How a Bill becomes a
Law!
Types of Bills
REMEMBER A BILL IS A LAW THAT HAS NOT YET BEEN APPROVED AND MAY
NEVER BE APPROVED.
Bills
Private Bills – A bill that concerns an
individual or certain people and/or places.
Public Bills – A bill that applie to the
entire nation and are usually about
taxation, civil rights, or national security.
Resolutions
Resolution – A formal statement
approved by the legislature usually
expressing opinions, creating committees,
or authorizing ceremonies.
Joint Resolutions – Can become law if
approved by the President and focus on
constitutional amendments, allocating
money, or correcting bills already
approved.
Write the Bill
Any Representative can write a bill and submit it to Clerk of the House or a
Senator can simply announce it on the Senate floor
Why bills are written;
Address issues facing the country
Address issues facing the
representatives state or district
Advance goals laid out in
representatives platform they were
elected on
In response to their constituent's
letters, emails, protests, etc.
In response to special interest
groups/lobbyists
http://www.votesmart.org/issue_group.php
Because they think it is a good idea
REMEMBER – ANY BILL THAT SPENDS OR RAISES MONEY/TAXES MUST START IN THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Naming your Bill!
After submitting a bill it is given a title and a number to identify it.
Those submitted to the House are labeled with H.R. and a number and those submitted to the
Senate are labeled with an S and a number
S.
117
Committees
NEXT THE BILL IS SUBMITTED TO THE COMMITTEE THAT SEEMS BEST FIT TO
DEAL WITH IT.
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There are committees in both
the House of Representatives
and in the Senate.
17 committees in the Senate
(not including Sub-Committees)
http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/committees/d_three_se
ctions_with_teasers/committees_home.htm
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20 committees in the House or
Representatives (not including
Sub-Committees)
http://www.house.gov/house/CommitteeWWW.shtml
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Majority party chairs the
committee and has majority of
members.
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Chair controls committee agenda.
Committee Actions
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Bill is introduced by anyone in the
House or Senate and sent to
appropriate committee.
Chairperson decides which bills to
research
Submitted to sub-committee for
research
Public Hearing – Presentation of bill
to committee for opinions.
Mark-up Session – Amendments are
introduced and accepted with majority
vote.
Majority Vote – Vote is taken to
Report (submit the bill to House) or
table it. (send it back for further
discussions if deemed necessary)
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Clean Bill – New bill made including
all of the amendments if too many to
make bill unrecognizable.
Committee Report – Report on the
purpose and scope of the bill and the
reason they feel it should be approved.
House of Representatives
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Rules Committee – Decides
when bills will be discussed if
ever
Consideration – Debates
between proponents and
opponent of the bills reported
House.
Amendments – Can be
introduced and voted on.
Vote to Recommit – Sends
bill back to the committee of
origination.
Final Passage Vote –
Majority vote passes the bill
onto the Senate.
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Without majority bill goes back
to House debate for additional
amendments or vote to
recommit.
From a Bill
To a Law
Voted Down By Senate
Majority vote approving Bill
Presidential
Veto
Majority vote
approving Bill
(2/3 vote House and
Senate to override)
Presidential Approval
Ruled Unconstitutional
Becomes
Law
Senate
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Consideration – Debates between
proponents and opponent of the bills
passed in the House.
Amendments – Can be introduced
and voted on.
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Any bills that are amended are sent back
to the House for vote of approval
Riders – Amendments unrelated to bill
that may benefit constituents.
Filibuster – Talking a bill to death
until sponsor withdraws.
Cloture – Limits discussion to one
hour per Senator.
Final Passage Vote – Majority vote
passes the bill onto the President for
signature into law or veto.
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Without majority bill goes back to Senate
debate for additional amendments.
From a Bill
To a Law
Voted Down By Senate
Majority vote approving Bill
Presidential
Veto
Majority vote
approving Bill
(2/3 vote House and
Senate to override)
Presidential Approval
Ruled Unconstitutional
Becomes
Law
Voting on the Bill
When discussion is completed on a bill they may then vote on
whether it should be sent to the other house or president for
approval.
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Voice Vote– Those in
favor say “Yea” and
those opposed say “No”
Standing Vote– Those
in favor stand and then
those opposed stand
Electronic Vote – Has
replaced these types in
the House
Roll-call Vote –
Traditional voting
system in Senate where
names and votes are
recorded.
The President
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Signs bill into law
Allows to pass into law
without signature
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If not signed or vetoed within
10 days it becomes a law
Pocket Veto – If after 10 days
the Congress is not in session
then it is officially vetoed.
Veto
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Sent back to House for revote
or amendments
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2/3 approval vote in House and
Senate overrides presidential veto
making it law.
From a Bill
To a Law
Voted Down By Senate
Majority vote approving Bill
Presidential
Veto
Majority vote
approving Bill
(2/3 vote House and
Senate to override)
Presidential Approval
Ruled Unconstitutional
Becomes
Law
Supreme Court
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Rules on whether a law is
constitutional
Can also interpret laws
without referring to
congress
Relies on other branches of
government to enforce their
rulings
Can only decide on the
constitutionality of a law if
it is brought to the courts
attention in a specific case.