Bill To Law: Understanding The Percentages And Probabilities

The process of turning a bill into law is a lengthy one, and only a small percentage of bills make it through. Less than 5% of US bills make it through the legislative process, and between 2017 and 2019, the 115th US Congress turned 443 out of 10,000 bills into laws – that's a success rate of around 4.5%. The number of bills that become law changes year on year, and there is no minimum or maximum number that can be introduced to Congress.

Bills are introduced by a member of Congress

The process of a bill becoming a law begins with a member of Congress sponsoring a bill. There are 535 members of Congress, comprising 435 members serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and 100 members serving in the U.S. Senate. Members of the House of Representatives serve two-year terms and are considered for reelection every even-numbered year. In contrast, members of the Senate serve six-year terms, with elections staggered over even years, resulting in only about one-third of the Senate being up for reelection during any given election.

Once a bill is sponsored by a member of Congress, it is assigned to a committee for study. If the committee approves, the bill is put on a calendar to be voted on, debated, or amended. If the bill passes by a simple majority (218 out of 435), it moves on to the Senate. In the Senate, the bill undergoes a similar process, being assigned to another committee and, if released, debated and voted on. Again, a simple majority (51 out of 100) is required to pass the bill.

After passing both houses of Congress, a conference committee comprising House and Senate members works to reconcile any differences between the two versions of the bill. The resulting bill then returns to the House and Senate for final approval. This process is known as enrolling, and the Government Publishing Office prints the revised bill. The bill then goes to the President, who has ten days to sign or veto it.

While there is no set percentage for a bill to become a law, the likelihood is generally low. Between 2017 and 2019, for instance, the 115th Congress turned only 4% of the bills introduced into laws. Overall, less than 5% of U.S. bills make it through the legislative process.

Bills are assigned a number and a sponsor

When a bill is introduced in one of the houses of Congress, it is assigned a number. For bills in the Senate, the abbreviation is "S." followed by a number, e.g., "S. 213". For bills in the House of Representatives, the abbreviation is "H.R." followed by a number, e.g., "H.R. 1171". This number will remain the same even if the bill is amended multiple times.

The member introducing the bill is known as the primary sponsor. In the House of Representatives, an unlimited number of members can cosponsor a bill. In the Senate, multiple sponsorship of a bill is also permitted, and a senator can insert the words "by request" after their name to indicate that the bill was introduced at the suggestion of another person or group.

Once a bill is introduced, it is placed in the "hopper", a wooden box provided for that purpose, located on the side of the rostrum in the House Chamber. In the Senate, a senator usually introduces a bill by presenting it to one of the clerks at the Presiding Officer's desk. Alternatively, they can use a more formal procedure by rising and introducing the bill from the floor, usually accompanied by a statement about the measure.

The bill is then referred to the appropriate committee or committees, where it undergoes intensive consideration and public hearings. The committees provide a forum for members of the public to be heard. The committees will also seek input from relevant departments and agencies about the bill and may submit the bill to the Government Accountability Office for an official report on the necessity or desirability of enacting the bill into law.

Bills are sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO) and copies are made

The percentage of bills that become law varies from year to year. For instance, between 2017 and 2019, the 115th Congress turned 443 out of 10,000 bills into laws, meaning that roughly 4.5% of the bills proposed in that time frame became laws.

Now, here's a detailed explanation of the step "Bills are sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO) and copies are made":

Once a bill is introduced by a member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, it is sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO), formerly known as the Government Printing Office. The GPO is an agency of the legislative branch of the United States Federal government. It produces and distributes information products and services for all three branches of the Federal Government. The GPO is in charge of printing and making copies of the bill. This process involves printing the bill and making it available digitally through GPO's govinfo.gov platform.

The GPO is headed by a Director, who is appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Director of the GPO selects a Superintendent of Documents, who is responsible for the dissemination of information at the GPO. This is done through various programs, such as the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) and the Federal Citizen Information Center in Pueblo, Colorado.

The GPO has been undergoing a shift to digital publishing, and in 2014, its name was officially changed from the Government Printing Office to the Government Publishing Office to reflect this transformation. This shift has led to a decrease in the number of staff at the agency. The GPO first started putting government information online for public access in 1994, and in 2016, it launched GovInfo, a mobile-friendly website that provides free access to government information.

