1. Congress in Action
Chapter 12

2. Section 3 and 4
How a bill Becomes a Law

3. Steps to the Legislative Process
Introduce Legislation
Assigned to a Committee
Hearings
Reporting the Bill
Debate and Amendment
Voting on the Bill
Conference
Passed to President

4. Drafting Legislation Legislation may be drafted by: Private Citizens
Scholars
Interest Groups
Representatives
President

5. Reading the Bill Quorum* Bill is given a number (H.R. 287 or S. 254)
Bill is given a short title
Clerk reads through the bill the first time.
Bill is read two more times throughout the legislative process.

6. Introduction of Legislation
Introduced to House or Senate by Representative.
House member must hand bill to the clerk to be placed in the “hopper.”
Senate member who has the floor may introduce legislation during the morning hour. (First 90 mins on Mon and Tue)

7. Assigned to a Committee
Bill is assigned a number after it has been introduced.
Next it is assigned to the appropriate committee.
Many bills die
here.

8. Hearings
Information about the bill is gathered by the committee or a sub-committee
Witnesses give testimony about legislation

9. Reporting a Bill Bill may be reported: Favorably Unfavorably
As Committee Bill
Not at all

10. Scheduling Debate The bill is presented to the House or the Senate.
Debate must be scheduled first.
House schedules debate on one of several calendars
Senate only has one calendar for scheduling debate for a bill

11. Debate
Committee Chairs are responsible for managing debate and steering bills through the house or senate.
Second reading in the House occurs.
Debate
House
Senate
Filibustering and Cloture
Committee of the Whole

12. Amendment Bill may be changed by Amending it.
Amendment may lead to the defeat of a bill.

13. Voting on the Bill
Once a bill has been debated and amended, it is then voted on.
Voice Vote
Standing Vote
Roll Call Vote
If bill has been approved in one house it is considered engrossed. Printed in its final form and heads to the opposing house.

15. Conferences If a bill is passed in differing forms in either house.
Joint Committee is formed, known as a conference committee
Seeks to iron out differences in the legislation between the houses.
If it is passed at this stage it goes to the president for final approval.

17. Passed to the President
President can sign bill into law
President can veto legislation
Congress can override veto with 2/3 vote in both houses.
Pocket Veto