Kara Sears
The first step in making a law is to propose a bill. 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 Senate or House of Representatives, be proposed during their election campaign, or be petitioned by citizens or citizen groups. Once an idea for a new law has been selected, it must be drafted as a bill before it can be considered by the Senate.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First step in making a law | A new policy idea |
| Idea for a bill can come from a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives or be proposed during their election campaign | |
| Bills can be petitioned by people or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them | |
| Senators often come up with ideas, but they can also come from constituents, an organization calling for a new law, or a State official | |
| Bills are drafted by legislators or by standing committees of the Senate and Assembly | |
| Bills are assigned a legislative number | |
| Bills are assigned to a committee for study |
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What You'll Learn
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 Senate or House of Representatives, be proposed during an election campaign, or be petitioned by citizens or groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress.
Once an idea for a new law has been selected, it must be drafted as a bill. Bill drafting requires specialised legal training and is usually carried out by the staff of the Legislative Bill Drafting Commission. Sometimes, an interest group may have its own attorneys draft a bill, and lawyers working in state agencies and the executive branch often submit their ideas for legislation in bill form.
After a bill is drafted, it is introduced to a committee. Bills are generally introduced by legislators or by standing committees of the Senate and Assembly. The bill is then assigned a legislative number by the House or Senate clerk, depending on where it was introduced.
Once introduced, the bill is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee will often refer the bill to one of its subcommittees, which may request reports from government agencies, hold hearings for experts and interested parties to offer testimony, revise the bill, or report the legislation to the full committee for its consideration.
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Bills are drafted
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 groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them. Bills can also be drafted by lawyers working in state agencies and the executive branch, who often submit their ideas for legislation in bill form. In the case of New York, bills are drafted by the staff of New York State's Legislative Bill Drafting Commission, or by interest groups with their own attorneys.
Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to it. A committee will often refer a bill to one of its subcommittees, which may request reports from government agencies, hold hearings for experts and interested parties to offer testimony, "mark up" or revise the bill, or report the legislation to the full committee for its consideration. The full committee may then make changes to the bill.
All private bills reported to the House are placed on the Private Calendar, which is called on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. If two or more members object to the consideration of a bill, it is recommitted to the committee that reported it.
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Bills are assigned to a committee
Bills are generally introduced by legislators or by standing committees of the Senate and Assembly. The only exception to this is the Executive Budget, which is submitted directly by the Governor. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned a number and sent to the appropriate standing committee.
The committee will then study the bill according to its subject matter and may refer it to one of its subcommittees. The subcommittee may request reports from government agencies, hold hearings for experts and interested parties to offer testimony, revise the bill, or report the legislation to the full committee for further consideration.
The full committee may then make changes to the bill and put it before the chamber to be voted on. 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. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions.
In the case of private bills reported to the House, there is a different procedure. These are placed on the Private Calendar, which is called on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. If two or more members object to the consideration of any measure called, it is recommitted to the committee that reported it.
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Bills are discussed and amended
Bills are generally introduced by legislators or standing committees of the Senate and Assembly. However, in some cases, they can be proposed by citizen groups or members of the public who petition their representatives. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned a number and sent to a committee for review.
Committees are responsible for researching, discussing, and making changes to the bill. They may refer the bill to a subcommittee, which can request reports, hold hearings, and gather testimony from experts and interested parties. The subcommittee can then make revisions to the bill before sending it back to the full committee.
After the committee has completed its work, the bill is presented to the chamber for a vote. If the bill passes one body of Congress, it moves to the other body, where it goes through a similar process of research, discussion, and voting. During this process, both chambers may negotiate and bargain to resolve any differences between their respective versions of the bill. This is done through a conference committee, which produces a Conference Report recommending a common version of the bill.
Once both chambers have agreed on a version of the bill, it is presented to the president for consideration. The president has the power to veto the bill, in which case Congress can vote to override the veto, and the bill becomes a law. If the president does not sign off on the bill and Congress is no longer in session, the bill is vetoed by default, which cannot be overridden.
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Bills are voted on by Congress
Bills are proposed pieces of legislation that are voted on by Congress. The process of a bill becoming a law begins with an idea, which can come from anyone. This includes citizens, citizen groups, members of the Senate or House of Representatives, or even be proposed during their election campaigns. Once an idea is selected, it must be drafted as a bill before it can be considered by the Senate. This requires specialised legal training and is usually carried out by the staff of the Legislative Bill Drafting Commission. The bill is then introduced and assigned a number.
The bill is then sent to the Senate or Assembly Rules Committee, where it is assigned to the appropriate policy committee for its first hearing. During the hearing, the author presents the bill, and people testify in support or opposition. The committee may request reports from government agencies or hold hearings to allow experts and interested parties to offer their testimony. The committee can then "mark up" or revise the bill, or report the legislation to the full committee for its consideration.
Once the bill has been through the committee process, it is put before the chamber to be voted on by Congress. If the bill is approved by the house of origin, it proceeds to the other house, where the process is repeated. If the bill is amended in the second house, it must go back to the house of origin for concurrence, which is an agreement on the amendments. If an agreement cannot be reached, the bill moves to a two-house conference committee to resolve differences.
If a compromise is reached in the conference committee, the conference report is voted on in both houses. The bill then goes to the Governor, who has the option to sign the bill into law, allow it to become law without their signature, or veto it. The Governor typically has a set number of days to make this decision, and if they take no action, the bill may become law automatically.
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Frequently asked questions
The first step in making a law is to come up with a new policy idea. Senators often come up with these ideas, but they can also come from constituents, organizations, or state officials.
Anyone can propose a new law. A bill can be proposed by a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, during their election campaign, or by citizens or citizen groups who petition their representative.
A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. Bills are drafted by legislators or standing committees of the Senate and Assembly, except for the Executive Budget, which is submitted directly by the Governor.
The legislative process involves drafting, discussing, and approving bills and resolutions. Bills are assigned to committees that research, discuss, and make changes to them. The bills are then put before the chamber to be voted on.
The Senate works with the Assembly and the Governor to enact, amend, or repeal statutes that make up the body of laws. Senators draft, discuss, and approve bills and resolutions.
