Report to the Mass. state Legislature By Dorthea Dix - 1843 This report explained to the government that the conditions of mental institutions and jails were deplorable. She said the mentally ill were put in jail because there was no where else to put them. She convinced the legislature to appropriate $ to expand mental hospitals to help the insane. An example of citizen action!!

I'm Just a Bill 2

Who can propose a law? Anyone can suggest an idea for a law. However, only a member of Congress can take a proposed law to the House of Representatives or the Senate. Even the President cannot introduce a bill 3

Step 1: The bill is introduced. A member of the House or Senate drafts a bill. They submit the bill to the House or Senate. In the House, place it in the “Hopper” In the Senate, hand to their presiding officer The bill is assigned a number that begins with: H.R.____ for House of Representatives S.____ for Senate The bill is then sent to the appropriate committee. 4

Step 2: The bill goes to committee Standing committee: a permanent committee in the House or Senate that studies bills related to a general topic For example: education, agriculture or science. The committee chair may assign the bill to the appropriate subcommittee. 5

Step 3: The bill is reviewed in committee The committee decides whether to schedule a bill for discussion. Rules Committee: The House of Representatives establishes terms and conditions for debate and discussion of the bill. Example: only 1 amendment, need 2/3 majority to pass 6

Step 3: The bill is reviewed in committee The committee may decide to stop action on a bill that they think is not necessary or wise. The bill then dies. Controversial bills that are not likely to pass Most bills die while in committee 7

Stuck in committee.... The committee discusses the bill. Committee members suggest and vote on amendments. The committee votes on whether to send the bill to the full House or Senate. 9

Stuck in committee... If the bill passes, the committee writes a report explaining: The key points of the bill The changes they have made How this bill compares to current laws Why they recommend this bill for approval The bill and the report are then sent to the full House or Senate. 10

Step 4: The Floor (House or Senate) The House and Senate have different rules for debating the bill. House: Members take turns debating, with time limits of 1-5 minutes Debate on a bill can be ended by a simple majority vote. More amendments can be discussed with the entire group, and a vote is taken. 11

Step 4: The Floor (House or Senate) There are no time limits to debate in the Senate. Members may speak for as long as they choose. If a Senator doesn’t like a bill, can filibuster to keep the discussion going. Amendments may be offered at any time during debate. The bill is voted on after the debate. 12

Step 5: Agreement between the House & Senate Both the House and the Senate must pass similar forms of a bill. Bills are amended, debated and voted on until they pass in both houses. This is why it is so common for bills to die! If the bill is passed in both houses, each version of the bill is sent to Conference Committee. 13

Step 6: The Conference Committee The Conference Committee discusses the differences between the two bills. They re-write the bill in a form that they think will pass in both the House and the Senate and vote on it. The final version of the bill is submitted to both houses again, with no changes allowed. If both houses approve, it goes to the president. If not, it dies! 14

Step 7: The President The President has 4 options: Sign into law. He can sign the bill, which then becomes a law. Law without signature. He can let the bill sit on his desk for 10 days without signing it while Congress is in session. The bill then becomes a law. 15

The President’s Options... Veto. He can choose to not sign the bill, so it will not become a law. However, if the bill is then passed by 2/3 of both the House and the Senate, it still becomes a law. Pocket veto. If, after 10 days, he has not signed it and Congress is no longer in session, the bill does not become a law. 16

Lots of Bills More than 10,000 bills are introduced each year, but only about 300 pass! Library of Congress Bill Search Ohio General Assembly Bills 17