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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
Bill is Reported cartoon


The Bill is Reported

  • The bill is released from the committee, along with a report explaining the provisions of the bill, and is thus ordered reported.
  • The reported bill is put on one of five House calendars, the Union Calendar and the House Calendar being the most commonly used.
  • The bill is sent to the House Floor for consideration.
  • THOMAS, a Library of Congress website, receives updates on the status of the bill from the committee and posts the most recent major action.
 
Parents & Teachers
Tools for Learning

Did You Know?
A Little Known Fact
High-school-aged Congressional Pages deliver important messages to Members in the House Chamber.

Check This Out!
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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