Understanding The Journey Of A Bill To A Law

A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. The process of a bill becoming a law differs in each country. In the US, a bill must be introduced, assigned to a committee, voted on, and approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Once passed by both, the bill is sent to the President for review. The President can choose to sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action. If vetoed, Congress can vote to override the veto, and the bill will become a law. In India, a bill must pass through three readings, or stages, in each house of the legislature before being sent to the President for approval. The President can give assent, in which case the bill becomes an Act, or return the bill for reconsideration. If passed again, the President's assent is required for the bill to become law.

Bill introduction

The process of a bill becoming a law begins with its introduction. In the Indian Parliament, any member or member-in-charge of the bill can seek the house's leave to introduce a bill. If the bill is deemed important, the minister may make a brief speech, outlining its main features.

In the US, a member of Congress introduces a bill, which is then sent to the clerk of the Senate or House, who assigns it a number and title. The bill is then passed to the relevant committee. These committees are made up of small groups of senators or representatives and specialise in different areas, such as foreign relations or agriculture.

In both systems, the bill introduction is the first stage of the process. In India, this is known as the 'first reading'.

Drafting a Bill

Before a bill is introduced, it must be drafted. In India, this is done by the citizens, who identify a need for a new law. The draft bill is then circulated widely, and discussions and debates take place, allowing for corrections to be made.

Committee assignment

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 referred to the appropriate committee by the Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate. The referral decision is most often made by the House or Senate parliamentarian.

Bills may be referred to more than one committee and can be split so that parts are 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 committee will request comments about the bill's merit from government agencies. The bill can be assigned to a subcommittee by the Chairman. Hearings may be held. Subcommittees report their findings to the full committee.

A "mark-up" session is then held, during which the committee 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.

Voting by the full chamber

In the Indian Parliament, a bill passes through several stages before becoming an Act or law. The first reading is the introduction stage, where a member or member-in-charge of the bill seeks the house's leave to introduce it. If the bill is deemed important, the minister may give a brief speech outlining its main features.

The second reading is the discussion stage, where the bill and its provisions are considered in detail. This is followed by the third reading, or voting stage, where arguments are presented either in support of the bill or for its rejection as a whole, without referring to specific details.

After a bill is passed in one house, it is sent to the other house, where it goes through the same three stages. If the bill is amended by the second house, it goes back to the originating house for further discussion.

Once a bill is passed by both houses, it is sent to the President for approval. The President can choose to assent or return the bill for reconsideration. If the President gives assent, the bill is published in The Gazette of India and becomes an Act or law from the date of assent. However, if the President returns the bill, Parliament must reconsider it. If it is passed again and returned to the President, they are required to give their assent.

In the voting stage, the full chamber votes on the bill, debating and offering amendments. If the bill is defeated in either house, it dies. Sometimes, both houses may pass the bill but with different amendments. In such cases, the bill goes to a conference committee, which works out the differences between the two versions.

The bill then goes before the entire Congress for a vote. If a majority of both the Senate and the House vote in favour, it goes to the President for approval.

Referral to the other chamber

In the Indian Parliament, a bill must pass through several stages before becoming an Act or law. After the first reading, or introduction stage, and the second reading, or discussion stage, the bill moves to the third reading, or voting stage. At this stage, arguments are made either in support of the bill or for its rejection as a whole.

Once the bill is passed, it is sent to the other house, where it goes through the same three stages. If the bill is amended by the other house, it goes back to the originating house for further discussion. This back-and-forth between the two houses ensures that the bill is thoroughly reviewed and debated, allowing for a robust legislative process.

The Rajya Sabha, for instance, has 20 days to pass the bill. If it seeks to modify the bill, it must do so within this timeframe. This process of referral to the other chamber is crucial for maintaining a system of checks and balances, as it provides an opportunity for further scrutiny and revision of the proposed legislation.

The referral process allows for a more comprehensive evaluation of the bill, as members of the other chamber bring their unique perspectives, expertise, and representations. This back-and-forth exchange facilitates a more inclusive and thoughtful legislative process, mitigating the risk of hasty or biased decision-making. It ensures that the final version of the bill is a product of collective wisdom and consensus between the two chambers.

Once the bill is passed by both houses, it is sent to the President for approval. The President can either give assent or return the bill for reconsideration. If the President gives assent, the bill is published in the Gazette of India and becomes an Act or law from the date of assent. However, if the President returns the bill, Parliament must reconsider it. If the bill is passed again and returned to the President, their approval is mandatory, and they must give assent, concluding the legislative journey of the bill.

Presidential approval

In the United States, Congress is the law-making branch of the federal government. 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 citizen 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 bill is then put before that 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. 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 for their approval or review.

The president can choose to approve the bill and sign it into law. If the president approves of the legislation, it is signed and becomes law. If the president takes no action for ten days while Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law.

Alternatively, the president can refuse to approve a bill. This is called a veto. If the president chooses to veto a bill, in most cases, 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. This action is called a pocket veto, and it cannot be overridden by Congress.

In the Parliament of India, the process is similar. When a bill is passed by both houses of the legislature, it is sent to the President for approval. The President can give assent, or they can return the bill. If the President gives assent, the bill is published in The Gazette of India and becomes an Act or law from the date of their assent. If the President returns it for reconsideration, Parliament must do so. However, if it is passed by Parliament again and returned to the President, they must give their assent.

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