How a Bill Becomes A Law

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How a Bill Becomes A Law-

• 2.02

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Step 1

• Only Members of Congress can introduce a bill in
  Congress.
• Bills can be introduced at any time the Congress
  is in session.
• A Member of Congress becoming the bill's sponsor.

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Step 2

• How a bill is introduced
• House- by placing them in a special box the
  hopper.
• Senate- by placing it on the presiding officer's
  desk or by formally introducing it on the Senate
  Floor.
• Assigns the bill a number (HR or S)

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Step 3

• The bill is referred to the appropriate
  committee.
• Committee debates on and vote to accept or reject
  the bill.

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Step 4

• The bill is sent to the House Floor for
  consideration.

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Step 5

• Floor action begins and Members debate the bill.
• If in Senate
• - Filibuster talk a bill to death
• - Cloture w/ 3/5 votes can only talk for an
  hour

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Step 6

• Next, the House is ready to vote on the bill.
• If a majority of the House votes to pass the
  bill, the bill is then referred to the Senate.

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Step 7

• In the Senate, the bill is again sent to a
  committee
• The committee can ignore the bill, vote to pass
  or reject the bill.
• If the bill passes with different language, it
  must be sent for review to a conference committee
  members from both the House and the Senate.

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Step 8

• If both houses of Congress agree - - sent to the
  Prez.
• If he approves itIt becomes law!
• -If he doesnt approve it
• It is vetoed goes back to the
• house it started in (but usually
• dies)
• -Pocket veto- Prez ignores the
• bill for 10 days, it dies

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Step 9

• Congress CAN override a veto with at least a 2/3
  vote in EACH house.
• If the House and Senate do not override the veto,
  the bill "dies" and does not become a law.

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Bill Comic

• 1st box the bill you are going to pass and how
  it begins (it needs a sponsor)
• Then walk it through the rest of the steps all
  the way to the President!!
• Ideas
• 1 Your bill idea
• 2 Sponsor
• 3 Introduce to floor
• 4 Committee
• 5 Floor (debate)
• 6 Next house
• 7 Committee / Floor
• 8 President
• Test grade due Wednesday!

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The bill Book

• -Pretend you are writing a childrens book about
  how a bill becomes a law.
• -Graded on
• a) creativity
• b) pictures/colored
• c) content (steps of a bill into law)
• -Due on Wednesday Feb 21st at the beginning of
  class.

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Activities

• Web-Quest together - - check out a law
• Bill Into Law
• a) ½ room Senate ½ room House of Rep.
• b) Choose a (S) Pres. Pro Temp. (H) Speaker
• c) In teams of 2-3 come up with your own bill
  you want turned into a law
• d) Come together and agree on 2 bills to be
  passed
• e) Switch bills, will you pass them? Will the
  Prez?
• Assignment Create a childrens book on how a
  bill becomes law (DUE MONDAY)
• a) creativity b) steps of bill to law c) pictures