Who Can Sign Bills And Make Them Federal Laws?

In the United States, a bill must be approved by the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the President before it can become a federal law. The President has three options: they can sign the bill into law, veto it, or do nothing (pocket veto). If the President chooses to veto the bill, Congress can override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers. The bill then becomes a law without the President's signature.

The Bill Is Proposed

The process of a bill becoming a federal law begins with an idea. Anyone can come up with an idea for a bill, be it a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, a citizen, or a citizen group. If the idea comes from a citizen or a citizen group, they can petition their representative to propose a bill. The representative then researches the idea and writes it into a bill.

Once a bill has been written, it needs a sponsor. The representative discusses the bill with other representatives to garner support. Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of several representatives, it is ready to be introduced.

The Bill Is Introduced

The process of a bill becoming a federal law begins with the bill being introduced. 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. The member of Congress who has an idea for a law can then draft a bill. These ideas come from the Congress members themselves or from everyday citizens and advocacy groups. The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor". Other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors". Once the 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.

Once a bill is introduced, it can be found on Congress.gov, which is the official government website that tracks federal legislation. In the House, 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 typically is the next number available in sequence during that two-year Congress.

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. The committee will hold a "mark-up" session during which it will make revisions and additions. If substantial amendments are made, the committee can order the introduction of a "clean bill" which will 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 to which a bill is assigned is decided 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 Speaker of the House may set time limits on committees.

In the House, bills can only be released from committee without a proper committee vote by a discharge petition signed by a majority of the House membership (218 members). In the Senate, introduced measures and House-passed measures are referred to the one committee of preponderant jurisdiction by the Parliamentarian on behalf of the Presiding Officer. By special or standing order, a measure may be referred to more than one committee in the Senate.

Committees provide the most intensive consideration of a proposed measure, as well as a forum where the public is given the opportunity to be heard. There are, at present, 20 standing committees in the House and 16 in the Senate, as well as several select committees. Each committee's jurisdiction is defined by certain subject matter under the rules of each House and all measures are referred accordingly. For example, the Committee on the Judiciary in the House has jurisdiction over measures relating to judicial proceedings and 18 other categories, including constitutional amendments, immigration policy, bankruptcy, patents, copyrights, and trademarks.

In total, the rules of the House and of the Senate each provide for over 200 different classifications of measures to be referred to committees. Until 1975, the Speaker of the House could refer a bill to only one committee. In modern practice, the Speaker may refer an introduced bill to multiple committees for consideration of those provisions of the bill within the jurisdiction of each committee concerned.

Membership on the various committees is divided between the two major political parties. The proportion of the Members of the minority party to the Members of the majority party is determined by the majority party, except that half of the members on the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct are from the majority party and half from the minority party. The respective party caucuses nominate Members of the caucus to be elected to each standing committee at the beginning of each Congress.

Each committee will hold a "mark-up" session during which it will make revisions and additions. If substantial amendments are made, the committee can order the introduction of a "clean bill" which will 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 chamber must approve, change or reject all committee amendments before conducting a final passage vote.

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 that 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.

The process of voting on a bill is slightly different in the House of Representatives and the Senate. In the House, a bill must pass by a simple majority (218 out of 435). In the Senate, a bill must pass by a simple majority (51 out of 100).

If a bill passes in both the House and the Senate, the two bodies must work out any differences between the two versions of the bill. Then, both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, they present it to the president.

The process of voting on a bill in the House of Representatives typically involves several stages:

• Committee Consideration: The committee will seek input from relevant departments and agencies about the bill and may hold public hearings.
• Final Committee Action: The committee will vote on whether to report the bill favorably to the House, with or without amendments.
• Availability of Reports and Hearings: The committee report and any hearings must be made available to members of the House before the bill can be considered.
• Legislative Oversight: Each standing committee is required to review and study the laws and programs within its jurisdiction on a continuing basis.
• Calendars of Business: The House has four calendars of business: the Union Calendar, the House Calendar, the Private Calendar, and the Calendar of Motions to Discharge Committees. A bill is assigned to one of these calendars based on its nature.
• Obtaining Consideration of Measures: Certain measures may be considered ahead of others due to their importance or urgency. This can be done through unanimous consent, a special resolution or "rule," a motion to discharge a committee, a motion to suspend the rules, or other procedures.
• Consideration and Debate: This stage involves several steps, including the Committee of the Whole, amendments, quorum calls and roll calls, and voting methods.
• Engrossment and Message to Senate: If the House passes the bill, it is prepared for transmission to the Senate.

The process of voting on a bill in the Senate also typically involves several stages:

• Committee Consideration: The bill is referred to a committee for detailed consideration, which may include public hearings.
• Committee Action: The committee may report the bill with or without amendments.
• Availability of Reports and Hearings: The committee report and any hearings must be made available to members of the Senate before the bill can be considered.
• Calendars of Business: The Senate has two calendars: the Calendar of Business and the Executive Calendar. All legislation is placed on the Calendar of Business, while treaties and nominations are placed on the Executive Calendar.
• Obtaining Consideration of Measures: Measures may be considered ahead of others due to their importance or urgency through unanimous consent, a complex unanimous consent agreement, or a motion to proceed.
• Consideration and Debate: This stage involves several steps, including motions to take up a bill, debate, amendments, quorum calls, and voting methods.
• Final Action on Amended Bill: If the Senate passes the bill with amendments, it is returned to the House for action on the amendments.
• Request for a Conference: If the House disagrees with the Senate's amendments, it may request a conference to resolve the differences.

The Bill Is Sent to the President

Once a bill has been passed by both houses of Congress, it is sent to the President for review. The President has several options. If the President agrees with the bill, they may sign it into law. If the President disagrees with the bill, they may veto it and send it back to Congress with a note outlining their reasons. Congress can override the veto with a two-thirds vote in each chamber, and the bill will become law. If the President takes no action on the bill within 10 days and Congress remains in session, the bill will automatically become law. However, if Congress adjourns before the 10-day period is up and the President takes no action, the bill will not become law. This is known as a "pocket veto", and it cannot be overridden by Congress.

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