The Bill Process

How Bills are Proposed to Congress

In the United States, a bill is a proposed piece of legislation to be considered by the legislature. Specifically, entities ranging from corporations, citizens, special interest groups, and anything in between, can propose an idea for a bill to a legislator. A bill cannot become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in a majority of circumstances, approved by the executive; in the federal case, the President. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is formally called an Act or a statute.

Step 1: A bill begins with a legislator's sponsor and introduction of the bill to the respective house in congress.

Step 2: Since there are numerous bills proposed daily, committees composed of small groups of legislators, review the content of the proposed bill in detail.

Step 3: If deemed an appropriate course of action, committees may refer a bill to a subcommittee for further study and hearings on the piece of legislation. Hearings provide an opportunity for experts, proponents, and opposition to make their views known during the subcommittee review process.

Step 4: Following the hearing process, subcommittees may amend the bill prior to forwarding the piece of legislation to the full committee.

Step 5: Full Committees then make a recommendation on whether or not they believe the bill should pass, be rejected, or they may abstain from making a recommendation. The procedure is formally known as "ordering a bill reported"

Step 6: After the committee has voted on a bill,l the committee chairman assigns staff to create a written report on the bill highlights: views of supporters and detractors, impact and changes to current legislation, and scope.

Step 7: Once a bill is passed on from the committee, the committee's recommendation is read aloud to the legislative floor. Chamber members are encouraged to debate the bill and analyze the incorporation of potential amendments.

Step 8: After amendment approval and debate, the bill is subject to a vote of passage.

Step 9: When a bill is passed by one chamber it is then referred to the other and undergoes a similar approval process. The chamber may approve the bill, reject it in its entirety, or propose changes.

Step 10: Depending on the severity of amendments, a bill is either returned to the chamber of origination for agreement, or for greater changes, a conference committee is created. The conference committee is formed to reconcile the differences between the chambers. If the conference committee fails to reach agreement, the legislation dies. If agreement is achieved, a conference report is drafted and forwarded to the chambers for approval .

Step 11: If the bill is approved by both chambers, it is sent to the President for approval. If the President approves the bill it becomes law. If the President rejects the bill, he or she can veto it. If the President fails to take any action on the bill for ten days, and congress is still in session, it is automatically enacted into law. If the President fails to take action and congress has adjourned, the legislation dies.

Step 12: If the President vetoes a bill, it can still become law if a 2/3rds majority vote is achieved in both the House and Senate.

Joint Resolutions

• There is no legal difference between a bill and a joint resolution; both are executed in the same manner. A joint resolution, is a legislative measure that requires approval by the Senate and the House and is passed on to the President for decision. Additionally, joint resolutions have the same effect as bills, and are titled as "H. J. Res." or "S. J. Res." depending on chamber of origination. A joint resolution and bill may have the same number in the archives although they're technically different pieces of legislation.

Simple Resolutions

• A simple resolution, is a legislative form used for matters that relate to an individual chamber of Congress; often to change the rules of the chamber, or organize a debate for a related bill. The resolution must be agreed to in the chamber of original proposal. A simple resolution is widely considered as a non-binding position because it does not result in the formation of a new law. Simple resolutions are often employed to adopt or change rules of procedures within the legislative body.

References

1. http://www.legis.state.wv.us/educational/bill_becomes_law/bill_becomes_law.cfm

2. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-simple-resolution.htm#didyouknowout

3. http://hussainsite.blogspot.com/2012/05/history-of-constitution.html