The Journey Of A Bill: First Steps To Becoming Law

The process of turning a bill into 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 drafted, it is introduced and assigned to a committee for research, discussion, and potential changes. 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 of the bill. If it passes, they present it to the president for approval. 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.

A bill is drafted

Drafting a bill is the first step in the legislative process. 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 an idea for a bill has been formulated, it must be drafted.

Any member of Congress – from either the Senate or the House of Representatives – who has an idea for a law can draft a bill. These ideas can come from the Congress members themselves or from everyday citizens and advocacy groups. The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor", and other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors".

Before a bill is introduced, it needs a sponsor. The Representative talks with other Representatives about the bill, hoping to gain their support. Once a bill has the support of some of the 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. When a bill is introduced, a bill clerk 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 process of a bill becoming a law begins with an idea. This idea 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 the bill is drafted, it must 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 House. When a bill is introduced, a bill clerk 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 then assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. Both the House and Senate have various committees composed of groups of Congress members with particular interests and expertise in different topics such as health, agriculture, education, or international affairs. Committees may also hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill and gather expert opinions. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead".

Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent, or reported, to the House floor, where it is ready to be debated. Representatives discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it. A reading clerk then reads the bill section by section, and Representatives recommend changes. When all changes have been made, the bill is ready to be voted on.

The bill goes to committee

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. Both the House and Senate have various committees composed of groups of Congress members with particular interests and expertise in different topics such as health, agriculture, education, or international affairs. When a bill is with the committee, it is carefully examined and its chances of passage by the entire Congress are determined. The committee may even choose to hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill and gather expert opinions. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead".

If the committee wishes to gather more information before deciding whether to send the bill back to the House floor, it is sent to a subcommittee. A subcommittee will make changes to the bill and must vote to refer it back to the full committee. Once the hearings and subcommittee review are completed, the committee will meet to ""mark up" the bill, making changes and amendments prior to recommending it to the "floor". If the committee votes against the bill, it dies. If the committee votes in favour, it is reported to the floor.

When 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.

The bill is voted on

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on.

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 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 say or select 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.

In the U.S. Senate, Senators vote by voice. Those who support the bill say “yea,” and those who oppose it say “nay.”. If a majority of the Senators say “yea,” the bill passes in the U.S. Senate and is ready to go to the President.

The bill goes to the president

Once a bill has been approved by the House of Representatives and the Senate, it is sent to the President. The President then has a choice to make. They can choose to sign the bill and pass it into law, or they can veto it. If the President approves the bill, it becomes law. If the President vetoes the bill, it is sent back to the House of Representatives, along with the President's reasons for doing so. If two-thirds of the Representatives and Senators still support the bill, the President's veto is overridden, and the bill becomes law.

If the President does nothing, this is known 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.

Frequently asked questions