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

I Can:1.Explain the difference between Public and Private Bills

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&feature=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 Introduced2.Goes to Committee

Action (Standing and Sub)

3.Floor Action4.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: Voice- most common and members together call

out “Aye” or “No” Standing- those who are in favor stand, followed

by those who oppose Roll-Call- Senate usage, as names are called in

alphabetical order they will say “Aye” or “No” 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 law2.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&feature=related

Bill Becomes a Law Rap