1. How a Bill Becomes A Law

2. A Bill is a proposed law (Legislation).
How a Bill Becomes A Law
A Bill is a proposed law (Legislation).
Anyone may draft a bill; however,only members of Congress can introduce legislation, and by doing so become the Sponsor(s).

3. How a Bill Becomes A Law Step 1: Introduce a Bill House
A Representative places the bill in a box called the Hopper.
The Clerk of the House takes the bill out of the Hopper, reads the introduction, and gives it a number beginning with HR.
The Speaker of the House then assigns it to a Committee action.

4. How a Bill Becomes A Law Step 1: Introduce a Bill Senate
A Senator makes a motion that he has a bill to introduce. Once recognized the Senator reads the introduction and gives it to the Secretary of the Senate.
The Secretary of the Senate assigns it a number beginning with S.
The Majority Leader and Steering Committee assign it to a Committee for action.

5. A Bill Can Start in Either the House or Senate
House of
Representatives
Senate

6. How a Bill Becomes A Law Step 2: Committee Action
A Bill is usually sent to one of three Committees
Standing Committee – a permanent committee that has jurisdiction over certain areas of policy such as health, education, energy, the environment, foreign affairs, and agriculture

7. How a Bill Becomes A Law Step 2: Committee Action
A Bill is usually sent to one of three Committees
Select Committee - established by the House or the Senate for limited periods and limited purposes. After completing its assigned task, for example, investigating a Government activity and writing a report, the select committee dissolves. In most cases, select committees do not report bills to be sent to the full House or Senate.

8. How a Bill Becomes A Law Step 2: Committee Action
A Bill is usually sent to one of three Committees
Joint Committee - members are chosen from both the House and Senate to serve on a committee together to oversee areas of the government.

9. How a Bill Becomes A Law House Committees Standing Small Business
Agriculture
Appropriations
Armed Services
Budget
Education and the Workforce
Energy and Commerce
Financial Services
Government Reform
House Administration
International Relations
Judiciary
Resources
Rules
Science
Small Business
Standards of Official Conduct
Transportation and Infrastructure
Veterans Affairs
Ways and Means
Select
House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
Select Committee on Homeland Security
Joint
Joint Economic Committee
Joint Committee on Printing
Joint Committee on Taxation

10. How a Bill Becomes A Law Senate Committees
Standing Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Appropriations Armed Services Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Budget Commerce, Science, and Transportation Energy and Natural Resources Environment and Public Works Finance Foreign Relations Governmental Affairs Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Judiciary Rules and Administration
Small Business and Entrepreneurship Veterans Affairs Special, Select, and Other Indian Affairs Select Committee on Ethics Select Committee on Intelligence Special Committee on Aging Joint Joint Committee on Printing Joint Committee on Taxation Joint Committee on the Library Joint Economic Committee

11. Standing
Committee
House of
Representatives

12. How a Bill Becomes A Law Step 2: Committee Action
In their committee meetings and hearings, Members are informed about issues relevant to the proposed law. Guided by a chairperson, committee members ask questions about the testimony of witnesses, exhibits, photographs, demonstrations, and other materials presented in hearings.
Committees may send a bill to a Subcommittee for specific research and recommendations.
Committees may write a first draft of a bill and then rewrite the bill several times or revise the bill in a markup session before voting on it.

13. House of
Representatives
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee

14. How a Bill Becomes A Law Step 2: Committee Action
Clean Bill -Scrap a bill and write a new bill for it. (This usually only happens in the first committee)
“Mark Up” - Amend or change the bill in some way. (This may happen at any point of the process)
Pigeon hole- the committee sits on the bill and does no research or action in an attempt to kill it

15. How a Bill Becomes A Law Step 2: Committee Action
Voting on the Bill - once the committee is finished with the bill, they may vote several ways:
Pass it Favorably
Pass it Unfavorably - (as to not be responsible for killing it by Pigeonhole. This is done if the law is controversial and known by general public.)
Voting it Down – the bill may “die” in Subcommittee or Full Committee if the vote is against the bill.

16. How a Bill Becomes A Law Step 2: Committee Action
*Discharge Petition. When any bill has been in a “House Committee” for more than 30 days, a representative can use a discharge petition and have the House vote to dislodge it. It takes a majority vote to do this.
As a bill proceeds through Congress, it may pass from one committee to another or go directly to the House Floor. The majority leadership decides when the bill will be placed on the Floor schedule or what further action should be taken.

17. House of
Representatives
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee
House Floor
Debate

18. How a Bill Becomes A Law Step 3: Floor Action
Calendar - Every bill, once passed by committee is put on a calendar. Each bill must be voted on in order.
*The Rules Committee -It can take bills out of order and put the most important bills first. They also set rules for debate, amendments and time schedules for passage.

19. How a Bill Becomes A Law Calendars
Every bill, once passed by committee is put on a calendar. Each bill must be voted on in order.
The Union Calendar - Deals with bills that would raise revenues and spending bills (appropriations).
The House Calendar - Deals with public bills that do not raise revenue or appropriate any money or property.
The Consent Calendar - Deals with bills that are not controversial and are passed without debate. This calendar is called on the first and third Monday of each month.
The Private Calendar - Deals with claims against the U.S.

