Keith Mack
The process of a bill becoming a law is a complex one that involves many steps and people. In the United States, Congress is the lawmaking branch of the federal government, and its primary function is to create and modify laws. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one. It can be introduced by any member of Congress, or it can be petitioned by citizens who recommend a new or amended law. Once introduced, a bill is assigned to a committee, which researches, discusses, and makes changes to it. It then goes through a process of voting and debate in both the House and the Senate, where it must be passed by both chambers. The bill is then presented to the President, who can approve and sign it into law or veto it. If the President vetoes, Congress can vote to override the veto, and the bill becomes a law.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Who can introduce a bill? | Any member of the House of Representatives or the Senate can introduce a bill. |
| What is the process after introduction? | The bill is assigned a number, sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO), and assigned to a committee. |
| What does the committee do? | The committee researches, discusses, and makes changes to the bill. |
| What happens after the committee stage? | The bill is put before the chamber to be voted on. |
| What happens 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. |
| What happens once both bodies of Congress vote to accept a bill? | They must work out any differences between the two versions of the bill. |
| What is the role of the President? | The President can approve the bill and sign it into law or refuse to approve it by vetoing it. |
| Can Congress override a presidential veto? | Yes, in most cases, Congress can vote to override a veto, and the bill becomes a law. |
| What is a pocket veto? | If the President does not sign off on a bill and Congress is no longer in session, the bill is vetoed by default, and Congress cannot override this. |
| What happens if the President does not act on a bill within 10 days? | The bill becomes law without the President's signature. |
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What You'll Learn
Bills are introduced by members of Congress
In the United States, Congress is the lawmaking branch of the federal government. The process of a bill becoming a law begins with its introduction by any member of Congress. 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 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.
In the House of Representatives, legislation 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) for copying, and members can cosponsor the legislation.
Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee that will research, discuss, and make changes to it. The Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate refers the bill to the appropriate committee, and it is common for the referral decision to be made by the House or Senate parliamentarian. The bill is placed on the calendar of the committee to which it has been assigned. The Speaker of the House may set time limits on committees, and failure to act on a bill is equivalent to killing it.
Bills may be referred to multiple committees and can be split so that parts are sent to different committees. In the House, bills may be referred to more than one committee due to their subject matter, which is called a joint referral. Once a bill is referred to a committee, the Chairperson typically assigns it to a subcommittee for hearings and in-depth examination. Comments about the bill's merit are requested by government agencies, and subcommittees report their findings to the full committee. The full committee then votes on the bill, ordering it to be reported. Finally, the committee holds a "mark-up" session to make revisions and additions.
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Bills are assigned to committees
Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee. The Speaker of the House or the Senate Majority Leader will refer the bill to the relevant committee, which has jurisdiction over the bill's main issue. The referral decision is often made by the House or Senate parliamentarian. In the House, a bill may be referred to multiple committees due to its subject matter, which is called a joint referral.
Bills are placed on the calendar of the committee to which they have been assigned. Committees will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The Chairperson of the committee will usually then assign the bill to a relevant subcommittee, where hearings are held, and the bill is examined in detail. Subcommittees report their findings to the full committee, which then votes on the bill. The committee will then hold a "mark-up" session, where revisions and additions are made.
If a committee fails to act on a bill, it is considered "killed". Bills in the House can only be released from committee without a vote through a discharge petition, which must be signed by the majority of House members.
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Bills are researched, discussed and changed
The legislative process is complex and varies significantly from bill to bill. However, once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee system is considered the most critical step in the legislative process. Bills may be referred to more than one committee, and parts of a bill may be sent to different committees. The Speaker of the House may set time limits on committees. Bills are placed on the calendar of the committee to which they have been assigned. If no action is taken on a bill, it is considered killed.
The committee will hold hearings and examine the bill in-depth. Comments about the bill's merit are requested by government agencies. The committee chairman may assign the bill to a subcommittee, which will report its findings to the full committee. The full committee will then vote on the bill, ordering it to be reported. The committee will then hold a "'mark-up' session, during which it will make revisions and additions to the bill."
Once the bill has been researched, discussed, and changed by the committee, it is put 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. This process can be different in the House of Representatives and the Senate, with the House processing legislation through a majority vote and the Senate favouring deliberation and debate before voting.
Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions. The enactment of law always requires both chambers to separately agree to the same bill in the same form before presenting it to the President.
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Bills are voted on by Congress
Congress is the law-making branch of the federal government. Its primary function is to create and modify laws. Bills are voted on by Congress, and the process is different in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
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 or be proposed during their election campaign. Bills can also be petitioned by citizens or groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress. 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 Senate Majority Leader will refer the bill to the appropriate committee that has jurisdiction over the major issue involved in the bill. Bills may be referred to more than one committee, and parts may be sent to different committees. The Speaker of the House may set time limits on committees. Bills are placed on the calendar of the committee to which they have been assigned. Failure to act on a bill is equivalent to killing it.
The bill is then put before that chamber to be voted on. Bills in the House are processed through a majority vote, while the Senate processes them through deliberation and debate prior to 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. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions.
Congress typically must accommodate the president's position on proposed policies. The president can approve the bill and sign it into law, or they can 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, known as a pocket veto, which cannot be overridden by Congress.
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Bills are signed into law by the President
The process by which a bill becomes a law is rarely predictable and can vary significantly from bill to bill. The President has influence in the legislative process. The President must act on all bills sent to him within 10 days. During this period, the President can take several actions, including signing the bill into law, vetoing it, or allowing the bill to become law without their signature. If the President does not sign the bill or veto it within ten days, the bill becomes law without their signature.
If the President vetoes a bill, they send it back to Congress, usually with a message indicating their objection. Congress can then modify the bill and send it back to the President, or they can override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both Houses. If the two-thirds vote is not reached, the bill dies. However, if the veto is overridden, the bill becomes law without the President's signature.
The President can also effectively veto a bill by taking no action on it. This is called a "pocket veto" and occurs when a bill is not signed by the time Congress adjourns. A pocket veto cannot be overridden by Congress.
Once a bill is signed by the President or their veto is overridden by both Houses, it becomes a law and is assigned an official number.
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Frequently asked questions
A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law.
The process for a bill to become a law involves multiple steps and people. A bill can be proposed by a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, during an election campaign, or by citizens who petition their representatives. Once introduced, a bill is assigned to a committee that researches, discusses, and makes changes to it. The bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on. If it passes one body of Congress, it goes through a similar process in the other body. Once both bodies vote to accept, they must reconcile any differences between the two versions. The President then considers the bill and can approve and sign it into law, or veto it. If vetoed, Congress can vote to override the veto, and the bill becomes a law.
Congress is the lawmaking branch of the federal government and its primary function is to create and modify laws. Congress can override a presidential veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both Houses.
The President must act on all bills sent to them within 10 days. They can sign the bill into law, allow it to become law without their signature, or veto it. If the President does not act on the bill within 10 days, it becomes law without their signature.
