Cameron Miranda
The process of how a bill becomes a law is a complex and lengthy 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 introduced, it is assigned to a committee, which will research, discuss, and make changes to it. The bill then goes through a series of steps, including being put before the chamber for a vote, before it is presented to the president for approval. The president can approve the bill, veto it, or take no action, which results in a pocket veto. If the president vetoes the bill, Congress can vote to override it. Understanding the legislative process is crucial for effective advocacy and ensuring that one's voice is heard in the law-making process.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Where does the idea for a bill come from? | A bill can be proposed by a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, be part of their election campaign, or be petitioned by citizens or citizen groups. |
| Who drafts the bill? | A member of Congress or a special department, such as the New York Legislative Bill Drafting Commission or the Office of Legislative Counsel in California. |
| Who sponsors the bill? | Any member of Congress from either the Senate or the House of Representatives. |
| Who are co-sponsors? | Other members of Congress who support the bill. |
| Where is the bill introduced? | The bill is introduced in the House if a Representative is the sponsor, or in the Senate if a Senator is the sponsor. |
| What happens after the bill is introduced? | The bill is given a number and assigned to a committee. |
| What does the committee do? | The committee researches, discusses, and makes changes to the bill. The committee may also hold hearings and refer the bill to a subcommittee. |
| What does the subcommittee do? | The subcommittee further examines the bill and can make changes before sending it back to the committee. |
| 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 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. |
| What happens when the bill reaches the president? | The president can approve the bill and sign it into law, or refuse to approve it (veto it). |
| What happens if the president vetoes the bill? | Congress can vote to override the veto, and the bill becomes a law. |
| What is a pocket veto? | 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 (pocket veto). |
Bill proposal
The first step in the process of a bill becoming a law is the proposal of the bill. 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 proposed, it must be introduced.
Sponsorship
The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor". The other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors". Sometimes, constituents or stakeholder groups reach out to legislators and ask them to introduce a specific bill. Other times, legislators introduce a bill in response to a problem in their community.
Drafting
In many legislatures, there is a special department that drafts the bill language and then sends it to the legislator for review. For example, in New York, this department is called the New York Legislative Bill Drafting Commission, and in California, it is called the Office of Legislative Counsel.
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Bill introduction
The first step in the process of a bill becoming a law is its 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 be petitioned by citizens or citizen groups. Once a bill is drafted, it must be introduced. If a Representative is the sponsor, the bill is introduced in the House. If a Senator is the sponsor, the bill is introduced in the Senate.
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.
In the Senate, a Senator usually introduces a bill by presenting it to one of the clerks at the Presiding Officer's desk, without commenting on it from the floor of the Senate. However, a Senator may use a more formal procedure by rising and introducing the bill from the floor, usually accompanied by a statement about the measure.
The Sponsor and Co-Sponsors
The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor". The other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors". Sometimes, constituents or stakeholder groups reach out to legislators and ask them to introduce a specific bill. Other times, legislators introduce a bill in response to a problem in their community.
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Committee referral
Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. Committees are made up of groups of Congress members with a particular interest in different topics such as health or international affairs. The committee chair is in charge of the committee and is almost always a member of the majority party of that chamber. This is a powerful position as whether or not a bill is discussed is usually at the discretion of the committee chair.
Committees can take a number of actions on a bill. They can vote to pass the bill and send it to another committee or the floor. They can also amend the bill or send it to the floor with no recommendations. Committees can also "kill" a bill by voting it down or "tabling" it (postponing any action indefinitely). This means the bill will not advance further.
If the committee votes in favour of the bill, it is reported to the floor. This procedure is called "ordering a bill reported". If a committee votes not to report legislation to the full chamber of Congress, the bill dies.
Committees may also choose to hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill. Hearings allow the views of the executive branch, experts, other public officials, supporters, and opponents of the legislation to be put on the record. If a committee does not act on a bill, the bill is considered to be "dead".
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Committee review
Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. Committees are made up of groups of Congress members with a particular interest in a given topic, such as health or international affairs. The committee chair is a member of the majority party of that chamber and decides whether a bill is discussed.
Committees can vote to pass a bill, amend it, or send it to the floor with no recommendations. They can also "kill" a bill by voting it down or "tabling" it (postponing any action indefinitely). If a committee votes not to report legislation to the full chamber of Congress, the bill dies.
If a committee decides to pass a bill, it may refer it to a subcommittee for further specialisation on a certain topic. The subcommittee may 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. They make changes and amendments prior to recommending the bill to the "floor". If the committee votes in favour of the bill, it is reported to the floor. This procedure is called "ordering a bill reported".
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Bill vote
The bill-making process is a complex one, but the vote is a crucial step. In the US, a bill must be passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate before it can be sent to the President.
House of Representatives
Once a bill has been introduced and assigned a number, it is placed in the hopper, a special box on the side of the clerk's desk, and then read to all the Representatives. It is then sent to a committee, which will review, research, and revise it. If the committee wants to gather more information, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. If the committee approves the bill, it is sent back to the House floor for debate.
There are three methods for voting on a bill in the House: viva voce (voice vote), division, and recorded. In a voice vote, the Speaker of the House asks those who support the bill to say "aye" and those who oppose it to say "no". In a division, supporters and opposers are asked to stand up and be counted. In a recorded vote, Representatives vote electronically, choosing "yes", "no", or "present" if they don't want to vote. If a majority of the Representatives vote "yes", the bill passes in the House and is sent to the Senate.
Senate
The process in the Senate is similar to that of the House. The bill is discussed in a Senate committee and then reported to the Senate floor for a vote. Senators vote by voice, saying "yea" if they support the bill and "nay" if they oppose it. If a majority of Senators say "yea", the bill passes in the Senate and is sent to the President.
Presidential Vote
When a bill reaches the President, he has three options: he can sign and pass the bill, refuse to sign it (veto it), or do nothing (pocket veto). If the President vetoes the bill, it is sent back to the House, along with his reasons for doing so. If the House and the Senate still support the bill, they can hold another vote, and if two-thirds of the Representatives and Senators vote in favor, the President's veto is overridden and the bill becomes a law. If the President does nothing and Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law after 10 days. If Congress is not in session, the bill does not become a law.
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Frequently asked questions
A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law.
A bill can be proposed by a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or be suggested 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 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.
After the committee has approved a bill, it is sent to the House floor for debate. Once all changes have been made, the bill is ready 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.
The president can approve the bill and sign it into law. Or the president can refuse to approve a bill, which 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.
