How Laws Are Made: Bill To Act

In the United States, laws are made by the Congress, which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The process by which a bill becomes a law involves several steps and can be initiated by a member of the Senate or the House of Representatives, or even by citizens. The journey of a bill to becoming a law is a complex and lengthy process, involving committees, votes, and the President's approval.

A bill is proposed

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 come from the Congress members themselves or everyday citizens and advocacy groups. The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor", and other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors".

When a Representative has written a bill, it needs a sponsor. The Representative talks with other Representatives about the bill in the hope of gaining their support. 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 U.S. House of Representatives.

Once introduced, the bill is assigned a number that begins with H.R. and is labelled with the sponsor's name. The bill is then sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO), where copies are made. Senate bills can be jointly sponsored, and members can co-sponsor the piece of legislation.

The next step is for the bill to be assigned to a committee. Both the House and Senate have various committees composed of groups of Congress members who are particularly interested in different topics, such as health or international affairs. The Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate refers the bill to the appropriate committee. Bills may be referred to more than one committee and can be split so that parts are sent to different committees.

A bill is introduced

A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one. Anyone can propose a bill, but only a member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives can introduce one. 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 House. Once introduced, a bill is assigned a number that begins with H.R. and is labelled with the name of its sponsor. 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 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) for copying. Senate bills can be jointly sponsored, and members can cosponsor the legislation.

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to it. Both the House and Senate have various committees composed of groups of Congress members with particular interests and expertise in different topics, such as health, agriculture, education, or international affairs. When a bill is with the committee, it is carefully examined, and its chances of passage by the entire Congress are determined. Committees may hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill and gather the views of the executive branch, experts, other public officials, supporters, and opponents of the legislation. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead".

A bill goes to 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. The committee members review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the House floor. Committee members may also be referred to as experts on a given topic.

If the committee wishes to gather more information before deciding on the bill's fate, it may be sent to a subcommittee. A subcommittee will closely examine the bill and gather expert opinions before sending it back to the committee for approval.

The committee may also 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, it is considered "dead".

Once the hearings and subcommittee review are completed, the committee will meet to "'mark up' the bill. They will make changes and amendments before recommending the bill to the "floor". If the committee votes against reporting legislation to the full chamber of Congress, the bill dies. 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.

A bill is reported

In the process by which a bill becomes a law in the US, a bill being reported is a crucial step. This step occurs after the bill has been introduced and referred to a committee. The committee, composed of groups of Congress members with specific interests, addresses the bill during a hearing. They research, discuss, and make changes to the bill, examining its potential impact and chances of passage by Congress.

If the committee votes in favour of the bill, it is reported to the floor. This is known as "ordering a bill reported". Once a bill is reported, it is placed on a calendar for a vote by the full chamber of Congress. This is a critical stage, as the bill can still be defeated at this point. If the bill passes this vote, it will then move on to the other chamber of Congress (the Senate or the House of Representatives, depending on where it was introduced).

The process of research, discussion, changes, and voting will be repeated in the second chamber. If the bill passes this stage, a conference committee made up of members from both chambers will work to reconcile any differences between the two versions of the bill. This is an important step to ensure that the final bill is consistent and can be presented to the President for approval.

The process by which a bill becomes a law is complex and rigorous, ensuring that all proposed legislation undergoes thorough scrutiny and debate before becoming law. The reporting of a bill is a key stage in this process, allowing for further consideration and amendment before a final decision is made.

A bill is voted on

Once a bill has been introduced, assigned to a committee, and debated, it is put to a vote. In the US House of Representatives, there are three methods for voting on a bill: viva voce, division, and recorded. In viva voce, the Speaker of the House asks Representatives to say "aye" if they support the bill and "no" if they oppose it. In division, 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 recorded, Representatives record their vote using an electronic voting system, selecting "yes", "no", or "present" if they do not wish to vote.

A bill must pass by a simple majority (218 out of 435) in the House of Representatives to move on to the Senate. In the Senate, the bill is again debated and voted on, and a simple majority (51 out of 100) is required to pass the bill. If the bill passes in the Senate, it is then sent to the President.

It is worth noting that the Senate and the House of Representatives have some procedural differences in their lawmaking processes. While both are equal in how they function, only the House can initiate tax and revenue-related legislation. On the other hand, only the Senate can draft legislation related to presidential nominations and treaties. While the House processes legislation through a majority vote, the Senate does so through deliberation and debate prior to voting.

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