1. How A Bill Becomes A Law
Review & Activities

2. Bicameral Brainstorm
Review of Legislative Branch

3. house of representatives
Bicameral Brainstorm
What do you already know about the United States Congress? Hints: Size of house, who works there, term, etc.?
Senate
house of representatives
Both

4. Legislating legislators in the legislature…
Review of How A Bill Becomes A Law

5. The Lawmaking Process
A bill starts as idea(s) from a variety of sources.
Citizen letters and
Interest groups
Challenges facing the nation
Research on issues

6. The Lawmaking Process
A bill can start in either chamber of Congress, but let’s have ours start in the Senate!
Step One: The Proposal
Once a lawmaker gets an idea for a bill, he/she will write up a proposal and work to get support from others in the Senate.
Step Two: The Introduction
The bill is assigned a number and is read aloud to the other Senators. Then it is sent to a committee for a close review.
S.357

7. The Lawmaking Process
Step Three: The Bill is assigned to a committee within the Senate to discuss & debate.
Step Four: The Bill will then go to the whole Senate for discussion, debate & vote.
The Vote:
The whole Senate is called to vote on the bill. They can vote yes, no, or present (if they don’t want to vote on that particular bill).
The Report:
If the committee likes it, it will be sent to the to the whole Senate for debate.
The Floor Debate:
All of the Senators get a chance to read the bill and debate whether it should be supported or opposed. The bill is read again and changes are suggested.
Senate Vote on S.357
59 Yeas
39 Nay
2 Present

8. We need to change that part…
S.357
The Lawmaking Process
Step Five: If the vote passes the Senate, it will go to the House of Representatives. Here it goes through the same debate, changes are made and then another vote is held before it can move on.
No way!
Love it.
House Vote on S.357
227 Yeas
203 Nay
5 Present
We need to change that part…

9. The Lawmaking Process New Law Step Six - Conference Committee:
If the bill passes both houses, the final stop before the President will be a Conference Committee to reconcile any differences,
New Law
Step Seven - The President:
If both chambers of Congress approve, the bill lands on the president’s desk. If it is signed, it becomes a law. If it is vetoed, it doesn’t.*
*Congress can override a veto if there are enough votes (2/3 of Congress) to do so. The president can also ignore the bill. If a bill is ignored while Congress is in session, it automatically becomes a law after ten days. If Congress is not in session, it doesn't.

10. A Tale of Two Bills
Creating Your Own Bill

11. Check out the two energy bills below
Check out the two energy bills below. One originated in the Senate and the other is the version approved in the House. Find the common ground and get one bill to send to the president.
H.R.422
S.357
Increase funding for alternative energy research
Invest in domestic oil drilling operations
Provide a $1,000 tax credit to electric vehicle buyers
Cut funding to alternative energy research
Lower pollution rates of cars and trucks by 5% in 5 years
Provide a $500 tax credit to electric vehicle buyers
Read through each bill, then ask students to note the ones that can be considered common ground.
Provide a tax credit to electric vehicle buyers (discuss difference in $ amount, split the difference, go with the lower/ higher number?)
Lower pollution rates of cars and trucks (discuss if they should go with more or less details)
Award innovations in new energy source development
Lower Pollution rates of cars and trucks

12. Based on the common ground you found in the Senate and House version of the bill, make a compromise version. You need to have at least two items in the bill.
Compromise Bill

13. Now that you know how a bill becomes a law… can you pass one of your own?