1. How a Bill becomes a Law
C & E

2. EQs
How are bills introduced and how do they work their way through Congress?
What actions can a president take once a bill has been passed by Congress?

3. Key Terms Joint resolution Special-interest group Rider Filibuster
Cloture
Voice vote
Standing vote
Roll-call vote
Veto
Pocket veto

4. Key Concept
Legislative Branch

5. Types of Bills Congress’s job is to pass laws
This process starts with a bill
Private bills
Concern indv. people & places
Claims agnst the gov’t
Public bills
Apply to entire nation
Involve general matters like taxation, civil rights, or terrorism
Receive much media coverage

6. Types of Bills Resolutions Joint resolutions
Formal statements expressing lawmakers’ opinions or decisions
Do not have force of law
Joint resolutions
Passed by both houses
Become law if President signs them
Propose constitutional amendments, designate $$ for special purpose, & correct errors in bills already passed

7. Describe some ways in which Congress might use joint resolutions?
Propose constitutional amendments, designate $$ for special purpose, & correct errors in previously passed bills

8. From Bill to Law
Ideas for bills come from members of Congress or private citizens
Others come from the President or special-interest groups
Organizations made up of people with some common interest who try to influence gov’t decisions
Bills can only be intro’d into Congress by Senators or Reps
Each bill is titled & numbered accord’g to when it is submitted
All $$ bills must start in House
Based on session
S.1
H.R. 1
Then sent to standing committee to handle it

9. Committee Action
Chairperson decides which bills get ignored & which get studied
Sends bills to subcommittees
Can hold public hearings
People can submit statements for/agnst a bill

10. Committee Action A committee can: Pass the bill w/o changes
Mark up a bill w/changes & suggest that it be passed
Replace the orig. bill w/new alternative
Ignore the bill & let it die
Called pigeonholing
Kill the bill outright w/ majority vote

11. Floor Debate
Once a bill is approved by a committee then put to full House or Senate
Senate takes bills in order listed (chronologically)
House takes bills through the Rules Committee
“traffic cop” of House
Gives priority to bills
Can also kill a bill
Once a bill comes to the floor it is debated
Weigh pros & cons

12. Floor Debate Senate can attach a rider
Completely unrelated amendments
House accepts only related amendments
House Rules Committee sets rules for debate
Limits time of discussion
Senators can speak as long as they want on a bill
Filibuster
Talk a bill to death
Can end a filibuster w/ a 3/5 vote of members for cloture
No one may speak for more than 1 hr

13. How does a filibuster work?
One member can hold the floor for as long as he/she likes and speak about whatever they want to in hopes that the bills sponsor will w/d the bill and the bill will die

14. Voting on a Bill Several ways to vote Voice vote Standing vote
Members say “yea” for and “no” agnst
Standing vote
Stand in support, then stand in opposition
Computerized vote
Used mostly today to take a record of who votes for what
Senate can use a roll-call vote
Votes during role-call
All is needed is simple majority of members present

15. Voting on a Bill Once passed by one house then goes to other
If either house rejects bill it dies
Constitution requires that bill is identical in both houses to pass
If not identical then a conference committee is called
Members from both houses
Work out details
Then bill sent to houses for approval

16. Presidential Action
After a bill passes both houses it goes to the President
The President can:
Sign the bill into law
Veto the bill
Refuse to sign
Do nothing for 10 days
If Congress is in session – bill becomes law
If Congress is not in session – bill dies
Called a pocket veto
Congress can override a veto w/ a 2/3 vote of each house

17. Passes both houses of Congress & goes to President
A bill is written and given to a Congressman
The Congressman proposes the bill to his/her house
An idea for a law
Committee chairperson send bill to subcommittee or kills it
The bill is sent to standing committee
Subcommittee studies bill & sends back to committee
House/Senate vote on the bill; if passes goes to other house & repeats process
Committee sends bill to floor of Senate/House for debate
Debate on pros & cons of bill
Passes both houses of Congress & goes to President