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How a bill becomes a law?

How a bill becomes a law?. American Gov’t. MEMORIES!!!!. Turning your idea into a law…. During any session of congress there may be as many as 10,000 “ideas” introduced – less than 10% of these ever become a law. - A proposed law presented to the House OR Senate for consideration. Bill.

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How a bill becomes a law?

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  1. How a bill becomes a law? American Gov’t MEMORIES!!!!

  2. Turning your idea into a law… During any session of congress there may be as many as 10,000 “ideas” introduced – less than 10% of these ever become a law. - A proposed law presented to the House OR Senate for consideration Bill One Exception: $$ Legislations ALWAYS starts in the House of Representatives…Art. 1, Sec. 7, Cl. 1

  3. Source of Bills • Most start in the Executive Branch • Special Interest Groups • Business • Labor • Agriculture • Private Citizens – ME & YOU • Congressional Standing Committees

  4. Types of Bills • Public Bills – measures that apply to the Nation as a whole Example: Tax Laws or Amendments to the Constitution, etc. • Private Bills – Apply to certain people or places Example: Sheep rancher in Idaho or dealing with the NFL veterans RIDER: Attached unrelated matter

  5. Checkpoint • What is a BILL? • What is the only body that can bring up a bill regarding money? • Where are some of the places that a bill can come from?

  6. Intro in the House (read & numbered) Intro in the Senate Public Hearings if needed Standing Committee Standing Committee Subcommittee Subcommittee Floor Debate & Vote Floor Debate & Vote Conference Committee 2/3s Congressional Vote LAW President VETO!

  7. Committee Action • Sent to subcommittee for study & research • Hearing granted for opponents & proponents • Bill can be revised and made more passable! • The final version voted by subcommitte, majority in favor then it moves to full committee for a vote • Full committee will add any last minute changes and gets ready for vote!

  8. Committee Actions • Report the bill favorably • “Do-Pass” – THEY LIKED IT • Refuse to report the bill • “Pigeonhole” – LET IT DIE • Report the bill in amended form • “Amended” – CHANGED IT A LITTLE • Report a committee bill • “New Stuff” – MADE THEIR OWN 5) Report the bill with unfavorable recommendation • “No-Pass” – HATED IT

  9. On its way to Floor! • House: it is placed on calendar (order of business) • House: rules committee sets rules for debate, time, etc… • Senate: majority leader places bill on calendar and decided all rules and debate length etc… • Senate: if very important, Steering committee (committee of majority party leadership) may move bill up

  10. House Actions • Debate– discuss the issues (findings that the Committees and Subcommittees came up with) • Amend. maybe proposed (open v close rule) • Committee of the Whole – Speeds up the process; the entire House acts as a committee rather than a legislative body • Quorum – needed to discuss bills, it means a “majority” of the members must be there

  11. House Actions • After the debate then they: Vote • Types of voting • Voice Vote – most common • Standing Vote – self-explanatory • Teller Vote – Selected members count their party’s vote • Roll-Call Vote – this is now done with computers

  12. Final Step • The Bill is read for a 3rd and final time • One last vote / opportunity for debate • Signed by Speaker • Sent to Senate What does “pigeonhole” mean?

  13. The Next Step… • The Bill will then go to the Senate…here the process is very similar to the path of a bill in the House.

  14. The main difference in the Senate • Debate • House: Formal • Senate: Informal (Free Debate) • Filibuster • Is a part of the debating process • “Talking a bill to death” • Used by “minority” senators to delay or prevent a bill from going further • Monopolizes the Floor Debate Time • Vote of Cloture can limit things!

  15. More on Filibusters • Huey Long – 15 hours – read the phone book and recipes • Glen Taylor – 8 hours – talked about his kids, Wall Street, baptism, and fishing • THE RECORD – Strom Thurmond – • 24 hours, 18 minutes • The filibuster works, however, they do observe certain rules strictly…like standing, not sitting or leaning

  16. Conference Committee • Rarely can a bill make it thru all of these steps with out some problem… • This is where a Conference Committee comes in handy… • Members from both chambers come together (temporarily) to make any changes that BOTH can agree upon. • Then they re-vote (almost always passes) • Sent to the President for acceptance or rejection COMPROMISE

  17. Presidential Actions 1) Sign into Law 2) Veto – Means “I forbid” in Latin • Can be overridden with 2/3s vote of Congress 3) Do nothing – then it becomes a law if 10 days go by & congress still in session! 4) Pocket Veto – If Congress adjourns within 10 days of submitting the bill, the President can do nothing, the bill dies.

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