Before I get into how a bill becomes a law, I want to spend a little time discussing the powers and boundaries set forth by our Constitution. The Constitution was designed with a system of checks and balances to assure that all the branches of Government are kept in check. They decided to form three branches, the executive branch, legislative branch and the judicial branch. The delegates wanted to divide power equally in the Government to keep one branch from having too much power. The executive branch includes the President and is responsible for executing public and foreign policy. The legislative branch includes the House and the Senate. They are responsible for making and implementing laws and funding the government. The judicial branch is headed by the Supreme court and they interpret the Constitution and laws. The United States Constitution is …show more content…
A law generally begins its life as a simple idea. Anyone can come up with an idea for a law and submit the idea to their congressman or representative. Sometimes a special interest group may submit an idea in hopes that their idea may become a law. When the idea is supported and sponsored by a member of Congress that idea becomes a bill. A bill may begin in either the House or the Senate. However, the bills that deal with money must be introduced through the House. The bill is introduced when it is placed in a box called the hopper on the bill clerks desk. The House speaker will then send the bill to committee where it may be amended, passed or "killed". The House will debate the bill, then send it to the Senate. The bill will be debated and possibly amended then sent back to the House. If everything is approved it will eventually make it's way to the President where he may sign or veto it. If it is signed, it becomes a law. Even if the bill is rejected by the president, it may still become a law if two thirds of the houses override the
The process in which a bill becomes a law can be a lengthy one, it must go through many steps in order to become the law of the land. It is believed that this process should be a matter that every American citizen should be informed of in order to fully understand and appreciate the inner workings of congress with regard to The House of Representatives and the Senate. The steps in which a bill becomes a law is an example of the democratic way of life here in The United States. “The fact that a proposal cannot become a law without consideration and approval by both houses of congress is an outstanding virtue of our bicameral legislative system.” (Sullivan 1-2)
First, the proposed bill goes through the House of Representatives. Laws begin as ideas. These ideas may come from a Representative, or from a citizen. Citizens who have ideas for laws can contact their Representatives to discuss their ideas. If the Representatives agree, they research the ideas and write them into bills. When a Representative has written a bill, the bill needs a sponsor. The
All laws start as bills. Any one can draft a bill, a congressman, the President, even Mr. Hughes if wanted something accomplished. Anyone can draft a bill, but only a congressman can put the bill into the bill box. From the bill box it is given to the speaker of the house, who decides which committee receives the bill for the lengthy editing process. The real power of the Speaker of the House is deciding which committee gets the bill, whether he wants the bill to pass or be thrown out. Inside the committees there are subcommittees that where a committee is a large idea, like the Senate armed forces Committee, the sub committees such as the seapower committee. after a long editing process the bill is either passed or trashed. if passed and in the house the next committee the bill goes to is the rules committee, where the date and how long the bill is argued for will be decided. If in the senate, the bill will go to the majority and minority leaders, and they decide when the bill will be brought for the entire senate. again it is argued in the senate or the house and it will either be trashed or passed here too. Finally the bill should be a law right, nope, the bill has to be passed in the other house of congress. finally once it has been passed in both compartments, if the wording is not the same a conference committee meets, with representatives from both the house and senate deciding the final wording of the bill, only
According to The House of Representatives (2015) all laws begin as ideas. Once an idea becomes a bill,
As mentioned before, getting a federal law passed takes more steps than a state or local law. A member of Congress must first introduce the bill. After the bill is introduced to Congress it is then referred to a committee or multiple committees. The committee that the bill is referred to depends on what committee has jurisdiction over the primary issue of the bill (Steps in Making a Bill a Law: The Federal Legislative Process). Sometimes the bill is referred to a subcommittee first. According to, “Steps in Making a Bill a Law: The Federal Legislative Process,” once referred to a committee, “The chairman of the Committee determines whether there will be a hearing on the bill and whether there will be ‘mark up’” (Steps in Making a Bill a Law: The Federal Legislative Process). A “mark up” is when members of the committee meet to offer changes that could be made to the bill. After changes are accepted or rejected, the chairman moves to vote the bill favorably out of committee then the entire body of the committee favorably reports out the bill (Steps in Making a Bill a Law: The Federal Legislative Process). The third step to making a bill a law is a committee report. In this step, the committee chairman’s staff writes a report of the bill. The report of the bill describes the intent of legislation, the bill’s legislative history, the impact the bill will have on existing laws and programs, and the position that the majority of the members of committee take on the bill (Steps
To begin it would be best to understand what a bill is. A bill is a proposal of a law (2). Bills can only emerge in Congress (2). Congress is composed of the House of Representatives and the
There are seven basic steps: Introduction, referral or assignment to house or senate committees, considered in house or senate committees, placement of bill on a legislative calendar, considered on the house or senate floor, signed or vetoed by governor, and lastly the bill does or does not become a law.
