How a Bill Becomes a Law

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Basic Definitions • Bill: Proposed Law • Appropriation Bill: Bill Approving the spending of money • Note: Appropriations bills MUST begin in House of Reps • Filibuster: Method of delaying a vote in Senate by using lengthy speeches • Cloture: Legislative procedure for ending debate in Senate and taking a vote

Basic Definitions (continued) • Veto: President rejecting a bill passed by Congress • May be overridden by a 2/3 vote in both houses • Pocket veto • President does not sign or veto bill within 10 days and Congress is NOT in session • Note: If Congress is in session and bill sits on desk, it automatically becomes law

The Actual Process

Step-by-Step • A bill is introduced in either the House or Senate • Exception: Appropriation Bill must be in House • Bill assigned letters and numbers to denote it (HR1215) • HR=House of Reps • 1215=Place among bills introduced during current session • Once bill is introduced, it is printed in the Congressional Record (publication of daily proceedings in Congress)

Committee Process • Once proposed, bill goes to standing committee • Permanent Congressional committee that meets regularly • Bill goes to committee based on subject (ex. Agriculture) • May be referred to subcommittee for review • Actions in committee • Set aside and essentially killed • Hearings: witnesses for and against bill to help committee recommend accepting, rejecting, or changing the current bill • After the hearing, committee can pass as is, change and pass, or kill the bill

House Actions • Placed on House calendar and Speaker decides when bill will reach floor for debate • Before debating bill, House Rules Committee decides how much time will be allotted for bill • Evenly distributed between supporters and opponents of the bill • Amendments to bill may be proposed at this time but must be relevant to the bill

House (continued) • Committee of the Whole: Entire House acts as one big committee debating bills in some cases • Amendments may be offered, debates taken for short time, then a vote on the amendment • When discussion on amendments and bill is complete, vote is taken

Rules for voting in the House • Quorum needed for House to conduct business • Majority of the members present • Majority needed to pass a bill in most cases • Roll-call votes for important bills • Each member’s name is called and their vote is recorded

Senate • Same steps as House: presented, committee, recommendations/amendments, committee vote, floor debate, floor vote • Differences • No limit to debate on bills, thus speeches may last long time • To prevent a vote in some cases, Senators will threaten to speak for hours to “talk the bill to death” • Known as a filibuster

Senate (continued) • Debate can be limited however • 3/5 vote of the full Senate can limit time on debate, ending the ability to filibuster • Cloture: procedure for ending debate in Senate and taking the vote

Bill Passed Both…Now What? • If bills have any difference, conference committee occurs • Equal number of Senators and Representatives who work to reach a compromise on the bill • Compromise sent back to both houses to be voted upon • Once passed, sent to the desk of the president

President and the Bill • Sign bill into law • Refuse to sign bill (veto); Sent back to Congress with reasons as to why it was rejected • Pocket Veto ***VETOES CAN BE OVERRIDDEN WITH A 2/3 VOTE

Sources of Law Ideas • Citizens: Only if they speak up! • Groups: Businesses and influence groups • Congressional Committees • Members of Congress • President: Often during State of Union Address

How a Bill Becomes a Law