HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW

American Government

Mrs. Weber

BEGINNING

​

• An idea may come from anybody, however only Members of Congress can introduce a bill

​

INTRODUCTION

​

• In the Senate, a bill is introduced by placing it on the presiding officer's desk or by formally introducing it on the Senate Floor.
• In the House, a bill clerk assigns the bill a number.

The Hopper?

PROPOSE A BILL

​

• Representatives usually sponsor bills that are important to them and their constituents.

​

• Representatives who sponsor bills will try to gain support for them, in hopes that they will become laws.

​

COMMITTEE

• The bill is assigned to a committee.
• The committee debates on and marks up the proposed bill.
• Committee members vote to accept or reject the changes made during the markup session.
• The committee votes on the bill after it has been debated and/or amended.

SUBCOMMITTEE

• The bill is referred to a subcommittee
• If changes are needed, the subcommittee will meet to mark up the bill.
• Subcommittee members vote to accept or reject the changes.
• If the subcommittee accepts the bill, the bill is sent back to the full committee for approval or rejection.

REPORTED

• If the bill is approved by the committee, it is sent to the House Floor for consideration.

CONSIDERATION

• Floor action begins and Members debate the bill.
• Following debate, the second reading of the bill begins in a section-by-section manner, during which amendments may be offered.
• At the conclusion of all amendment debate, the bill is read a third time.
• Next, the House is ready to vote on the bill.

Special Circumstances

• Filibuster: a tactic, often a lengthy speech or debate, designed to delay the Senate’s vote on a bill
• Can ONLY occur in the Senate

​

• Cloture: the decision of 3/5 of the Senate to limit or end debate on an issue and call for a vote

​

VOTE

• Members in attendance will vote to pass or not to pass the bill.
• Yes, no, and present
• If a majority of the House votes to pass the bill, the bill is then referred to the Senate to undergo a similar process of approval.

REFER TO SENATE

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

• When a bill passes in the House, it must also pass in the Senate in order to become a law.
• In the Senate, the bill again may be sent to a committee for study or markup.
• Members may vote to pass or not to pass the bill. If the bill is changed at all, it must be sent for review to a conference committee.
• Differences must be agreed upon before the bill is sent to the President for signature.

What Does a Veto Look Like?

• If the President decides a bill is unwise or unnecessary, the President does not sign the bill, but issues a veto.
• Pocket Veto- When the president ignores a bill until Congress is out of session. Still is only 10 days. This usually occurs at the end of a session.

Veto

VETO OVERRIDE

• If enough members object to the Presidential veto, a vote is taken to override the veto.
• A two-thirds vote or greater is needed in both the House and the Senate to override the President's veto.
• If two-thirds of both houses of Congress vote successfully to override the veto, the bill becomes a law. If not the bill "dies" and does not become a law.

When Can a Bill Become Law?

​

​

• The President can sign the bill and it becomes law.
• The president may take no action. If Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law after ten days.
• The President can veto the bill but Congress can override a presidential veto and the bill becomes law.

Law

I’m Just a Bill...