How a Bill Becomes a Law

Any elected member of Congress may sponsor legislation. Measures introduced in the House of Representatives are designated with the H.R. prefix, while Senate measures carry the S. prefix.

• •Bills must have a concise title and a detailed statutory body in Markdown.

The presiding officer refers the bill to the designated standing committee with subject-matter jurisdiction over the policy area.

• •Committee Chairs hold authority to schedule committee debate or let bills languish.
• •Committee members engage in debate or offer amendments.
• •A roll-call vote is conducted. If approved by the committee, the bill is reported to the full chamber.

Reported measures advance to the legislative calendar of the chamber. Majority leadership schedules floor proceedings for full consideration.

• •In the House, the Speaker of the House controls which bills get scheduled for debate.
• •Members of the full chamber engage in debate or offer amendments.
• •Party and caucus leaders issue whips before members cast their roll-call votes.
• •If approved, the bill is transmitted to the other chamber.

Passing one chamber is only half the journey. After a bill passes its originating chamber, it is transmitted to the other chamber to undergo the legislative process again.

• •In the Senate, the Majority Leader controls which bills get scheduled for debate and can choose to never take up House bills.
• •Bills taken up go straight to debate on the full floor of the chamber.
• •Both the House of Representatives and the Senate must approve the same version of the bill before it is sent to the President.

Once a bill has successfully passed both chambers of Congress, it is presented to the President of the United States for final action.

• •If the President signs the enrolled bill, it becomes public law.
• •If the President vetoes the bill, Congress may attempt an override, which requires a two-thirds vote in both chambers.