Law project on how to create a bill PDF

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this project demonstrates the steps to process a bill...

Description

Establishing a Bill  An idea for a bill may come from anybody, however, only members of Congress can introduce the bill. In order to be introduced, the bill requires a sponsor and the support of some representatives.  In March 2018, the public introduced the Endangered Species Act to the House.       

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Introducing a Bill  In the U.S. House Of Representatives,abillisintroduced when it is placed in the hopper, a special box on the side of the clerk’s desk located at the rostrum, or Speaker’s platform. Then, a billing clerk assigns the bill a  number.  All House bills begin with “H.R.” following a number. After, the Speaker of the House sends the bill to one of the House standing committees. Finally, bills are then placed on the calendar of their assigned committee.  Our bill was placed into the hopper and given the bill number: H.R. #23. Then, it was sent to the Agricultural Committee and was set on the calendar for March 20 at 9:30 A.M..         

The Bill Transfers to the Committee  There are currently 20 standing committees that the bill could go to. Each committee has different jurisdiction over different areas of a public policy, such as: agriculture, education, the workforce, and international relations. Here, the chairman of the committee will decide whether or not to hold a committee hearing, or a mark-up on the bill. Then, based off a vote, it is sent to the House Floor for a Floor debate. If the committee members would like more information before deciding if the bill should be sent to the House floor, the bill is sent to the subcommittee by the Chairman.  Due to the fact there was a mark-up on our bill, members of the committee made changes to the original text of the bill, and later decided to vote the bill out to the Floor for debate.     

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Congress Debates and Votes  Next, the bill is sent to the House Floor for consideration. Here, members can propose changes, or amendments before voting. If the bill is considered on the House Floor, the debate is limited by the rule formulated in the Rules Committee. A debate is guided by the sponsoring committee, and time is divided equally between the proponents and opponents. Amendments must be relevant to the subject of a bill. No riders, additional provision that has little to no connection to the bill, are allowed. The bill is then reported out to the House and is voted on. A quorum call occurs during a vote to ensure that there are enough members present, to have a final vote. Next, the House is ready to vote. The 3 voting options are: voice vote, division, or by recording.  The Endangered Species Act was voted on through the voice vote, and then passed to the Senate.   

 The Bill is Voted On  If passed in House of Representatives, it is then sent to the next chamber, the Senate. The bill is discussed in the Senate Committee then reported to the Senate Floor for voting. In the Senate chamber, the option of a filibuster can be considered, which is an attempt to defeat a bill and a tactic for delaying legislation by making long speeches. In the Senate, there are no time restrictions for debate, unless cloture is invoked.  Luckily, our bill was not filibustered and ended up being an open rule, allowing amendments instead of being a  hich prohibits amendments, unless it’s closed rule, w recommended by the committee reporting the bill.

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 The Bill is Sent to the President  At last, our bill was sent to the president for a signature. When a bill reaches the President, he has three choices: -Sign and pass the bill, in which the bill becomes a law. -Refuse to sign, or veto, the bill, in which the bill is sent back to the U.S. House of Representatives. -Do nothing, or a pocket veto, in which if Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law after 10 days. If Congress is not in session, the bill does not become a law.  Luckily, our bill was signed and passed by the president! Now, it is a law and now the endangered species will be protected and not exploited.    ...