Votes Required To Pass A Bill: Lawmaking Process

The process of turning a bill into a law is a complex one, and the number of votes required for a bill to pass depends on the stage it is at in the legislative process. In the US, a bill 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 US Senate or House of Representatives, or be proposed during their election campaign. It can also be petitioned by citizens or citizen groups. Once introduced, a bill is assigned to a committee, which will research, discuss, and make changes to it. The bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on. If it passes one body of Congress, it goes through a similar process in the other body. 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, and if it passes, it is presented to the president.

The president can either 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, 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. This cannot be overridden by Congress.

Bills are introduced by a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives

The bill is then assigned a number (e.g. HR 1 or S 1) and labelled with the sponsor's name. It is then sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO) and copies are made. Members can also cosponsor the bill.

The Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate refers the bill to the appropriate committee. The referral decision is usually made by the House or Senate parliamentarian. Bills may be referred to multiple committees, and the Speaker of the House may set time limits. Bills are placed on the committee's calendar, and failure to act on a bill is equivalent to killing it.

The committee will hold a "mark-up" session to 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.

In the House, most bills go to the Rules committee before reaching the floor. The committee adopts rules that will govern the procedures under which the bill will be considered. A "closed rule" sets strict time limits on debate and forbids the introduction of amendments. These rules can have a major impact on whether the bill passes. The rules committee can be bypassed in three ways:

• Members can move rules to be suspended (requires a two-thirds vote)
• A discharge petition can be filed
• The House can use a Calendar Wednesday procedure

The bill is then placed on the House or Senate calendar. In the House, the Speaker and Majority Leader decide what will reach the floor and when. In the Senate, scheduling of legislation is the job of the Majority Leader, and bills can be brought to the floor whenever a majority chooses.

Bills are assigned to a committee for research, discussion, and changes

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee referral decision is usually made by the House or Senate parliamentarian. Bills may be referred to more than one committee, and the Speaker of the House may set time limits on committees.

The 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 committee staff will then 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 sometimes write a dissenting opinion in the report. The report is sent back to the whole chamber and is placed on the calendar.

Bills are voted on by the chamber

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to it. The committee may then choose to release the bill with a recommendation to pass it, revise the bill and then release it, or lay it aside so that the House cannot vote on it. This process is called "reporting out" or "tabling" the bill, respectively.

If the bill is released, it is then put on a calendar to be voted on, debated, or amended. In the House, most bills go to the Rules Committee before reaching the floor. This committee adopts rules that will govern the procedures under which the bill will be considered by the House. A "closed rule", for example, sets strict time limits on debate and forbids the introduction of amendments. These rules can have a major impact on whether the bill passes.

In the House, the Committee of the Whole debates and amends the bill but cannot technically pass it. The committee decides how much time to allot to each person. Amendments must be relevant to the subject of a bill—no riders are allowed. A quorum call is a vote to make sure that there are enough members present (218) to have a final vote. If there is not a quorum, the House will adjourn or will send the Sergeant at Arms out to round up missing members.

In the Senate, debate is unlimited unless cloture is invoked. Members can speak as long as they want and amendments need not be relevant to the subject of a bill. Riders are often offered, and entire bills can therefore be offered as amendments to other bills. Unless cloture is invoked, Senators can use a filibuster to defeat a measure by "talking it to death".

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. Then both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, they present it to the president.

Bills are sent to the other chamber for a similar process

Once a bill has been passed by one body of Congress, it is sent to the other body to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes and voting.

In the case of a bill first introduced in the House of Representatives, the bill is then introduced in the Senate. A Senator must be recognised by the presiding officer and announce the introduction of the bill. The bill is then assigned to a committee by the presiding officer. The Senate has 20 standing committees, each with jurisdiction over bills in certain areas. The committee studies and either releases or tables the bill. If the bill is released, it goes to the Senate floor for consideration and voting. If the bill passes by a simple majority, it moves to a conference committee.

If the bill was first introduced in the Senate, it is then introduced in the House of Representatives. The bill is handed to the clerk of the House or placed in the hopper. The clerk assigns a legislative number to the bill, H.R. for bills introduced in the House of Representatives. The bill is then assigned to a committee by the Speaker of the House. The House has 22 standing committees, each with jurisdiction over bills in certain areas. The committee studies the bill and hears testimony from experts and people interested in the bill. The committee may then release the bill with a recommendation to pass it, revise the bill and release it, or lay it aside so that the House cannot vote on it. If the bill is released, it then goes on the House Calendar. Here the House Rules Committee may call for the bill to be voted on quickly, limit the debate, or limit or prohibit amendments. If the bill passes by a simple majority, it moves to the Senate.

Once a bill has been passed by both bodies of Congress, a conference committee made of House and Senate members works out any differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. The resulting bill returns to the House and Senate for final approval.

Bills are presented to the president for approval

Once a bill has been passed by both the House and the Senate, it is presented to the President for approval. The President can choose to sign the bill into law, or veto it. If the President does nothing and Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be pocket vetoed, meaning it will not become law.

If the President vetoes a bill, it is sent back to Congress with a note outlining their reasons. Congress can then vote to override the veto, and if two-thirds of both the House and the Senate vote in favour of the bill, it will become law. If the President approves the bill, or does not veto it within 10 days while Congress is in session, the bill will be signed into law.

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