HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW: SUMMARY OF THE FEDERAL AND STATE PROCESS
5 Federal steps
1. Bill introduced in either house- House of Representatives or Senate House.
2. Bill is referred to a committee to discuss and decide to pass or not.
3. It goes back to the floor for a vote. If it passes, then the bill goes to the other house. They do the
same as step #2.
4. If there have been no changes made to the original bill, it can go directly to the President.
If there have been changes, the bill goes to the Conference Committee to combine both versions and then
it goes back to both houses for a final vote. If it passes in both houses, then it goes to the President
5. The President (or Governor for State Bill), can sign the bill to become law…or the President can veto
which rejects the Bill or it becomes law anyway if 2/3 of the House and Senate override the veto.
Three differences between Bills becoming a law at the state level vs. Federal level . (Not in all states, but
in Arizona and others)
1. At the state level, a bill can become a law through the Initiative or Referendum process
2. The ultimate executive to sign or veto bills is the president at the federal and the governor
at the state level.
3. At the federal level there are more members and committees to review bills. (Typically the more
members that have to review a bill -like at the federal level- will mean a greater chance for the bill to
be killed. More people= harder to gain a majority to agree…so it’s easier for a bill to pass at
the state level, where it will affect less people than at the Federal level where bills to become laws
to affect the whole nation).
The Initiative process = Citizens can propose a new law through the initiative process by starting a bill on
their own. They ask other voters to sign a petition to show their agreement.
* If the required number of voters signs the petition; it becomes a proposition, or proposed law. It then
either passes through the legislative process or appears on the ballot for voters to decide.
*Indirect initiative - Citizens draft a proposed law and present it to the legislature. The legislature may
adopt it outright. Otherwise, the proposal goes on the ballot, sometimes with a counterproposal designed
by the legislature.
*Direct initiative - Citizens draft a proposed law and it goes on the ballot.
Referendum =The legislature refers a proposition to the people to either approve or reject it by vote.
* Compulsory referendum - Typically new constitutions must be submitted to the people for approval before
they are considered ratified. Some states also require that bond measures be approved by referendum.
*Voluntary referendum - The legislature may, at their option, refer a piece of legislation to the people.
* Popular referendum - The people may challenge a law recently passed by the legislature. If enough
signatures are gathered, the law will be put to a vote by the people who may vote to nullify the law.
The difference between Initiative and Referendum: Referendum - The legislature refers a piece of
legislation by placing it on the ballot to allow people to either approve or reject it by election vote.
Initiative - Citizens draft a proposed law, get the required amount of signatures and it goes on the election
day ballot to be voted for.
The Recall process -This is the process to remove or call for the removal of a public official from office.
Similar to the initiative process, the recall requires a certain amount of signatures for a recall petition.