How a Bill Becomes a Law

How a Bill Becomes a Law
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Take one of these out!!
Plan on writing a great deal today…………..write legibly!

The Process through the House
of Representatives
1. Somebody thinks of a good, well thought
out idea for a piece of legislation…Anyone
can help to write legislation. Only a

member of Congress can actually propose
legislation in Congress.

Do #1: Write this on your piece of paper

The Process through the House of Representatives

2. Get co-sponsors…Bills can have many
cosponsors or just a few but they can be
an important way to signal support

On your paper, list who/groups would help
you sponsor your idea.


3. Drop the bill in the Hopper.

The hopper is a box on the clerk’s desk

into which all proposed legislation must
go.

Two other types of hoppers…



4. Bill assigned a number and sent to the
government printing office.

Examples: HR 1 or S 42


5. Speaker refers the bill to the
appropriate committee(s).

Sometimes a bill can be referred to several
committees because it does not fit in just
one area.

House Committee Room
• To which committee
would your issue be
assigned?

• Put your response on
your paper.

Home Work….
• You are to find out to which
committee/committees your
representative belongs.

• Word process this on a piece of paper with
your name and class ID# and bring to class
on Tuesday…


6. Bill assigned to a subcommittee.



7. Hearings may be held.

Frequently hearings are held to gain

expert opinions on a topic.

On your paper: Who might you want to ask
to speak to the committee as an expert on
your issue?


8. Subcommittee reports its findings to
the full committee.



9. The full committee holds a mark-up
session and makes amendments and
changes to the bill.



10. Committee staff writes report on why
the committee favors the bill.

The Office of the Clerk writes the report.
http://clerk.house.gov/about/duties.html


11. Those dissenting may write a dissenting
opinion on why the bill should not have
been passed out of committee.



12.The bill goes to the Rules Committee to
decide on time limits for the debate.

http://www.rules.house.gov/


13. Bill gets placed on the House calendar
by the Speaker of the House and the
Majority Leader.

On your paper….who is the current Speaker
of the House?


14. Bill debated on the House floor.

Many times few Congressmen are present
unless it is a controversial bill.

On your paper: Will your issue/bill be
controversial? Yes, or no? Why?

•HRES 1247 EH
• (1) supports the goals and ideals of ‘‘American Eagle
Day’’; and
• (2) encourages—
• (A) educational entities, organizations, businesses,

conservation groups, and government agencies with a
shared interest in conserving endangered species to
collaborate on education information for use in schools;
and
• (B) the people of the United States to observe American
Eagle Day with appropriate ceremonies and other
activities.
• Attest:
• Clerk.


15. Only “germane” amendments may be
added to the bill.

Germane: Not the same as relevant… a
germane amendment cannot change the
nature of the bill.

Which of these changes to this girl’s hair style
was germane and which was not?

Pink hair color Pink headband



16. Quorum call to make sure there are
enough members present to vote.

Can be a way to stall for time if you don’t
have enough members present to vote.

A quorum
• is the minimum number of members of a
deliberating body necessary to conduct
the business of that group. Ordinarily, this

is a majority of the people expected to be
there.
• On paper….how many people would be
necessary to have a quorum in the Senate?

Quorum Busting
• A prominent example of quorum-busting occurred in
2003, when the Texas House of Representatives voting
on a redistricting bill that would have favored the
Republicans in the state. The Democrats, certain of

defeat chose not to be present in the House that day, but
instead took a plane to Oklahoma preventing the bill
from passing due to a lack of a quorum. If there is no
quorum present a call of the house could be ordered,
which would cause absent members to be arrested and
brought to the floor of the body. This was the reason that
the Killer D’s fled to Oklahoma, which is outside of the
jurisdiction of Texas law. The Killer D's effectively killed
the legislation by staying in Oklahoma long enough to let
the legislation expire.

17. Vote on the bill!

How do members know when it is time to vote?
• Blackberries
• Clocks

How do they vote?
• Use clicker cards the size of a credit card.
• Slide it though the yes or no slot.
• Projected on the screen.

