Extra Practice: The Legislative Branch
Name: __________________________________________
Your Task:
A. MARK THE TEXT
B. On a separate piece of paper, make your own diagram that describes each step in the
lawmaking process in your own words.
C. Respond to the questions on the last page.
Remember, the Legislative
Branch (the Congress) makes
the laws. We have two houses in
our Congress: the House of
Representatives and the Senate.
How Laws Are Made
1. When a Representative has an idea for a new law, s/he becomes
the sponsor of that bill and introduces it to the whole House of
Representatives.
2. Next, the bill is assigned to a committee (the House has
22 different committees, each handling different bills about
different issues) so that it can be studied. The standing
committee studies the bill and hears testimony (facts &
opinions) from experts and people interested in the bill. The
committee can reject the bill, make changes to the bill, or
pass the bill.
3. If the committee passes the bill, it is read to all of the members of the House of
Representatives so they can decide if it’s a good idea to become a law. The 435
representatives vote on the bill. If it passes by a majority vote (218 Representatives or
more), the bill moves on to the Senate.
4. In the Senate, (just like in the House), the bill then is
assigned to a committee. It is assigned to one of the
Senate's 16 different committees. The Senate committee
studies and (just like in the House) can reject the bill,
make changes to the bill, or pass the bill.
5. If the committee passes the bill, it is read to all of the members of the Senate so
they can decide if it’s a good idea to become a law. The 100 Senators vote on the
bill. If it passes by a majority vote, (51 Senators or more), the bill moves on to the
President.
6. Finally, the bill arrives on the President’s desk so he can
decide if it’s a good idea to make it into a law. The President
has ten days to sign the bill into a law or veto (to officially
reject) the bill.
7. If the president vetoes the bill, but Congress still supports the bill, they can vote
again even without the President’s support. If two-thirds of all of the people in the
Senate and two-thirds of all of the people in the House vote in favor of the bill, it
becomes a law.
Don’t Forget!
Representation in the House is based on
population.
Representation in the Senate is equal
for every state.
Representatives must:
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

Be at least 25 years old.
Be a U.S. citizen for the past 7 years.
Live in the state they represent.
Senators must:

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
Be at least 30 years old.
Be a U.S. citizen for the past 9 years.
Live in the state they represent
Each representative serves a term of 2 years.
When the term is over, people from that state
may choose to elect a new representative or
keep the same one. There is no limit on the
number of terms a representative can serve.
Each senator serves a term of 6 years. When
their 6 year term is over, the people from that
state may choose to elect a new senator or
keep the same one. There is no limit on the
number of terms a senator can serve.
The House has special jobs that only it can
do. It can:
The Senate has special jobs that only it can
do. It can:


Start laws that make people pay taxes.
Decide if a government official should be
put on trial before the Senate if s/he
commits a crime against the country.

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Say yes or no to any treaties the president
makes.
Say yes or no to any people the president
recommends for jobs, such as cabinet
officers, Supreme Court justices, and
ambassadors.
Can hold a trial for a government official
who does something very wrong.
Respond to the following questions after reading & marking the text.
1. Which of the following is the lawmaking
branch of government?
a. executive
b. legislative
c. judicial
6. What percentage of Congress has to vote
for a bill for it to pass?
a. 51%
b. 67%
c. 75%
2. How does a law begin?
a. as an amendment
b. as an idea
c. as a veto
7. After a bill is passed by both houses of
Congress it _____.
a. goes to the President
b. is voted on by a committee
c. is voted on by the Senate
3. Who can propose a law?
a. anyone
b. Congress
c. the President
4. If a congressperson introduces an idea in
Congress as a bill, he or she is _____.
a. proposing it
b. sponsoring it
c. vetoing it
5. What are the two houses in Congress?
a. Executive and Judicial
b. House of Representatives and
Senate
c. Senate and Supreme Court
8. What can a President do with a bill passed
by Congress?
a. enforce it or ignore it
b. shred it or frame it
c. sign it or veto it
9.
Can a veto by the President be
overridden?
a. No, what the President says is final
b. Yes, but only if the Supreme Court
steps in
c. Yes, if a two-thirds majority in both
houses of Congress vote to
override it
10. Complete the Venn Diagram comparing & contrasting the two houses of Congress.
HR
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