How Do Bills How Do Bills Become Laws?Become Laws?

“CHEESEBURGER BILL”http://thomas.loc.gov/home/gpoxmlc109/h554_rh.xml

Legislation Is Legislation Is IntroducedIntroduced

Numbered Numbered (House bills start (House bills start w/ HR; Senate w/ HR; Senate bills start with S)bills start with S)

Labeled with Labeled with sponsor’s namesponsor’s name

Read (1Read (1stst time) time) H.R. #101Kevin Brady - TX

Committee Committee ActionAction

Bill referred to committee Bill referred to committee (based on what subject is)(based on what subject is)

Speaker of House Speaker of House (HOR)/President Pro Tempore (HOR)/President Pro Tempore (Senate) refer these bills(Senate) refer these bills

httphttp://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/committees/d_three_sections_with_teasers/committees_home.htm://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/committees/d_three_sections_with_teasers/committees_home.htm

****(Most bills die here)****(Most bills die here)******

Committee Committee StepsSteps Assigned to subcommittees Assigned to subcommittees

by Committee chairperson by Committee chairperson Subcommittees research Subcommittees research

topic and then report their topic and then report their findingsfindings

All vote (committee All vote (committee members)members)

Pass = set date for it to go Pass = set date for it to go to the floor for debate & to the floor for debate & votevote

Don’t pass = bill is Don’t pass = bill is deaddead

Floor ActionFloor Action Speaker/Speaker/

President Pro President Pro Tem places the Tem places the bill on calendar bill on calendar

On calendar On calendar date = GOES TO date = GOES TO FLOOR (VOTE)FLOOR (VOTE)

Debate, AmendDebate, Amend, , AND/ OR AND/ OR Defeat.Defeat.

DebateDebate

HouseHouse One hour One hour

maximum!maximum! A A quorumquorum call call

made (51% of made (51% of reps must be reps must be present before present before debate/vote debate/vote begins) begins)

SenateSenate Debate is Debate is

unlimitedunlimited FilibustersFilibusters : ”talk : ”talk

a bill to death”a bill to death” Invoke Invoke cloturecloture: :

need 60 Senators need 60 Senators to agree to limit to agree to limit debate timedebate time

STROM THURMOND

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-05-16-filibuster-history_x.htm

24 hours 18 min

Longest filibuster in history – over Civil Rights bill

VoteVote Bill is voted on after debate Bill is voted on after debate If passes in one house sent to the If passes in one house sent to the

other house for debate & vote other house for debate & vote (process starts over again)(process starts over again)

If either house doesn’t pass it , then If either house doesn’t pass it , then the bill DIESthe bill DIES

If both houses pass, then signed by If both houses pass, then signed by Speaker & Pres Pro Tem and sent to…Speaker & Pres Pro Tem and sent to…

The PresidentThe President

Choices, choices…Choices, choices… Sign it (immediately)Sign it (immediately) Veto it Veto it (whole thing)(whole thing) Don’t sign it Don’t sign it (lets it sit on desk (lets it sit on desk

for 10 days = becomes law)for 10 days = becomes law) Pocket Veto Pocket Veto (Congress (Congress

adjourns before the 10 days are adjourns before the 10 days are up = no law)up = no law)

The Bill Becomes The Bill Becomes A LawA Law

Bill is signed by Bill is signed by the Presidentthe President

Or the veto is Or the veto is overridden in overridden in Congress (2/3 Congress (2/3 of BOTH Houses of BOTH Houses needed)needed)

Shortcut to bill.lnkBill.mov

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFroMQlKiag