How Our Laws Are Made
A description of how federal laws are made and the legislative process in the United States Congress
Compiled by TheCapitol.Net
Authors: Charles W. Johnson, Michael Koempel, Judy Schneider
Section I: How Our Laws Are
Made, by Charles W. Johnson, Parliamentarian (retired), U.S.
House of Representatives (2003)
Section II: The Legislative Process, by Michael Koempel and
Judy Schneider, Ch. 8 in the Congressional Deskbook
(TheCapitol.Net 2007)
2009, 156 pages
ISBN: 158733125X ISBN 13: 978-1-58733-125-1
Section I: How Our Laws Are
Made, by Charles W. Johnson, Parliamentarian (retired), U.S.
House of Representatives (2003) . . . . . 1
I. Introduction
II. The Congress
III. Sources of Legislation
IV. Forms of Congressional Action
- Bills
- Joint Resolutions
- Concurrent Resolutions
- Simple Resolutions
V. Introduction and Referral to Committee
VI. Consideration by Committee
- Committee Meetings
- Public Hearings
- Markup
- Final Committee Action
- Points of Order With Respect to Committee Hearing Procedure
VII. Reported Bills
- Contents of Reports
- Filing of Reports
- Availability of Reports and Hearings
VIII. Legislative Oversight by Standing Committees
IX. Calendars
- Union Calendar
- House Calendar
- Private Calendar
- Corrections Calendar
- Calendar of Motions to Discharge Committees
X. Obtaining Consideration of Measures
- Unanimous Consent
- Special Resolution or "Rule"
- Consideration of Measures Made in Order by Rule
- Reported From the Committee on Rules
- Motion to Discharge Committee
- Motion to Suspend the Rules
- Calendar Wednesday
- District of Columbia Business
- Questions of Privilege
- Privileged Matters
XI. Consideration and Debate
- Committee of the Whole
- Second Reading
- Amendments and the Germaneness Rule
- The Committee "Rises"
- House Action
- Motion to Recommit
- Quorum Calls and Rollcalls
- Voting
- Electronic Voting
- Pairing of Members
- System of Lights and Bells
- Recess Authority
- Live Coverage of Floor Proceedings
XII. Congressional Budget Process
XIII. Engrossment and Message to Senate
XIV. Senate Action
- Committee Consideration
- Chamber Procedure
XV. Final Action on Amended Bill
- Request for a Conference
- Authority of Conferees
- Meetings and Action of Conferees
- Conference Reports
- Custody of Papers
XVI. Bill Originating in Senate
XVII. Enrollment
XVIII. Presidential Action
- Veto Message
- Line Item Veto
XIX. Publication
- Slip Laws
- Statutes at Large
- United States Code
Appendix
Section II: The Legislative Process, by Michael Koempel and
Judy Schneider, Ch. 8 in the Congressional Deskbook
(TheCapitol.Net 2007) . . . . 67
8.00 Introduction
8.01 Legislative Process Flowchart
8.02 House Rules Citations
8.03 Senate Rules Citations
8.04 Selected Procedures: House and Senate Rules
8.10 Types of Measures
8.11 Legislation Glossary
8.20 Drafting and Introducing Legislation
8.21 House Cosponsorship Form
8.22 Sample "Dear Colleague" Letter
8.30 Referral of Legislation to Committee
8.31 Sample Jurisdictional Agreement
8.32 Sample of House Referral
8.40 Committee Hearings
8.41 Committee Hearings Schedule
8.42 Keeping Up with House and Senate Committee Hearings
8.43 Sample Truth in Testimony Form
8.44 Celebrity Witnesses
8.45 Field Hearing Announcement
8.50 Committee Markup
8.51 Committee Markup and Reporting Glossary
8.52 Keeping Up with House and Senate Committee Markups
8.60 Committee Reports
8.61 Reading the Cover Page of a House Committee Report
8.62 House Committee Reports: Required Contents
8.63 Senate Committee Reports: Required Contents
8.70 House Floor: Scheduling and Privilege
8.71 House Calendars
8.72 Daily Starting Times in the House
8.80 House Floor: Methods of Consideration
8.90 Rules Committee and Special Rules
8.91 Special Rules Glossary
8.92 Announcement on Amendments Prior to a Rules Committee Meeting
8.93 Reading a Special Rule
8.100 Consideration of a Special Rule on the House Floor
8.110 Committee of the Whole: Debate
8.111 The Mace
8.112 House versus Committee of the Whole
8.113 Who Is Allowed on the House Floor?
8.114 Committee of the Whole and the House: Stages of Action
8.120 Committee of the Whole: Amendment Process
8.121 Amendment Process Glossary
8.122 Basic House Amendment Tree
8.123 Keeping Up with the House Floor: Scheduling and Proceedings
8.130 House Floor: Voting
8.131 House Voting Glossary
8.140 House Floor: Motion to Recommit and Final Passage
8.141 Approval Terminology
8.150 House and Senate Compared
8.151 Comparison of Selected House and Senate Procedures
8.160 Senate Scheduling
8.161 Keeping Up with the Senate Floor: Scheduling and Proceedings
8.170 Legislative and Calendar Days; Morning Hour and Morning Business
8.180 Senate Calendars and Legislative and Executive Business before the Senate
8.190 Holds, Clearance, and Unanimous Consent
8.191 Who Is Allowed on the Senate Floor?
8.200 Time Agreements and Motions to Proceed on the Senate Floor
8.201 Example of a Senate Unanimous Consent Time Agreement
8.202 Comparing a House Special Rule and a Senate Time Agreement
8.210 Consideration and Debate on the Senate Floor
8.211 Longest Senate Filibusters
8.220 Senate Amendment Procedure
8.230 Cloture in Senate Floor Proceedings
8.231 Steps to Invoke Cloture
8.232 Senate Procedures under Cloture
8.240 Senate Floor: Motion to Reconsider and Final Passage
8.250 Voting in the Senate
8.260 Reconciling Differences between House-Passed and Senate-Passed Legislation
8.261 Reconciling Differences Glossary
8.262 Keeping Up with Reconciling House-Senate Differences
8.270 Amendments between the Houses
8.280 Conference Committees
8.281 Size of Conference Committees
8.282 Authority of Conferees
8.283 Conference Signature Sheet
8.290 Presidential Action on Enacted Measures
8.291 Vetoes and Veto Overrides: Presidential Clout
8.300 Publication of Public Laws
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