Six Easy Steps to Create Your Own Federal Law

legislative historyOur Congress began its 114th session on January 6th, 2015. Since then, 348 new federal statutes and regulations have been voted on, and 121 of those were passed and enacted. Each congressional session lasts two years, and so the 114th Congress still has the one more year to leave its mark on our great country through its development of new legislation. Typically, a congressional session gets through 33% of its total output by the end of its first year in session. We can also expect quite a few more federal regulations will be piled on top of the thousands of laws that were created throughout the 200 years of federal legislative history since our Constitution was created.

So how does Congress go about creating a new law? A congressional bill can actually be initiated by anyone, even you. If you wanted to put a new law in place, you simply need to follow six steps outlined below:

  1. Find a sponsor. Although you don’t have to be a member of congress to write a bill, you do need a member of the House or Senate to sponsor it.
  2. Present to committee. Your bill will be carefully reviewed by a committee of representatives who specialize in the area of government your bill covers, such as health, education, or foreign policy. Sometimes, a subcommittee goes over the bill with a fine-tooth comb. If the committee agrees that your bill is a good idea, it will be marked up with slight revisions made to prefect it and move forward. If the committee or subcommittee vote against it, your bill will be sent to legislative heaven. If your bill passes committee, a report is made on it, which is added to its legislative history. The legislative history of a bill is all of the supporting documents that are created as a bill goes through the process to be enacted into law. The legislative history of a law is used to understand the intent of the law, so that it isn’t misconstrued over time.
  3. Present to the first chamber. Now, your bill will be presented to the chamber that your bill’s sponsor(s) are members of. Each chamber has its own set of guidelines for time limits and general debate procedures. After the time for debate is up, the chamber that is reviewing your bill votes on it. If the ‘Nays’ have it, your bill is laid to rest then and there. If the ‘Ayes’ have it, it is referred to the next chamber and goes through the same process again.
  4. Repeat step two. At this point, your bill might feel like it’s experiencing deja vu. After passing through the first chamber, it goes to committee for the second chamber just like it did the first time. The only difference here is that if the mark up process results in any significant changes that impact the legislative intent of your bill, the committee who originally passed the bill. The second committee will form a subcommittee to reconcile their differences. If the two committees can’t come to an agreement, you guessed it, the bill dies. Otherwise, it goes forward.
  5. Repeat step three. If your bill survives the committee and subcommittee process, the bill moves forward to be debated by the second chamber. If significant changes were made in the mark up process, a report is made to the originating chamber for approval as well. After both chambers agree on the identical rendition of your bill, it goes to the President for approval.
  6. Wrap it all up. The President must respond to the bill within 10 days by signing it into law or vetoing it. Signing it into law means that all Americans are now subject to your piece of legislation, and a veto sends your bill to an early grave. If the POTUS does not respond to your bill within ten days while Congress is in session, the bill is automatically enacted. If the 10 days are up after Congress has broken for the summer, this is called a “pocket veto” and you bill gets the final kiss of death.

And that is how, in six easy steps, you too can create a law the rest of us have to follow!