From a BILL to the LAW

INTRODUCTION
★ Draft and Introduce
○ Anyone in can draft and propose a bill (does not need to be part of Congress)
○ Member of Congress introduces the bill to Congress (can be a member of House or Senate)
○ Gets a preceding number. If proposed in House: H.R. If proposed in Senate: S.

★ Refer to Committee
○ Bills are referred based on content and accordance to rules and procedures
■ These are different based on whether the bill is from HR or S
○ If approved, bills get a spot on committee’s calendar to be reviewed
COMMITTEE ACTION
★ Get Committee Action
○ If a bill gets to a subcommittee: it has no action
■ Instead: go for staff analysis and public hearings
■ Does not guarantee for action, and might end up “dead”
■ The most common road for most bills
○ If a bill gets to a full committee: it has action

★ Go to Mark Up (a process that is normally done by subcommittee)

○ If this doesn’t work, bill still ends up “dead”
COMMITTEE ACTION (cont.)
★ Order the Bill
○ More: analysis, hearings on legislation, considerations of amendments thereto, voting its
recommendation
○ If the bill is not “ordered” it is “dead”
★ Publish a Report
○ Committee chairman orders a report
○ Committee staffs prepare report that describes:
■ The nature and purpose of the bill
■ What experts had said or testified concerning it
■ What, if any, position the president has taken on it
■ What, if any, public comments the relevant cabinet agencies or other executive branch units
have offered on it
■ What dissenting members of the committee have to say about it
FLOOR ACTION AND CONFERENCE ACTION
★ Get a Date
○ Bill goes back to either HR or S to schedule for floor debate and a vote
■ House has many different scheduling
■ Senate has only one
○ Without a date, a bill will be “dead”
★ Win Two Chambers
○ After all debate and any amendments, members vote
○ Defeated in voting = dead
○ If it’s approved, then proceed to the other chamber for the same process
○ Second chamber can also change or even ignore the bill
○ At this stage, ANYTHING can happen
○ Once both chambers approve the bill, it goes to the president
PRESIDENT
★ Get the President’s Signature
○ If the president sign the bill, it’s a law
○ If the president takes no action for ten days, and Congress is still in session, then bill becomes a
law
○ If the president takes no action for ten days after Congress has adjourned, then the bill dies from
“pocket veto”
○ The president can also directly veto (then the bill goes back to Congress)
★ Override President’s Veto
○ Congress can still turn a bill into law
○ Requires ⅔ vote of the members
○ Must have enough members present to form a quorum