How our Legislature Works

How a Bill Becomes Law!

Congressional Committees n Play an important role in the lawmaking

process n This is where work takes place that cannot

be done on the floor n In which house does most of the work

take place in committees? Why?

Standing Committeen Permanent Committeen Handle most legislative businessn Get info through hearings and

investigations

Subcommitteesn Smaller division of standing committeesn Main job is to review proposed bills

Select/Special Committees n Temporary committeen Created to deal with a specific problem

Joint Committeesn Permanent committeesn Made up of members from BOTH housesn Deals with issues affecting both housesn Ex: Library – job is to oversee Library of

Congress

Conference Committeesn Temporary Committeen Include members of both housesn Created to “iron out” differences between

2 versions of a bill passed by the House and Senate

n Goal is to make the bill the same for both houses

Bill is introduced in the House or the Senate

n (can be introduced by any member; the legislator that introduces the bill becomes the bills’ sponsor)

Bill receives a # from the clerk n For example: n (HB001 or SB001)

Goes to a standing committee

n Standing committee can decide to assign it to a subcommittee

n Bill is killed

Goes to a subcommittee

n Looks into the bill and can decide to report the bill to the floor to all the legislators

n Bill is killed

Report to the Floor

n On the floor, the bill is debated and changes can be made, if needed before it is passed

n Bill is killed

Debate, Change, Pass n On the floor, legislators debate, make any

changes and if the majority votes in favor, the bill passes in that house.

Bill is signed and sent to the other house

Bill is introduced in House or Senate

Signed and sent to other house

Draw an arrow from this box, backUp to the first box

President

Lets bill sit for 10 days Signs it Veto

Pocket Veto: Congress adjourns within 10 days and bill is not signed

President

Lets bill sit for 10 days

Signs it

Bill Becomes a Law!

President

Veto

Goes back to Congress

2/3 vote in BOTH houses to override

veto

Bill Becomes a Law! If not, bill is killed!

** Add this somewhere along the side of your chart:

n Lobbyists and special interest groups try to convince lawmakers to vote their way during this process