Legislation Explained: Bills Becoming Laws

The process of turning a bill into a law is known as legislation. In the United States, a bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. The idea for a bill 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. Once introduced, a bill is assigned a number and sent to a committee for research, discussion, and potential changes. 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 and vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, it is presented to the president, who can approve and sign it into law or refuse to approve it, which is called a veto. If Congress votes to override the veto, the bill becomes a law.

A bill is drafted

A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. The idea for a bill 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. Once a member of Congress has an idea for a law, they can draft a bill. These ideas can also come from everyday citizens and advocacy groups. The member of Congress who supports the bill is called the "sponsor", and other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors".

When 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 introduced, the bill is given a number that begins with "H.R." if it is introduced in the House, or "S." if it is introduced in the Senate. The bill is then sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO), where copies are made.

After the bill is introduced, it is referred to a committee. Committees are composed of groups of Congress members who are particularly interested in different topics, such as health or international affairs. The committee will carefully examine the bill and determine its chances of passage by Congress. The committee may also choose to hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill and put the views of experts, public officials, supporters, and opponents on the record. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead".

Once the committee has finished its review, the bill is sent back to the full chamber (the House or the Senate) for a vote. 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.

So, in summary, a bill is drafted when a member of Congress has an idea for a new law or a change to an existing law. The bill is then introduced, given a number, and sent to the Government Printing Office for copying. After introduction, the bill is referred to a committee for review and hearings before being sent back to the full chamber for a vote.

A bill is introduced

A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. The idea for a bill 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 people or citizen groups. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned a number and a sponsor, and then referred to a committee.

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. When a bill is introduced, a bill clerk 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, a bill must be introduced during the morning hour, and members must gain recognition from the presiding officer. If any senator objects, the introduction of the bill is postponed until the next day.

Once a bill is introduced and assigned a number, it is sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO), and copies are made. Members can cosponsor the bill. The bill is then referred to the appropriate committee by the Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate. The referral decision is often made by the House or Senate parliamentarian. Bills may be referred to more than one committee and split so that parts are sent to different committees.

A bill goes to committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee. The committee will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee may also hold hearings on the bill, and the public is given the opportunity to be heard. The committee will then vote on the bill. If the bill is approved, it is sent back to the chamber, along with a written report explaining the committee's reasons for favouring the bill and any amendments they wish to see adopted. If the committee does not act on the bill, it is effectively killed.

In the House of Representatives, the Speaker refers the bill to the relevant committees. The Speaker may also set time limits on committees. In the Senate, the Parliamentarian refers the bill to the relevant committee on behalf of the Presiding Officer. In most cases, the bill is referred to only one committee, but it may be referred to multiple committees if provisions in the bill fall under the jurisdiction of multiple committees.

In the House, the Committee of the Whole debates and amends the bill. However, it cannot technically pass it. The committee decides how much time each person is allotted for debate, and amendments must be germane to the subject of the bill.

A bill is voted on

In the House, a bill is put before the chamber to be voted on after it has been introduced, assigned to a committee, and debated or amended. If the bill passes by a simple majority (218 out of 435), it moves to the Senate.

In the Senate, the bill is assigned to another committee and, if released, debated and voted on. Again, a simple majority (51 out of 100) is required for the bill to pass.

After the bill has been voted on in both chambers, a conference committee made up of House and Senate members works out any differences between the two versions of the bill. The resulting bill then returns to the House and Senate for final approval.

A bill is sent to the president

The president has several options when presented with a bill. They can approve the bill and sign it into law. They can also refuse to approve a bill, 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. This is called a pocket veto and cannot be overridden by Congress.

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