The Process through the Senate

1. Member must be recognized by the
presiding officer and introduce a bill
during the “morning hour”.

Morning hour is the first two hours of the
day’s session


2. If another member objects then the
introduction of the bill is postponed until
the next day.


A day by any other name…
• Calendar “day” is an actual 24 hour day.
• Legislative “day” is from one legislative
adjournment to another adjournment.

• This could be weeks long.
• Recesses are NOT adjournments.


3. The bill is assigned a number.



4. Bill can be jointly sponsored by other
Senators.

On your paper….what advantages are there
to jointly sponsoring bills?


5. The presiding officer refers the bill to
the appropriate committee(s).


Senate Committee Room

• On your paper…..Which
committee would your
issue be submitted to?



6. Bill may be assigned to a
subcommittee.



7. Hearings may be held.



8. Subcommittee reports its findings to
the full committee.



9. Committee holds a “mark-up” session
and makes amendments and changes to
the bill.



10. Committee staff writes report on why
committee favors bill.



11. Bill is places on the Legislative Calendar
by the Majority Leader.



12.Debate is unlimited

On your paper…..How is this particular
component of the Senate process
different from the House process?

filibuster -
• Informal term for any attempt to block or
delay Senate action on a bill or other
matter by debating it at length, by offering

numerous procedural motions, or by any
other delaying or obstructive actions.


13.Amendments do not have to be germane.

Remind me again….what is germane?


14.Bill is voted on.

Record of voting:
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/rol
l_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congr
ess=107&session=1&vote=00237

Conference Committee

1. Members from each house form a
conference committee. To work out the
differences between the House and

Senate bills.

Only about 10% of bills go through
conference committee

Conference Committee
2. If they reach a compromise they prepare
a written report to be submitted to both
the House and Senate.

No new amendments can be added at this
point.

The President

• Can Veto or Sign the Bill
If he signs…. It becomes law!

If he vetoes…. It goes back to Congress and
it takes a 2/3 majority of both houses to
override.
Historical Vetoes

Differences Between the House and the Senate

• Introduction of the Bill
• Debate allowed
• Amendments allowed

House Majority Rule
Senate Individual Rights

What happens AFTER
a bill becomes a law?
The Continuous Cycle of Public Policy

Types of Policies
• Regulatory: Rules and standards that
control economic, social and political
activities

• FAA, EPA, HUD, FCC
• Reasons for Regulation: Natural
Monopoly, Externalities, Protecting
the Uninformed

Types of Policies
• Social: Programs designed to help those
thought to be in need of government
assistance

• HUD, Social Security, etc.
• Fiscal Policy: Taxing and Spending

Regulatory Agencies
• Must have legislative authority to operate
• Varying Scope of Authority
• Organizational Structure

• Department Regulatory Agency
• FDA is within Health and Human
Services Department
• Independent Regulatory Commission
• CPSC, Federal Reserve, FCC, SEC

Time to Execute the Law:
The Policy Process

Deliberation Enactment

Agenda
Implementation
Setting

Outcome Output

Implementation
• How do we enforce a law?
• What does the law say?
• What is feasible?

• What is fair?
• What can we afford to do?

Your issue…..on your paper
• What would your law say?
• Would it be feasible?
• Meaning would it have a chance at

being successful.
• Would it be fair?
• What can we afford to do?

Implementation
• The translation of legislation into a set of
government programs or regulations
• Legislation goes to the appropriate agency

for its implementation
• Vague language allows agency discretion

Policy Outputs
• The provision of services to citizens or
regulation of their conduct.
• Examples

• TANF checks
• Car Emissions Standards
• HUD Code Homes

Policy Outcomes
• Effect of policy outputs on individuals and
businesses.
• Examples:

• Minimum Wage Laws
• Fair Tax Plan

Agenda-Setting  Deliberation  New
Policies Enacted

Your issue again….on paper
• What would be the effect of policy outputs
on individuals and businesses?


Congressional Oversight
• Review and Monitoring of Federal
Agencies
• Hold hearings

• Typically done through the Committee
system
• For Example: Committee on Agriculture
would have oversight of the USDA

What happens when oversight
is lax?
• Securities and Exchange
Commission…..agency
admitted that it had

credible allegations of
wrongdoing at Bernie
Madoff’s investment firm
starting in the 1990s and
continuing for years and
years that were never
investigated properly.

How a Bill Becomes a Law

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