Bill To Law: 9,000 Proposals And Counting

A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. In the United States, there are nine steps a bill can go through before becoming a law. The process begins with the introduction of the bill, which can be done by any member of Congress. The bill is then assigned to a committee, which will research, discuss, and make changes to it. Following this, the bill is put before the chamber to be voted on. If the bill 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 between the two versions before presenting it to the president. The president can then choose to approve the bill, in which case it becomes a law, or refuse to approve it, which is called a veto. If the president chooses to veto a bill, Congress may attempt to override the veto, and if both the Senate and the House pass the bill by a two-thirds majority, it becomes a law.

The bill is drafted

The legislative process begins with the drafting of a bill, which can be proposed by any member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or even be suggested during their election campaign. The bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one. Members of Congress can also be petitioned by people or citizen groups to recommend a new or amended law. The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor", and other members who support the bill are called co-sponsors.

Once the 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. The bill is then assigned a number (e.g. HR 1 or S 1) and given the sponsor's name. It is then sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO) for copying.

After introduction, the bill is referred to a committee. The Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate decides which committee will review the bill. The committee is composed of groups of Congress members with a particular interest in the bill's topic, such as health or international affairs. The committee carefully examines the bill, holding hearings to better understand its implications and determine its chances of passage by Congress. The committee may make changes to the bill and must vote to refer it back to the full committee.

Subcommittees, which operate under committees, may also review the bill. They have further specialisation on a certain topic and may make changes before sending the bill back to the full committee. The full committee will then meet to "mark up" the bill, making any final changes and amendments. If the committee votes in favour of the bill, it is reported to the floor, in a procedure called "ordering a bill reported".

Finally, the bill reaches the floor, where there is additional debate and members of the full chamber vote to approve any amendments. The bill is then passed or defeated by the members' voting.

The bill is introduced

The legislative process begins with the introduction of a bill. Any member of Congress can introduce a bill, and the process varies slightly between the House of Representatives and the Senate. In the House, legislation is handed to the clerk or placed in the hopper, while in the Senate, members must gain recognition from the presiding officer to announce the bill's introduction during the morning hour. If a Senator's introduction is objected to, it is postponed until the following day.

Once introduced, the bill is assigned a number (e.g., HR 1 or S 1) and labelled with the sponsor's name. The sponsor is the primary Congress member supporting the bill, and other members who show their support are called co-sponsors. The bill is then sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO) for copying. Senate bills can be jointly sponsored, and members can co-sponsor legislation.

The next step is committee action. The Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate refers the bill to the appropriate committee. The referral decision is often made by the House or Senate parliamentarian, and bills may be referred to multiple committees or split between them. The Speaker of the House may set time limits, and failure to act on a bill is equivalent to killing it. Bills can only be released from the committee without a proper vote through a discharge petition signed by the majority of House members (218 members).

The bill is placed on the committee's calendar, and comments on its merit are requested from government agencies. The Chairman may assign it to a subcommittee, which can hold hearings and make changes before referring it back to the full committee. The subcommittee's findings are reported, and the full committee votes on the bill, which is then "ordered to be reported."

The committee will then hold a "mark-up" session to make revisions and additions. If substantial amendments are made, a "clean bill" with the proposed amendments and a new number is introduced, and the old bill is discarded. The chamber must approve, change, or reject all committee amendments before conducting a final passage vote.

The bill goes to committee

I don't have any information to go off in this instance, but I can provide some general information on what it means for a bill to go to committee.

When a bill is introduced in either chamber of Congress, it is referred to a committee for review. This is a crucial step in the legislative process, as it allows for a thorough examination of the bill's content, implications, and potential impact. Committees are typically made up of a specialized group of legislators with knowledge and expertise in the subject matter of the bill. They act as a sort of "quality control" mechanism, ensuring that only well-crafted and carefully considered legislation advances further in the law-making process.

The committee stage offers an opportunity for stakeholders and the public to provide input and testimony, ensuring that a diverse range of perspectives are considered. Committees may also propose amendments to the bill, refining its language, scope, and details. This collaborative process is designed to improve the bill and address any potential issues or concerns before it proceeds to the next stage of becoming a law.

The number of committees varies between the House and the Senate, and each has its own set of rules and procedures. In the House, bills are typically referred to a specific committee with relevant expertise, such as the Judiciary or Appropriations Committee. The Senate, on the other hand, operates with a more streamlined committee system, often combining multiple areas of expertise into a single committee, as seen with committees like the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Once a bill is introduced and referred to a committee, the committee chairperson plays a pivotal role in deciding the fate of the bill within the committee. If the chairperson does not support the bill, it may never receive a hearing or be brought up for a vote, underscoring the significant influence committee leaders hold.

The committee process is a critical step in the journey of a bill becoming a law. It serves as a forum for debate, amendment, and public input, ensuring that legislation undergoes rigorous scrutiny before advancing to the next stages of the legislative process.

The bill is voted on

Once a bill has been drafted, introduced, and assigned to a committee, it is then put before that chamber to be voted on. The bill is then passed or defeated by the members voting. 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.

In the House of Representatives, the bill is handed to the clerk of the House or placed in the hopper. In the Senate, members must gain recognition of 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 Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader decide what will reach the floor and when. In the Senate, scheduling legislation is the job of the Majority Leader, and bills can be brought to the floor whenever a majority of the Senate chooses.

In the House, debate is limited by the rules formulated in the Rules Committee. The Committee of the Whole debates and amends the bill but cannot technically pass it. Debate is guided by the Sponsoring Committee and time is divided equally between proponents and opponents. The Committee decides how much time to allot to each person. Amendments must be germane to the subject of a bill – no riders are allowed. The bill is reported back to the House (to itself) and is voted on. A quorum call is a vote to make sure that there are enough members present (218) to have a final vote. If there is not a quorum, the House will adjourn or will send the Sergeant at Arms out to round up missing members.

In the Senate, debate is unlimited unless cloture is invoked. Members can speak as long as they want and amendments need not be germane – riders are often offered. Entire bills can therefore be offered as amendments to other bills. Unless cloture is invoked, Senators can use a filibuster to defeat a measure by "talking it to death".

The bill is 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 then has ten days to decide whether to approve or reject the bill. If the President approves of the bill, they will sign it, and it will become a law.

If the President does not agree with the bill, they can veto it and send it back to Congress, along with their reasons for doing so. Congress can then vote to override the veto, and if two-thirds of both the House and the Senate support the bill, it will become a law.

If the President takes no action on the bill for ten days while Congress is in session, the bill will automatically become a law. However, if Congress has adjourned before the ten days are up and the President has not signed the bill, the bill will not become a law. This is called a "pocket veto", and it cannot be overridden by Congress.

The President's power to veto a bill is an important check on the power of Congress, ensuring that only bills that have substantial support become laws.

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