Introducing a bill suggests a possible idea for a law. The first legislative step is drafting (writing) it. Then, it is introduced in the Senate or the House of Representatives. After that, a committee discusses the proposed legislation. Then, subcommittees can weigh in and make changes. The committee then votes on any potential adjustments.
After this process, it is sent to the Senate or House. Once it passes in one chamber of Congress, it proceeds to the other. If it passes in both chambers of Congress, it is brought to the President. If the President signs it, it officially goes into effect. The President can also veto it, and this veto can potentially be overridden.
Features of a Bill
The USAGov website defines a bill as “a proposal.” This proposal can be for the creation of legislation that does not yet exist. It can also be for a change to existing legislation. These proposals can be created to address a variety of concerns. According to the United States Senate website, bills “can deal with domestic and foreign issues.” They can be introduced by members of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Also, people can petition a member of Congress to support ideas for legislation.
Public bills, according to Congress.gov, impact “the public generally.” They are not focused on individuals or corporations existing as individuals. Congress.gov states that, on the other hand, a private bill impacts “a specified individual or a private entity.” Immigration is a common topic for legislative proposals affecting entities or individuals.
Details About Laws
A suggested piece of legislation must go through a detailed process. Eventually, it must pass in the House and the Senate. Then, the President decides whether to sign it. A law can also be referred to as an Act of Congress. Also, the Senate website states: “Statute is another word that is used interchangeably with law.”
The three kinds of laws in the United States are federal, state, and local. According to LawHelp.org, federal legislation applies “to everyone in the United States.” State legislation is decided on and applicable within particular states. Local legislation applies to smaller locations such as cities, townships, or villages.
An Overview of the Legislative Process
The legislative process has nine steps. The first step is the writing step, known as drafting. A bill’s main supporter in Congress is its sponsor. There can also be co-sponsors. The second step is introduction, either in the House or in the Senate. It is also included on Congress.gov. The third step involves discussion in a committee of interested Congress members. This process can also include organizing hearings. The fourth step involves subcommittees with helpful specializations. Subcommittees can make adjustments and hold additional hearings.
In step five, the committee debates and votes on potential changes. The potential legislation can then be sent to the House or Senate floor for discussion. The sixth step involves debating in the House or the Senate. Changes are voted on. Then, there is a vote in this chamber of Congress about passing the bill. In step seven, a passed bill is then brought to the other chamber of Congress. This chamber can ignore, change, reject, or approve. The eighth step involves a bill passed in both the House and the Senate.
The same form must pass in both chambers of Congress. Once this happens, the President sees it. The President can sign it into law. Also, a President can choose not to act on it. It becomes a law if this happens over ten days with Congress in session. A President can actively decide to say no and veto. A pocket veto is another form of veto. This happens when a President does not act for ten days while Congress is adjourned. Step nine involves Congress overriding a veto. This can happen through a two-thirds majority vote in the House and the Senate.
Some More Information
Each bill has a prefix. If introduced in the House of Representatives, it has a prefix of H.R. If it is introduced in the Senate, it has a prefix of S. In addition, each has a number. It is listed after the prefix. The number is assigned according to its place in the order of introduction.
The Senate and the House may develop different versions of proposed legislation. If so, a conference committee can be formed. This committee can find ways to resolve discrepancies between the two iterations. The goal is to find ideas that can be agreed upon. If this happens, a conference report is created containing ideas developed in the conference committee.
