The Long Road To Enactment: Bill 1044'S Journey

The process of a bill becoming a law is a long and complex one. There are nine steps a bill can go through before becoming a law. The first step is the drafting of the bill, which can be done by any member of Congress. Once the bill is drafted, it must be introduced, and then it goes to committee. The committee will examine the bill and determine its chances of passage. If the committee approves, the bill is then voted on by the full chamber. If it passes this vote, it is referred to the other chamber, where it goes through a similar process. Once both chambers have approved the bill, it is sent to the President. The President can approve the bill and sign it into law, or they can veto it. If the President vetoes the bill, Congress can attempt to override the veto, and if successful, the bill becomes a law.

The bill is introduced

The second step in the legislative process is the introduction of the bill. This can be done by any member of the House of Representatives or the Senate. In the House, a bill is introduced by placing it in the "hopper" (a wooden box) on the House floor. In the Senate, the bill is submitted to clerks on the Senate floor. The sponsor's signature must appear on the bill, and it can have an unlimited number of co-sponsors. The bill is then assigned a legislative number by the Clerk.

Once a bill is introduced, it can be found on Congress.gov, the official government website that tracks federal legislation. The bill is also sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO) to be copied.

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. In the Senate, members must gain recognition from the presiding officer to announce the introduction of a bill during the morning hour. If any senator objects, the introduction is postponed until the following day.

After introduction, the bill is referred to the appropriate committee by the Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate. The Speaker of the House may set time limits on committees. Bills are placed on the committee's calendar, and failure to act on a bill is equivalent to killing it.

The committee will carefully examine the bill and determine its chances of passage by Congress. They may hold hearings to better understand the bill's implications and put forth the views of experts, public officials, supporters, and opponents.

The bill goes to committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is referred to a committee. Both the House and the Senate have various committees composed of groups of Congress members who are particularly interested in different topics such as health or international affairs. When a bill is in the hands of the committee, it is carefully examined and its chances of passage by the entire Congress are determined. 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".

Bills may be referred to more than one committee and it may be split so that parts are sent to different committees. The Speaker of the House may set time limits on committees. Bills are placed on the calendar of the committee to which they have been assigned. Failure to act on a bill is equivalent to killing it. Bills in the House can only be released from the committee without a proper committee vote by a discharge petition signed by a majority of the House membership (218 members).

Comments about the bill's merit are requested by government agencies. The bill can be assigned to a subcommittee by the Chairman. Subcommittees are organized under committees and have further specialization on a certain topic. Often, committees refer bills to a subcommittee for study and their own hearings. The subcommittee may make changes to the bill and must vote to refer a bill back to the full committee.

Subcommittees report their findings to the full committee. Finally, there is a vote by the full committee—the bill is "ordered to be reported". A committee will hold a "mark-up" session during which it will make revisions and additions. If substantial amendments are made, the committee can order the introduction of a "clean bill" which will include the proposed amendments. This new bill will have a new number and will be sent to the floor while the old bill is discarded. The chamber must approve, change or reject all committee amendments before conducting a final passage vote.

The bill is reviewed by a subcommittee

The legislative process is a complex and lengthy one, with many steps and procedures that must be followed for a bill to become a law. One of the most crucial steps is the review by a subcommittee, which occurs after the bill has been introduced and referred to the appropriate committee.

Subcommittees are specialised groups organised under committees, focusing on specific topics or areas of interest. They provide an opportunity for an in-depth examination of the bill and its potential implications. The committee chairman typically assigns a bill to a subcommittee, which then studies the proposal and may hold its own hearings. This process allows for a more detailed analysis of the bill, taking into account the views of various stakeholders and experts.

During subcommittee hearings, invited witnesses provide oral and written feedback on the bill, offering insights into its strengths and weaknesses. Committee members can ask questions and engage in discussions, helping them understand the potential impact of the bill. This step ensures that the bill is thoroughly vetted and that all relevant information is considered before it moves forward in the legislative process.

After the subcommittee has completed its review, it reports its findings and recommendations back to the full committee. This report includes any proposed changes or amendments to the bill. The subcommittee must then vote to refer the bill back to the full committee for further consideration. This step ensures that the bill has been thoroughly vetted and that the full committee has all the necessary information to make informed decisions.

The role of subcommittees in the legislative process is crucial, as it allows for a more detailed examination of the bill and ensures that all aspects are carefully considered. By providing their expertise and insights, subcommittees play a vital part in shaping the final legislation. This step in the process helps to ensure that the bill is well-crafted and reflects the interests and needs of those it will affect.

The bill is marked up

The bill-making process is a long and complex one, and marking up the bill is a key step. This is when the committee meets to debate, amend, and rewrite the proposed legislation. This is also referred to as a "key formal step" that a bill must go through to advance to the floor.

The bill markup is a detailed process. It begins with opening statements from committee members, which are usually kept to under five minutes each. The bill is then read for amendment, section by section. After each section is read, committee members offer their amendments before the next section is read. The committee may also choose to dispense with the reading of each section and instead consider the bill for amendment by titles or chapters.

Each amendment must be read in full, unless the committee waives this by unanimous consent. The committee debates the amendments, and the debate on an amendment can be ended by a majority vote. The committee can also end the debate on the entire bill once it has been read, or if the reading has been waived. However, they cannot order the previous question on individual sections of the bill.

It is important to note that committees do not change the text of the bills they mark up. Instead, they vote on amendments that they want to recommend to the House when the bill is considered on the floor. The markup concludes with a vote to report the bill to the House, along with any approved amendments. A majority of the committee must be present for this final vote.

The committee markup is a critical step in the legislative process, allowing for detailed scrutiny, debate, and amendment of proposed legislation. It is an important part of the journey towards a bill becoming a law.

The bill is voted on

The House of Representatives also has specific procedures for voting on bills. Most bills go to the Rules Committee, which adopts rules governing the procedures for the House's consideration of the bill. A "closed rule," for example, imposes strict time limits on debate and prohibits introducing amendments. The Rules Committee can be bypassed by suspending the rules (requiring a two-thirds vote), filing a discharge petition, or using a Calendar Wednesday procedure. After the Rules Committee or any of these alternative methods, the bill is placed on one of four House calendars and then brought to the floor for debate and amendments. The Committee of the Whole guides the debate, and time is divided equally between proponents and opponents. Amendments must be relevant to the bill's subject, and the bill is then reported back to the House and voted on. A quorum call ensures that enough members are present (218) for a final vote.

Once the bill has passed in one chamber, it is referred to the other chamber, where it typically follows a similar route through committees and, eventually, to the floor. This chamber may approve, reject, ignore, or change the bill. If the two chambers pass different versions of the bill, they may form a conference committee to resolve the differences, with the committee preparing a conference report with recommendations for the final bill. Both chambers must then vote to approve this report.

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