The Legal Journey: From Idea To Enactment

The process of a bill becoming a law is a long and complex one. In the United States, 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 bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The bill is then put before that chamber to be voted on. If it 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. Then both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, they present it to the president. The president then considers the bill and can either approve the bill and sign it into law or refuse to approve it, which is called a veto. If the president chooses to veto a bill, Congress can vote to override that veto and the bill becomes 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, which is called a pocket veto.

A bill is drafted

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 people or citizen groups. 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. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned a number and read to all the Representatives, before being sent to a committee.

Committees are groups of Representatives or Senators with expertise in specific topics, such as health or international affairs. They research, review, and revise the bill, and may hold hearings to better understand its implications. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead". Committees may also refer bills to a subcommittee for further study and hearings. Once the hearings and subcommittee review are completed, the committee will meet to mark up the bill, making changes and amendments before recommending it to the "floor".

Once a bill reaches the floor, 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' votes. 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. Then, both chambers vote on the same version of the bill, and if it passes, they present it to the president.

The bill is introduced

The bill is then discussed by the committee members, who are groups of Representatives with expertise on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. They review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether to send it back to the House floor. If the committee members would like more information, the bill is sent to a subcommittee, where it is closely examined and expert opinions are gathered before it is sent back to the committee for approval.

The bill goes to committee

In the US, the process of a bill becoming a law involves several steps. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill.

Committees are made up of groups of representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. They review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the House floor. If the committee members would like more information before deciding, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. While in subcommittee, the bill is closely examined and expert opinions are gathered before it is sent back to the committee for approval.

Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent, or reported, to the House floor. Once reported, a bill is ready to be debated by the House of Representatives.

The committee will then hold a "mark-up" session, where it will make revisions and additions. If substantial amendments are made, the committee can order the introduction of a "clean bill" which will include the proposed amendments. This new bill will have a new number and will be sent to the floor while the old bill is discarded. The chamber must approve, change, or reject all committee amendments before conducting a final passage vote.

After the bill is reported, the committee staff prepares a written report explaining why they favor the bill and why they wish to see their amendments, if any, adopted. Committee members who oppose a bill sometimes write a dissenting opinion in the report. The report is sent back to the whole chamber and is placed on the calendar.

The bill is reviewed by a subcommittee

The process of a bill becoming a law is a lengthy one, and the bill is reviewed by a subcommittee is the fourth step in this process. Once a bill is introduced, it is referred to a committee or subcommittee for editing and analysis. This is known as the markup period. The subcommittee will then hold hearings on the bill, gathering testimony to help assess the need for the proposed legislation. This is an opportunity for interested parties to present their perspectives on the bill.

The subcommittee will also review committee prints, which are wide-ranging documents covering a range of topics. These may include research materials, statistical data, legislative analyses, staff reports, investigative findings, and background information.

After reviewing the relevant materials, the subcommittee members will often draft a report. These committee reports are among the most valuable documents for understanding legislative intent. They typically outline the bill's purpose, provide a section-by-section analysis, explain the committee's rationale for recommending the bill, include the text of amendments and modifications to existing laws, and record the views of any dissenting members.

Once the subcommittee has completed its review, it must vote to refer the bill back to the full committee.

The bill is marked up by the committee

The process of a bill becoming a law is a lengthy one, and the bill is marked up by the committee is a critical step in this process.

During the markup session, members of the committee study the viewpoints presented in detail and consider possible changes to the proposal by offering and voting on amendments to it, including possibly a complete substitute for its text. Amendments may be offered to the bill, and the committee members vote to accept or reject these changes.

The 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 on that vote. The committee may vote to report a referred bill, with recommended changes that reflect any amendments adopted during the markup. As an alternative to a referred bill, it may instead report out an original or clean bill that was basically written in the markup process itself from a draft proposal.

The committee staff then prepares a written report explaining why they favor the bill and why they wish to see their amendments, if any, adopted. Committee members who oppose a bill sometimes write a dissenting opinion in the report. The report is sent back to the whole chamber and is placed on the calendar.

Frequently asked questions