101. Pulmonary Hypertension Association If he approves of the bill, he may sign it into law. also choose not to sign it, and if Congress is in session, the bill will become law after 10 days. http://www.phassociation.org/advocacy/legis.asp

contact us join PHA site map/search The Legislative Process Bill Laws are made through a structured process. The process begins when a member of Congress decides that a law is needed on a certain issue. The member of Congress has his/her ideas written into a document called a bill. The member who originates the bill is called the bill’s sponsor. Co-sponsorship The bill’s sponsor may seek support for the bill from other members of Congress. If other representatives decide to support a House bill or if other senators decide to support a Senate bill, they may choose to co-sponsor it. This means that they sign onto the bill and make their support public. Co-sponsors can choose to support a bill for many reasons. Sometimes another member of Congress asks them to sign on. Other times, their constituents can request that they support the bill. Members of Congress can also decide to support a bill based on their own agendas. The more co-sponsors a bill has, the more likely it is to be successful. Introduction The bill’s sponsor submits the bill to the chamber of Congress of which he/she is a member. The bill is given a number. House bills are numbered with the prefix ‘H.R.’ and Senate bills are numbered with the prefix ‘S.’ The leadership in the House or Senate may then direct the bill to the committee or committees which discuss the issues that the bill addresses.

102. Advocacy - Depression And Bipolar Support Alliance If it isn’t signed within 10 days, the bill becomes law without the President’s signature. Click here to see a PDF of how a bill becomes a law. http://www.dbsalliance.org/Advocacy/BilltoLaw.html

Back to the Advocacy Center Legislative Process How a Bill Becomes a Law ... DBSA's Legislative Action Center How Does a Bill Become a Law? Any member of Congress can introduce a bill for consideration by either the House or the Senate. By doing so, the representative or senator becomes the of the legislation. The introduction of legislation begins the slow process toward the actual enactment of the laws. The House and the Senate each have their own individual rules of procedure. Legislation can be introduced any time in the senate. But in the House, the legislative agenda is tightly controlled by the Speaker of the House, the presiding officer over the House of Representatives. Now Most of the work of Congress is done within these committees and the subcommittees of these committees. After the hearings are completed, the committee will hold what is called a This is when committee members can propose amendment or change to the bill. And then the bill is voted on by the committee and/or subcommittee. Once the bill is passed in both the house and the senate, if is sent to the President for consideration.

103. Capitol Classroom take no action and after a specified time, the bill becomes law without his signature. amend the bill and return it to the General Assembly. http://legis.state.va.us/CapitolClassroom/6-8/6-8HowBillsBecomeLaws.htm

Home Citizen's Guide Capitol Tours Capitol Classroom ... Academic Events How Bills Become Laws Drafting and Introduction The Senators and Delegates meet with their constituents to develop proposals to be introduced as bills. They work with the legislative staff to draft a bill that would create a new law or change the current law. In January, when the General Assembly meets in Richmond, the Senators and Delegates introduce their bills in their respective houses. Committee Action After a bill is introduced, it is referred to the appropriate standing committee. In the Senate, bills are referred by the Clerk of the Senate. In the House, bills are referred by the Speaker. The standing committees have meetings or conduct public hearings to address the bills referred to them. In these meetings, legislators and the public may present their opinions on the bill. After listening to the testimony, the committee will vote to recommend the passage or defeat of the bill. They may also offer changes (called amendments) at this time. If the committee recommends passage of the bill, it then goes before the entire Senate and House for consideration.

104. North Carolina General Assembly - Research Division If the bill is a local law, it becomes law at that point. In November 1996, the citizens of After it becomes law, the term bill is no longer used. http://www.ncleg.net/NCGAInfo/Bill-Law/bill-law.html

Site Navigation Home House Senate Committees ... Help Quick Links NCGA Job Vacancies NC Statutes Redistricting NC Constitution ... Other Government Sites Site Information Privacy Statement Policies Contact Us printable version How a Law is Made Graphical Version Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Version Movie Drafting of Bills A bill is a proposed law. It may be drafted by any competent person. The Legislative Services Commission's Bill Drafting Division drafts bills at the request of the members of the General Assembly. The Office of the Attorney General has the statutory duty to draft bills for the State departments and agencies generally, including the General Assembly. Thus, legislators have two separate offices to which they may turn for drafts of bills. Introduction of Bills Only a member of the General Assembly may introduce a bill - that is, present it to the General Assembly for its consideration - and that member is called the bill's introducer or sponsor. At the proper time during each daily session, the presiding officer announces "Introduction of Bills and Resolutions." A member wishing to introduce a bill has already filed the bill with the Principal Clerk on the previous legislative day when it received a bill number. The Reading Clerk reads aloud the name of the introducer, the bill number, and the bill title. At this point the bill has passed its first reading Reference to Committee Normally, when a bill is introduced, the Chair of the Rules and Operations of the Senate Committee for Senate bills and the Speaker of the House of Representatives for House bills name a committee to which the bill will be assigned for careful study and recommendation. If the committee approves the bill, it reports this fact and the bill is placed on the calendar - the daily schedule of business - for consideration by the full membership of the body. Changes to the bill called "amendments" may be recommended by the committee or may be proposed by any member from the floor.

