How a Bill Becomes Law in the U.S. Congress

Session plan at a glance

1. Intro (2 minutes)

Start with a question for the group: "If you wanted to change a rule that affects the whole country, where would you start?"

Take a few answers, then explain:

Every federal law starts as an idea. The idea can come from anyone, including students, but only a member of Congress can formally introduce it as a bill. Congress has two parts, called chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. A bill has to pass both chambers in exactly the same form before it goes to the President.

Most bills never make it all the way. Today we'll walk through the path a bill takes and see where most of them get stuck.

2. The steps (6 to 7 minutes)

Write the seven steps on the board as you go.

1. Step 1: Introduction

   A member of Congress (a representative or a senator) introduces the bill. That member is called the sponsor. Other members can sign on as cosponsors to show support. The bill gets a number, like H.R. 123 for a House bill or S. 123 for a Senate bill. One rule to know: bills about raising money through taxes have to start in the House.

2. Step 2: Committee

   The bill is sent to a committee, a smaller group of members who focus on one subject, such as education or agriculture. This is where most of the detailed work happens. The committee may hold hearings, ask experts questions, and make changes, called amendments. If the committee votes to approve the bill, it moves forward. If the committee never acts on it, the bill stops here, and that is what happens to most bills.

3. Step 3: Floor vote

   The full chamber debates the bill and may amend it further. Then members vote. In the House, a bill passes with a simple majority of members voting. In the Senate, a bill also passes with a simple majority, but ending debate on many bills takes 60 votes first, so the Senate often moves more slowly.

4. Step 4: The other chamber

   After one chamber passes the bill, it goes to the other chamber, which repeats the process: committee, debate, and a floor vote. The second chamber can pass the bill as is, change it, or not act on it at all.

5. Step 5: Reconciling differences

   If the House and Senate pass different versions, they have to agree on one version. Sometimes they send changes back and forth until both agree. Other times they form a conference committee with members from both chambers to write a compromise. The final version then goes back to both chambers for one more vote.

6. Step 6: The President signs or vetoes

   Once both chambers pass the same text, the bill goes to the President, who has 10 days (not counting Sundays) to act.

   • If the President signs it, it becomes law.
   • If the President vetoes it, the bill goes back to Congress with the President's reasons.
   • If the President does nothing and Congress is in session, it becomes law without a signature.
   • If the President does nothing and Congress has adjourned, the bill does not become law. This is called a pocket veto.

7. Step 7: Veto override

   Congress can still pass a vetoed bill if two-thirds of the members voting in both the House and the Senate vote to override the veto. That is a high bar, so overrides are rare.

Quick check: Ask, "Which step do you think stops the most bills?" (Answer: committee.)

3. Activity: Mock committee vote (6 to 7 minutes)

The group acts as the House Committee on School Life. Your job is to decide whether the bill below moves to the full chamber.

How to run it:

1. 1. Pick roles (1 minute). Choose one person as committee chair to run the discussion. Everyone else is a committee member. In a larger group, you can also pick one sponsor to present the bill.
2. 2. Sponsor explains the bill (1 minute). The sponsor, or the chair, reads the bill and gives one reason for it.
3. 3. Discussion (2 minutes). Members ask questions and raise concerns. Prompts if the group is quiet:
   • Who pays for the stations?
   • What about small schools with only one floor?
   • When would schools need to have them installed?
4. 4. Amendment (1 minute). Anyone can propose one change, such as "at least one station per building" or "schools have two years to comply." The committee votes on the amendment first by a show of hands or a chat poll. A simple majority wins.
5. 5. Final committee vote (1 minute). Vote on the bill, with or without the amendment. If it passes, it would "move to the floor." If it fails, it stops here.

Debrief questions (1 minute):

• Did the amendment make the bill easier or harder to pass?
• How did it feel to hear concerns you hadn't thought of?
• Why might real committees take weeks or months on one bill?

Facilitator note: Keep the focus on the process, not on whether the idea is good or bad. Every opinion in the room is welcome.

4. Quiz (3 to 4 minutes)

Read the questions aloud or post them in chat. Students can answer out loud, on paper, or in a poll.

1. 1. Who can formally introduce a bill in Congress?

   a) Any citizen

   b) A member of Congress

   c) The President

   d) A Supreme Court justice

2. 2. Where do most bills stop moving forward?

   a) In committee

   b) At the President's desk

   c) In the conference committee

   d) During the veto override

3. 3. What has to happen before a bill can go to the President?

   a) Only the House has to pass it

   b) Only the Senate has to pass it

   c) Both the House and the Senate have to pass the same version

   d) A majority of states have to approve it

4. 4. How many days does the President have to sign or veto a bill (not counting Sundays)?

   a) 3

   b) 10

   c) 30

   d) 90

5. 5. What does it take for Congress to override a presidential veto?

   a) A simple majority in the House only

   b) A two-thirds vote in the Senate only

   c) A two-thirds vote of members voting in both the House and the Senate

   d) A unanimous vote in both chambers

Wrap-up (optional, 30 seconds)

Ask each person to name one step that surprised them. Point out that anyone, including students, can share ideas for bills with their own representative or senators.

Sources

1. 1. U.S. House of Representatives, "The Legislative Process": https://www.house.gov/the-house-explained/the-legislative-process
2. 2. Congress.gov (Library of Congress), "The Legislative Process: Overview": https://www.congress.gov/legislative-process
3. 3. U.S. Senate, "About Voting" (covers simple majority votes, the 60-vote rule for ending debate, and the two-thirds vote to override a veto): https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/voting.htm
4. 4. U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 7: https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-1/section-7/