HOW DOES A BILL BECOME A LAW?

Have You Ever Wondered… Why do we have so many laws? What are the steps that turn a bill into a law?

Making a law is not EASY There are ten steps that have to take place in order for a bill to become a law! A bill is an idea that a citizen or a representative wants to turn into a law.

Step 1: The Bill Begins Every state has a certain number of representatives depending on the population. There are a total of 435 representatives in the US. The bigger states have more representatives while the smaller ones have lesser representatives. For example: Texas has 36 representatives because it is big while New Jersey only has 12 since it is smaller. If a citizen has an idea, they can send it to the representative. If the representative likes it, he or she can research and write it.

Step 2: Team Work The representative cannot get the bill to pass on their own. They show it to other representatives. If some other representatives approve it, then the bill is introduced to the committee.

Step 3: A New Idea The bill is put into a special box called a Hopper. Each bill gets a number. The speaker of the house reads the bill and the bill is sent to a standing committee. The speaker of the house is the presiding officer of the house.

Step 4: Check Me Out The bill is sent to a standing committee with members who are experts on that topic. The members revise and edit it before sending it to the house.

Step 5: Time For Debate When the standing committee approves the bill, it goes to the house to be debated. Members decide if they are in favor of it or against it. An example could be if citizens should get a ticket for going over 35 MPH or not.

Step 6: Put On Your Thinking Cap The representatives one at a time explain why they agree or disagree with the bill. After that, the reading clerk reads it section by section. The representatives propose changes to each section.

Step 7: Time To Vote After that, the speaker of the house asks the representatives to say yes if they agree and no if they disagree. If the majority agrees to the bill, the bill is sent to the senate.

Step 8: What Do The Senators Think? Each state has two senators despite the size or population When the bill gets to the senate, a lot of the same steps are repeated. Once it is debated in the senate, the senators vote on it. If the majority agrees, the bill is sent to the president.

Step 9: What Does The President Think? The bill is sent to the president. The president can agree or disagree. If the president agrees, the bill becomes a law. If the president disagrees, it is sent back to the house and senate.

Step 10: The Final Decision! The representatives from the house and senate vote. If two-thirds of them agree, the bill becomes a law!