LBR - The Legislative Process Lesson

 

The Legislative Process Lesson

Creating legislation is what the business of Congress is all about. The ideas for laws come from many different places including: Ordinary citizens, the president, state legislatures, offices of the executive branch, members of Congress, and congressional staff.  

Constitutional provisions are obstacles that a bill goes through before it becomes a law.  The Founding Fathers believed that efficiency was the hallmark of an oppressive government. They wanted to make sure laws that were passed jumped through many hurdles and were considered by many people before they were signed into a law.

Before a bill becomes a law, it must pass in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. It can begin its journey at any time, but it must be passed during the same congressional session of its proposal. This is a period of one year.  If it fails to complete the process, it is dropped and can only be revived through reintroduction and going through the process again. As a result, less than 10% of bills actually become laws.

 

How a Bill Becomes a Law Presentation

View the presentation below to learn more!

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