How a Bill Becomes a Law

Pictures and info adapted from

http://connecticutwatertrails.com/CWTA%20-%20Connecticut%20Water%20Bar%20-%20How%20Does%20A%20Bill%20Become
%20Law.htm
 You Need an IDEA!
• The first step in creating a law is to come up with
an idea for a law first.
• Ideas for laws can come from just about anyone.
• After someone comes up with an idea for the bill,
a congressperson has to
sponsor the bill.
• A sponsor is a congressperson
who will agree to introduce and
support the bill in Congress.
 Introduction of a Bill
• Once a bill has a sponsor and has been formally
written, the sponsor introduces the bill to their
House.
• The bill is read on the House Floor and then sent
to a committee for further review.
 Committee Action
• A committee is a small group of congresspeople
who review bills based on what the bill is about.
• There are 19 House committees and 16 Senate
committees
• Here the committee debates on whether the bill
is worth making a law and add amendments to
the bill if they find it necessary.
• If a bill is deemed worthy of becoming a law, it is
sent back to the Floor or to a subcommittee for
further study and review.
 Consideration of the Bill
• If the bill makes it past the committees, the bill is
once again brought back to the Floor and is read
three times to the entire House.
• Here there is further debate on the bill and more
amendments are offered by Congresspeople.
 Voting on the Bill
• The bill is voted on by one house of congress.
• If it passes in one house, the bill is sent to the
other house and it goes through a similar voting
process.
 The Bill is Sent to the President
• Once the bill passes through both of the Houses,
the bill can finally be sent to the President.
• Here the President has several things that he
can do with the bill.
• What are some of options that the President has
when a bill is sent to him?
The president may take no action. If Congress is in session, the
bill automatically becomes law after ten days.

A pocket veto happens when the president takes no action and

Congress has adjourned its session. The bill dies and does not
become a law.

The president may decide that the bill is unwise or unnecessary

and veto the bill.

The president may sign the bill, and the bill becomes law.
 Vetoing and Overriding
• If the bill is vetoed, it gets sent back to Congress. Here
the Congress can override the veto
• If 2/3 of each House agrees to make the bill into a law,
the veto is overruled and the bill becomes a law.