Gavin Howe
The process of turning a bill into law is rarely predictable and can vary significantly from bill to bill. In the US, the legislative process begins with the introduction of legislation, which can be done by any member of the House of Representatives or the Senate. Bills are prefixed with H.R. when introduced in the House and S. when introduced in the Senate. They are then assigned to committees that research, discuss, and make changes. The bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on. If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes through the same process in the other body. 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, it is presented to the president for approval. The president can approve the bill and sign it into law, or they can veto it. If the president vetoes the bill, it is sent back to Congress, which can attempt to override the veto by a two-thirds vote in both chambers. If the veto is overridden, the bill becomes law.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Legislative process | A bill is introduced by any member, assigned a number and a sponsor, and sent to the Government Printing Office. |
| Committee action | The bill is referred to a committee by the Speaker of the House or presiding officer in the Senate. Committees research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. |
| Congressional action | The bill is voted on by the committee and then by the full chamber. If it passes, it goes to the other chamber to repeat the process. |
| Presidential action | The bill is presented to the President for approval. The President can veto the bill, sending it back to Congress with reasons, or sign it into law. |
| Congressional override | If the President vetoes, Congress can vote to override the veto and pass the bill into law. |
| House-specific rules | The House can initiate tax and revenue-related legislation. |
| Senate-specific rules | The Senate confirms presidential nominations and approves treaties. |
| Procedural differences | The House processes legislation through a majority vote, while the Senate prioritises deliberation and debate. |
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What You'll Learn
- Bills must be introduced by a member of the House or Senate
- Bills are assigned to a committee for research, discussion, and changes
- The bill is voted on by the first body of Congress
- The bill is sent to the second body of Congress for a similar process
- The bill is presented to the President for approval
Bills must be introduced by a member of the House or Senate
The legislative process is a fundamental aspect of democracy, allowing for the consideration and approval of bills by both Houses of Congress before they become laws. This process is not always predictable, and it can vary for each bill.
For a bill to be introduced, it must be proposed by a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives. Bills can also be petitioned by citizens or groups who recommend new or amended laws to their Congressional representative. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned a number and a sponsor. In the House, the bill is handed to the clerk or placed in the hopper, while in the Senate, members must gain recognition from the presiding officer to announce the introduction of the bill.
The bill is then sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO), where copies are made. In the Senate, bills can be jointly sponsored, and members can cosponsor legislation. After introduction, the bill is referred to the appropriate committee by the Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate. Committees play a crucial role in researching, discussing, and making changes to the bill. They may also seek input from relevant departments, agencies, and the Government Accountability Office to assess the necessity and desirability of enacting the bill into law.
Bills may be referred to multiple committees and can be split between different committees. The Speaker of the House may set time limits, and a discharge petition signed by a majority of the House membership can release a bill from committee without a proper committee vote. Committees hold hearings and make revisions before reporting their findings to the full committee for a vote.
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Bills are assigned to a committee for research, discussion, and changes
Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate refers the bill to the appropriate committee. The referral decision is often made by the House or Senate parliamentarian. 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.
Bills may be referred to more than one committee, and parts of a bill may be sent to different committees. Committees can have up to 30 members, two-thirds of whom are selected by a majority vote of the majority committee members, and one-third of whom are selected by a majority vote of minority committee members. Committees seek input from relevant departments and agencies about a bill, and frequently submit the bill to the Government Accountability Office with a request for an official report on the necessity or desirability of enacting the bill into law.
A bill can be assigned to a subcommittee by the Chairman. Subcommittees report their findings to the full committee. There is then a vote by the full committee, and the bill is "ordered to be reported". The committee holds a “mark-up” session to make revisions and additions. 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.
In the House, most bills go to the Rules Committee before reaching the floor. The committee adopts rules that 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. The rules committee can be bypassed if members move to suspend the rules (requiring a two-thirds vote), a discharge petition is filed, or the House uses a Calendar Wednesday procedure.
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The bill is voted on by the first body of Congress
The legislative process is a critical aspect of the American democratic system, emphasising the protection of minorities and allowing all sides to be heard. Any member of Congress can introduce a bill, which is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one. These proposals can arise from a member's election campaign or constituents' petitions. Once introduced, the bill is assigned a number and sent to the Government Printing Office for duplication. It is then referred to the appropriate committee by the Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate. Committees may request input from relevant departments and agencies, and the bill undergoes research, discussion, and revisions.
