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  How Laws Are Made

How Does a Bill Become a Law>
Begin
Propose
Introduce
Committee
Subcommittee
Report
Consider
Vote
Refer to Senate
Bill Is Enrolled
Law OR Veto
Veto Override
The Bill is Considered on the House Floor cartoon


The Bill is Considered on the House Floor

  • A bill can come to the House Floor for consideration in a variety of ways. Many House bills are debated through a parliamentary device known as the Committee of the Whole, which is a mechanism that permits faster consideration.
  • Floor action begins and Members debate the bill.
  • The conduct of debate is dictated by the Rules of the House generally, and may also be governed by a special rule granted specifically for the bill under consideration.
  • Following debate, the second reading of the bill begins in a section-by-section manner, during which amendments may be offered.
  • At the conclusion of all amendment debate, the bill is read a third time.
  • Next, the House is ready to vote on the bill.
  • Current Floor Proceedings including major actions on bills are posted for public view on the website of the Clerk of the House.
  • The THOMAS website by the Library of Congress receives an electronic copy of the debate as it appears in the Congressional Record, prepared by the Clerk of the House. The latest major action on a bill is posted on the THOMAS website.
 
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Did You Know?
A Little Known Fact
High-school-aged Congressional Pages deliver important messages to Members in the House Chamber.

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Currently on the House Floor
History is being made right now on the House Floor!

Glossary Terms
Key Words
Use the glossary to learn key terms.

Act
Amendment
Bill
Calendar
Checks and Balances
Clean Bill
Committee of the Whole
Concurrent Resolution
Constituent
Constitution
Electronic Voting Machine
Engrossed Bill
Enrolled Bill
Hearing
Hopper
Joint Resolution
Jurisdiction
Law
Legislative Day
Line-Item Veto
Markup
Measure
Override (a veto)
Pocket Veto
Private Bill
Public Law
Quorum
Report
Resolution
Simple Resolution
Sine Die
Tabling Motion
Veto



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