The Long Road: Bill To Law

In the United States, a bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one. The process of a bill becoming a law is known as the legislative process, and it involves several steps and approvals. A bill can be introduced by any member of the House of Representatives or the Senate, and it must go through committees, debates, votes, and potential amendments before reaching the President for approval or veto. This journey from bill to law is a complex and lengthy procedure, and understanding it is crucial for effective advocacy and political engagement.

A bill is drafted

The first step in the process of a bill becoming a law is the drafting of the bill. This can be done by any member of Congress, either from the Senate or the House of Representatives. The idea for a bill can come from a sitting member of Congress or be proposed during their election campaign. Bills can also be suggested by citizens or advocacy groups, who can contact their Representatives to discuss their ideas. If a Representative agrees with a proposed bill, they will research it and write it up.

Once a Representative has written a bill, they will need to find a sponsor. The Representative will talk with other Representatives to try and get their support for the bill. The sponsor is the primary Congress member supporting the bill, and there can also be co-sponsors who are other members of Congress who support the bill. 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 House of Representatives. A bill clerk will then assign it a number, for example, H.R. 1001, and the Speaker of the House will send the bill to one of the House standing committees. 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 of the bill is postponed until the next day.

The bill is then sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO), where copies are made. The bill is also labelled with the sponsor's name and can be jointly sponsored by Senate members. Other members of Congress can also cosponsor the bill.

The bill is introduced

Once introduced, the bill can be found on Congress.gov, the official government website that tracks federal legislation. The bill is then labelled with the sponsor's name and sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO) where copies are made. Members can also cosponsor the bill.

The bill is then handed to the clerk of the House or placed in the hopper. 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 of the bill is postponed until the next day.

The bill goes to committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee. Committees are groups of members of the House of Representatives or Senate who are experts on a particular topic, such as health or international affairs. The committee reviews, researches, and revises the bill, and may hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill and gather expert opinions. The committee may also choose to refer the bill to a subcommittee for further study and hearings.

The subcommittee may make changes to the bill and must vote to refer it back to the full committee. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead". If the committee approves a bill, it is sent back to the House or Senate floor, where it is debated and voted on. This process of review and research by a committee is crucial, as it helps to ensure that the bill is thoroughly examined and its potential impact is understood before it proceeds further in the legislative process.

When a bill is in the hands of the committee, they carefully examine its merits and determine its chances of passage by the entire Congress. The committee may request reports from government agencies and solicit input from experts, interested parties, and supporters and opponents of the legislation. This allows for a broad range of perspectives to be considered and helps to ensure that the bill is thoroughly vetted.

If the committee approves a bill, they will make a recommendation to the full chamber of Congress. This procedure is called "ordering a bill reported". The committee staff prepares 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. This report is an important part of the legislative process, as it provides a detailed explanation of the bill's purpose and potential impact, as well as the committee's rationale for their decision.

The bill is voted on

Once a bill has been introduced, assigned to a committee, and reviewed by a subcommittee, it is ready to be voted on. This is the sixth step in the process of a bill becoming a law.

In the U.S. House of Representatives, there are three methods of voting on a bill: viva voce, division, and recorded. In the viva voce method, the Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support the bill to say "aye" and those that oppose it to say "no." In the division method, 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 do the same. In the recorded method, Representatives record their vote using an electronic voting system, selecting yes, no, or present if they don't want to vote on the bill. If a majority of the Representatives say or select yes, the bill passes in the U.S. House of Representatives and is then certified by the Clerk of the House before being delivered to the U.S. Senate.

In the Senate, voting is done by voice. Senators who support the bill say "yea," and those who oppose it say "nay." If a majority of Senators say "yea," the bill passes in the U.S. Senate and is ready to be sent to the President.

After a bill has passed in both the House and the Senate, it is sent to the President for review. The President can choose to sign and pass the bill, making it a law, or they can refuse to sign or veto it, sending it back to the House of Representatives along with their reasons for the veto. The President can also do nothing, which is called a "pocket veto." If Congress is in session, the bill will automatically become law after 10 days of inaction by the President. However, if Congress is not in session, the bill will not become a law.

The bill goes to the president

Once a bill has been approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, it is sent to the President. The President has three options: they can sign the bill into law, refuse to sign it, or do nothing.

If the President approves of the bill, they will sign it, and it will become a law. If the President does not take any action for ten days while Congress is in session, the bill will automatically become law. This is distinct from a pocket veto, which occurs when Congress is not in session and the bill does not become law.

If the President opposes the bill, they can veto it. In this case, the bill will be sent back to Congress, along with the President's reasons for the veto. Congress can then attempt to override the veto by holding another vote on the bill. If two-thirds of both the House and the Senate support the bill, the President's veto is overridden, and the bill becomes a law. However, it is rare for Congress to have enough votes to override a presidential veto.

Frequently asked questions