How a Bill Becomes a Law

How a Bill Becomes a Law By: Jennifer Martin

Hey Students! Here’s What You’ll Learn: • How does the American legislature work? How do bills become laws and go into effect in the United States? • What goes into writing and presenting a bill? How to laws get approved and passed? How do laws go into effect?

Bill Becoming a LawStep 1Drawing the Bill • Any US citizen can draw up a bill, but only a Congress member can introduce/sponsor it.

Step 2On to a Committee • Once the bill is introduced by a Congress member, it is passed to a committee. The bill is discussed and the committee decides whether or not to take the bill further in the process. If the bill is deemed worthless, it’s considered “dead” and the committee throws the bill out. If not… on to Step 3!

Step 3Subcommittee • Bills are sent on to a subcommittee for study and hearings. The hearings are the chance for supporters and opponents of the legislation to express their views.

Step 4Mark it Up! • With the hearings finished, the subcommittee may meet to "mark up" the bill; which is making changes and amendments before recommending the bill to the full committee. • If a subcommittee votes not to pass the legislation up to full committee, the bill dies. If the committee votes for the bill, it is sent to the floor.

Step 5Committee: “Report that Bill!” • Once the subcommittee's report on a bill has been filed, the full committee votes on its recommendation to the House or Senate. This procedure is called "ordering a bill reported.“ (http://www.genome.gov/12513982)

Step 6Time to Vote! • After the debate and the approval of any amendments, the bill is passed or defeated by the members voting.

Step 7Referral to the Other Side • When the House or Senate passes a bill, it is referred to the other chamber, where it follows the same route through committee and floor action. This chamber may approve the bill as received, reject it, ignore it, or change it. (http://www.genome.gov/12513982)

Step 8Conference Committee to Action! • When the actions of the other chamber significantly alter the bill, a conference committee is formed to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate versions. If the conferees are unable to agree, the legislation dies. If agreement is reached, a conference report is prepared describing the committee members' recommendations for changes. Both the House and Senate must approve the conference report. (http://www.genome.gov/12513982)

Step 9Final Action • After both the House and Senate have approved a bill in identical form, it is sent to the president. If the president approves of the legislation, he signs it and it becomes law. • If the president takes no action for ten days, while Congress is in session, it automatically becomes law. • If the president opposes the bill he can veto it; or if he takes no action after the Congress has adjourned its second session, it is a "pocket veto" and the legislation dies. (http://www.genome.gov/12513982)

Step 10Override: the Veto • If the president vetoes a bill, Congress may attempt to "override the veto." If both the Senate and the House pass the bill by a two-thirds majority, the president's veto is overruled and the bill becomes a law. (http://www.genome.gov/12513982)

Activity! • You’re going to create your own bill proposal! Your law can involve anything you want! • Create a PowerPoint presentation about your law. Walk your bill through the process of being passed. Does it get held up in committee? Does the President veto it? Get creative! Does your bill become a law… or fail? It’s all up to you!

Rubric

TEKS • §126.12. Technology Applications (Computer Literacy), Grades 6-8. • (c) Knowledge and skills. • (1) Foundations. The student demonstrates knowledge and appropriate use of hardware components, software programs, and their connections. The student is expected to: (A) demonstrate knowledge and appropriate use of operating systems, software applications, and communication and networking components. (F) perform basic software application functions including, but not limited to, opening an application program and creating, modifying, printing, and saving documents. • (2) Foundations. The student uses data input skills appropriate to the task. The student is expected to: (A) demonstrate proficiency in the use of a variety of input devices such as mouse/track pad, keyboard, microphone, digital camera, printer, scanner, disk/disc, modem, CD-ROM, or joystick; (B) demonstrate keyboarding proficiency in technique and posture while building speed; (C) use digital keyboarding standards for data input such as one space after punctuation, the use of em/en dashes, and smart quotation marks. • (6) Information acquisition. The student evaluates the acquired electronic information. The student is expected to: (A) determine and employ methods to evaluate the electronic information for accuracy and validity; (C) demonstrate the ability to identify the source, location, media type, relevancy, and content validity of available information.

TEKS cont’d • (10) Communication. The student formats digital information for appropriate and effective communication. The student is expected to: (A) use productivity tools to create effective document files for defined audiences such as slide shows, posters, multimedia presentations, newsletters, brochures, or reports; (D) demonstrate appropriate use of fonts, styles, and sizes, as well as effective use of graphics and page design to effectively communicate. • (11) Communication. The student delivers the product electronically in a variety of media, with appropriate supervision. The student is expected to: (A) publish information in a variety of ways including, but not limited to, printed copy, monitor display, Internet documents, and video; (B) design and create interdisciplinary multimedia presentations for defined audiences including audio, video, text, and graphics.

References • How a Bill Becomes a Law. Retrieved October 14th, 2008 from http://www.genoe.gov/12513982. • Chapter 126. Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Technology Applications. Subchapter A. Elementary. Retrieved October 14th, 2008 from http://www.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/ch126.html#s12611. • All images are from google.com

How a Bill Becomes a Law