Who can propose a law? Anyone can suggest an idea for a law



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Who can propose a law?

  • Anyone can suggest an idea for a law.

  • However, only a Member of Congress can take a proposed law to the House of Representatives or the Senate.



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:

  • The bill is then sent to the appropriate committee.



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.

  • The committee chair assigns the bill to the appropriate subcommittee.



The Subcommittee

  • The subcommittee studies bills related to a sub-set of the topics covered by the standing committee.

  • All of the members of the subcommittee are part of the standing committee.

  • Most of the discussion in Congress takes place here.

  • The chair of the subcommittee, in consultation with other committee members, decides whether to schedule a bill for discussion.

  • The subcommittee may also decide to stop action on a bill that they think is not necessary or wise. The bill then dies.



The Subcommittee - continued

  • The subcommittee first holds hearings on the bill, giving supporters, opponents and experts a chance to voice their views.

  • Amendments (changes) to the bill are then suggested and voted on.

  • The subcommittee may also decide to write an entirely new bill.

  • Finally, the subcommittee votes on whether to take the bill to the full committee for a vote.

  • If the bill does not pass, it dies.



The Standing Committee

  • The committee discusses the bill.

  • Committee members suggest and vote on amendments.

  • The committee votes on whether to send the bill to the full House or Senate.



The Standing Committee – cont.

  • If the bill passes, the committee writes a report explaining:

  • The bill and the report are then sent to the full House or Senate.



The Floor (whole House or Senate)

  • The bill is placed on the calendar of the House or Senate until it is scheduled for discussion.

  • The House and Senate have different rules for debating the bill.



Debate on the House floor

  • The House is chaired by the Speaker of the House

  • Before debate begins, a time limit is set for how long any Member can speak (usually 1 – 5 minutes).

  • First a Member speaks who is for the bill and then one who is against the bill. Debate continues in this way.



Debate on the House floor – cont.

  • Debate on a bill can be ended by a simple majority vote.

  • Following this debate, amendments to the bill can then be suggested and debated. The same rules apply.

  • Finally, the bill is put to a vote.



Debate on the Senate floor

  • The Senate is chaired by the Vice President; the President Pro Tempore may chair in his place.

  • There are no time limits to debate in the Senate. Members may speak for as long as they choose.

  • Amendments may be offered at any time during debate.

  • At the end of debate, the bill is put to a vote.



What happens next?

  • 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.



The Conference Committee

  • The conference committee includes members of both the House and the Senate.

  • The committee discusses the differences between the two bills.

  • They re-write the bill in a form that they think will pass in both the House and the Senate and vote on it.

  • After they pass the re-written bill, the committee writes a report that contains:

    • The re-written bill
    • An explanation of how they worked out the differences between the two bills


Back to the floor

  • The conference committee report with the re-written bill is sent to the House for a vote.

  • If the House passes the bill, it is sent to the Senate.

  • If the House or the Senate does not pass the bill, it dies.

  • If the bill passes in both the House and the Senate, it is sent to the President.



The President

  • The President has 4 options:

    • Sign into law. He can sign the bill, which then becomes a law.
    • Law without signature. He can let the bill sit on his desk for 10 days without signing it while Congress is in session. The bill then becomes a law.


The President - continued

    • Veto. He can choose to not sign the bill, so it will not become a law. However, if the bill is then passed by 2/3 of both the House and the Senate, it still becomes a law.
    • Pocket veto. If, after 10 days, he has not signed it and Congress is no longer in session, the bill does not become a law.


I’m just a bill,

  • I’m just a bill,

  • Yes, I’m only a bill,

  • And I’m sitting here on Capitol Hill.

  • Well, it’s a long, long journey

  • To the capital city,

  • It’s a long, long wait

  • While I’m sitting in committee

  • But I know I’ll be a law someday . . .



At least I hope and pray that I will,

  • At least I hope and pray that I will,

  • But today I’m still just a bill.

  • {Interlude}

  • I’m just a bill,

  • Yes I’m only a bill,

  • And I got as far as Capitol Hill.

  • Well, now I’m stuck in committee

  • And I sit here and wait



While a few key Congressmen

  • While a few key Congressmen

  • Discuss and debate

  • Whether they should

  • Let me be a law…

  • Oh how I hope and pray that they will,

  • But today I am still just a bill.

  • {Interlude}



I’m just a bill,

  • I’m just a bill,

  • Yes I’m only a bill,

  • And if they vote for me on Capitol Hill,

  • Well then I’m off to the White House

  • Where I’ll wait in a line

  • With a lot of other bills

  • For the President to sign.



And if he signs me then I’ll be a law . . .

  • And if he signs me then I’ll be a law . . .

  • Oh, how I hope and pray that he will,

  • But today I am still just a bill.

  • {Interlude}

  • No! But how I hope and I pray that I will,

  • But today I am still just a bill!

  • {Interlude}



Acknowledgement for Song

  • School House Rocks website.

    • http://media.atlantic-records.com/media/schoolhouse_rock_rocks/schoolhouse_rock_rocks/bill.wav


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