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HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW…
From the
Center for Legislative Archives
National Archives and Records
Administration
https://www.archives.gov/legislative
/resources/education/process/
SCHOOL HOUSE ROCK
I’m Just A Bill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFroMQlKiag
Graphic
TYPES OF LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES
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STANDING COMMITTEE
Definition – what they do:
permanent committees where all similar bills can be sent
Examples:
Tax measures – House sends to Ways and Means, Senate sends to
Finance
Military measures – House sends to National Security, Senates
sends to Armed Services
Senate Committees
House Committees
Aging
Agriculture
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
Appropriations
Appropriations
Armed Services
Armed Services
Budget
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Education and the Workforce
Budget
Energy and Commerce
Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Ethics
Energy and Natural Resources
Financial Services
Environment and Public Works
Foreign Affairs
Ethics
Homeland Security
Finance
House Administration
Foreign Relations
Intelligence
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Judiciary
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Natural Resources
Indian Affairs
Oversight and Government Reform
Intelligence
Rules
Judiciary
Science, Space, and Technology
Rules and Administration
Small Business
Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Transportation and Infrastructure
United States Senate Caucus on International Veterans' Affairs
Narcotics Control
Ways and Means
Veterans' Affairs
HOUSE RULES COMMITTEE
Definition – what it does:
“traffic cop”
decide whether and under what conditions the full House will
consider a bill
bills must be granted a rule (basically scheduled for floor
consideration) to be considered
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JOINT AND CONFERENCE COMMITTEES
Definition – what they do:
Joint – Committees composed of members from both the House and
the Senate (investigating and house keeping)
Conference – a temporary joint body created to iron out the
differences in bills before sending them to the president
Examples:
Joint – Joint Committee on Printing, Joint Committee on the Library
of Congress
SELECT COMMITTEES
Definition – what they do:
special committee set up for a specific purpose and usually for a
limited time
given the power to investigate current matters, bringing public attention
to the matters
Examples:
Watergate Committee – created to investigate the Watergate Scandal
(1973)
Iran-Contra Committee – created to investigate the relationship
between Reagan and the covert selling of weapons to Iran (1987)
THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS
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CONGRESS AT WORK: THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS
Small Groups (one copy of the Congress at Work handout)
Read the Process Card (lettered statement)
Discuss and match it to the appropriate step by putting the card on top of
the correct step
Once you’ve matched all the cards, complete the bottom of your handout
(write the letter from each card or cards next to the corresponding step)
Review as a class
1. DESIRE FOR LEGISLATION IS VOICED
C
citizens contact Congress requesting that a new law be created
2. BILL IS INTRODUCED AND REFERRED TO
COMMITTEE
M
Member presents draft legislation which is forwarded to
committee of jurisdiction
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3. COMMITTEE ACTION
J
Information on issue is gathered for study
F
Witnesses are called to share information
O
Citizens’ points of view are received and considered
4. COMMITTEE REPORTS TO FULL CHAMBER
Q
Explanation is presented of what a bill does with reasons for
support or opposition
5. FLOOR ACTION – DEBATE & AMENDMENTS
D
Members share opinions on bills in speeches
G
Members vote on changes to the bill
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6. END OF FLOOR DEBATE
House – P
House sets rules for amendments and length of debate after
which a final vote is ordered
Senate – B
3/5 of Senators agree to stop debating and vote
7. VOTE ON BILL
I
Roll call is taken of Yeas and Nays
8. PROCESS IS REPEATED IN OTHER CHAMBER
A
Act is sent to the other chamber for consideration
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9. H&S BILL VERSIONS RECONCILED…
Conference Committee – R
Members from both chambers meet to negotiate the differences
between bills and come to agreement
Substitute Bill – K
One chamber substitutes the text of the other chamber’s bill so
that both houses can vote on the exact same bill
10. ACT SENT TO EXECUTIVE
L
Act is transmitted for the president’s signature
11. EXECUTIVE…
Signs Act – N
President approves act and it therefore becomes law
Vetoes Act – H
President submits a message explaining his disapproval of an act
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12. CONGRESS VOTES TO OVERRIDE VETO
E
2/3 of members vote to make a bill into a law without the
President’s signature
LEGISLATIVE PROCESS IN ACTION
Small Groups
Analyze the documents
Determine at which step in the process each document was created
Read each document carefully and look for clues to determine what action is shown
Mark the “Congress at Work: The Legislative Process” with the numbered document that matches each
of the 12 steps
BILLS IN CONGRESS
House of Reps
Speakers are limited to one hour of speaking
Any member may demand a vote on the measure, if this passes then
there is only another 40 minutes worth of debate
Senate
Filibuster – attempt to “talk a bill to death” done by the minority
Cloture – requires 3/5 majority, limits debate to an additional 30 hours
(very difficult to actually get this to happen – Senators hesitate to
invoke it)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX8aFpnWxPA
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EXECUTIVE POWER
Four things a president can do with a bill
1. Sign it into law
2. Veto it
3. Allow it to become a law without signing it
Explanation: If the president does not act on a bill within 10 days it
automatically becomes a law
4. Pocket Veto
Definition: If Congress adjourns its session within 10 days of
submitting a bill to the President, and the president does not sign it,
the measure dies
DISCUSSION
DISCUSSION
3-6% of bills introduced in Congress become law. Is this passage rate good or bad?
Why?
Members of Congress know that a bill they introduce has a very small chance of
passing. Why do they do it anyway? What purpose is served by introducing a bill?
To what extent is each step of the process an opportunity for elected officials to
represent the interests of their constituents?
How does the legislative process enable the House and Senate to test ideas before
they become law?
How does the process by which legislation is made affect its outcome?
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DISCUSSION
What do the documents studied in this lesson show about how citizens can affect the
legislative process?
What do you think the public does not know but should learn about how Congress
works?
What features of the legislative process do you think should be preserved? What
features should be changed?
In what way does understanding the legislative process factor into voters' opinions in
favor of or against incumbent candidates?
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