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3 Notes
How a bill becomes a Law
Types of Bills
o Private bill- Bill that apply to individuals
Can grant relief from another law
Grant a unique benefit or powers
Relieve someone from legal responsibility for some allegedly
wrongful act
Example: Military benefits, tax exemptions
o Public Bill- bills that effect the whole country
Raising/lowering taxes
Health Insurance
Gun Control
Resolutions
o Simple Resolutions- established rules or procedures within the two
houses
o Joint Resolutions- to correct errors in previous laws (amendments are
proposed in this way)
o Concurrent- both houses want to share a common opinion (typically
over ceremonial or schedule related matters)
Riders
o Attached to a bill or resolution
o Provisions that have nothing to do with the bill being passed
o Usually used by one party to pass a law that would not normally pass
by tacking it onto a much bigger law that will pass
Few bills become laws Why?
o The process can have up to 100 steps
o People must be willing to bargain and compromise
o Some people introduce bills just so they can publicly stand against
them
Steps
o Introducing a bill-Step 1
Only congress can introduce a bill
A bill is dropped into a box by a congressman
Read out-loud in congressional meeting
o Committee Step 2
The bill is then sent to a committee within congress
Can then be sent to a subcommittee
o These committees can choose to ignore the bill in
order to kill it = pigeonholing
o If a committee decides to discuss the bill they
have hearing
Committees makes a decision
o Kill the bill
o Send it to the floor