Information

PROCESS COMMITTEES and LEGISLATION
Prepared for the ATD Veteran’s Committee
By the TWU Department of Legislative and Political Affairs
February 17, 2010

How a Bill Becomes a Law

The Legislative Process

The legislative process can often be lengthy and complicated, however most bills follow a common course of action. Bills can be introduced by any member of either chamber of Congress, although most bills don’t make it through the entire process and never become law. Bills are introduced by members of Congress, although in many cases the President, lobbyists, special interest groups and Unions draft legislation that is presented to Members of Congress for introduction.

After a bill is introduced there are various stages that it must go through before it can be considered for a vote. In most cases the bill is presented to a standing committee which has jurisdiction over specific legislative areas such as the Veteran’s Affairs and Armed Services Committees. The House has twenty standing committees while the Senate has a total of sixteen. Each committee has legislative jurisdiction, and as a result they have the ability to hold public and investigative hearings in order to collect evidence for consideration. Committees have the power to amend and recommend measures of consideration to bills before they are presented to either chamber. After debating and considering bills, committees decide whether to report them to the floor for a vote. If a bill fails to achieve passage out of committee it is said to have “died in committee.”

If a bill makes it out of committee in the House it is then referred to the Rules Committee. Unlike the Senate, the House does not have an unlimited amount of time to debate bills. Therefore the Rules Committee determines how the bill will be debated, and the duration of the debate. In the Senate, each bill is subject to cloture, or a thirty hour limit of debate, in order to expedite the voting process. A vote of sixty Senators (2/3 majority) is needed to invoke cloture.

In each house a simple majority is needed for a bill to pass. Once a bill is passed by one house it is sent to the other to be considered. The other house has the power to pass, reject or amend the bill. Should a bill be amended, in order for it to be enacted into law both houses must vote on an identical bill. In order to achieve a final version, the bill is remitted to a conference committee made up of both Senators and Representatives. In many cases a bill that makes it out of a conference committee differs immensely from the original House and Senate proposals, as a compromise is often struck. To think of it in simpler terms, “If an orange and an apple went into conference consultations, it might come out a pear.” If both houses agree to the final bill reported by the conference committee the bill is considered passed, and it is sent to the President to be signed into law. If a bill does not pass it is considered failed.

Being passed by Congress is not the end of the bill’s journey to becoming law. The President has the ability to sign the bill into law or to veto it. If a bill is vetoed it is then sent back to Congress with the President’s objections. In this case the bill must pass with a 2/3 majority vote in both the Senate and House in order for it to be enacted into law. For most bills, a Presidential veto is a knockout blow. The President also has the ability to take no action on the bill. Should a President ignore a bill, it is passed after ten days of inactivity (this does not include Sundays). However, if Congress adjourns within the ten day period of inactivity, the bill does not become law and is rejected by what is called a “pocket veto.” If a bill is pocket vetoed it cannot be remitted to or overruled by an adjourned congress.

Thomas Is Your Best Friend
http://www.thomas.gov

Thomas.gov is a comprehensive legislative search engine maintained by the Library of Congress. It is a free and easy way of tracking current legislation in the House and Senate. While most bills die and are never enacted into law, Thomas.gov is a tremendous tool that enables you to stay current with bills that matter to you. Knowing who the sponsor(s) of the bill is, and what committee the bill is in will enable you to keep the full court press on the appropriate members of Congress with issues that matter most to you and your members.

After navigating your way to Thomas.gov you will find a search box located in the middle of the page with the title “Legislation in Current Congress.” If you know the number of the bill simply click the bill number option, and type it in (don’t forget to include H.R. or S). If you want to conduct a broad search type the issue into the search box; i.e. “veterans.”

Calls on the Secretaries and the heads of other appropriate federal agencies to increase resources available for family and friends of veterans suffering from PTSD.

Urges the Secretaries to increase access to counseling and other mental health services to family members of veterans as part of the comprehensive plan for the treatment of mental health conditions of members of the Armed Forces required by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008.

Urges the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to collaborate with the Department of Defense (DOD) center of excellence in the prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of PTSD and other mental health conditions with respect to the education, treatment, and support of family members of veterans with such conditions.

Requests the Secretaries to submit to Congress a list of statutory barriers that prevent each department from expanding access to mental health counseling services to family members of veterans.

Urges the Secretary to aggressively work with Congress, veterans service organizations, and others to determine how to best meet the needs of veterans and their family members.”