Task 6. What are the stages of a bill in the Congress?

Following in brief are the usual stages by which a bill becomes law:

(1) Introduction by a Member, who places it in the "hopper," a box on the Clerk's desk in the House Chamber; the bill is given a number and printed by the Government Printing Office so that copies are available the next morning.

(2) Referral to one or more standing committees of the House by the Speaker, at the advice of the Parliamentarian.

(3) Report from the committee or committees, after public hearings and "markup" meetings by the subcommittee, committee, or both.

(4) House approval of a special rule, reported by the House Rules Committee, making it in order for the House to consider the bill, and setting the terms for its debate and amendment.

(5) Consideration of the bill in Committee of the Whole, in two stages: first, a time for general debate on the bill; and second, a time for amending the bill, one part at a time, under a rule that limits speeches on amendments to 5 minutes each.

(6) Passage by the House after votes to confirm the amendments adopted in the Committee of the Whole.

(7) Transmittal to the Senate, by message.

(8) Consideration by the Senate - usually after referral to and report from a Senate committee, and after debate and amendment on the Senate floor.

(9) Transmission from the Senate back to the House, with or without Senate amendments to the bill.

(10) Resolution of differences between the House and the Senate, either through additional amendments between the Houses, or the report of a conference committee.

(11) Enrollment on parchment paper and then signing by the Speaker [of the House] and by the President of the Senate.

(12) Transmittal to the President of the United States.

(13) Approval or disapproval by the President; if the President disapproves, the bill will be returned with a veto message that explains reasons for the disapproval.

(14) House and Senate action to override the veto by two-thirds votes; both Chambers must vote to override the veto if the bill is to become law.

(15) Filing with the Archivist of the United States as a new public law after approval of the President, or after passage by Congress overriding a veto.

Bills may be introduced in the Senate (except for bills making appropriations [which must be made in the House]) and they follow essentially the same course of passage as the House of Representatives.