Not this kind of bill....

This kind of bill...

Anyone can write a bill, even you! If you have an idea for a law it could become one!

But, only congressmen and women can submit a bill.

He or she will place the bill in the hopper

Then the bill will wait in the hopper until someone views it

A bill can start in the House of Representatives or the Senate

However, bills usually begin in the House. If the bill is a revenue bill it MUST begin in the House.

The bill is still waiting in the hopper for viewing

Once the bill is viewed, the Speaker of the House will assign it to a committee

Once the bill is in the committee 3 things can happen

The Bill can be sent to the house to be voted on, which is the best thing that could happen!

The bill could be killed which would end it's journey forever; this is the worst thing that could happen!

Or, the committee can choose to do nothing which means the bill is now pigeonholed. However this isn't the best scenario because if nothing is done with the bill it can get killed

The Committee will set up the rules and the calendar for the bill prior to sending it to the floor

Once the bill hits the floor, the House will then debate and can make amendments to the bill before they vote to either approve it or deny it

If the bill is approved then it goes to the senate

However, if the bill is not approved it's killed. A bill is easily killed during this process which is why so few bills becomes laws

If the House and the Senate approve the bill it is then sent to the Confrence Committee

The conference committee will then revise the bill, as necessary, in order to get the House and the Senate to agree

Then the revised bill will be sent to the Senate and the House to be voted on

But, if the House and the Seante can't come to an agreement the bill will then be killed

If both the House and the Senate agree then the bill is ready to be sent to the president!

Once the bill reaches the President, he has 3 options