How a Bill Becomes a Law
Step 1 - Introducing a Bill
During the First step of a bill becoming a law, a bill is introduced by Congress. To introduce a bill, a Congressman drops it into a box. It is later pulled out and read aloud in a Congressional meeting.
Step 2 - Committees
After the bill is introduced, it is sent to a committee within Congress. It can then be sent to a subcommittee for further review. During this process, the committees can choose to unofficially kill the bill by a process called pigeonholing, which means to ignore the bill until it is no longer a problem. If the committee decides not to pigeonhole, they can discuss the bill and hold hearings. At the hearing, they make a decision to either kill the bill, send it to the floor, or change the bill before they send it to the floor.
Step 3 - Floor Action
After it is sent to the floor, Congressmen argue for or against the bill. During the third step, changes can also be made to the bill. In any order the House argues and the Senate argues. During this step, senators can filibuster a bill. Filibusters are when Senators stall and talk until the bill is dead if they oppose the bill at hand.
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate must then vote on the bill. In order for a vote to take place, a quorum must be present. A quorum means a majority of Congress is present.
Step 4 - Voting on the Bill
There are three different methods for voting on a bill in the House:
After taking steps similar to those taken by the House, the Senate can either pass or kill the bill.
Step 5 - Conferencing
After going through a long and challenging process, the bill may have changed massively. A conference committee is called so the House and Senate can figure out what they need to do about the differences in the bills they signed.
Step 6 - Second Vote
After the bill has been figured out and both the House and Senate can agree on it, they hold yet another vote to determine whether the bill should be sent to the President.
Step 7 - Presidential Action
After the President receives the bill, he can do one of four things:
After taking the first eight steps, the bill is registered as a law in the National Archives.
During the First step of a bill becoming a law, a bill is introduced by Congress. To introduce a bill, a Congressman drops it into a box. It is later pulled out and read aloud in a Congressional meeting.
Step 2 - Committees
After the bill is introduced, it is sent to a committee within Congress. It can then be sent to a subcommittee for further review. During this process, the committees can choose to unofficially kill the bill by a process called pigeonholing, which means to ignore the bill until it is no longer a problem. If the committee decides not to pigeonhole, they can discuss the bill and hold hearings. At the hearing, they make a decision to either kill the bill, send it to the floor, or change the bill before they send it to the floor.
Step 3 - Floor Action
After it is sent to the floor, Congressmen argue for or against the bill. During the third step, changes can also be made to the bill. In any order the House argues and the Senate argues. During this step, senators can filibuster a bill. Filibusters are when Senators stall and talk until the bill is dead if they oppose the bill at hand.
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate must then vote on the bill. In order for a vote to take place, a quorum must be present. A quorum means a majority of Congress is present.
Step 4 - Voting on the Bill
There are three different methods for voting on a bill in the House:
- Viva Voce (Voice Vote) - The Speaker of the House has representatives in favor of the bill say "aye" and those who oppose it say "no."
- Division - The Speaker of the House asks those who support the bill to stand to be counted, and then asks those who object to the bill to stand to be counted.
- Recorded - Representatives record their vote using an electronic voting system. Voting options include yes, no, and present if they do not wish to vote on the bill.
After taking steps similar to those taken by the House, the Senate can either pass or kill the bill.
Step 5 - Conferencing
After going through a long and challenging process, the bill may have changed massively. A conference committee is called so the House and Senate can figure out what they need to do about the differences in the bills they signed.
Step 6 - Second Vote
After the bill has been figured out and both the House and Senate can agree on it, they hold yet another vote to determine whether the bill should be sent to the President.
Step 7 - Presidential Action
After the President receives the bill, he can do one of four things:
- Sign the bill, making it a law
- Not sign the bill. After ten days the bill will automatically become a law
- Veto the bill. Congress can override the veto with 2/3 approval in both the House of Representatives and the Senate
- Pocket veto. If within the last ten days Congress is in session the bill is not signed, it is vetoed. Congress cannot override a pocket veto.
After taking the first eight steps, the bill is registered as a law in the National Archives.