The bill is then presented to the first body of Congress for a vote. If it passes this stage, it moves to the other body, where it undergoes a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting. This body of Congress could be the House of Representatives or the Senate, as both have equal legislative functions and powers, with a few exceptions. For example, the House of Representatives is the only body that can initiate revenue bills and appropriation bills.
After the bill passes through the second body of Congress, both chambers must work out any differences between their respective versions. They then vote on the same version of the bill, and if it passes, it is presented to the President. If the President vetoes the bill, Congress can attempt to override the veto with a two-thirds vote in each chamber, and the bill will become a law. However, if Congress adjourns before the ten-day period and the President has not signed the bill, it does not become law, resulting in a "pocket veto."
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The bill is sent to the second body of Congress for a similar process
In the United States, the process by which a bill becomes a law is rarely predictable and can vary significantly from bill to bill. The legislative process is a matter about which every person should be well informed to understand and appreciate the work of Congress, the Legislative Branch of the government.
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 second body of Congress for a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting. The bill is handed to the clerk of the House or placed in the hopper. Members must gain recognition from the presiding officer to announce the bill's introduction during the morning hour. If any senator objects, the introduction is postponed until the next day. The bill is then assigned a number (e.g. HR 1 or S 1) and labelled with the sponsor's name.
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 then considers the bill. The president can approve the bill and sign it into law. 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 Congress adjourns before the 10 days, and the President has not signed the bill, it does not become law ("Pocket Veto.").
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The bill is presented to the President for approval
The legislative process is a matter about which every person should be well informed to understand the work of Congress. The legislative function of Congress, as the Legislative Branch of the US government, is to create and modify laws. The idea for a bill can come from a sitting member of the US Senate or House of Representatives, be proposed during their election campaign, or be petitioned by citizens or groups who recommend a new or amended law.
Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned a number and sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO) for copying. It is then referred to the appropriate committee by the Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate. Committees research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. Bills may be referred to multiple committees, and parts of a 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. Committees also request comments about the bill's merit from government agencies and may assign the bill to a subcommittee. Hearings may be held, and subcommittees report their findings to the full committee. Finally, there is a vote by the full committee, and the bill is "ordered to be reported." A committee will hold a “mark-up” session during which it will make revisions and additions.
Once a bill has been through this process in one chamber of Congress, it goes to the other chamber to go through the same 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 then considers the bill. The President can approve the bill and sign it into law. The President has the power to veto legislation, which can affect the content of bills passed by Congress. The President also recommends an annual budget for federal agencies and often suggests legislation. It is quite unusual for a law to be enacted over a presidential veto, so Congress typically must accommodate the president’s position on proposed policies. If Congress adjourns before 10 days have passed and the President has not signed the bill, it does not become law ("Pocket Veto."). If the President vetoes the bill, it is sent back to Congress with a note listing their reasons. The chamber that originated the legislation can attempt to override the veto by a two-thirds vote. If the veto of the bill is overridden in both chambers, it becomes law.
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Frequently asked questions
The legislative process begins with the introduction of legislation, which can be done by any member of Congress. The bill is then assigned a number and sent to the Government Printing Office, where copies are made. It is then referred to the appropriate committee, which will research, discuss, and make changes. The bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on. If it passes one body of Congress, it goes through the same process in the other body. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions and vote on the same one. If it passes, it is presented to the president, who can approve and sign it into law or veto it. If the bill is vetoed, it is sent back to Congress, which can override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers, and the bill becomes law.
The House and the Senate have equal legislative functions and powers, with a few exceptions. The House is the only chamber that can initiate tax and revenue-related legislation, while the Senate is the only chamber that can draft legislation related to presidential nominations and treaties. The House processes legislation through a majority vote, while the Senate favours deliberation and debate prior to voting.
There are public bills, which pertain to matters that affect the general public or classes of citizens, and private bills, which affect specific individuals or organisations and are usually prefixed with "For the relief of...". Concurrent resolutions, which are used to make or amend rules that apply to both houses, and simple resolutions, which address matters within the prerogative of one house, do not have the force of law. Joint resolutions require the approval of both chambers and the president's signature to become law.
