Understanding The Process: Bills To Laws

The process of a bill becoming a law is a long and complex one. In the United States, the creation and modification of laws is the primary function of Congress, the legislative branch of the government. The process begins with the introduction of a bill, which can be done by any member of Congress. The bill is then assigned a number and sent to the Government Printing Office, where copies are made. The bill is then referred to a committee, which will examine and research it before voting on whether to send it back to the full chamber of Congress. If the bill passes this stage, it will go through a similar process in the other chamber. Once both chambers have approved the bill, it is sent to the President, who can choose to approve it, veto it, or take no action. If the President approves the bill, it becomes a law. If they veto it, Congress can attempt to override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote. If the President takes no action for ten days while Congress is in session, the bill will automatically become law. However, if Congress has adjourned before the ten days are up, the bill will not become law, in what is known as a pocket veto.

Bills are proposed by members of Congress or citizens

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. Once a bill is introduced, it can be found on Congress.gov, which is the official government website that tracks federal legislation.

The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor". The other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors". When a Representative has written a bill, the bill needs a sponsor. The Representative talks with other Representatives about the bill in the hopes of getting their support for it. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, it is ready to be introduced.

Bills are introduced in the House or Senate

Bills are generally drafted by a member of Congress, either from the Senate or the House of Representatives, but the idea for a bill can also be proposed by citizens or citizen groups. 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 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. A bill clerk then assigns it a number that begins with H.R. 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 given a designation like S. or S.J.Res. It will also receive a number, which is typically the next number available in sequence during that two-year Congress.

Once a bill is introduced, it can be found on Congress.gov, the official government website that tracks federal legislation.

Bills are assigned to a committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee. Committees are groups of members of Congress who are particularly interested in a specific topic, such as health or international affairs. In the House of Representatives, the Speaker refers the bill to the appropriate committee, while in the Senate, this is done by the presiding officer. In both chambers, the actual referral decision is often made by the parliamentarian.

Bills may be referred to more than one committee, and parts of a bill may be 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. If a committee fails to act on a bill, it is considered to be "killed".

In the House, bills are usually referred to all committees that have jurisdiction over the provisions in the bill. If multiple committees are involved, each committee may only work on the portion of the bill under its jurisdiction. One of those committees will be designated the primary committee of jurisdiction and will likely take the lead on any action that may occur.

In the Senate, bills are typically only referred to the committee with jurisdiction over the issue that predominates in the bill. In rare cases, a bill might not be referred to a committee at all, but instead be placed directly on the Senate Calendar of Business through a series of procedural steps.

Once a bill reaches the committee, the committee members review, research, and revise the bill. Committees may choose to hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill and gather expert opinions. If the committee requires further information before deciding whether to send the bill back to the House floor, it may be sent to a subcommittee for further study and hearings.

Bills are voted on by the full chamber

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

The bill is debated by the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate, depending on which chamber it was introduced in. Representatives or Senators discuss the bill, explaining why they agree or disagree with it. A reading clerk then reads the bill section by section, and Representatives or Senators recommend changes. Once all changes have been made, the bill is ready to be voted on.

There are three methods for voting on a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives: viva voce, division, and recorded. In a viva voce vote, the Speaker of the House asks those in support of the bill to say "aye" and those who oppose it to say "no." In a division vote, supporters of the bill are asked to stand up and be counted, and then those who oppose it are asked to do the same. In a recorded vote, Representatives record their vote using an electronic voting system, and can vote yes, no, or present if they don't want to vote on the bill.

If a majority of Representatives or Senators vote yes, the bill passes in that chamber and is then sent to the other chamber, where it goes through the same process. If the bill is amended in the second chamber, it is sent back to the first chamber for another vote. Once both chambers have voted to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions and vote on the same bill. If it passes this vote, it is sent to the President.

Bills are sent to the President for approval

Once a bill has been passed by both the House and the Senate, it is sent to the President for approval. The President has three options:

• Sign and pass the bill, which becomes a law.
• Refuse to sign or veto the bill, which is sent back to the House of Representatives with the President's reasons for the veto. If the House and Senate still believe the bill should become law, they can hold another vote on the bill. If two-thirds of the Representatives and Senators support the bill, the President's veto is overridden and the bill becomes a law.
• Do nothing, also known as a pocket veto. If Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law after 10 days. If Congress is not in session, the bill does not become law.

Frequently asked questions