how a bill becomes a law

How a bill becomes a law?American Govt

MEMORIES!!!!1Turning your idea into a lawDuring any session of congress there may be as many as 10,000 ideas introduced less than 10% of these ever become a law.Bill - A proposed law presented to the House OR Senate for considerationOne Exception: $$ Legislations ALWAYS starts in the House of RepresentativesArt. 1, Sec. 7, Cl. 12Source of BillsMost start in the Executive BranchSpecial Interest GroupsBusinessLaborAgriculturePrivate Citizens ME & YOUCongressional Standing Committees

3Types of BillsPublic Bills measures that apply to the Nation as a wholeExample: Tax Laws or Amendments to the Constitution, etc.Private Bills Apply to certain people or placesExample: Sheep rancher in Idaho or dealing with the NFL veteransRIDER:Attached unrelated matter4CheckpointWhat is a BILL?What is the only body that can bring up a bill regarding money?Where are some of the places that a bill can come from?

Intro in the House (read & numbered)Standing CommitteeCongressional VoteFloor Debate & VoteStanding CommitteeVETO!PresidentFloor Debate & VoteIntro in the SenateSubcommitteeSubcommitteeLAWConference Committee2/3s Public Hearings if needed6Committee ActionsReport the bill favorablyDo-Pass THEY LIKED ITRefuse to report the billPigeonhole LET IT DIEReport the bill in amended formAmended CHANGED IT A LITTLEReport a committee billNew Stuff MADE THEIR OWN5) Report the bill with unfavorable recommendationNo-Pass HATED IT

House ActionsDebate discuss the issues (findings that the Committees and Subcommittees came up with)Committee of the Whole Speeds up the process; the entire House acts as a committee rather than a legislative bodyQuorum needed to discuss bills, it means a majority of the members must be there

House ActionsAfter the debate then they: VoteTypes of votingVoice Vote most commonStanding Vote self-explanatoryTeller Vote Selected members count their partys voteRoll-Call Vote this is now done with computers

Final StepThe Bill is read for a 3rd and final timeOne last vote / opportunity for debateSigned by SpeakerSent to Senate

What does pigeonhole mean?The Next StepThe Bill will then go to the Senatehere the process is very similar to the path of a bill in the House.

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The main difference in the SenateDebateHouse: FormalSenate: Informal (Free Debate)FilibusterIs a part of the debating processTalking a bill to deathUsed by minority senators to delay or prevent a bill from going furtherMonopolizes the Floor Debate Time12More on FilibustersHuey Long 15 hours read the phone book and recipesGlen Taylor 8 hours talked about his kids, Wall Street, baptism, and fishingTHE RECORD Strom Thurmond 24 hours, 18 minutes The filibuster works, however, they do observe certain rules strictlylike standing, not sitting or leaning13Conference CommitteeRarely can a bill make it thru all of these steps with out some problemThis is where a Conference Committee comes in handyMembers from both chambers come together (temporarily) to make any changes that BOTH can agree upon.Then they re-vote (almost always passes)Sent to the President for acceptance or rejection

COMPROMISE14Presidential Actions1) Sign into Law2) Veto Means I forbid in LatinCan be overridden with 2/3s vote of Congress3) Do nothing then it becomes a law4) Pocket Veto If Congress adjourns within 10 days of submitting the bill, the President can do nothing, the bill dies.

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