The Long Road: Bills To Laws

The process of a bill becoming a law is a long and complex one. In the US, all laws begin as bills, which are proposals for a new law or a change to an existing one. These can be introduced by a sitting member of the US Senate or House of Representatives, or be proposed by citizens or citizen groups. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned a number and a sponsor, and then referred to a committee. The committee will research, discuss and make changes to the bill before voting on whether to pass it to the next stage. If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes through a similar process in the other body. Once both bodies have voted to accept a bill, they must agree on the same version, which is then presented to the president. The president can then choose to approve the bill, veto it, or do nothing (a 'pocket veto'). If the president approves, the bill becomes a law. If they veto it, Congress can vote to override the veto, and the bill can still become a law.

Bill proposal

Any member of the House of Representatives or the Senate can propose a bill, which is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. Bills can also be petitioned by citizens or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress.

Writing the Bill

The bill's sponsor will discuss the bill with other members of the House or Senate to gain their support. The bill is then introduced in the House or Senate, where it is assigned a number and read to all members.

Committee Review

The bill is then sent to a committee for review. The committee will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill before voting on whether to send it back to the House or Senate floor for a full vote. If the committee needs more information, the bill may be sent to a subcommittee for further examination.

Voting

If the bill passes in one body of Congress (the House or Senate), it goes to the other body to go through a similar process of review, discussion, changes, and voting.

Reconciliation

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 for approval.

Bill introduction

The process of a bill becoming a law begins with an idea. These ideas 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 who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them. Once a bill is drafted, it must be introduced. 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 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. When a bill is introduced, a bill clerk assigns it a number that begins with H.R. (e.g. H.R. 1001). 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.

In the Senate, the bill is submitted to clerks on the Senate floor and receives a designation based on the chamber of introduction, for example, H.R. or H.J.Res. for House-originated bills or joint resolutions and S. or S.J.Res. for Senate-originated measures. It will also receive a number, typically the next number available in sequence during that two-year Congress. Bills are then referred to all committees that have jurisdiction over the provisions in the bill, as determined by the chamber's standing rules and past referral decisions. Most bills fall under the jurisdiction of one committee.

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. Committee members 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 the bill back to the House floor. If the committee members would like more information before deciding, the bill is sent to a subcommittee for further examination and to gather expert opinions.

Committee assignment

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee members 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 the bill back to the House floor.

If the committee members 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. Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent—or reported—to the House floor.

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.

After the bill is reported, the committee staff prepares a written report explaining why they favor 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.

Committee review

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee members are groups of Representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. 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 record. If the committee does not act on a bill, the bill is considered to be "dead".

Subcommittees are organized under committees and have further specialization on a certain topic. Committees may 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.

When the hearings and subcommittee review are completed, the committee will meet to "mark up" the bill. They make changes and amendments prior to recommending the bill to the "floor". If a committee votes not to report legislation to the full chamber of Congress, the bill dies. If the committee votes in favor of the bill, it is reported to the floor. This procedure is called "ordering a bill reported".

Once the bill reaches the floor, there is additional debate and members of the full chamber vote to approve any amendments. The bill is then passed or defeated by the members voting.

Bill vote

The process of a bill becoming a law is a long and complex one, with many steps and procedures. In the United States, a bill must pass through Congress, which consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate, before being presented to the President.

The House of Representatives

Once a bill has been introduced by a member of the House of Representatives, it is placed in the hopper, a special box on the side of the clerk's desk. The bill is then given a number, e.g. H.R. 1, and read out to all the Representatives. It is then sent to a committee, which will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee may also refer the bill to a subcommittee for further examination. Once the committee is satisfied, the bill is reported to the House floor, where it is debated and voted on.

The Senate

If the bill passes in the House, it then goes through a similar process in the Senate. It is discussed in a Senate committee and then reported to the Senate floor for a vote. Senators vote by voice, with supporters saying "yea" and opponents saying "nay".

Conference Committee

If the bill passes in both the House and the Senate, but there are differences between the two versions, a conference committee is formed to resolve these discrepancies. This committee is made up of members from each house and works to create a final version of the bill that is acceptable to both sides.

Presidential Approval

The final version of the bill is then sent to the President for approval. The President can choose to sign the bill into law or veto it. If the President vetoes the bill, Congress can attempt to override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and the Senate. If the President takes no action for 10 days while Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law. However, if Congress adjourns during those 10 days, the bill is vetoed by default, in what is known as a "pocket veto".

Frequently asked questions