How a Bill Becomes a Law

How a Bill Becomes a Law

112th Congress Stats • January 5, 2011-December 31, 2012 • Enacted Laws: 196 • Passed Resolutions: 669 • At the President: 9 • Active Legislation: 377 • Inactive Legislation: 10736 • Failed Legislation: 31 • Vetoed Bills: 0 http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/

Schoolhouse Rock • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Otbml6WIQPo

Bills and Resolutions • 4 types of forms new legislation may take: • Bills • Joint Resolution • Concurrent Resolution • Simple Resolution

I’m Just a Bill • Private bills: deal with individual people or places • Public bills: deal with general matters and apply to the entire nation

Joint Resolution • Requires the approval of both houses and the signature of the president • Essentially the same as a law • Passed by both houses reacting to an important issue that needs immediate action

Concurrent Resolution • Comes from both houses • Often settles housekeeping and procedural matters that affect both houses • Not signed by the president • Do not have force of law

Simple Resolution • Passed by either House or Senate and usually establishes rules, regulations, or practices • Do not have force of law • Not signed by the president

Law making vocab

Bell ringer 11/28 • Decide whether each action exemplifies a private bill, public bill, a simple resolution, a joint resolution, or a concurrent resolution • Speeding overdue Social Security payments to a needy recipient • Changing the vacation schedule of the House • Raising taxes on luxury items • Reintroducing the Equal Rights Amendment

Introducing a bill • Ideas can come from private citizens, interest groups, the president, or officers in the executive branch • Only a member of Congress can introduce the bill • H.R. = House of Representatives bill • S. = Senate bill • Sent to a committee that deals with that subject matter

Committee hearings • Sessions where committee members listen to testimony from people interested in the bill • Government officials • Representatives from interest groups • Committee can let the bill die—pigeonholing • Results of committee hearings: • Congress gathers information about the bill • Able to educate the public on an important issue • Influence public opinion for a bill

Markup Session • After committee bill goes into markup session, where it is revised if there are any changes that need to go into the bill • Majority vote on committee approves all changes made into bill • With all changes made, committee then either reports it or kills it • Report: sent to House or Senate floor • Revised bill, description of bill • Explains all committee’s actions, lists the major changes, opinions on the bill

Floor action • Little debate held on the floor, most debate of a bill made in committee • Amendments added to bill • Unless there is a closed rule made by the Rules Committee in the House

Voting in the house • Voice vote: simply shout “aye” or “nay” • Teller vote: file past a clerk and inform of their vote • Division vote (standing vote): members stand to be counted • Recorded vote (electronic vote): permits each member to insert a plastic card into a slot to record his or her vote • Most commonly used • Votes flash on a large screen

Voting in the senate • Same as the house, but also: • Roll call vote: respond “aye” or “nay” as their names are called

House rules committee • One of the oldest standing committees in the House • Most powerful • Decides how and when legislation will be considered by the House • May move bills up or down in the calendar • May also include a time limit for debates on the bill and specify how much the bill many be amended while on the floor

Quorum • Minimum number of members that must be present to permit legislative body take action • Regular session in the House: 218 members • Committee of a Whole: • Only 100 members needed • Cannot pass a bill, but can debate it and amend a bill

Filibuster • Technique used in the Senate to slow down or kill a bill • Definition: talking until a majority of the Senate abandons the bill or modify its most controversial points • After 3 hours, may talk about whatever they want • Record: Storm Thurmond, South Carolina • Opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1957 • Talked for 24 hours and 18 minutes • May be stopped by a cloture: procedure that allows each senator to speak only for an hour on a bill under debate • Need 3/5 (60) votes to cloture a filibuster

How a Bill Becomes a Law