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A bill is a proposed new law introduced within a Legislature that has not been Ratified , adopted, or received Assent . Once a bill has become law, it is thereafter an act; but in popular usage (or even in moments of scholarly imprecision) the two terms are often treated interchangeably. TYPES OF BILLS Bills can be divided into:
Sometimes other classifications of bills are used. For example, under many constitutions particular rules apply to Appropriation Bills . Commonly, in a Bicameral System , the weaker chamber will have reduced powers with respect to appropriation bills than it has with other bills. ASSENT In most constitutional systems, legislation once passed by the legislature requires the Assent of the executive to become law (such as the Monarch, President or Governor). In parliamentary systems this is normally a formality (since the executive is under the de facto control of the legislature), although in rare cases assent may be refused or reserved. In presidential systems, the power of assent is used as a political tool by the executive; then it is known as a Veto . In presidential systems, the legislature often has the power to override the veto of the executive by means of a Supermajority . ROYAL PREROGATIVE In the United Kingdom, certain matters are covered by the royal prerogative, such as payments to the Royal Family, succession to the Throne, and the Monarch's exercise of their prerogative powers. Bills relating to these matters may not be introduced or discussed in parliament without the Monarch's permission; in effect, this means that such bills cannot be introduced without the permission of the government of the day. HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW IN THE UNITED STATES Any member of Congress is able to introduce a bill, making him or her the sponsor of that particular bill. The congressperson introduces the bill by giving it to a Clerk or depositing it into a box called a Hopper . Each bill has a unique number, such as H.R.1 for a bill introduced in the House Of Representatives or S.1 for a bill introduced in the Senate . Next the Speaker Of The House or the officer of the Senate refers the bill to a committee. There are specific rules that dictate to which committee the bill will be sent, but a choice is often possible. A bill may also be referred to multiple committees at once, called Multiple Referral . After the bill is heard in the first committee or subcommittee, it is "marked up," or revised, often extensively. The bill needs a majority vote from the committee to move forward. Once the bill is submitted for consideration by the committee, it is sent to the chamber whence it originally came and voted upon (though there are several ways a bill can be dropped and never voted on). Depending on the type of bill, either a Simple Majority or a Supermajority of either 60 percent or 2/3 is needed for the bill to pass the chamber. Once the bill is passed by one chamber, it is sent to the other. Upon reaching the other chamber, it is treated just like any other newly proposed bill. It goes through the committee process and if passed, it goes to the floor of the entire chamber. The bill is subject to revision at every step of the process, so it often bears little resemblance to the original bill. In fact, it's not uncommon for a bill's sponsor to vote against it in the end. Revisions are most commonly added in the form of Amendments, many of which have little or nothing to do with the original bill. Sometimes an amendment called a poison pill is attached specifically to get the bill killed. Someone with enough influence in a committee may craft an amendment they know that no one who supports the bill wants in order to get them to vote against their own bill. Another common tactic is to attach amendments for pet projects, called riders, to a popular bill to make it easier to get them through. Pork Barrel spending is often approved this way. Once the bill has passed both houses, it goes to a Conference Committee. This is to reconcile the differences virtually always present between the versions passed by each house. Once the Conference Committee reaches an agreement, the bill must again be voted upon by both houses. If it passes, the bill goes to the President of the United States. He can either sign it, veto it or take no action at all. Signing the bill makes it law. If he vetoes the bill, it is sent back to the house that referred it to him. They vote on it again and pass it to the other house. If both houses pass the bill again with 2/3 majorities, the bill automatically becomes law. The third option, no action at all, can lead to two separate consequences, depending on what happens in the next 10 days. Once 10 days expire, Congress can pick the bill up and pass it into law without the President's signature. However, they must be in session in order to take this action. If they are not in session, the bill is treated as if it had been vetoed. This is called a '' Pocket Veto ''. EXTERNAL LINKS United States
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