Cameron Miranda
The process of a bill becoming a law in the United States is a long and complex one. It begins with an idea, which can come from a member of the House of Representatives, a Senator, or a citizen. If a Representative or Senator agrees with the idea, they will research and write it into a bill. The bill then needs a sponsor, which is the primary Congress member supporting it, and co-sponsors, who are other members of Congress who also support it. Once it has a sponsor and some support, the bill is ready to be introduced.
In the 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. A bill clerk then assigns it a number that begins with H.R. before it is read to all the Representatives and sent to one of the House standing committees.
The committee members review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the House floor. If the committee would like more information, the bill is sent to a subcommittee, where it is closely examined and expert opinions are gathered. If the committee approves the bill, it is sent or reported to the House floor to be debated.
Once the bill has been debated and all changes have been made, it is ready to be voted on. There are three methods for voting on a bill in the House of Representatives: viva voce (voice vote), division, and recorded. If a majority of the Representatives vote yes, the bill passes in the House and is certified by the Clerk of the House before being delivered to the Senate.
The bill then goes through many of the same steps in the Senate. It is discussed in a Senate committee and reported to the Senate floor to be voted on. Senators vote by voice, saying yea if they support the bill and nay if they oppose it. If a majority of the Senators say yea, the bill passes in the Senate and is sent to the President.
The President then has three choices: they can sign and pass the bill, refuse to sign or veto it, or do nothing (pocket veto). If the President chooses to veto the bill, it is sent back to the House of Representatives along with their reasons for the veto. If the House and the Senate still believe the bill should become a law, they can hold another vote, and if two-thirds of the Representatives and Senators support it, 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 a bill has passed in both the House and the Senate and has been approved by the President, or if a presidential veto has been overridden, the bill becomes a law and is enforced by the government.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Who sings federal bills to become laws? | Jack Sheldon |
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What You'll Learn
How a bill is proposed
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 who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them. Once a member of Congress has an idea for a bill, they write it and seek a sponsor. The member of Congress talks with other members to get their support and, once they have it, the bill 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 members of the House of Representatives can introduce bills in this chamber. A bill clerk then assigns it a number that begins with H.R. and a reading clerk reads the bill to all the Representatives. The Speaker of the House then sends the bill to one of the House standing committees.
The Bill Goes to Committee
When the bill reaches committee, the committee members—groups of Representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations—review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send the bill back to the House floor. If the committee members would like more information before deciding, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. While in subcommittee, the bill is closely examined and expert opinions are gathered before it is sent back to the committee for approval.
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How a bill is 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.
Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee may then send the bill to a subcommittee, where it is closely examined and expert opinions are gathered before it is sent back to the committee for approval.
The committee has several options after reviewing the bill. They can decide to amend the bill, pass it, or fail it. If the committee decides to pass the bill, it moves to other committees of reference or to the full house. The full house then votes on the bill. If the bill passes in one house, it is sent to the other house for review and goes through the same process. A bill can go back and forth between houses until a consensus is reached.
The process for introducing a bill is slightly different in the House of Representatives and the Senate. In the 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 of Representatives. When a bill is introduced, a bill clerk assigns it a number that begins with H.R., and a reading clerk reads the bill to all the Representatives. The Speaker of the House then sends the bill to one of the House standing committees.
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How a bill goes to committee
Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee. The committee members are groups of representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. They will review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send it back to the House floor.
If the committee members would like more information before deciding, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. Here, the bill is closely examined and expert opinions are gathered before it is sent back to the committee for approval.
Once the committee has approved a bill, it is sent or reported to the House floor. Once reported, a bill is ready to be debated.
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How a bill is reported
Once a bill has been proposed, introduced, and sent to committee, it is then reported to the House floor. At this stage, the bill is ready to be debated by the U.S. House of Representatives. During the debate, representatives discuss the bill, explaining why they agree or disagree with it. A reading clerk then reads the bill section by section, and the representatives recommend changes. Once all changes have been made, the bill is ready 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 to 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 vote 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.
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How a bill is voted on
In the House of Representatives
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 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.
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Frequently asked questions
No one. Federal bills are proposed by members of the House of Representatives or the Senate, and are then voted on by the House of Representatives and the Senate. If the bill passes in both chambers, it is sent to the President, who can sign it into law.
If the President chooses not to sign a bill, this is called a veto. The bill is then sent back to Congress, who can override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote.
If Congress doesn't override the veto, the bill does not become a law.
