How a Bill How a Bill becomes a Law!becomes a Law!

Types of BillsTypes of Bills

BillsPrivate 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.

ResolutionsResolution – 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.

REMEMBER A BILL IS A LAW THAT HAS NOT YET BEEN APPROVED AND MAY NEVER BE APPROVED.

Write the BillWrite the BillAny Representative can write a bill and submit it to Clerk Any Representative can write a bill and submit it to Clerk

of the House or a Senator can simply announce it on the of the House or a Senator can simply announce it on the Senate floorSenate floorWhy bills are written;

Address issues facing the countryAddress issues facing the representatives state or districtAdvance goals laid out in representatives platform they were elected onIn response to their constituent's letters, emails, protests, etc.In response to special interest groups/lobbyistshttp://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 Naming your Bill!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

CommitteesCommittees There are committees in There are committees in

both the House of both the House of Representatives and in the Representatives and in the Senate.Senate.

17 committees in the Senate 17 committees in the Senate (not including Sub-(not including Sub-Committees)Committees)

http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/committees/http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/committees/d_three_sections_with_teasers/d_three_sections_with_teasers/committees_home.htmcommittees_home.htm

20 committees in the House 20 committees in the House or Representatives (not or Representatives (not including Sub-Committees)including Sub-Committees)

http://www.house.gov/house/CommitteeWWW.shtmlhttp://www.house.gov/house/CommitteeWWW.shtml

Majority party chairs the Majority party chairs the committee and has majority committee and has majority of members.of members. Chair controls committee Chair controls committee

agenda.agenda.

NEXT THE BILL IS SUBMITTED TO THE COMMITTEE THAT SEEMS BEST FIT TO DEAL WITH IT.

Committee ActionsCommittee Actions Bill is introduced by anyone in Bill is introduced by anyone in

the House or Senate and sent to the House or Senate and sent to appropriate committee.appropriate committee.

Chairperson decides which bills Chairperson decides which bills to researchto research

Submitted to sub-committee for Submitted to sub-committee for researchresearch

Public Hearing Public Hearing – Presentation – Presentation of bill to committee for opinions.of bill to committee for opinions.

Mark-up Session Mark-up Session – – Amendments are introduced and Amendments are introduced and accepted with majority vote.accepted with majority vote.

Majority Vote Majority Vote – Vote is taken to – Vote is taken to Report (submit the bill to House) Report (submit the bill to House) or table it. (send it back for or table it. (send it back for further discussions if deemed further discussions if deemed necessary)necessary) Clean Bill Clean Bill – New bill made – New bill made

including all of the amendments including all of the amendments if too many to make bill if too many to make bill unrecognizable.unrecognizable.

Committee Report Committee Report – Report on – Report on the purpose and scope of the bill the purpose and scope of the bill and the reason they feel it should and the reason they feel it should be approved. be approved.

House of House of RepresentativesRepresentatives Rules Committee – Rules Committee –

Decides when bills will Decides when bills will be discussed if everbe discussed if ever

Consideration Consideration – – Debates between Debates between proponents and proponents and opponent of the bills opponent of the bills reported House.reported House.

AmendmentsAmendments – Can be – Can be introduced and voted on. introduced and voted on.

Vote to Recommit Vote to Recommit – – Sends bill back to the Sends bill back to the committee of origination. committee of origination.

Final Passage Vote Final Passage Vote – – MajorityMajority vote passes the vote passes the bill onto the Senate.bill onto the Senate. Without majority bill goes Without majority bill goes

back to House debate for back to House debate for additional amendments or additional amendments or vote to recommit.vote to recommit.

Voted Down By Senate

Majority vote approving Bill

Majority vote approving Bill

Presidential Veto

(2/3 vote House and Senate to override)

Ruled Unconstitutional

Becomes LawPresidential Approval

From a Bill To a Law

SenateSenate ConsiderationConsideration – Debates – Debates

between proponents and between proponents and opponent of the bills passed in opponent of the bills passed in the House.the House.

AmendmentsAmendments – Can be – Can be introduced and voted on. introduced and voted on. Any bills that are amended are sent Any bills that are amended are sent

back to the House for vote of back to the House for vote of approval approval

Riders – Amendments unrelated to Riders – Amendments unrelated to bill that may benefit constituents.bill that may benefit constituents.

FilibusterFilibuster – Talking a bill to – Talking a bill to death until sponsor withdraws.death until sponsor withdraws.

ClotureCloture – Limits discussion to – Limits discussion to one hour per Senator.one hour per Senator.

Final Passage Vote Final Passage Vote – – Majority Majority vote passes the bill onto the vote passes the bill onto the President for signature into law President for signature into law or veto.or veto. Without majority bill goes back to Without majority bill goes back to

Senate debate for additional Senate debate for additional amendments.amendments.

Voted Down By Senate

Majority vote approving Bill

Majority vote approving Bill

Presidential Veto

(2/3 vote House and Senate to override)

Ruled Unconstitutional

Becomes LawPresidential Approval

From a Bill To a Law

Voting on the BillVoting on the BillWhen discussion is completed on a bill they may

then vote on whether it should be sent to the other house or president for approval.

Voice VoteVoice Vote– – Those in favor say Those in favor say “Yea” and those “Yea” and those opposed say “No”opposed say “No”

Standing VoteStanding Vote– – Those in favor Those in favor stand and then stand and then those opposed those opposed standstand

Electronic Vote Electronic Vote – – Has replaced these Has replaced these types in the House types in the House

Roll-call Vote Roll-call Vote – – Traditional voting Traditional voting system in Senate system in Senate where names and where names and votes are votes are recorded.recorded.

The PresidentThe President Signs bill into lawSigns bill into law Allows to pass into law Allows to pass into law

without signaturewithout signature If not signed or vetoed If not signed or vetoed

within 10 days it becomes a within 10 days it becomes a lawlaw

Pocket Veto – If after 10 Pocket Veto – If after 10 days the Congress is not in days the Congress is not in session then it is officially session then it is officially vetoed.vetoed.

VetoVeto Sent back to House for Sent back to House for

revote or amendmentsrevote or amendments 2/3 approval vote in House 2/3 approval vote in House andand

Senate overrides presidential Senate overrides presidential veto making it law.veto making it law.

Voted Down By Senate

Majority vote approving Bill

Majority vote approving Bill

Presidential Veto

(2/3 vote House and Senate to override)

Ruled Unconstitutional

Becomes LawPresidential Approval

From a Bill To a Law

Supreme CourtSupreme Court Rules on whether a Rules on whether a

law is constitutional law is constitutional Can also interpret Can also interpret

laws without laws without referring to congressreferring to congress

Relies on other Relies on other branches of branches of government to government to enforce their rulingsenforce their rulings

Can only decide on Can only decide on the constitutionality the constitutionality of a law if it is of a law if it is brought to the courts brought to the courts attention in a specific attention in a specific case.case.