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What You'll Learn
Bill proposal
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. A bill is introduced in Congress by a single Member of Congress (the sponsor) or by a group of Members (sponsor and co-sponsors). The sponsor's signature must appear on the bill, which may have an unlimited number of cosponsoring Members.
Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee that will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee may send the bill to a specialised subcommittee for study, hearings, revisions, and approval. The committee or subcommittee members hear witnesses representing various viewpoints on the bill. After hearings are completed, the bill is considered in a session known as the "'mark-up' session", where amendments may be offered and voted on by the committee or subcommittee members.
If the committee or subcommittee approves the bill, it is then reported out and referred to the full committee for further consideration. The committee can decide to take no action (table the bill), vote not to report the bill (kill it), or report the bill out favourably. If the bill is reported out favourably, it is scheduled for floor debate in either the full House or Senate, depending on its origin. The bill is then put before the 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. The bill is then presented to the President for approval. The President can approve the bill and sign it into law, or they can veto it. If the President vetoes the bill, Congress can vote to override the veto, and the bill becomes a law. However, if the President does not sign off on a bill and Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be vetoed by default, known as a pocket veto, which cannot be overridden.
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Committee review
Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee for review. The committee will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee chairperson usually assigns the bill to a relevant subcommittee, where hearings are held and the bill is examined in detail. The subcommittee will hear witnesses representing various viewpoints on the bill. After hearings are completed, the bill is considered in a "'mark-up' session," where amendments may be offered and voted on. The subcommittee then votes on whether to report out or table (kill) the bill. If reported out, the bill is referred to the full committee for further consideration. The full committee can also hold hearings and mark-up sessions, after which it decides whether to take no action (table), vote not to report, or report the bill out favorably. If reported out, the bill moves to the next stage of the legislative process, which is floor debate in either the full House or Senate, depending on its origin.
The committee review process is considered one of the most critical and intensive phases of the legislative process. It provides a forum for the public to be heard and allows for the protection of the minority, with ample opportunity for all sides to be heard and make their views known. The committee review process can vary depending on the bill's subject matter. For example, bills that affect the state budget must also go to a fiscal committee for review. In some cases, a bill may be recommitted to a committee for further review after floor debate, which is usually an effort by opponents to change or table the bill.
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Amendments
Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. After hearings are completed, the bill moves to what is known as the "mark-up" session, where amendments may be offered. The committee or subcommittee members then vote to accept or reject these changes. If the committee has approved extensive amendments, they may decide to report a new bill that incorporates all the amendments. This is known as a "clean bill" and will have a new legislative number.
The bill is then put before the 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. When amendments are offered, these are also debated and voted upon. After all debate is concluded and amendments decided upon, the House votes on final passage.
If the bill passes by a simple majority, it moves to the Senate. In the Senate, the bill is assigned to another committee and, if released, debated and voted on. If the Senate makes changes, the bill must return to the House for concurrence. The resulting bill returns to the House and Senate for final approval. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions.
The process by which a bill becomes law is rarely predictable and can vary significantly from bill to bill. In some cases, a rule may govern the consideration of a bill. A rule is a simple resolution that must be passed by the House and sets out the particular rules of debate for a specific bill, including how much time will be allowed for debate and whether amendments can be offered.
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Voting
In the United States, Congress is the law-making branch of the federal government. 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, or it can be proposed during an 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.
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, 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.
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Presidential approval
Once a bill has been approved by both bodies of Congress, it is presented to the President for approval. The President can choose to approve the bill and sign it into law. Alternatively, the President can refuse to approve a bill by exercising their veto power. This is known as a pocket veto if the bill remains unsigned when Congress is no longer in session, and it cannot be overridden. In most other cases, Congress can vote to override the veto, and the bill becomes a law without the President's signature.
The President has influence in the legislative process, as they recommend an annual budget for federal agencies and often suggest legislation. The power to veto legislation can significantly affect the content of bills passed by Congress, as it is unusual for laws to be enacted over a presidential veto. As a result, Congress usually accommodates the President's position on proposed policies.
Additionally, the President's role in the legislative process extends beyond the approval of bills. They can propose legislation and work with Congress to shape the content of bills. The President's influence on the legislative process is an essential aspect of the checks and balances within the US government, ensuring that the executive branch has a voice in law-making.
In certain states, the Governor holds a similar power of approval over bills. They can veto an entire bill or specific sections, and the Legislature can override this veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both houses.
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Frequently asked questions
A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law.
A bill can be introduced by a single Member of Congress (the sponsor), or by a group of Members (sponsor and co-sponsors), in either the House of Representatives or the Senate or concurrently in both chambers. 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.
After a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee that will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee may also send the bill to a specialised subcommittee for further study, hearings, revisions, and approval.
After hearings are completed, the bill is considered in a session that is popularly known as the "'mark-up' session". At this point, amendments may be offered and voted on. If the bill passes, it is then put before the 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. The bill is then presented to the President for approval. The President can approve the bill and sign it into law, or they can veto it. If the President vetoes the bill, Congress can vote to override the veto and the bill can still become a law.
