How a bill becomes law in the United States

Where laws come from

In the United States, federal laws are made by Congress: the House of Representatives and the Senate. A proposed law is called a bill. Ideas for bills can come from citizens, interest groups, the president or members of Congress, but only a member of Congress can formally introduce one.

Thousands of bills are introduced in each two-year Congress, but only a small percentage become law.

Step 1: Introduction

A member of Congress, the sponsor, introduces the bill. Other members can sign on as co-sponsors.

• In the House, bills are numbered H.R. (for example, H.R. 1234).
• In the Senate, they are numbered S. (for example, S. 567).
• Bills that raise revenue (taxes) must start in the House.

Step 2: Committee

The bill is sent to a committee that specializes in its topic, such as agriculture, education or armed services. This is where most bills stop.

The committee, often through a smaller subcommittee, may:

• hold hearings with experts and the public
• "mark up" the bill by making changes
• vote to send it to the full chamber, or set it aside, which effectively kills it

Step 3: Floor debate and vote

In the House

The Rules Committee sets the terms of debate: how long, and whether amendments are allowed. The full House debates and votes. A simple majority (218 of 435, if all seats are filled) passes the bill.

In the Senate

Senate debate is less limited. A senator can use a filibuster, extending debate to delay or block a vote. Ending a filibuster requires a cloture vote of 60 senators. Some bills, like certain budget bills, can’t be filibustered. A simple majority then passes the bill.

Step 4: The other chamber

The bill goes to the other chamber, which repeats the process: committee, debate and vote. Both chambers must pass exactly the same version of the bill.

Step 5: Working out differences

If the House and Senate pass different versions, they can:

• have one chamber accept the other’s version,
• send amendments back and forth, or
• form a conference committee with members of both chambers to write a compromise. The compromise must then pass both chambers again.

Step 6: The president

The bill goes to the president, who has 10 days (not counting Sundays) to act:

Step 7: Override

Congress can override a veto with a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate. Overrides are rare because they need strong support across parties.

The path at a glance

1. Introduced by a sponsor
2. Committee study and markup
3. Debate and vote in the first chamber
4. Same process in the second chamber
5. Differences resolved; both pass the same text
6. President signs or vetoes
7. Congress may override a veto

How citizens influence laws

• contact your representative and senators by calling, emailing or writing
• testify at committee hearings or submit written comments
• join advocacy groups and petitions
• vote in congressional elections every two years

States make laws too

State legislatures follow similar processes. Governors can sign or veto bills, and many states give governors a line-item veto on spending bills, which the president does not have. In about half the states, citizens can also propose laws directly through ballot initiatives.

Try it yourself

1. Put the steps in order from introduction to law.
2. Track a real bill on Congress.gov. Which stage is it at?
3. Role-play the process: committee, floor vote, the other chamber, president, veto, override.
4. Why do you think most bills die in committee?

Quick recap

• Bills are introduced by members of Congress and sent to committee.
• Both the House and Senate must pass the same version.
• The Senate filibuster can delay bills unless 60 senators vote for cloture.
• The president signs or vetoes; Congress can override with two-thirds of both houses.
• Citizens influence laws by contacting lawmakers and voting.