How A bill Becomes a Law
Types of Bills
· Private Bills- bill about individuals
· Public Bills- bills that effect the whole country
o Raising/lowering taxes
o Health Insurance
o Gun Control
o More…
Resolutions (NOT laws!)
· Simple Resolution- establish rules or procedures within houses
· Joint Resolutions- to correct errors in previous laws
· Concurrent Resolutions- both houses want to share a common opinion
Few Bills Become Laws- Why?
· The process can have to 100 steps
· People must be willing to bargain and compromise
· Some people introduce bills just so they can publicly stand against them
Riders
· Attached to a bill or resolution
· Provisions that have nothing to do with the bill being passed
Steps for a Bill Becoming a Law
· Introducing a Bill- Step 1
o Only Congress can introduce a bill
o A bill is dropped into a box by a congressman
o Read out-loud in a congressional meeting
· Committees- Step 2
o The Bill is then sent to a committee within Congress
o Can then be sent to a subcommittee
o These committees can choose to ignore the bill in congress (also known as pigeonholing)
o Committee makes a decision
§ Kill the Bill
§ Send it to the floor
§ Change the bill and then send it to the floor
· Floor Action- Step 3
o Congressman argue for the bill on the floor and changes can be made again
o In any order:
§ House Argues
§ Senate Argues
· Filibuster- The senators can “talk a bill to death” if they choose. There are no rules in the senate for forcing senators to vote. Senators are allowed as much time as they want to debate.
· Why? The filibuster was never used until the 19th century. Our founding fathers envisioned the Senate being the “stable” house, and the House of Representatives more susceptible to the will of the masses.
· Once again, our founding fathers were fearful of “tyranny of the masses”.
· Voting on the Bill- Step 4
o Congress (The Senate and the House) must vote on the bill
o In order for a vote to take place, “quorum” (majority) must be present.
o If passed, it goes to the other house (Senate -> HRP or HRP-> Senate)
· Conferencing- Step 5
o House and Senate could pass 2 different bills by the time the process is done, so a conference committee reconciles the differences between the 2 houses
· Voting Again- Step 6
o The House and the Senate vote on the bill once again now that it is the same.
· Presidential Action- Step 7
o Sign the bill into law
o Not sign the bill and then after 10 days it becomes law
o Veto Bill
o “Pocket Veto”- if within the last 10 days Congress is in session, the president can take no action, and the will is vetoed and Congress cannot override it.
o If vetoed, Congress can override with 2/3 vote in the house and Senate
If made approved, it is registered as a law in the National Archives
· Private Bills- bill about individuals
· Public Bills- bills that effect the whole country
o Raising/lowering taxes
o Health Insurance
o Gun Control
o More…
Resolutions (NOT laws!)
· Simple Resolution- establish rules or procedures within houses
· Joint Resolutions- to correct errors in previous laws
· Concurrent Resolutions- both houses want to share a common opinion
Few Bills Become Laws- Why?
· The process can have to 100 steps
· People must be willing to bargain and compromise
· Some people introduce bills just so they can publicly stand against them
Riders
· Attached to a bill or resolution
· Provisions that have nothing to do with the bill being passed
Steps for a Bill Becoming a Law
· Introducing a Bill- Step 1
o Only Congress can introduce a bill
o A bill is dropped into a box by a congressman
o Read out-loud in a congressional meeting
· Committees- Step 2
o The Bill is then sent to a committee within Congress
o Can then be sent to a subcommittee
o These committees can choose to ignore the bill in congress (also known as pigeonholing)
o Committee makes a decision
§ Kill the Bill
§ Send it to the floor
§ Change the bill and then send it to the floor
· Floor Action- Step 3
o Congressman argue for the bill on the floor and changes can be made again
o In any order:
§ House Argues
§ Senate Argues
· Filibuster- The senators can “talk a bill to death” if they choose. There are no rules in the senate for forcing senators to vote. Senators are allowed as much time as they want to debate.
· Why? The filibuster was never used until the 19th century. Our founding fathers envisioned the Senate being the “stable” house, and the House of Representatives more susceptible to the will of the masses.
· Once again, our founding fathers were fearful of “tyranny of the masses”.
· Voting on the Bill- Step 4
o Congress (The Senate and the House) must vote on the bill
o In order for a vote to take place, “quorum” (majority) must be present.
o If passed, it goes to the other house (Senate -> HRP or HRP-> Senate)
· Conferencing- Step 5
o House and Senate could pass 2 different bills by the time the process is done, so a conference committee reconciles the differences between the 2 houses
· Voting Again- Step 6
o The House and the Senate vote on the bill once again now that it is the same.
· Presidential Action- Step 7
o Sign the bill into law
o Not sign the bill and then after 10 days it becomes law
o Veto Bill
o “Pocket Veto”- if within the last 10 days Congress is in session, the president can take no action, and the will is vetoed and Congress cannot override it.
o If vetoed, Congress can override with 2/3 vote in the house and Senate
If made approved, it is registered as a law in the National Archives