The Legislative Branch

1
The Legislative Branch

• How a Bill Becomes A Law
• 1/12/05
• Kori Hoffmann

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Objective

• Compare the roles and functions of each of the
  three branches of government.
• Identify the steps in the lawmaking process.
• Create flowchart that diagrams the lawmaking
  process.

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Concept Map
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1st Step in Making a Bill Into Law

• -        First a member of Congress must sponsor
  a bill by writing it out.
• -        Next, Senators make a formal
  announcement to Senate to introduce a bill. Reps.
  Drop it in the hopper.
• -        Next, it is sent to a standing committee
  that deals with the subject of that bill.

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2nd Step In Making a Bill Into Law

• -        A committee can kill, or reject, a
  bill. They can also pigeonhole it- set it aside
  without considering it.
• -        If it is favored it is sent to a
  subcommittee. It is discussed and possibly
  changed. Then sent back to the full committee.
• -        It then takes a majority of the
  committee to approve it before it is sent to the
  Senate or the House.

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3rd Step In Making a Bill Into Law

• -        In the House there are rules to decide
  when a bill will be discussed and for how long.
  These rules are very formal.
• -        In the Senate debates are less formal.
  Senators can speak for an unlimited time. Many
  use filibustering- talking long enough to have a
  bill withdrawn.
• -        A vote of 60 senators can end a
  filibuster through cloture- limit a senator to 1
  hour of debate.

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4th Step In Making a Bill Into Law

• -        Voice vote- saying yea or nay. Used for
  bills that are very popular or unpopular.
• -        Standing vote- members stand in support
  of or opposing a bill to be counted.
• Roll-call Votes
• -        Each senator says yea, nay, or
  present(no opinion) so their vote can be recorded
  for constituents to see.
• Conference Committees
• -        Used when two versions of the same bill
  are passed by both houses. At this committee
  members write a revised bill to be voted on in
  both houses.

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How A Bill Becomes a Law

• Holt, Rinehart and Winston

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Flow Chart

• Create a flow chart that shows the detailed steps
  in a bill becoming a law.

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Summary
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(No Transcript)
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Scoring Guide

• 5- All in correct order
• 3- 1 or 2 out of order
• 1- 3 or more out of order

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In the House of Representatives what is the first
step in a bill becoming a law?

• Bill is sponsored, or written
• Bill is placed in hopper
• Bill is voted on

A
B
C
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Talking long enough to have a bill withdrawn from
consideration is called what?

• Cloture
• Pigeonhole
• Filibuster

A
B
C
http//www.strom.clemson.edu/strom/gallery/
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Limiting a senator to 1 hour of debate is called

• Cloture
• Pigeonhole
• Filibuster

A
B
C
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What type of committee revises two different
versions of a bill that is passed in both houses?

• Subcommittee
• Conference committee
• Standing committee

A
B
C
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What type of vote is recorded for constituents to
see?

• Roll-call
• Voice
• Standing

A
B
C
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(No Transcript)
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CONGRATULATIONS

• You have selected the correct answer!

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Sorry

• You have selected the wrong answer.

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Citations and Credits
http//www.lib.clemson.edu/SpCol/scjstphotos.html
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Career Areas

• Politician
• Lobbyist