Congressional Insights: Bills To Laws

The process of a bill becoming a law in the United States is a long and complex one. It involves the United States Congress, which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives, and the President. The process begins with the introduction of a bill, which is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. Any member of Congress can introduce a bill, and the idea for a bill can come from a sitting member of Congress, a citizen, or a citizen group. 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, after which both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, it is presented to the President. The President can then choose to 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, in most cases, 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, in what is called a pocket veto, which cannot be overridden by Congress.

Bills are drafted by members of the House of Representatives or the Senate

Once introduced, the bill is given a number (e.g. HR 1 or S 1) and assigned to a committee. The Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate decides which committee will review the bill, and it is common for bills to be referred to multiple committees. Committees are groups of representatives or senators who are experts on specific topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. They review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether to send it back to the respective chamber floor.

If the committee members want more information before deciding, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. Subcommittees are specialised groups that operate under committees. They closely examine the bill and gather expert opinions before sending it back to the committee for approval. Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent to the chamber floor to be debated.

During the debate, representatives or senators discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it. A reading clerk then reads the bill section by section, and the chamber members recommend changes. Once all changes have been made, the bill is ready for a vote.

There are different methods for voting on a bill in each chamber. In the House of Representatives, the three methods are:

• Viva Voce (voice vote): The Speaker of the House asks those who support the bill to say "aye" and those who oppose it to say "no".
• Division: The Speaker asks supporters to stand and be counted, and then asks opponents to do the same.
• Recorded: Representatives record their vote using the electronic voting system, selecting "yes", "no", or "present" if they don't want to vote.

In the Senate, voting is done by voice. Supporters of the bill say "yea", and opponents say "nay". If a majority in each chamber votes in favour of the bill, it passes and is sent to the other chamber to go through the same process.

Bills are introduced in the House of Representatives or the Senate

Bills can be introduced by any member of the House of Representatives or 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 of Representatives. The bill is then assigned 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, 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 of the bill is postponed until the next day. The bill is then assigned a number (e.g. S 1) and sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO), where copies are made.

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—groups of Representatives or Senators who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations—review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the respective chamber floor. If the committee members would like more information before deciding, the bill is sent to a subcommittee, where it is closely examined and expert opinions are gathered before it is sent back to the committee for approval.

The process of introducing a bill is similar in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, with some procedural differences. While both are equal in how they function, only the House can initiate tax and revenue-related legislation.

Bills are assigned to committees

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee. Committees are groups of representatives who are experts on a particular topic, such as agriculture, education, or international relations. The committee members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the House floor.

Committee structure

Committees are divided into subcommittees, which have further specialization on a certain topic. The committee chair can assign a bill to a subcommittee for further examination. The subcommittee will closely examine the bill and gather expert opinions before sending it back to the committee for approval.

Committee actions

Committees can hold hearings to better understand the implications of a bill. Hearings allow the views of the executive branch, experts, other public officials, supporters, and opponents of the legislation to be put on the record. Committees can also request comments about the bill's merit from government agencies.

Mark-up session

After hearings and subcommittee review are completed, the committee will meet to "mark up" the bill. They will 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".

Committee report

After the committee has approved a bill, 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.

Bills are voted on in the House of Representatives or the Senate

The process of a bill becoming a law is a long and detailed one. Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The bill is then put before the House of Representatives or the Senate to be voted on.

In the House of Representatives, there are three methods for voting on a bill:

• Viva Voce (voice vote): The Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support the bill to say "aye" and those that oppose it to say "no."
• Division: The Speaker of the House asks those Representatives who support the bill to stand up and be counted, and then asks those who oppose the bill to do the same.
• Recorded: Representatives record their vote using the electronic voting system. Representatives can vote "yes", "no", or "present" (if they don't want to vote on the bill).

If a majority of the Representatives vote "yes", the bill passes in the House of Representatives. The bill is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the 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 the Senators vote "yea", the bill passes in the Senate and is ready to go to the President.

The process of a bill becoming a law is a lengthy one, with many steps and requirements. Bills must pass through several stages and be voted on multiple times before becoming a law.

Bills are sent to the President for approval

Once a bill has been approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, it is sent to the President for approval. The President has three options: they can sign and pass the bill, refuse to sign it (veto it), or do nothing. If the President signs the bill, it becomes a law. If they veto it, the bill is sent back to Congress, along with the President's reasons for the veto. Congress can then vote to override the veto, and if two-thirds of the Representatives and Senators support the bill, it becomes a law. If the President does nothing, the bill will automatically become a law if Congress remains in session for 10 days after the bill is sent to the President. However, if Congress is not in session, the bill will not become a law. This is known as a "pocket veto" and cannot be overridden by Congress.

Frequently asked questions