How does a bill become a law? There are quite a number of steps in order for a bill to become a law. A bill is a legislative proposal that must be passed by House, Senate, and the President in order to become a law. Once an idea for a bill is written and well developed, any member of Congress can make an official introduction. There are two types of bills; public that deals with matters of the general public, and private which is specific to an individual or an organization. These often relate to naturalization issues and immigration. Afterwards, the committee takes action, debates the bill, and votes. Based on their actions the bill will be referred to Senate and sent to the President. After all these are done, the bill will either become
If both the Senate and the House pass the bill, it is then sent to the president for his signature leading to the bill becoming a law (United States Senate, n.d.).
For a bill to become a law it takes more than one step and more than one person deciding, it's not as easy as it seems. First, the legislation is introduced, and then you have the committee action, afterwards floor action, conference committee, the president, and then the bill becomes a law. Some bills will never make it through any of these processes but for those who really want their bill to pass, if they fight for it they just might get lucky. This paper will show you that it takes more than one person and is a long process. Through out this paper I will explain how a bill becomes a law so that you will have a better understanding of the process.
All things first start with an idea. This idea, then becomes an action and this action in turn has a result. This same concept can be applied to the legislative process. The first step begins with an idea, this idea is shared and if it gains the support of the masses this idea will then become sponsored by a representative. Once this idea has sponsorship it then proceeds to the congressional level where this idea gets the new title of a bill. Upon the name change from idea to bill also comes the benefit of becoming a proposed piece of legislation. For a bill this means that it will be sent to both the House of Representatives and Senate awaiting it’s future through debate. If the debate proves favorable for the bill, that is both the House of Representatives and the Senate approve then this bill is sent off to the desk of the president. From the moment the bill arrives at the desk of the president a countdown of ten days begins, this is
Law making in the United States legislature is a process that involves congress consisting of the House of Representatives and that of the Senate. However, for a bill to be passed in order to become a law, it requires the signature of the President –thus, the President could either veto or sign the bill in ten days. It should be however noted that although a bill can only be introduced and passed by congress, the president could also suggest a bill. Also, in terms of considering whether a law is constitutional, the judiciary –the Supreme Court –has power to perform a judiciary review on the acts of both the legislative and executive branch of government.
And now in order to become a law you have to get passed with a two thirds majority. If the Senate gets a two third majority you go to the other Chamber, in your case it is the House of Representatives. The other Chamber must as well pass you with a two thirds majority. That means you would become a law. Alright, lets say that the President pocket-vetos you. That means you sit on the corner of his desk for 10 days. Within those 10 days if he decides he doesn't want you to become a law, you'll go through the same process with the veto. But if he decides he does want you to become a law you go through the same process if he signs you. But if congress leaves, like has a break or a vacation then you get dropped. Which that means you get thrown away basically. And the Senate will just have to start from scratch. It's okay Bill, everything will work out. Plus, I don't think that Congress has a break coming up anytime soon, so you should be fine. And then after that long process, you either get to become a law, or you don't. I wish you the best of luck, and don't get too
The entrusting of the chief lawmaking power in selected lawmakers is the essence of a representative democracy. Apart from the federal and state constitution statutes passed by elected lawmakers are the first laws to check in finding the law that involves to a case. As legislative enactments, statutory trail the usual process of legislation. A bill is presented in the legislature and chosen upon. If permitted, it passes to the executive branch (either a governor at the state level or the president at the federal level). If the executive signs the bill it passes into law as a statute. If the executive fails or declines to sign the bill, it can be rejected and sent back to the legislature. In most instances, if the legislature again permits the bill by an established margin it becomes a
The basic idea for a law can originate from an array of places ranging from a concerned citizen to the President. In order for a bill to become a law it must begin in either the House or the Senate and can only be introduced by a member of Congress (Schwalbe, 2014). In order for a bill to have a chance at becoming a law it must go through various different stages which include committee consideration, floor debate(by House and Senate), conference committees, and then if both houses pass the bill it is then sent to the president to either be signed and become a law or vetoed. When the president gets the bill he actually has up to five options on what to do with it. (Schwalbe, 2014). He can pass it as a law by both dating and signing it