Any member of Congress – whether from the Senate or the House of Representatives or members of Parliament – who has an idea for a bill can draft a bill. These ideas come from members of Congress themselves or from ordinary citizens and interest groups. The main member of Congress who supports the bill is called a « sponsor. » Other MPs who support the bill are called « co-sponsors. » Actions taken by the committee: hearings and markings The chair of the appropriate committee will determine whether there will be a hearing on the bill (which is an opportunity for witnesses to testify) and whether there will then be an increase related to the process by which the proposed bill will be discussed, amended and rewritten. Usually, a subcommittee holds the hearing, and then the bill can be marked first at the subcommittee and then at the Committee of the Whole (although action can only be taken at the committee level). After the amendments are adopted or rejected, the Chair may vote in favour of the bill outside the committee. If the committee approves the bill, it is referred to the entire group in the House of Representatives or the Senate; If not, the bill essentially « dies » in committee. The Speaker then considers the bill. The President may approve and sign the bill or not approve a bill (veto). In the following, I have described how our legislative process works. As an example, I chose a bill that I introduced, the Diesel Emission Reduction Act of 2005, and I show how this bill has gone from a simple idea to a new law. When Congress is sitting, the lead sponsor introduces the bill by placing it in a wooden box called the « funnel. » Once the bill has arrived on the ground, there is additional debate and members from across the House vote to approve all the amendments. The bill is then passed or rejected by the voting members. Members of the House of Representatives and the Senate vote on their respective versions of the proposed bill.
Once the conference committee has resolved any discrepancies between the House and Senate versions of the bill, each chamber must vote again to approve the final bill. Once each chamber has approved the bill, the bill is sent to the President. The president then makes the decision whether or not to sign the law. When the president signs the law, it becomes a law. If the president refuses to sign it, the law does not become law. If the president refuses to sign the law, the result is called a veto. Congress can try to override a veto. To do this, the Senate and House of Representatives must vote by a two-thirds majority to override the president`s veto.
When this happens, the president`s veto is lifted and the bill becomes law. Often, the Senate bill and the House bill have minor differences that Congress creates and passes. The president can then sign these laws. Federal courts can review laws to determine whether they are constitutional. If a court finds that a law is unconstitutional, it can strike it down. After identifying the problem, members of Congress are working to create a law that provides a solution. Sometimes they work together to introduce a bill with other senators. Senators can also work with members of the House of Representatives on bills so that identical or very similar bills are introduced in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Senators or senators who introduce the bill are known as sponsors and they are the main proponents of the bill. Other senators who have not introduced the bill themselves, but who also want to express strong support for the bill, can register as a co-sponsor. Once introduced, the bill is sent to the member of the Senate, who assigns it to one or more specific committees for further deliberation. Report of the committee The staff of the chair of the committee prepares a report on the bill describing the intent of the bill, its genesis (e.g., committee hearings), the impact on existing legislation and programs, and the position of the majority of committee members.
Members of the minority, including the most senior member (the most senior member of the minority party committee), may submit dissenting opinions as a group or individually. A copy of the bill as marked is usually printed in the committee`s report. Subcommittees are organized into committees and have additional specialization on a specific topic. Often, committees refer bills to a subcommittee for investigation and for their own hearing. The subcommittee can make amendments to the bill and must vote to refer a bill to the entire committee. Congress` primary responsibility is to ensure that our nation has the laws and regulations we need to succeed. To do this, senators and members of the House of Representatives come up with ideas called bills that they hope will one day become law. However, this process can be extremely complicated and often confusing. Once the bill has been voted on positively by a committee, it is referred to the entire Senate for a vote. Here, the Senate Majority Leader is responsible for deciding when to put a bill to a vote and what kind of vote he needs. Sometimes a non-controversial bill is made « hotlined, » meaning that the majority leader and the minority leader – after consulting with their Senate colleagues – agree to pass the bill unanimously and without a recorded vote to buy time by moving the laws forward faster. Often, however, laws require more debate and need to be discussed in depth in the Senate.
During the debate in plenary, each senator has the opportunity to speak for or against a bill, and several votes are cast to pass the bill through the legislative process. After much debate and deliberation, the Majority Leader can schedule a vote with all senators. If this path is taken, a series of votes must take place for a bill to pass the Senate. First, the Senate must agree to consider the bill by voting on a « follow-up motion » indicating the beginning of debate. Once all senators have had an opportunity to discuss the bill, a « motion to end debate » or a « close vote » is introduced, which then brings the Senate to a final vote on the bill. A bill can be introduced in any chamber of Congress by a senator or representative who supports it. Typically, a committee is tasked with studying the bill according to its purpose. Often, a committee refers the bill to one of its subcommittees. The subcommittee may request reports from government agencies, hold hearings so that experts and interested parties have the opportunity to testify on the subject, « mark » or revise the bill, or submit the bill to the committee as a whole for consideration. The committee as a whole may recommend that the bill be passed, revised (i.e., increased) and released (also known as the committee`s bill report) or set the bill aside (also known as the introduction of the bill).
In 2005, the House of Representatives worked hard to pass an important energy bill, H.R. 6, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which Senator Voinovich and I believe would be an excellent vehicle for our DERA legislation. We started with Rep. Joe Barton, a Texas Republican and H.R.`s main sponsor. 6, work together to include DERA in its larger energy bill. Fortunately, he recognized the value of our amendment and did not make any changes before including it in his bill. How a bill becomes law when it is created in the House, Congress is the legislature of the federal government and makes laws for the nation. Congress has two legislative bodies or chambers: the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives.
Any person elected to either body may propose a new law. A bill is a proposal for a new law. Plenary Debate and Votes The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Senate Majority Leader determine whether and when a bill is submitted to the entire House and Senate body for debate and amendment, and then for final adoption. There are very different rules of procedure for debate in the House of Representatives and debate in the Senate. In the House of Representatives, a representative may propose an amendment to a bill only if he or she has received authorization from the Rules Committee. In the Senate, a senator may propose an amendment without warning, provided that the amendment is consistent with the bill. Majority voting is required in both chambers, both for the passage of an amendment and for the passage of the final bill, although amendments are sometimes accepted by a vote (in which individuals say « yes » or « no » and the strongest side wins; names or the number of people voting on each side are not recorded). Find bills and resolutions introduced by current and previous sessions of Congress. This includes new laws that have not yet received a public number. Often, the Senate bill and the House bill have slight differences in their respective bills, which must be drafted before each chamber can approve the final bill and then send it to the President for signature.
When that happens, a special committee of the conference made up of members of the Senate and house of representatives will work together to reach consensus on the various provisions of the bill. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members research, discuss and make amendments to the bill. Learn how to turn a bill into law with this easy-to-read infographic. Use this lesson plan with your class. The bill will be submitted to the plenary of the House of Representatives or The Senate for further debate and approval. At that time, Members can propose amendments to the bill, add additional text or amend the bill.