Getting the Bill "on the Table"
The first step in the process of a Bill becoming a
Law is the introduction of legislation. Any member can introduce a piece of legislation.
In the House of Representatives, Legislation is handed to the clerk of the House or the hopper*.
In the Senate, members must gain recognition of the presiding officer to announce the
introduction of a bill during the morning hour*. If any senator objects, the
introduction of the bill is postponed until the next day.
The bill is then assigned a number (e.g. in the
House, HR1 and in the Senate, S1). The bill is also labeled with the sponsor’s name
(Senate bills can be co-sponsored) and is sent to the Government Printing office for
copies to be made for other Representatives/ Senators.
Referral to a Committee
The bill is referred to the appropriate committee by
the Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate. Most often the actual
referral decision is made by the House or Senate parliamentarian. Bills may be referred to
more than one committee and it may be split so that parts are sent to different
committees. The Speaker of the House may set time limits on committees. Bills are placed
on the calendar of the committee to which they have been assigned. Failure to act on a
bill is equivalent to killing it. Bills in the House can only be released from committee
without a proper committee vote by a discharge petition* signed by a majority of
the House membership (218 members).
Comments about the bill's merit are requested by
government agencies. The bill can be assigned to a subcommittee by the Chairman. Hearings
may then be held. Subcommittees report their findings to the full committee. Finally there
is a vote by the full committee - the bill is "ordered to be reported." A
committee will hold a "mark-up" session during which it will make revisions and
additions. If substantial amendments are made, the committee can order the
introduction of a "clean bill" which will include the proposed amendments. This
new bill will have a new number and will be sent to the floor while the old bill is
discarded. The chamber must approve, change or reject all committee amendments before
conducting a final passage vote.
After the bill is reported, the committee
staff prepares a written report explaining why they favor the bill and why they wish to
see their amendments, if any, adopted. Committee members who oppose a bill sometimes write
a dissenting opinion in the report. The report is sent back to the whole chamber and is
placed on the calendar*.
In the House, most bills go to the Rules
committee before reaching the floor. The committee adopts rules that will govern the
procedures under which the bill will be considered by the House. A "closed rule"
sets strict time limits on debate and forbids the introduction of amendments. These rules
can have a major impact on whether the bill passes. The Rules Committee can be bypassed in
three ways: 1) members can move rules to be suspended (requires 2/3 vote), 2) a discharge
petition can be filed 3) the House can use a Calendar Wednesday* procedure.
In the House, bills are placed on one of
four House Calendars. They are usually placed on the calendars in the order of which they
are reported yet they don't usually come to floor in this order - some bills never reach
the floor at all. The Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader decide what will reach
the floor and when. (Legislation can also be brought to the floor by a discharge
petition.)
In the Senate, legislation is placed on the
Legislative Calendar. There is also an Executive calendar to deal with treaties and
nominations. Scheduling of legislation is the job of the Majority Leader. Bills can be
brought to the floor whenever a majority of the Senate
chooses. |
