How Bills Become Laws: The House Journey

A bill becomes a law in the United States after it has been approved by the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and the President. The process begins with a representative sponsoring a bill, which is then assigned to a committee for study. If the committee releases the bill, it is put on a calendar to be voted on, debated, or amended. If the bill passes by a simple majority, it moves to the Senate, where the process is repeated. A conference committee made of House and Senate members then works out any differences between the two versions of the bill. The resulting bill returns to the House and Senate for final approval. The President then has 10 days to sign or veto the enrolled bill. If the President does not sign or veto the bill within 10 days and Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law. If the President vetoes the bill, it is sent back to the U.S. House of Representatives, along with the President's reasons for the veto. If two-thirds of the Representatives and Senators support the bill, the President's veto is overridden and the bill becomes a law.

The Bill Is Proposed

The legislative process begins with an idea for a bill. Ideas for bills 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. Bills can also be proposed by the President, who is required to report to Congress on the "State of the Union" and recommend measures for consideration.

Once a Representative has written a bill, it needs a sponsor. The Representative discusses the bill with other Representatives to gain their support. Once the bill has a sponsor and the support of other Representatives, it is ready to be introduced.

In the U.S. House of Representatives, a bill is introduced when it is placed in the hopper, a special box on the side of the clerk's desk. Only Representatives can introduce bills in the U.S. House of Representatives. A bill clerk then assigns it a number that begins with H.R. A reading clerk then reads the bill to all the Representatives, and the Speaker of the House sends the bill to one of the House standing committees.

The Bill Is Introduced

The journey of a bill to becoming a law begins with its proposal and introduction. 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 come from citizens or citizen groups who petition their representative. Citizens who have ideas for laws can contact and discuss their ideas with their representatives. If the representatives agree, they research the ideas and write them into bills.

Once a bill has been written, it needs a sponsor. The representative talks with other representatives to get their support. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the other representatives, it is ready to be introduced. In the U.S. House of Representatives, a bill is introduced when it is placed in the hopper—a special wooden box on the side of the clerk's desk. Only representatives can introduce bills in the U.S. House of Representatives.

When a bill is introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, a bill clerk assigns it a number that begins with H.R. (denoting House-originated bills or joint resolutions). A reading clerk then reads the bill to all the representatives, and the Speaker of the House sends the bill to one of the House standing committees. In the Senate, the bill is submitted to clerks on the Senate floor and is then referred to a committee.

Most bills fall under the jurisdiction of one committee, but if multiple committees are involved, each committee may 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.

The Bill Goes to Committee

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will review, research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. Committee members are groups of Representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations.

The Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate refers the bill to the appropriate committee. In some cases, the referral decision is made by the House or Senate parliamentarian. Bills may be referred to more than one committee, and parts of the 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 the committee wishes to gather more information before deciding on the bill, it is sent to a subcommittee. The bill is closely examined in the subcommittee, and expert opinions are gathered before it is sent back to the committee for approval.

After the committee has approved a bill, it is sent to the House floor. A committee will hold a "mark-up" session to make revisions and additions. If substantial amendments are made, the committee can order the introduction of a "clean bill" to 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 committee staff then prepares a written report explaining why they favor the bill and why they wish to see their amendments, if any, are adopted. Committee members who oppose a bill may 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 Voted On

Once a bill has been introduced, assigned to a committee, and reported, it is put on a calendar to be voted on, debated, or amended. The bill is then voted on by the U.S. House of Representatives.

There are three methods for voting on a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives:

• Viva Voce (voice vote): The Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support the bill to say “aye” and those that oppose it to say “no.”
• Division: The Speaker of the House asks those Representatives who support the bill to stand up and be counted, and then those who oppose the bill to stand up and be counted.
• Recorded: Representatives record their vote using the electronic voting system. Representatives can vote yes, no, or present (if they don’t want to vote on the bill).

If a majority of the Representatives vote yes, the bill passes in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the U.S. Senate.

The Bill Is Sent to the President

Once a bill has been passed by both the House and the Senate, it is sent to the President for their consideration. The President has several options available to them at this stage.

Firstly, the President can choose to sign the bill and pass it, at which point it becomes a law.

Secondly, the President can refuse to sign the bill, known as a veto. In this case, the bill is sent back to Congress, along with the President's reasons for the veto. Congress can then attempt to override the veto by holding another vote on the bill. If two-thirds of the Representatives and Senators support the bill, the President's veto is overridden, and the bill becomes a law.

Thirdly, the President can choose to do nothing, referred to as a pocket veto. If Congress is in session, the bill will automatically become law after 10 days. However, if Congress is not in session, the bill will not become law, and if Congress still wants to pass the legislation, they must begin the process anew.

It is important to note that a bill must be passed by both the House and the Senate with the exact same wording before it can be sent to the President. To achieve this, a Conference Committee, consisting of members from both chambers, is formed to work out any differences between the two versions of the bill. Each chamber then votes again to approve the final version of the bill before it is sent to the President.

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