The Three Branches of Government & How a Bill Becomes a Law

3. Checks and Balances
Our government works with ‘checks and
balances.’ This is a system that does
not allow one branch to have all the
power, but makes each branch answer
to the other.

6. Who can propose a law?
• Anyone can suggest an idea for a law.
• However, only a member of Congress can introduce
a proposed law to the House of Representatives or
the Senate.

7. What happens first?
• A member of the House or Senate drafts a bill.
• They submit the bill to the House or Senate.
• The bill is assigned a number that begins with:
• H.R. for House of Representatives
• S. for Senate
• The bill is then sent to the appropriate committee.

8. The Standing Committee
This is a permanent committee in the House or
Senate that studies bills related to a general topic,
such as education, agriculture or science.
1.The committee discusses the bill.
2.Committee members suggest and vote on
amendments (changes).
3.The committee votes on whether to send the bill to
the full House or Senate.
4.If the bill does not pass, it dies.

9. What happens next?
(more complicated)
• Both the House and the Senate must pass similar
forms of a bill.
• If a bill is passed in only the House or the Senate, it
is sent to the other one for debate, amendment and
a vote.
• After both the House and the Senate have passed
similar bills, the two bills are sent to a conference
committee.
• If it passes the committee, it goes back to the floor
as one bill.

10. The Senate
If the committee sends it back with no
changes, then the bill goes on the Senate's
calendar to be voted on. When that day comes,
the bill is voted on and over half of the
senators (51 of 100) must vote yes to pass it.

11. The House
If the bill is passed by the Senate, it then
moves to the other branch of Congress, the
House of Representatives. Just as in the
Senate, over half of the representatives (218 of
435) must vote yes to pass the bill.

12. Finally!!
If the House or the Senate does not pass the bill, it
dies.
OR
If the bill passes in both the House and the Senate, it
is sent to the President.

13. The President has 2 options –
veto or sign.
If the President vetoes
the bill, it returns
to congress.
If the President signs
The bill, it becomes
law.
If the bill gets a 2/3rds
majority vote in
Congress,
it becomes
a law.

14. Breakdown
 Bill enters through Senate or House
 The bill goes to a committee who makes
changes
 The bill returns to the House or Senate
floor, gets voted on. If it passes in both
 The President signs it, or vetoes it
 If signed – it becomes a law

15. 1. A bill will be proposed to the house or
senate. It can be amended or turned down.
2. If the bill goes through the senate, the
house must approve it next. If it goes
through the house, the senate must
approve it next.
3. The president can sign or veto the bill.
4. A 2/3 vote in both the senate and house
can overturn the veto and make the bill a
law.

16. Checks and balances
Don’t forget!!
The Supreme Court can overturn laws by
declaring them unconstitutional.