How Laws Are Made: Bills To Acts

Understanding how a bill becomes a law is crucial for effective political action. The legislative process is a complex and lengthy procedure that varies in duration, from a few hours to a century. It involves multiple steps, including drafting, introduction, committee review, voting, and approval. The process aims to prevent hasty or uninformed decisions and ensure that laws are carefully considered and amended before being enacted. This paragraph introduces the topic of how a bill becomes a law, highlighting the importance of understanding the legislative process and providing a glimpse into the journey of an idea becoming a law.

A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law

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. 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. A bill clerk assigns it a number, and a reading clerk reads the bill to all the Representatives. The Speaker of the House then sends the bill to a standing committee.

The committee reviews, researches, and revises the bill before voting on whether to send it back to the House floor. If the committee requires more information, the bill is sent to a subcommittee for further examination and to gather expert opinions. Once the bill is approved by the committee, it is sent back to the House floor for debate. Representatives discuss the bill and recommend changes. When all changes have been made, the bill is ready to be voted on.

If the bill 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. 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 veto it. If the president chooses to veto the bill, Congress can vote to override that veto, and the bill becomes a law.

The idea for a bill can come from a member of the Senate or House of Representatives, or be proposed by citizens

The legislative process begins with an idea for a bill. These ideas can come from anyone, including citizens and advocacy groups, but the process truly begins when a citizen manages to persuade a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives to author a bill. Citizens who have ideas for laws can contact their Representatives to discuss their ideas. If the Representatives agree, they research the ideas and write them into bills.

In the U.S. House of Representatives, only Representatives can introduce bills. A legislator, who acts as the author, sends the idea and language for the bill to the Legislative Counsel where it is drafted into the actual bill. The drafted bill is then returned to the legislator for introduction. When the author wishes to introduce the bill, they deliver it to the Chief Clerk or Secretary, who gives the bill a number. A bill is then introduced when it is placed in the hopper—a special box on the side of the clerk’s desk.

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. Committees are composed of groups of Congress members with expertise on the bill's topic, such as health or international affairs. The committee may even choose to hold hearings to better understand the bill's implications and gather expert opinions. If the committee does not act on a bill, the bill is considered to be "dead".

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

A bill is introduced when it is placed in a special box on the clerk's desk

The process of a bill becoming a law begins with an idea. These ideas can come from anyone, including citizens or members of Congress. Once a member of Congress agrees with an idea, they research and write it into a bill. The bill is then introduced. In the U.S. House of Representatives, this happens when the bill is placed in the hopper—a special box on the side of the clerk's desk. Only Representatives can introduce bills in this way.

Once introduced, the bill is assigned a number by a bill clerk, and then read out loud by a reading clerk to all the Representatives. It is then sent to a committee, which will review, research, and make changes to the bill. Committees are groups of Representatives who are experts on specific topics, such as agriculture, education, or international relations. The committee may also choose to send the bill to a subcommittee for further examination and to gather expert opinions.

After the committee stage, the bill is reported to the House floor, where it is debated by the Representatives. Representatives discuss the bill and explain their agreement or disagreement with it. Changes are recommended, and once all changes have been made, the bill is ready to be voted on.

If the bill passes in the House of Representatives, it is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the U.S. Senate, where it will go through a similar process of committee review, research, discussion, changes, and voting. Once both bodies of Congress have voted to accept the bill, they must reconcile any differences between the two versions. Both chambers then vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, it is presented to the President.

A bill is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to it

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee. This committee is made up of groups of representatives or congress members who are experts on the topic of the bill. For example, a bill about agriculture will be assigned to a committee that focuses on that area.

The committee members will then review, research, and revise the bill. They will discuss the bill and its implications and may choose to hold hearings to better understand it. This may involve gathering expert opinions and putting the views of the executive branch, other public officials, supporters, and opponents on the record.

The committee may also choose to send the bill to a subcommittee for further study and hearings. The subcommittee can make changes to the bill and must vote to refer it back to the full committee. Once the committee has finished its review, it will vote on whether to send the bill back to the House floor or Senate floor. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is considered "dead".

If the committee approves a bill, it is sent or "reported" to the House or Senate floor, where it can be debated by representatives or senators. At this stage, the bill can be amended, and then it is ready to be voted on.

If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes to another body to go through a similar process

If a bill passes one body of Congress, it is sent to the other body to undergo a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting. This means that the bill will be reviewed by another committee, which will make changes and amendments before recommending the bill to the floor. The bill will then be voted on by the full chamber, and it can be approved, rejected, ignored, or changed. If the bill is approved, the two chambers will need to work together to resolve any differences between their versions of the bill. This is done through a conference committee, which will prepare a final report with recommendations for the bill. Both chambers must then vote to approve this final report.

For example, if a bill passes in the House of Representatives, it will then be sent to the Senate. In the Senate, the bill will go through the same steps of committee review, subcommittee review, and voting. If the Senate approves the bill, the two chambers will work to reconcile any differences between their versions. This may involve forming a conference committee to negotiate and reach an agreement on the final bill. Once both chambers have approved the identical version of the bill, it can be sent to the President for further consideration.

The process of moving a bill through both chambers of Congress is a critical step in the legislative process. It allows for further review, discussion, and input from a diverse group of legislators. This helps to ensure that the bill is thoroughly vetted and that any potential issues or discrepancies are identified and addressed before it moves forward in the law-making process.

It's important to note that the specific procedures and terminology may vary slightly between different legislative bodies, such as the state or federal government, but the overall process of passing a bill through both chambers remains consistent.

Overall, the progression of a bill through both bodies of Congress is a crucial step in turning a proposal into a law. It requires collaboration and agreement between the two chambers to ensure that the final version of the bill is acceptable to both sides before it can advance further in the legislative process.

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