Essential Question  Why do you think only 10% of all bills proposed actually become a law?

I Can: 1.Explain the difference between Public and Private Bills 2.Analyze, Evaluate, and Explain how a bill becomes a law

Bills and Resolutions Bills 1.Private Bills- deal with individual people or places 2.Public Bills- general matters and apply to the whole country Resolutions  Deals with temporary or unusual matters. 1.Simple- matters affecting only one House of Congress 2.Joint- may correct any error in an earlier law or to propose constitutional amendments; when signed by president has the force of law 3.Concurrent- statement of a position that requires the actions of both houses working together

Riders and Christmas Trees  In the House, an amendment added to a bill must be germane- or relevant to the topic  In the Senate, you can have a Rider- addition or amendment to a bill that may have nothing to do with the bill’s subject  Riders can lead to what is known as Christmas Tree bills- a bill to which many irrelevant riders have been attached to increase the likelihood of its passage.

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How a Bill Becomes a Law  Only 10 percent of all bills introduced in Congress become public laws.  It is a 5 step process: 1.Bill Introduced 2.Goes to Committee Action (Standing and Sub) 3.Floor Action 4.Conference Committee (if needed) 5.Presidential Signature

Step 1: Bill Introduced  A member of Congress proposes or introduces a new bill  In the House a bill is dropped into the hopper  In the Senate the presiding officer must first recognize the senator who then formally presents the bill  Bill is then given a title and number; House bills are given HR and Senate are given S.  This process is known as the first reading

Step 2: Committee Action  New bill are sent to committees that deal with their subject.  Committees will sometimes send bills to subcommittees where they will hold hearings and investigate and then report back to committees  Committee then holds markup sessions, where they can decide on any changes needed in the bill.  Majority vote is needed for changes to a bill.  Committees then votes to kill the bill or to report it favorably or unfavorably to the House.  The bill will then be placed on a calendar and reported to the rules committee where it will be approval for its appearance on the floor.

Step 3: Floor Action  This is when the Second reading occurs  Debate begins on the bill on the floor  During this time is when an amendment may be added to the bill by any lawmaker only if a majority of the members present approve

Step 3: Floor Action Cont.  After debates and when a quorum of members are present, then voting will begin and a bill will pass by majority vote  This starts the Third reading.  3 types of voting: 1.Voice- most common and members together call out “Aye” or “No” 2.Standing- those who are in favor stand, followed by those who oppose 3.Roll-Call- Senate usage, as names are called in alphabetical order they will say “Aye” or “No” 4.Teller/Electronic- House, name and vote recorded on an electronic screen behind the Speaker.

Step 4: Final Steps  If the version passed in the Senate is the same, then it is sent to the President to be signed  If version is different, then it is sent to a Conference Committee, usually made of the senior, most powerful members of each committee to compromise.  The conference report is the final bill that is sent back to each house for approval.

Step 4: Final Stages Cont.  When the same bill is passed by both houses it is sent to the President, who can do one of four things: 1.Sign it into law 2.Veto or refuse to sign the bill and send it back to the house it originated in 3.Pocket veto- does not sign bill within 10 days and Congress is out of session, does not become a law 4.Does not sign within 10 days, Congress still in session and it becomes a law  Congress may override a presidential veto by 2/3 vote of each house  After a bill becomes a law it is registered with the National Archives and Records Services

Article 1, Section 7 “Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it becomes a Law, be presented to the President of the United States…”

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