How a Bill Becomes a Law – The House

4 Types of Legislation

BillsJoint ResolutionsConcurrent ResolutionsResolutions

Only 10% of bills get

passed !!

                                                               

Bill

Proposed lawHoping to get passed

                               

Joint ResolutionSimilar to bills – have force of law

Deal with unusual or temp matters

Examples: Declaration of War

Concurrent Resolution

Matters that both House and Senate must Act on

Don’t have force of law

Examples: Congratulating a country on their anniversary of independence, recess of congress

Resolutions

Deal with matters concerning either the House or the Senate

Don’t have force of BillExample:

Expulsion of a member

In the House

• Each Bill is numbered and titled• And then it is referred to the

appropriate Standing Committee

Rider

An addition to a bill, that would not pass on its own

“a bad bill attached to a winner”

In the House . . .

Each bill is Numbered and TitledHR 1275 - Welfare Reform Act of

2009

                                                                                             

In Committee . . .

The bill is . . .Debated, rewritten, riders attachedMOST DIE Here in committee

In Committee . . .

Pigeonholing – letting the bill die -- Chairmen’s power

Discharge Petition

In Committee . . .

House Rules CommitteeWorks with Speaker to

schedule bills for consideration

               

On the Floor of the House

Quorum – Majority present

In Debate on the Floor

House has time limitsThe Speaker oversees debate,

rules and time limits

VotingVoice Vote – “aye” or “no”Standing Vote – to demand a roll call

voteRoll Call Vote

Electronic, scoreboard, 15 minutes

If Passed the House the Bill

Moves on to the Senate