How a Bill becomes a Law

Committee

Amendment

A minor change or addition designed to improve a text, piece of legislation, etc.

Committees are groups of Members appointed to investigate, debate, and report on legislation.

Introduced to the Senate

Introduced to Senate

Bill Hopper

Rider

Introduced into the Senate by Sen. Gary Peters. Although mainly used in the House a bill hopper could have been used to introduce the bill. The bill was read twice and referred to the committee of Veterans Affairs. It was decided that an amendment would be needed and was ordered to also have an amendment to the name. This amendment to the bill is also known as a rider.

Formerly bills in the Senate could be introduced using the bill hopper, a piece of furniture used to introduce and receive bills.

Informal term for a nongermane amendment to a bill or an amendment to an appropriation bill that changes the permanent law governing a program funded by the bill.

Calender

Markup

Committee Hearing

The calender basically outlines what is in store for the bill and the actions congress will take.

This is the process of how congressional committees and subcommittees debate, rewrite, and amend proposed legislature.

The committee hearing was referred to the Committee of Veterans Affairs on 07/23/19. A Markup was held on 08/05/20 and finally Reported out on 09/15/20. After being reported out the bill was placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar No. 504, under General Orders.

CommitteeHearing

Committee Hearing

Reported Out

When a bill is returned after consideration and usually after some revisions.

A committee hearing is a meeting or session of a Senate, House, joint, or special committee of Congress to obtain information and opinions on proposed legislation, or conduct an investigation.

Sent to the House

Senate Majority Leader

On 11/17/2020 the bill along with its amendment was passed by the Senate with a unanimus vote. Because the senate majority leader is the cheif spokesman of the Senate they most likely held the vote. The amendment to the bill, althought not stated, was either an open or closed rule, depending on which member offered the amendment.

In the United States Senate, the majority leader is the chief spokesperson for the majority party in the legislature.

Sent to the House

Open or Closed Rule

Under an open rule, any Member may offer an amendment that complies with the standing rules of the House and the Budget Act. Under a Closed Rule no amendments may be offered other than amendments recommended by the committee reporting the bill.

Debate in the House

Whips

Filibuster

Assistants to the floor leaders who are also elected by their party conferences. The majority and minority whips are responsible for mobilizing votes within their parties on major issues.

Informal term for any attempt to block or delay Senate action on a bill or other matter by debating it at length, by offering numerous procedural motions, or by any other delaying or obstructive actions.

During the bills time in the House of Representatives it went into a floor debate. During floor debates the floor leader, and their assistants known as whips, help run the debate. During a debate in the Senate there is a way to slow down the process and in most cases is used to try to get rid of the bill, this is known as a filibuster. The only way to stop a filibuster is to use a cloture, this ends the debate and takes it to a vote. Most people dont use this because if they do the next time they are trying to use a filibuter the person will enact their revenge.

Debate in the House

Floor Debate

Cloture

Used when a bill is under consideration and review in the House of Representatives.

The only procedure by which the Senate can vote to place a time limit on consideration of a bill or other matter, and thereby overcome a filibuster.

Speaker of the House

Sent to the President

Rules Committee

In addition to being chief spokesman for the majority party, the Speaker runs the proceedings of House debate and voting, appoints committee members, refers bills to committees for research and development, and has an influential voice in all stages of a bill's consideration.

The House Rules Committee considers all bills reported from policy and fiscal committees and determines whether, and in what order, to schedule their consideration on the floor of the House.

After the Rules Committee brought the debate to a close it was time to be voted on. The Yeas and Nays were counted up by the Speaker of the House and their assistants and the final vote was a outstanding three-hundred and eighty to zero. After it was passed it was sent to the president to be signed. The president then performed a bill signing and it was on its way to become a law.

Sent to the President

Bill Signing

A signing ceremony is a ceremony in which a document of importance is signed. Typically the document is a bill passed by a legislature, thus becoming a law by an executive's signature.

Sources

• https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/2216/all-actions?pageSort=asc
• https://www.usa.gov/how-laws-are-made#:~:text=A%20bill%20can%20be%20introduced,or%20representative%20who%20sponsors%20it.&text=The%20president%20can%20approve%20the,the%20bill%20becomes%20a%20law.
• https://www.house.gov/the-house-explained/legislative-branch-partners/u-s-senate
• https://www.house.gov/the-house-explained/branches-of-government
• https://keating.house.gov/policy-work/legislative-process
• http://familybuilding.resolve.org/site/PageServer?pagename=advday_difference

Thank You