Essential Question



Why do you think only 10% of all bills proposed actually become a law?

1.Explain the difference between Public and Private Bills

I Can:

2.Analyze, Evaluate, and Explain how a bill becomes a law

Bills and Resolutions

Bills

1. Private Bills- deal with individual people or places 2. Public Bills- general matters and apply to the whole country 

Resolutions

Deals with temporary or unusual matters.

1. Simple- matters affecting only one House of Congress 2. Joint- may correct any error in an earlier law or to propose constitutional amendments; when signed by president has the force of law 3. Concurrent- statement of a position that requires the actions of both houses working together

Riders and Christmas Trees

   In the House, an amendment added to a bill must be germane- or relevant to the topic In the Senate, you can have a Rider- addition or amendment to a bill that may have nothing to do with the bill’s subject Riders can lead to what is known as Christmas Tree bills a bill to which many irrelevant riders have been attached to increase the likelihood of its passage.

Bill Becomes A Law Videos

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKvY0Q3tI6I  Facts of Congress  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf2q66G3lmM  Bill Parody  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyeJ55o3El0&fea ture=related  School House Rock

How a Bill Becomes a Law

 Only 10 percent of all bills introduced in Congress become public laws.

 It is a 5 step process: 1. Bill Introduced 2. Goes to Committee Action (Standing and Sub) 3. Floor Action 4. Conference Committee (if needed) 5. Presidential Signature

Step 1: Bill Introduced

     A member of Congress proposes or introduces a new bill In the House a bill is dropped into the hopper In the Senate the presiding officer must first recognize the senator who then formally presents the bill Bill is then given a title and number; House bills are given HR and Senate are given S.

This process is known as the first reading

Step 2: Committee Action

 New bill are sent to committees that deal with their subject.

   Committees will sometimes send bills to subcommittees where they will hold hearings and investigate and then report back to committees Committee then holds markup sessions, where they can decide on any changes needed in the bill.

Majority vote is needed for changes to a bill.

 Committees then votes to kill the bill or to report it favorably or unfavorably to the House.

 The bill will then be placed on a calendar and reported to the rules committee where it will be approval for its appearance on the floor.

Step 3: Floor Action

 This is when the Second reading occurs  Debate begins on the bill on the floor  During this time is when an amendment may be added to the bill by any lawmaker only if a majority of the members present approve

Step 3: Floor Action Cont.

   After debates and when a quorum of members are present, then voting will begin and a bill will pass by majority vote This starts the Third reading.

3 types of voting: 1. Voice- most common and members together call out “Aye” or “No” 2. Standing- those who are in favor stand, followed by those who oppose 3. Roll-Call- Senate usage, as names are called in alphabetical order they will say “Aye” or “No” 4. Teller/Electronic- House, name and vote recorded on an electronic screen behind the Speaker.

Step 4: Final Steps

 If the version passed in the Senate is the same, then it is sent to the President to be signed  If version is different, then it is sent to a Conference Committee, usually made of the senior, most powerful members of each committee to compromise.

 The conference report is the final bill that is sent back to each house for approval.

Step 4: Final Stages Cont.

 When the same bill is passed by both houses it is sent to the President, who can do one of four things: 1.

Sign it into law 2. Veto or refuse to sign the bill and send it back to the house it originated in 3. Pocket veto- does not sign bill within 10 days and Congress is out of session, does not become a law 4. Does not sign within 10 days, Congress still in session and it becomes a law   Congress may override a presidential veto by 2/3 vote of each house After a bill becomes a law it is registered with the National Archives and Records Services

Article 1, Section 7

“Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it becomes a Law, be presented to the President of the United States…”

Bill Becomes a Law Videos

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhfc4wyl_1Q&fe ature=related  Bill Becomes a Law Rap