Bill S-5: Law And Order?

The process of a bill becoming a law in the United States is a long and complex one. It begins with the introduction of a bill, which 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 by citizens or citizen groups. Once introduced, the bill is assigned a number and sent to a committee, which will research, discuss, and make 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 a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions, and then both chambers vote on the same version. If it passes, they present it to the president. The president can then choose to approve the bill and sign it into law, or veto it. If the president chooses to veto, Congress can vote to override that veto, and the bill becomes a law.

A bill is introduced by a member of the House or 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 people or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them.

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee will then put the bill 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.

In the House of Representatives, a bill is introduced when it is dropped in the hopper (a wooden box on the House floor). In the Senate, the bill is submitted to clerks on the Senate floor. Upon introduction, the bill will receive a designation based on the chamber of introduction, for example, H.R. or H.J.Res. for House-originated bills or joint resolutions and S. or S.J.Res. for Senate-originated measures. It will also receive a number, which is typically the next number available in sequence during that two-year Congress.

In the House, bills are then referred by the Speaker, on the advice of the nonpartisan parliamentarian, to all committees that have jurisdiction over the provisions in the bill, as determined by the chamber’s standing rules and past referral decisions. Most bills fall under the jurisdiction of one committee. If multiple committees are involved and receive the bill, each committee may work only 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 a committee in a similar process, though almost always, the bill is referred only to the committee with jurisdiction over the issue that predominates in the bill. In a limited number of cases, a bill might not be referred to committee but instead be placed directly on the Senate Calendar of Business through a series of procedural steps on the floor.

The process of a bill becoming a law can be lengthy and complex, but it begins with a member of the House or Senate introducing the bill. This is a critical first step in the legislative process, and members of Congress play a crucial role in shaping and proposing new laws or changes to existing ones.

The bill is assigned a number and a sponsor

The bill is assigned a number (e.g. HR 1 or S 1) and a sponsor. Any member of the House of Representatives can introduce a bill at any time while the House is in session by simply placing it in the "hopper" at the side of the Clerk's desk in the House Chamber. The sponsor's signature must appear on the bill. A public bill may have an unlimited number of co-sponsoring members.

The bill is then sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO) and copies are made. Senate bills can be jointly sponsored. Members can co-sponsor the piece of legislation.

The bill is then referred to the appropriate committee by the Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate. Most often, the actual referral decision is made by the House or Senate parliamentarian. Bills may be referred to more than one committee and it may be split so that parts are sent to different committees.

The bill is sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO) and copies are made

The GPO is an agency of the legislative branch of the United States Federal government. It was created by a congressional joint resolution on June 23, 1860, and began operations on March 4, 1861. The GPO is in charge of producing and distributing information products and services for all three branches of the Federal Government.

The GPO is headquartered in the District of Columbia, occupying the corner of North Capitol Street NW and H Street NW. The building is a large red brick structure, which is unusual for government buildings in the city, as most are made of marble and granite.

The GPO has played a significant role in the distribution of government information since its inception. In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed the GPO Electronic Information Access Enhancement Act, which allowed the GPO to put government information online for the first time. This led to the creation of the GPO Access website, which was later replaced by the Federal Digital System (FDsys) in 2009.

Today, the GPO continues to adapt to new technologies and has shifted its focus to digital publishing. In 2014, the name of the GPO was officially changed to the "Government Publishing Office" to reflect this shift. The GPO is committed to keeping the American public informed by providing access to government information through various platforms.

The bill is referred to a committee

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee’s chair has the chief agenda-setting authority and identifies the bills or issues on which the committee will try to formally act through hearings and/or a markup. Hearings are a forum where committee members and the public can hear about the strengths and weaknesses of a proposal from selected parties. While these hearings provide a formal public setting for feedback, committee members and staff engage in additional assessment through informal briefings and other mechanisms.

A markup is the key formal step a committee takes for a bill to advance to the floor. Normally, the committee chair chooses the proposal that will be placed before the committee for markup: a referred bill or a new draft text. At this meeting, which is typically open to the public, members of the committee consider possible changes to the proposal by offering and voting on amendments. A 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.

Most House and Senate committees also establish subcommittees where members can further focus on specific elements of the policy area. However, it is important to note that only full committees may report legislation to the chamber. In the House, bills are then referred by the Speaker, on the advice of the nonpartisan parliamentarian, to all committees that have jurisdiction over the provisions in the bill. In the Senate, bills are typically referred to the committee with jurisdiction over the issue that predominates in the bill.

The committee reviews and votes on the bill

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee reviews the bill in detail and provides a forum for the public to be heard. The committee will also seek input from relevant government departments and agencies about the bill. The committee may also hold public hearings if the bill is deemed important enough.

The committee will then hold a "mark-up" session, during which it will make revisions and additions to the bill. If substantial amendments are made, the committee can order the introduction of a "clean bill" that includes the proposed amendments. This new bill will have a new number and will be sent to the floor while the old bill is discarded.

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.

In the House, most bills go to the Rules committee before reaching the floor. The committee adopts rules that will govern the procedures under which the bill will be considered by the House. A "closed rule" sets strict time limits on debate and forbids the introduction of amendments. These rules can have a major impact on whether the bill passes. The rules committee can be bypassed in three ways:

• Members can move rules to be suspended (requires a two-thirds vote)
• A discharge petition can be filed
• The House can use a Calendar Wednesday procedure

Frequently asked questions