105. Joining The Team: A Bill Becomes Law Joining the Team A Bill Becomes Law. Hypothetical House Bill 652 is now repackaged as a law. First, it is given a new number and a new title, ie, http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/VC/visitor_info/making_law/step8.htm

Joining the Team: A Bill Becomes Law H ypothetical House Bill 652 is now repackaged as a law. First, it is given a new number and a new title, i.e., "An Act of the General Assembly." Then, the Legislative Reference Bureau documents the Act by publishing it in book form in Pamphlet Laws, which is available for distribution to the public. This fictional Act is now the official law of the land of Pennsylvania but not necessarily forever. Laws stay on the books if they serve the public well and comply with the constitution. If not, the General Assembly can repeal the law or the courts can declare it unconstitutional. The House of Representatives has originated 63 percent of the bills which have become law. On average, the House introduces 62 percent of the bills proposed in the General Assembly Hypothetical House Bill 652 was uncontroversial and uncomplicated and breezed through the legislative process as a result. In reality, progress often is more plodding as bills are examined by subcommittees, discussed at public hearings, amended, reconsidered, assigned a price tag and so on. Whether a popular bill moves effortlessly through the system or makes several stops along the way, no bill can become law without fair consideration from many points of view. That's why we can't turn sound ideas into law with a snap of our fingers even though we sometimes wish we could. It takes time. And that's good, because a bill that survives intense review by all interested parties is more likely to represent the will of the people. That kind of responsible lawmaking is what our ancestors had in mind when they wrote the state Constitution; and it guides our legislators today as they make law in Pennsylvania.

106. NALMS Government Affairs--How Congress Works Issue Summary If the President signs the bill, it becomes law. If he doesn’t sign it, it becomes law after 10 days, if Congress is in session. If he vetoes the bill, http://www.nalms.org/govtaffairs/congress_works.htm

Government Affairs Committee How Congress Works June 9, 2004 Summary of Issue The United States Congress is bicameral, that is, composed of two parts: the House of Representatives and the Senate . There are 435 Representatives representing the 50 states proportionally according to population size. House members are elected all at the same time, every two years. House members more closely represent the views of local citizens and advocate for the needs of their districts. Information on the House and access to Representatives is available at http://www.house.gov/ http://www.senate.gov/ Therefore, 2004 is the Second Session of the 108th Congress http://thomas.loc.gov/ , provides additional information on how Congress works, including committees, leaders, and status of bills. It also contains a searchable database of federal laws (U.S. Code). Another very important information source is the U.S. Government Web site at http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/ . This site provides current news, access to federal agencies, information on federal commissions, councils and advisory groups, links to Congress, links to the Judicial Branch, which includes the Supreme Court and its searchable databases of federal court decisions. Another Web site, http://www.loc.gov/law/guide/usexec.html

107. LAWMAKING IN MASSACHUSETTS After the bill is signed by the governor, it becomes law, usually effective in ninety days. However, there may be an emergency preamble attached to some http://www.mass.gov/legis/lawmkng.htm

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts LAWMAKING IN MASSACHUSETTS Observing a Committee Hearing Observing a House or Senate Session Participating in the Legislative Process Glossary of Terms The responsibility for enacting laws in Massachusetts rests primarily with the state legislature, formally known as the General Court. It is divided into two branches: a 160-member House of Representatives and a 40-member Senate. The two legislative branches work concurrently on pending laws brought before them. Lawmaking begins in the House or Senate Clerk's office where petitions, accompanied by bills, resolves, etc., are filed and recorded in a docket book. The clerks number the bills and assign them to appropriate joint committees. There are 21 of these committees, each responsible for studying the bills which pertain to a specific area (i.e., taxation, education, health care, insurance, etc.). Each committee is composed of six senators and eleven representatives. The standing committees schedule public hearings for the individual bills, which afford citizens, legislators and lobbyists the opportunity to express their views. Committee members meet at a later time in executive session* to review the public testimony and discuss the merits of each bill before making their recommendations to the full membership of the House or Senate. The committee then issues its report, recommending that a bill "ought to pass" or "ought not to pass" and the report is submitted to the Clerk's office.

108. NYCLU: Cyber Cafe Bill Becomes Law; May Lead To A Legal Challenge, NYCLU Says Cyber Cafe Bill Becomes Law; May Lead To A Legal Challenge, NYCLU Says. June 7, 2005 The New York Civil Liberties Union today expressed deep http://www.nyclu.org/cybercafe_bill_pr_060705.html

Search the NYCLU site Join the NYCLU email list About NYCLU News ... Publications Cyber Cafe Bill Becomes Law; May Lead To A Legal Challenge, NYCLU Says June 7, 2005 The New York Civil Liberties Union today expressed deep disappointment that two City Council bills that would regulate access to and the location of so-called gaming cafes have become law. The legislation defines gaming cafes to include Internet cafes, or cybercafés, which offer high-speed Internet access for a fee. The NYCLU previously had stated opposition to these laws because they unduly restrict protected First Amendment activity, and today warned that they may face a legal challenge in court. The bill known as Intro.78-A would prohibit individuals under age 18 from entering or remaining in a gaming café between the hours of 9am and 3pm on weekdays when public schools are in session. The second bill, Intro. 65-A, would prohibit the operation of gaming cafés within 200 feet of a public or private elementary or secondary school. The rationale of lawmakers who introduced the legislation is it is needed to cut down on truancy and to address "dangerous activity," even though findings that accompany the bills acknowledge there is little if any violence that occurs in proximity to these establishments. "A cyber café is a First Amendment forum—a portal to the Internet where there is a free exchange of information and ideas," said Donna Lieberman, Executive Director of the NYCLU. "This legislation excludes young people from Internet cafes for much of the day, some of whom have no other means of accessing a computer."

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