Direct lesson bill tamara maziarz
- 1. How a Bill Becomes a Law Fourth Grade Tamara Maziarz
- 3. Three Branches of Government • Who can name the Branches of Government? • What are their roles?
- 5. How a Bill Becomes a Law • All laws in the United States begin as bills. • Before a bill can become a law, it must be approved by the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and the President.
- 6. The Bill Begins • Laws begin as ideas. • These ideas may come from a Representative—or from a citizen. • Citizens who have ideas for laws can contact their Representatives to discuss their ideas. • They research the ideas and write them into bills.
- 7. The Bill Is Proposed • When a Representative has written a bill, the bill needs a sponsor. • The Representative talks with other Representatives about the bill in hopes of getting their support for it. • Once a bill has a sponsor and the support of some of the Representatives, it is ready to be introduced.
- 8. The Bill Is Introduced • In the U.S. House of Representatives, a bill is introduced when it is placed in the hopper—a special box on the side of the clerk’s desk. Only Representatives can introduce bills in the U.S. House of Representatives. • When a bill is introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, a bill clerk assigns it a number that begins with H.R. A reading clerk then reads the bill to all the Representatives, and the Speaker of the House sends the bill to one of the House standing committees.
- 9. The Bill Goes to Committee • When the bill reaches committee, the committee members— groups of Representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations—review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send the bill back to the House floor. • • If the committee members would like more information before deciding if the bill should be sent to the House floor, the bill is sent to a subcommittee. While in subcommittee, the bill is closely examined and expert opinions are gathered before it is sent back to the committee for approval.
- 10. The Bill Is Debated • Representatives discuss the bill and explain why they agree or disagree with it. • Then, a reading clerk reads the bill section by section and the Representatives recommend changes. • When all changes have been made, the bill is ready to be voted on.
- 11. The Bill Is Voted On • Viva Voce (voice vote): The Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support the bill to say “aye” and those that oppose it say “no.” • Division: The Speaker of the House asks those Representatives who support the bill to stand up and be counted, and then those who oppose the bill to stand up and be counted. • Recorded: Representatives record their vote using the electronic voting system. Representatives can vote yes, no, or present (if they don’t want to vote on the bill).
- 12. The Bill Is Referred to the Senate
- 13. The Bill Is Sent to the President • Sign and pass the bill—the bill becomes a law. • Refuse to sign, or veto, the bill—the bill is sent back to the U.S. House of Representatives, along with the President’s reasons for the veto. If the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate still believe the bill should become a law, they can hold another vote on the bill. If two-thirds of the Representatives and Senators support the bill, the President’s veto is overridden and the bill becomes a law. • Do nothing (pocket veto)—if Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law after 10 days. If Congress is not in session, the bill does not become a law.
- 14. The Bill Is a Law • If a bill has passed in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and has been approved by the President, or if a presidential veto has been overridden, the bill becomes a law and is enforced by the government
- 15. Assignment • Write or Draw the process of a bill being passed into law. • Here are some examples.