1. How a Bill Becomes a Law

2. Bill is drafted An idea is written as a bill Can be written by:
A member of the House
A member of the Senate
Proposed by POTUS
An outside group

3. Introduction Bill is introduced into one house of Congress
Only a member of the House can introduce into the House
Only a member of the Senate can introduce into the Senate

4. Committee Assignment
A bill is referred to a committee in the house that it was introduced into
Bills are assigned to a committee that deals with the content contained in the bill

5. Committee Action Most bills die here The committee debates the bill
Committee adds, subtracts, or amends the bill
The committee decides if the bill has enough ability to move forward in the process
If it does, the committee recommends the bill for floor action

6. Floor Action
The bill is debated on the floor of the house that it was introduced in
The bill is voted on
If the bill does not receive a majority, it is defeated

7. Introduced into the Other House
When the bill receives a majority in the house that it was introduced in, it moves to the other house
The bill is introduced and sent to committee in the new house

8. Committee Action
The bill goes to committee and the same process happens in the new house

9. Floor Action
Following committee action, the bill is debated on the floor
The bill is voted on

10. Conference Committee
When a bill passes both houses, it goes back to the original house it was introduced in
If the bill did not change much, it is revoted on in the original house
If the bill changed a lot, a Conference Committee is formed with members from both houses
The Conference Committee creates a compromise bill between the two houses

11. Vote on Compromise
Both houses vote on the compromise bill created in the Conference committee
If the bill receives less than a majority, it dies
If the bill receives more than a majority, it is sent to POTUS

12. Presidential Action POTUS can sign the bill into law
POTUS can veto the bill sending it back to Congress
POTUS can do nothing and it becomes a law
If POTUS does nothing within 10 days before the end of the legislative session the bill dies, known as a Pocket Veto

13. Veto Override If POTUS vetoes a bill, it isn’t necessarily dead
If 2/3 of both houses of congress vote to override the veto, the bill becomes law

14. Veto History Last Veto was September 23, 2016
Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act
Overridden by Congress
Obama had 12 Vetoes, 1 was overridden
W. Bush had 12, 4 were overridden
Clinton had 36 Regular, 1 Pocket, 2 were overridden
H.W. Bush had 29 Regular, 15 pocket, 1 was overridden
Reagan had 39 Regular, 39 Pocket, 9 were overridden

15. Let’s Make a Law Get out a sheet of paper
Draw a line about 3 inches from the bottom of your paper
List 10 problems facing the United States
Pick the problem that you think in the most important and circle it
Come up with 5 things that can be done by the US government to solve this problem
Pick the most realistic 2 things and circle them
Writing your law:
Come up with a catchy title for your law
Briefly describe the problem
Identify your two solutions to the problem