The GPO is located on the corner of North Capitol Street NW and H Street NW in the District of Columbia. The building is a large red brick structure, which is unique compared to most other government buildings in the city, which are made of marble and granite.

Bills are referred to a committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is then referred to a committee. In the House, the Speaker refers the bill to all committees that have jurisdiction over the provisions in the bill, as determined by the chamber's standing rules and past referral decisions. Most bills fall under the jurisdiction of one committee. If multiple committees are involved, each committee will only work on the portion of the bill that falls under its jurisdiction. One of those committees will be designated the primary committee of jurisdiction and will likely take the lead on any action that may occur.

In the Senate, bills are typically referred to the committee with jurisdiction over the issue that predominates in the bill. In a limited number of cases, a bill might not be referred to a committee but instead be placed directly on the Senate Calendar of Business through a series of procedural steps on the floor.

Each committee receives many bill referrals over the course of a Congress—far more than the panel is capable of pursuing in any detail. The committee chair has the chief agenda-setting authority and identifies the bills or issues on which the committee will try to formally act through hearings and/or a markup. The first formal committee action on a bill or issue might be a hearing, which provides a forum for committee members and the public to hear about the strengths and weaknesses of a proposal from selected parties. While these hearings provide a formal public setting for feedback, committee members and staff also engage in additional assessment of the approach through informal briefings and other mechanisms. Hearings are also a way to spotlight legislation to colleagues, the public, and the press.

A committee markup is the key formal step a committee takes for a bill to advance to the floor. Normally, the committee chair chooses the proposal that will be placed before the committee for markup: a referred bill or a new draft text. At this meeting, which is typically open to the public, members of the committee consider possible changes to the proposal by offering and voting on amendments. A markup concludes when the committee agrees, by majority vote, to report the bill to the chamber. Committees rarely hold a markup unless the proposal in question is expected to receive majority support.

Most House and Senate committees also establish subcommittees, which are subpanels of the full committee where members can further focus on specific elements of the policy area. The extent to which subcommittees play a formal role in policymaking varies by chamber and committee tradition and practice. Whatever role a full committee allows its subcommittees to play, subcommittees cannot report legislation to the chamber; only full committees may do so.

Committees hold hearings and mark-up sessions

The process of a bill becoming a law is a lengthy one, and it involves several stages. Committees play a crucial role in this process, as they are responsible for reviewing, discussing, and making changes to the bill before it moves forward. Here is a detailed explanation of how committees hold hearings and mark-up sessions as part of the legislative process:

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee. Committees are an essential part of the legislative process in Congress. They are created based on the specific issues being addressed by Congress and are made up of members of Congress who have relevant expertise in the subject matter of the bill. This allows for a more efficient review process, as these members are already knowledgeable about the policy area and can provide informed input during the hearings and mark-up sessions.

The committee members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. This process involves holding hearings, where experts, stakeholders, and members of the public may testify and provide input on the bill. These hearings allow for a thorough examination of the bill's potential impact and help identify areas that may need to be amended. During the hearings, committee members may ask questions, seek clarification, and gather information to make informed decisions about the bill.

After the hearings, the committee will hold mark-up sessions. In these sessions, the committee members will propose and consider amendments to the bill. This is a detailed and meticulous process, as each section of the bill is examined and discussed. The committee members may suggest changes, additions, or removals of certain provisions in the bill. This back-and-forth discussion allows for a collaborative revision of the bill, ensuring that it reflects the input of various stakeholders and experts.

The mark-up sessions can be lengthy, as each amendment is carefully considered and voted on. The committee members will debate the merits of each proposed change, weighing the potential impacts and consequences. This process ensures that the bill undergoes a thorough revision before it moves forward in the legislative process. The committee's work is crucial in shaping the final version of the bill and ensuring that it addresses the relevant issues effectively and comprehensively.

Once the committee has completed its work, the bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on. If it passes this vote, it will move on to the other body (the House or the Senate) to undergo a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting. This back-and-forth process continues until the bill has passed through both bodies of Congress.

The percentage of bills that become laws varies from year to year. For example, during the 115th Congress (2017-2019), out of over 10,000 bills, approximately 4.5% became laws. Overall, less than 5% of U.S. bills make it through the entire legislative process to become laws.

Frequently asked questions