All laws in the United States begin as bills. Before a bill can become law, it must be approved by the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate and the. Once the bill has been drafted, it must be submitted. If a representative is the sponsor, the bill is introduced in the House. If a senator is the sponsor, the bill is introduced in the Senate.
Once a bill is submitted, it can be found on Congress, gov, which is the official government website that tracks federal legislation. In a parallel activity to our episode, students examine a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 116th Congress and follow its processing in legislation. Students will learn about committees, lobbying, obstructionism, and presidential actions. Any member of Congress, whether in the Senate, House of Representatives, or Representatives, who has an idea for a bill can write a bill.
If the president doesn't take any action for ten days while Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law. Students can create an infographic or comic about the process of how a bill becomes law, illustrating the 7 steps. If both the Senate and the House approve the bill by a two-thirds majority, the president's veto is overridden and the bill becomes law. Students will use the C-SPAN Congressional Chronicle site to research a current bill in Congress that identifies the stages the case has gone through in the legislative process and will present it to the class.
