Bill To Law: Understanding The Stages And Process

The process of a bill becoming a law is known as the legislative process. In the United States, this process involves several stages, including drafting, introduction, committee review, voting, and approval by the President. The bill must pass through both the House of Representatives and the Senate, with opportunities for amendments and revisions at various stages. If the bill successfully navigates these stages, it is then presented to the President for approval, who can sign it into law or veto it. However, even if vetoed, the bill can still become a law if Congress votes to override the veto by a two-thirds majority in both chambers. Understanding these stages is crucial for citizens and advocacy groups who aim to influence public policy and make their voices heard in the law-making process.

A bill is drafted and introduced

The first step in the legislative process is the introduction of a bill. Any member of Congress can introduce a bill, which is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one. These ideas can come from sitting members of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or be proposed during their election campaign. Bills can also be petitioned by citizens or groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress. Citizens who have ideas for laws can contact their Representatives to discuss their ideas. If the Representatives agree, they research the ideas and write them into bills.

Once a Representative has written a bill, they will need to find a sponsor. The Representative will talk with other Representatives to get their support for 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. When a bill is introduced, it is assigned a number that begins with H.R. It is then read by a reading clerk to all the Representatives, and the Speaker of the House sends 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 is postponed until the following day. The bill is then assigned a number (e.g. S 1) and labelled with the sponsor's name. It is then sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO) for copying.

It goes to committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee. The Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate decides which committee the bill is referred to, and it may be referred to more than one committee. The committees are made up of groups of Representatives or Congress members who are experts on the topic of the bill, such as health, agriculture, education, or international relations. The committee members review, research, and revise the bill. Committees may also choose to hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill and gather expert opinions. If the committee decides it needs more information, the bill is sent to a subcommittee.

The subcommittee will closely examine the bill and gather expert opinions before reporting its findings back to the full committee. The full committee will then vote on the bill. If the committee does not act on a bill, or votes against it, the bill is considered "dead". If the committee votes in favour of the bill, it is reported to the floor. This procedure is called "ordering a bill reported".

After the bill is 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. The report is sent back to the whole chamber and is placed on the calendar.

It's reported to the House floor

Once a bill has been approved by a committee, it is sent to the House floor. This procedure is called "ordering a bill reported". When a bill reaches the House floor, it is ready to be debated by the U.S. House of Representatives. Representatives discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it. Then, a reading clerk reads the bill section by section, and the Representatives recommend changes. When 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 (voice vote), Division, and Recorded. In a voice vote, the Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support the bill to say "aye" and those who oppose it to say "no". In a Division vote, the Speaker asks those who support the bill to stand up and be counted, and then does the same for those who oppose it. 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 say or select yes, the bill passes in the U.S. House of Representatives and is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the U.S. Senate.

If a bill passes in the House, it is then sent to the Senate, where it goes through many of the same steps it went through in the House. The bill is discussed in a Senate committee and then reported to the Senate floor to be voted on. Senators vote by voice, with supporters saying "yea" and opponents saying "nay". If a majority of Senators support the bill, it passes in the U.S. Senate and is ready to be sent to the President.

The bill is voted on

Once a bill has been introduced, debated, and reviewed by a committee, 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 for 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 who oppose it to say "no." In the division method, the Speaker asks those who support the bill to stand up and be counted, and then does the same for those who oppose it. In the recorded method, Representatives record their votes using an electronic voting system, selecting yes, no, or present if they don't want to vote. If a majority of Representatives vote yes, the bill passes in the House and is then sent 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 Senate and is then sent to the President.

If a bill does not pass in either the House or the Senate, it dies. If it passes in both, it is sent to the President.

It's sent to the President

Once a bill has been approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, it is sent to the President for review. 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 they do not approve, they can veto the bill, sending it back to Congress with a note explaining their reasons. Congress can then attempt to override the veto; 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.

If the President does nothing, the outcome depends on whether Congress is still in session. If Congress remains in session, the bill will automatically become law after 10 days. However, if Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be pocket vetoed, meaning it will not become law, and Congress cannot override this.

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