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The Voter’s Speakeasy featuring unbiased reporting and insight into life at Project Vote Smart from our staff, interns, and volunteers.
The Legislative Process: How a Bill Becomes a Law
Most people learn how a bill becomes a law around junior high. But for many of us, that's a long time ago, and most teachers didn't get that in depth. You may remember that a bill passes the House and Senate and is signed by the president and then becomes a law. You may remember that if the President vetoes the bill, Congress can override the veto. If you remember these things, you've got the bare bones knowledge that you need to begin to understand the legislative process. We'll go a little more in depth here. Remember, sometimes legislation does not take a well-worn route to become a law, and there is always politics to be played. Sometimes agreements are reached between the parties that dictate strict debate times or prohibit amendments, etc. Before we get too in depth here, we had better make clear that we are talking about the path a bill takes. Most people do not know the differences between a bill, a (simple) resolution, a joint resolution, and a concurrent resolution. Click here to see what the differences are between these four forms of legislation. Some of the information about bills is repeated here. Also, be aware that different state legislatures may use different procedures. We are talking here about Congress. Bills are the most common form of legislation, and probably the only form you were taught much about in junior high and high school. Bills can be introduced in either the House or the Senate. Let ...
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