Date Title Page # 2/22 Law Making Process (RSP) 18
BILL PROPOSED LEGISLATION TO BECOME LAW ON PASSAGE BY BOTH CHAMBERS AND SIGNED BY THE PRESIDENT JOINT RESOLUTION LEGISLATIVE MEASURE PASSED BY BOTH CHAMBERS AND SIGNED INTO LAW BY PRESIDENT FOR DECLARATIONS OF WAR,
STARTING IN THE HOUSE THE BILL CAN COME FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES: INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS, SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS, CORPORATIONS, NON- GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (NGOS) ONLY A MEMBER OF CONGRESS CAN INTRODUCE THE BILL MOST IDEAS FOR BILLS COMES FROM THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH. STEP #1: LEGISLATION IS WRITTEN BY REP. STEP #2: INTRODUCTION -THE HOPPER -HR # (H.R. 911) ONCE INTRODUCED, THE SOTH DECIDES WHAT COMMITTEE THE BILL SHOULD BE SENT TO. HE MAY ALSO SEND IT TO MORE THAN 1 COMMITTEE. -WHY IS THIS AN IMPORTANT DECISION?
STEP #3 COMMITTEES CONSIDER BILLS, MAINTAIN OVERSIGHT, CONDUCT INVESTIGATIONS GATEKEEPING AUTHORITY HEARINGS AND TESTIMONIES : PUBLIC INPUT, INTEREST GROUP INPUT MARK UP SESSION- THIS IS WHERE THE BILL IS USUALLY CHANGES OR AMENDED EQ: How does a bill become law? ND FINALLY VOTED ON THIS IS WHERE MOST BILLS DIE (90% OF BILLS NEVER GET OUT OF COMMITTEE)
RULES HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS APPROPRIATIONS JUDICIARY ARMED SERVICES BUDGET APPROPRIATIONS FINANCE JUDICIARY SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS ARMED SERVICES BUDGET
COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP THE % OF A COMMITTEE REFLECTS OVERALL % OF POLITICAL PARTY MEMBERS IN RESPECTIVE CHAMBER COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS BASED ON PARTY LEADERSHIP AND PATRONAGE
STEP #4: THE RULES COMMITTEES -ONCE BILL HAS BEEN APPROVED BY COMMITTEE, IT IS SENT TO RULES COMMITTEE TO DETERMINE RULES OF DEBATE THE CONSIDERATION OF A MEASURE MAY BE GOVERNED BY A "RULE. = SETS OUT THE PARTICULARS OF DEBATE FOR A SPECIFIC BILL (1)HOW MUCH TIME WILL ALLOWED FOR DEBATE, (2)WHETHER AMENDMENTS CAN BE OFFERED, AND OTHER MATTERS. DEBATE TIME FOR A MEASURE IS NORMALLY DIVIDED BETWEEN PROPONENTS AND OPPONENTS. CHAIRMAN DIRECTS HIS SIDE; RANKING MEMBER DIRECTS HIS SIDE
STEP #5: FULL HOUSE DEBATE -**RULES COMMITTEE/SOTH DECIDES WHEN TO SCHEDULE DEBATE MEMBERS MAY SPEAK ON ISSUE MEMBERS MAY NOT SPEAK ABOUT ONE ANOTHER IN NEGATIVE MANNER HOUSE MAY PASS/AMEND/KILL
STEP #6 IF BILL PASSES HOUSE, IT STARTS ALL OVER IN SENATE -INTRODUCTION ***IN THE SENATE, SENIORITY IS STILL THE DETERMINANT FOR THE CHOICE OF COMMITTEE CHAIRS AND RANKING MINORITY MEMBERS ON SENATE COMMITTEES THERE ARE 16 COMMITTEES IN THE SENATE MAJOR COMMITTEES: ARMED SERVICES,BUDGET, FOREIGN RELATIONS, JUDICIARY, RULES
THE SENATE HAS UNLIMITED DEBATE AMENDMENTS AND RIDERS ARE ALLOWED FILIBUSTERS (ONLY IN SENATE) A BILL COULD BE KILLED BY SENATORS DELAYING ITS PASSAGE BY TALKING IT TO DEATH CLOTURE DEBATE CAN BE ENDED WITH 60 VOTES; PREVENT FILIBUSTERS Strom Thurmond filibustered for 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act of 1957
QUORUM/QUORUM CALL A MAJORITY OF MEMBERS MUST BE PRESENT TO VOTE, CONDUCT BUSINESS 218 IN THE HOUSE; 51 IN THE SENATE
STEP #7 FINALIZING A BILL ONCE EITHER CHAMBER PASSES A BILL IT IS SENT TO THE OTHER CHAMBER FOR PASSAGE BOTH CHAMBERS MUST PASS AN IDENTICAL BILL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE JOINT COMMITTEE OF HOUSE AND SENATE MEMBERS IRON OUT DIFFERENCES RESULTING BILL SENT TO HOUSE AND SENATE FOR VOTE
STEP #8 TO THE PRESIDENT/VETO POWER PRESIDENT SIGNS THE BILL INTO LAW MAY ALSO BECOME LAW AFTER 10 DAYS* * IF CONGRESS IS STILL IN SESSION PRESIDENTIAL VETO POWER CONGRESS MAY OVERRIDE VETO WITH 2/3 MAJORITY OF BOTH HOUSES POCKET VETO PRESIDENT IGNORES BILL; AFTER 10 DAYS IF CONGRESS HAS ADJOURNED, THE BILL DIES