The Long Road: Bills To Laws In America

The process of a bill becoming a law is a long and complex one. In the US, the legislative branch of the federal government, or Congress, has the power to create and modify laws. Thousands of bills are considered by Congress each session, but only a small percentage are ever approved by the President and enacted. The journey of a bill to the White House is a lengthy one, involving committees, subcommittees, debates, and amendments. This paragraph will explore the steps a bill must go through to become a law, and the likelihood of this happening.

Bills are introduced by members of Congress

In the House, a bill is introduced when it is handed to the clerk of the House or placed in the hopper. 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. HR 1 or S 1) and labelled with the sponsor's name. It is sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO) and copies are made. Senate bills can be jointly sponsored. Members can cosponsor the piece of legislation.

The 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 also be petitioned by people or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them. This is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Bills are assigned to committees

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate refers the bill to the appropriate committee. The referral decision is usually made by the House or Senate parliamentarian.

Bills may be referred to more than one committee and may be split so that parts are sent to different committees. In the House, bills are referred to all committees that have jurisdiction over the provisions in the bill. 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 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 only the committee with jurisdiction over the issue that predominates in the bill.

Bills are placed on the calendar of the committee to which they have been assigned. The Speaker of the House may set time limits on committees. Failure to act on a bill is equivalent to killing it. Bills in the House can only be released from committee without a proper committee vote by a discharge petition signed by a majority of the House membership (218 members).

Committees review and amend bills

Committees play a crucial role in the legislative process by reviewing and amending bills before they can become laws. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. This committee action is a critical step in shaping the final outcome of the legislation.

The committee's chair has the primary authority to set the agenda and identify the bills or issues the committee will address through hearings and/or mark-up sessions. Hearings provide a forum for committee members and the public to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the proposal from various stakeholders, including government agencies, relevant industries, and citizen groups. Witnesses present oral and written feedback, followed by a question-and-answer session with committee members. While hearings are essential, they are not mandatory for a bill to advance; committees also engage in informal briefings and other assessment mechanisms.

The "mark-up" session is the key formal step where members of the committee propose and vote on amendments to the bill. This session is typically open to the public, allowing for transparency in the legislative process. If substantial amendments are made, the committee may introduce a "clean bill," which incorporates all the amendments and is assigned a new number. The committee's vote on the bill and its amendments is a significant milestone, as it determines whether the bill will advance to the next stage or be tabled.

The committee's decision-making process is carefully documented in the Committee Report, which outlines the purpose, scope, and reasons for recommended approval of the measure. This report is an essential tool for keeping the public informed about the progress and rationale behind the legislation. The committee's actions have a direct impact on the bill's future, as it is shaped by revisions, additions, and the committee's overall support.

In summary, the committee review and amendment process is a critical stage in the legislative journey of a bill. Through hearings, mark-up sessions, and careful consideration of public input, committees play a vital role in shaping the final version of a bill before it moves forward in the law-making process.

Bills are voted on by Congress

Once introduced, the bill is assigned to a committee, whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee will consider the bill in detail, including its potential impact on the federal budget. If the committee approves, the bill moves forward. If not, it is rejected and fails to progress.

If a bill is approved by the committee, it may then be sent to a subcommittee for further study and public hearings. The subcommittee may make changes and amendments to the bill before reporting it back to the full committee for approval. This process is called a 'mark-up'. If the subcommittee votes against reporting the bill, it dies at this stage.

The full committee then reviews the subcommittee's work and can conduct further reviews or public hearings. If the bill is to go forward, the full committee votes on its final recommendations. Once a bill has passed this stage, it is said to have been 'ordered reported' or simply 'reported'.

The bill is then placed on the legislative calendar of the House or Senate and scheduled for floor action or debate. The House has several legislative calendars, while the Senate has just one. The Speaker of the House and House Majority Leader decide the order in which reported bills are debated.

Once any amendments have been approved, the full membership of the House or Senate votes for or against the bill. Methods of voting include voice voting and roll-call voting. If a bill is approved by one chamber of Congress, it is then sent to the other chamber, which follows the same process of committee, debate, and vote.

The other chamber may approve, reject, ignore, or amend the bill. If significant changes are made, a conference committee is formed, made up of members of both chambers. This committee works to reconcile the differences between the two versions of the bill. If the committee agrees on a compromise, both chambers must approve this report. If not, the bill dies.

The President can veto or approve bills

The President can choose to approve a bill and sign it into law. Alternatively, the President can refuse to approve a bill, which is called a veto.

If the President chooses to veto a bill, Congress can vote to override the veto, and the bill will become 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. This is known as a "pocket veto" and cannot be overridden by Congress.

The President has ten days, excluding Sundays, to sign or veto a bill once it has been presented. If the President does not act on the bill within this time frame and Congress is still in session, the bill will become law without the President's signature.

A successful override of a presidential veto is uncommon.

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