This book was created and published on StoryJumper™

©2015 StoryJumper, Inc.   All rights reserved.

Publish your own children's book: 

www.storyjumper.com

                    Steps on How A Bill

  Becomes a Law

STEP ONE: a idea that can come from a Representative 

or a Citizen is turned into a bill and presented to the

WHEN BILL GOES INTO THE HOUSE OF 

REPRESENATIVEES

STEP TWO: After, the representative writes up the bill it will 

require a sponsor and support group.

Bill will be put into the hopper 

so it can be introduced to

next House Standing Committees. 

*

1) After the representative writes up the bill it 

requires?

2) What is the bill put into so it can be 

introduced?

3) Who can an idea for a bill come from? 

STEP THREE:

A BILL THAT CAN BE INTRODUCED TO THE

COMETTIE - a group of representatives who are experts on the 

topic of the bill.   

The Committee will review,research or revise the bill before 

deciding if it should be voted on or sent back to the house of 

representatives.Sometimes they may just want more information so 

the committee sends it too the subcommittee who will look into the 

bill deeper.

Casework:

social work 

directly 

concerned with 

individuals.

Filibuster:

an action such as a 

prolonged speech that 

obstructs progress in a 

legislative assembly while 

not technically 

contravening the required 

procedures.

STEP FOUR :The Bill is Sent To The House Floor 

and Then Debated.

4) What will the committee do to the bill 

before introducing it?

5) If the committee decided they wanted 

more information who that might send it to 

to look deeper into it?

6) After, the bill meets whats required where 

is it sent to?

STEP FIVE:

3 Methods Of Voting On A Bill

1.Viva Voce : The Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support 

the bill to say “yes” and those that oppose it say “no.”

2.Division: The Speaker of the House asks those Representatives who support 

the bill to stand up and be counted, and then those who oppose the bill to 

stand up and be counted.

3.Recorded: Representatives record their vote using the electronic voting 

system. Representatives can vote yes, no, or present (if they don’t want to 

vote on the bill).

WHEN THE BILL REACHES THE U.S SENATE

When a bill reaches the U.S. Senate, it goes through many of the 

same steps it went through in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

The bill is discussed in a Senate committee and then reported to 

the Senate floor to be voted on.

Senators by voice vote or standing vote. Those who support the 

bill say “aye,” and those who oppose it say “no.” If the majority 

party or majority of the Senators say “aye” the bill passes in the 

U.S. Senate and is ready to go to the President.

*

WHEN THE BILL REACHES THE PRESIDENT

1.Sign and pass the bill—the bill becomes a law 

2.Refuse to sign, or veto, the bill—the bill is sent back to the U.S. House of 

Representatives, along with the President’s reasons for the veto. If the 

U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate still believe the bill 

should become a law, they can hold another vote on the bill. If two-thirds of 

the Representatives and Senators support the bill, the President’s veto is 

overridden and the bill becomes a law.

3.Do nothing (pocket veto) — 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.

7) What are the 3 methods on voting on a 

bill?

8) What do senators vote by? (3 ways to vote 

by)

9) If the president refuses to sign the bill 

what happens to it?

10) When the bill reaches the president and 

the president decides to do nothing what is 

that called?

If a bill has passed in both the U.S. House of 

Representatives and the U.S. Senate and has been 

approved by the President, or if a presidential veto 

has been overridden, the bill becomes a law and is 

enforced by the government.

1. Bicameral -having two branches or 

chambers

2. Census -an official count or survey of a 

population, typically recording various details of 

individuals.

3. Constituent-a member of a constituency

4. Gerrymander-an instance of 

gerrymandering

5. Majority party -a party is a political party 

that holds substantial influence in a country's 

politics, standing in contrast to a minor party.

Vocabulary & Meanings:

6. Minority party - political party whose 

electoral strength is so small as to prevent its 

gaining control of a government except in rare 

and exceptional circumstances.

7. Standing committee - permanent committee 

that meets regularly

8. Seniority - a privileged position earned by 

reason of longer service or higher rank

9. Expressed powers - Those powers of 

Congress specifically listed in the Constitution.

10.     Implied power - in the United States, are 

those powers authorized by a document. 

11. Elastic clause - granting Congress the 

power to pass all laws necessary and proper.

You've previewed 15 of 23 pages.

To read more: