How a Bill Becomes a Law Civics

Step 1: IDEA Anyone can create an idea for a bill Examples: you, your parents, the President, a Congressman

Step 2: INTRODUCTION A bill must be introduced by a Congressman in either House (Bill gets a number and is assigned to a committee for study)

STEP 3: COMMITTEE The committee studies the bill. It can be revised, killed, or approved out of this stage. (Usually passed to a standing committee and then subcommittee)

STEP 4: FLOOR ACTION The bill is debated in the full House of Congress, and then the entire house votes on the bill. (It passes with a simple majority.) (the bill could die at this stage without a simple majority)

Transfer to Other House

Step 5: INTRODUCTION The bill is introduced by a Congressman to the other house. (Bill gets assigned to a committee for study)

STEP 6: COMMITTEE The committee studies the bill. It can be revised, killed, or approved out of this stage. (Usually passed to a standing committee and then subcommittee)

STEP 7: FLOOR ACTION The bill is debated in the other full House of Congress, and then the entire house votes on the bill. (It passes with a simple majority.) (the bill could die at this stage without a simple majority)

STEP 8: CONFERENCE A conference committee meets to make one version of the bill to send to the President. (the committee is made up of members of both houses)

STEP 9: PRESIDENT The President has three options with a bill. He can: sign the bill veto the bill pocket veto the bill (a President’s veto can be overridden with a ⅔ vote of Congress -- both houses)

VOCABULARY VETO - to reject a bill POCKET VETO - the President takes no action on a bill for 10 days, during that time, if the session of Congress ends, the bill dies, if the session continues, the bill becomes a law without the President’s signature

VOCABULARY FILIBUSTER: a long series of speeches used to delay a vote on a bill in the Senate Fallon: Ted Cruz Filibuster CLOTURE: a vote to end a filibuster HOPPER: a large wooden box in the House of Reps where bills are placed before being introduced