20. House of
Representatives
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee
House Floor
Debate
Rules

21. How a Bill Becomes A Law Step 3: Floor Action
Debate – Once the bill is taken off the Calendar for discussion, the members of Congress debate the bill on the floor.
*Quorum – House and Senate has to have quorum of 50% to perform any permanent action on a bill.
House- if quorum is not reached then House can be a “Committee of the Whole” with 100 representatives. All actions still must be approved by entire house.

22. How a Bill Becomes A Law Step 3: Floor Action
Rules of Debate for House
Only one bill at a time can be debated.
Debate must be germane (related to topic), debate is time limited.

23. How a Bill Becomes A Law Step 3: Floor Action
Rules for debate for Senate
2 or 3 bills can be debated at a time
Debate does not have to be germane, unlimited time for debate and speaking time.
Filibusters-unlimited speaking on a bill to prevent action.
Cloture-to stop filibuster it takes 16 senators to initiate and 3/5 has to vote to stop it.

24. How a Bill Becomes A Law Step 3: Floor Action
Actions the Floor may take on Bills
Send bill back to the committee for further study
Amending the Bill
Vote Against the Bill
Vote to Pass the Bill
Table the Bill – in the Senate they can set it aside.
Add Riders - In the Senate only: they can add riders to bill (minor bills added to major one to be passed).

25. How a Bill Becomes A Law Step 4: The Bill goes to the other Chamber
Bills have to go through the legislative process in both chambers.
Bills must pass in both Houses in the exact same format.

26. Senate
Standing
Committee

27. Senate
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee

28. Senate
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee
Senate Floor
Debate

29. How a Bill Becomes A Law Step 4: The Bill goes to the other Chamber
If the Bill is changed while in the second chamber, then it has two options
The original Chamber simply votes to approve the changes.
A Conference Committee is formed between both to reach agreement and the revised bill is voted on in both chambers.
It takes Majority Vote in both the House and the Senate before the Bill is passed on to President to be signed.

30. Majority vote in each house
House of
Representatives
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee
House Floor
Debate
Rules
Law
President
Senate
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee
Senate Floor
Debate
Majority vote in each house
for passage.

31. up the Conference Committee.
House of
Representatives
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee
House Floor
Debate
Rules
Conference
Committee
Senate
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee
Senate Floor
Debate
Members from both
Senate and House make
up the Conference Committee.

32. The bill must be passed on each floor with no changes.
House of
Representatives
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee
House Floor
Debate
Rules
House
Floor
The bill must be
passed on each
floor with no
changes.
Conference
Committee
Senate
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee
Senate Floor
Debate
Senate
Floor

33. President House of Representatives Standing Committee Sub Committee
House Floor
Debate
Rules
House
Floor
Conference
Committee
President
Senate
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee
Senate Floor
Debate
Senate
Floor

34. If the President signs the bill
House of
Representatives
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee
House Floor
Debate
Rules
House
Floor
Law
Conference
Committee
President
Senate
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee
Senate Floor
Debate
Senate
Floor
If the President signs the bill
then it becomes law.

35. How a Bill Becomes A Law Step 5: President’s Actions
President signs it and the Bill becomes a law.
President sits on the bill and does not sign it within 10 days and Congress is still in session, the bill becomes a law.
The President vetoes the bill to forbid it.
If Congress adjourns during the 10 days and the President has not signed the bill then it is Pocket Vetoed and it can not become law.

36. How a Bill Becomes A Law Step 6: The Bill Becomes a Law
If the President signed the bill, it is a Law.
It the President Vetoed the bill, Congress can vote to override the Veto.
Overriding the President’s Veto - both the House and the Senate would have to vote to pass the bill by a 2/3rds majority. The bill would then become a Law.

37. If the President vetoes the bill then it goes back to both houses.
House of
Representatives
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee
House Floor
Debate
Rules
House
Floor
Conference
Committee
President
Senate
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee
Senate Floor
Debate
House
Floor
Senate
Floor
Senate
Floor
If the President vetoes the bill
then it goes back to both houses.

38. Law If the President vetoes the bill then it goes back to both houses.
House of
Representatives
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee
House Floor
Debate
Rules
House
Floor
Law
Conference
Committee
President
Senate
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee
Senate Floor
Debate
House
Floor
Senate
Floor
Senate
Floor
If the President vetoes the bill
then it goes back to both houses.

39. How a Bill Becomes A Law Voting in Congress
Voice vote: “All in favor”, “All opposed”.
Standing vote: Stand up when vote is called.
Teller vote: Pass official counters, one count “For” votes other one counts for “against”
Roll call vote: names called you tell your vote. Mandatory method for overriding President’s veto.

40. Law How a Bill Becomes a Law President House of Representatives
Standing
Committee
Sub Committee
House Floor
Debate
Rules
House
Floor
Conference
Senate
Senate Floor
President
How a Bill Becomes a Law