How a Bill Becomes a Law



House of Representatives
  1. Origination of Bill (Resolution, Joint Resolution, Concurrent Resolution)

    1. Executive Agency

    2. Interest Group

    3. Member

  2. Introduction of Bill by a Member

    1. Constitution Specifies that all Revenue Bills Must Originate in the House

    2. Custom Dictates that Appropriations Bills Originate in the House

  3. Referral to Standing Committee by Leadership and Parliamentarian

  4. Committee Action

    1. Referral to Subcommittee

    2. Hearings

      1. Open Hearings for Testimony -- Invite or Subpoena Witnesses

      2. Possible Closed Hearings in Some Circumstances

    3. Committee Markup

      1. Bill Amended and Re-Written

      2. Committee Report Drafted

  5. Bill Placed on Calendar

    1. Union Calendar (Revenue and Appropriations)

    2. House Calendar (Public Bills)

    3. Private Calendar (Claims)

    4. Consent Calendar (Minor and Non-Controversial)

    5. Discharge Petition (Remove Bill From Committee)

  6. Rules Committee

    1. Hearings

    2. Open Rule

    3. Closed Rule

  7. Floor Action

    1. Committee of the Whole

      1. General Debate

      2. Amendments

    2. Floor Vote (Usually Recorded Roll Call of Yeas and Nays)

Senate
  1. Referral to Standing Committee by Leadership and Parliamentarian

  2. Committee Action

    1. Referral to Subcommittee

    2. Hearings

      1. Open Hearings for Testimony -- Invite or Subpoena Witnesses

      2. Possible Closed Hearings in Some Circumstances

    3. Committee Markup

      1. Bill Amended and Re-Written

      2. Committee Report Drafted

  3. Bill Placed on Calendar (Not as Elaborate as House)

  4. Floor Action

    1. General Debate

    2. Amendments

    3. Floor Vote (Usually Recorded Roll Call of Yeas and Nays)

Conference Committee (If House and Senate Bills Differ)
  1. Composed of Delegations From Each Chamber Chosen by The Leadership

  2. Delegations Vote Separately (Overall Conference Committee Does Not Vote as a Whole)

  3. Meetings are in Executive Session

  4. If Agreement is Reached, Each Chamber Must Concur With the Conference Report (Goes Directly to the Floor in the House of Representatives)

Bill Signed by Speaker and Vice President and Sent to the President

President
  1. Approve and Sign the Bill Making it Law

  2. Veto and Return to Congress With Veto Message

  3. Pocket Veto

  4. Permit Bill to Become Law Without His Signature