How a Bill Becomes a Law

Bills are"sponsored" and "introduced" to the House or Senate only by members who agree that the proposed idea should be law.  A proposed law may be called a "bill" or a "joint resolution."

Numbers are assigned to bills in the House(H.R.) and in the Senate(S.) after being introduced in Congress.

The bill passes through both the House and Senate, following a similar process:

STAGE 1:  COMMITEE        

STAGE 2:  ACTION

STAGE 3:  PRESIDENTIAL DECISION 

After discussion and revision by committees, and debate by Congressional members, a bill is approved by both chambers.  A final version goes to the President, who approves it, or vetoes it. If vetoed, it can still be made into a law by a two-thirds majority vote in Congress.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

House: Responsible for tax legislation; revenue bills.  

Senate: Responsible for confirmations of Presidential nominations; international treaties.

TRACK A BILL: 

Choose a site that historically covers the congressional session related to your bill.  

6th Congress to present (govtrack.us, 1799)

16th Congress    (American Memory, 1819) 

93rd Congress     (congress.gov, 1973)