1. How a Bill becomes a Law House of Representatives The Senate
Step 1: Introduce the Bill Introduce the Bill
Step 2: Committee Work Committee Work
Step 3: Debate and Vote Debate and Vote
Step 4: On to the other House
Step 5: Conference Committee
Step 6: President’s Desk

2. STEP 1: Write & Introduce the Bill
How a Bill becomes a Law
STEP 1: Write & Introduce the Bill
- a representative writes down their idea and puts it in the hopper.
- the clerk gives the bill a number, name, and short description, records it in the Congressional Record, and gives copies to each representative in the house.
- the bill is introduced to the house by the leader of the house
- the bill is sent to the appropriate committee

3. How a Bill becomes a Law House of Representatives The Senate
Step 1: Introduce the Bill Introduce the Bill
Step 2: Committee Work Committee Work
Step 3: Debate and Vote Debate and Vote
Step 4: On to the other House
Step 5: Conference Committee
Step 6: President’s Desk

4. STEP 2: Committee Work How a Bill becomes a Law
- a committee studies the bill
- the committee figures out how it will affect the people and the country
- experts are asked to comment on the bill
- subcommittees are used if necessary to do more work on the bill
- the committee decides if they think the bill has a chance of passing and should be sent to the whole house for consideration

5. How a Bill becomes a Law House of Representatives The Senate
Step 1: Introduce the Bill Introduce the Bill
Step 2: Committee Work Committee Work
Step 3: Debate and Vote Debate and Vote
Step 4: On to the other House
Step 5: Conference Committee
Step 6: President’s Desk

6. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
How a Bill becomes a Law
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
STEP 3: Debate and Vote
- the bill is read aloud now that it has been fixed up in the committee.
- a formal debate about the bill happens- speakers are given a limited amount of time to speak.
- the bill can be changed or added to during the debate.
- when the debate is over, a vote is taken.
- if the bill has at least 218 votes, it passes.

7. THE SENATE STEP 3: Debate and Vote How a Bill becomes a Law
- the bill is read aloud now that it has been fixed up in the committee.
- a formal debate about the bill happens- speakers are given an unlimited amount of time to speak.
- the bill can be changed or added to during the debate.
- when the debate is over, a vote is taken.
- if the bill has at least 51 votes, it passes.

8. How a Bill becomes a Law House of Representatives The Senate
Step 1: Introduce the Bill Introduce the Bill
Step 2: Committee Work Committee Work
Step 3: Debate and Vote Debate and Vote
Step 4: On to the other House
Step 5: Conference Committee
Step 6: President’s Desk

9. STEP 4: On to the other House
How a Bill becomes a Law
STEP 4: On to the other House
- if the bill passes through one house, it is sent over to the other house and repeats the same steps.

10. How a Bill becomes a Law House of Representatives The Senate
Step 1: Introduce the Bill Introduce the Bill
Step 2: Committee Work Committee Work
Step 3: Debate and Vote Debate and Vote
Step 4: On to the other House
Step 5: Conference Committee
Step 6: President’s Desk

11. STEP 5: Conference Committee
How a Bill becomes a Law
STEP 5: Conference Committee
- if any changes were made to the bill during the debate in the second house, members from both houses meet to compromise and make one bill for both houses to re-pass.
- once the compromise bill is finished, it is sent back through both houses for final approval (another vote)

12. How a Bill becomes a Law House of Representatives The Senate
Step 1: Introduce the Bill Introduce the Bill
Step 2: Committee Work Committee Work
Step 3: Debate and Vote Debate and Vote
Step 4: On to the other House
Step 5: Conference Committee
Step 6: President’s Desk

13. STEP 6: The President’s Desk
How a Bill becomes a Law
STEP 6: The President’s Desk
- a finished bill that has passed both houses of Congress is then sent to the President.
- the President reads the bill.

14. STEP 6: President’s Desk The President can then...
How a Bill becomes a Law
STEP 6: President’s Desk
The President can then...
 Sign the bill into a law.
 Veto the bill and send back to Congress w/ an explanation
 Hold the bill for 10 days and allow to become a law w/o signing
 “Pocket Veto” - hold on to the bill w/o signing and kill the bill because Congress has adjourned (ended) its session