Congress in Action

Chapter 12

HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAWSection 3 and 4

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nKyihoV9z8&feature=related

• Legislation may be drafted by:– Private Citizens– Scholars– Interest Groups– Representatives– President

Drafting Legislation

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.

• 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)

Introduction of Legislation

Assigned to a Committee

• Bill is assigned a number after it has been introduced.

• Next it is assigned to the appropriate committee.

• Many bills diehere.

Hearings

• Information about the bill is gathered by the committee or a sub-committee

• Witnesses give testimony about legislation

Reporting a Bill

• Bill may be reported:– Favorably– Unfavorably– As Committee Bill– Not at all

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

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

Amendment

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

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.

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.

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