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How A Bill Becomes A Law

How A Bill Becomes A Law. The Beginnings. Each day Congressman enter the House the drop papers in a clerk’s box ( Hopper ) These papers are bills, or written proposals for laws Not all of these proposals become laws. The process is long and difficult. Sometimes it seems very unresponsive

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How A Bill Becomes A Law

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  1. How A Bill Becomes A Law

  2. The Beginnings • Each day Congressman enter the House the drop papers in a clerk’s box (Hopper) • These papers are bills, or written proposals for laws • Not all of these proposals become laws. The process is long and difficult. • Sometimes it seems very unresponsive • Process helps ensure that our laws will be good

  3. Where The Ideas Come From • Constituencies • Must be a large group. • Interest Groups • Labor Groups – Better Working Conditions • Committees of Congress • Come from findings from hearings • Members of Congress • Expert Congressman • The President of the United States • Union address – Laws need to be passed for nations well-being/Great influence

  4. How An Idea Becomes A Bill • Who can introduce a bill? • Only Members of Congress • Congress members will hear from Constituents and decide if they will introduce it • Bills may be introduced in either house, unless it is an appropriation bill • Appropriation Bill- a bill approving the spending of money. • Every bill must pass both houses of Congress before it is signed into law by the President

  5. Bill Introduced in the House • Bill is carefully written out by 1 of the 5 • After the bill is dropped in the hopper it is given letters and a number and read by clerk • HR 1213 • What happens after the bill is introduced? • It is sent to a standing committee for study • The subject of the bill determines which committee it goes to • The Speaker of the House decides which committee it will be sent to

  6. The Committee and The Bill • Many of the bills are deemed unnecessary • These are set aside and never sent back to the House for further action • In this way the committees cut down on the amount of legislation Congress must consider • If the bill is NOT set aside, the committee will schedule hearings to learn more about the bill

  7. The Committee Holds Hearings • At the hearings, the committee calls witnesses to testify for and against the bill. • Witnesses give committee information they need to recommend the bill be accepted, rejected, or changed • Some of the witnesses may be lobbyists

  8. Committee Studies The Bill • After the hearings, if the committee still decides that the bill is a good one, they usually change the bill before it is sent back to the House • They may reword sections or even add new ones • Now the bill is very different from the one they originally received. • If the bill is recommended, these changes are sent with the bill back to the House. • It is now put on the House calendar for consideration

  9. The House Considers The Bill • The bill must be given 3 readings: • 1. When it is sent to committee • 2. When the bill is debated • The changes are debated • Members for and against the bill are given equal amounts of time • 3. Bill is occasionally debated, and finally voted on. *If it passes the Speaker of the House signs.

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