Civic Scoop: what fits the bill?

This is the Civic Scoop: quick takes, sharp insights, civic clarity.

Bills: Common political legislation that permeates news at a national and local scale, but what are they and how are they used? Whether it be the Social Security Act of 1965 or the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, bills create new laws, amend existing laws, address financial matters, and are used for accountability. 

With bills frequently making news headlines, it is important to explain the bill process in a simple and palatable manner. 

The birth of a bill is typically just an idea. For instance, let’s say I want to create a way to make sure that everyone has the right to an hour-long nap throughout the day. First, I would talk to some representatives in Congress and some interest group leaders to explain my idea. Once they are on board, they will begin drafting – writing the bill. When writing, they make sure the wording is precise, legally sound and accounts for how it will affect current laws. 

Once they complete this stage (in our napping bill example), the representative who decided to take on the task of making sure everyone gets nap time would then place the bill into the “hopper,” which is a box located on the clerk’s desk, on the House floor. 

The bill will then receive a number and a format. Let’s call this bill  123. In the House, it would be called H.R. 123, and in the Senate, S. 123. 

Next are the filtration steps for the bill. The best way to think about these steps is like a coffee filter; you have to remove the ugly chunks to make a smooth beverage, and like coffee, bills shouldn’t have any ugly chunks in them. 

The bill is sent to a committee made up of members of the Senate and House that specializes in the topic. Once in committee, the members will begin the filtration process to either: “remove the chunks” or trash the bill, like a burnt batch of coffee. Annually, about half of all bills introduced die in committee. 

Bills then go to either the House or the Senate for discussion and voting. This is considered by the majority leader of the House and Senate to set the agenda for which bills go where first. Discussion over the bill ensues, and members explain why it should or should not be passed. Another round of changes can be made for the bill to pass. 

The House typically has a tightly controlled debate schedule, while the Senate has more of an open debate, which can result in heated (and petty) moments. The bill then goes to the next chamber (House or Senate) for the same process. If a bill passes with changes, both the House and the Senate go back to discuss the differences and agree, hopefully, on a final format of the bill. The bill goes through this process until both chambers pass it after changes.

Now you might be saying, “This process seems so complicated for no reason at all,” and to that I say bureaucracy is complex, yet it allows for changes to be made, and ensures that there is no rush in the process. Everyone wants a good final draft, so these processes are important. 

The best way to visualize this is a constant circle of bills between the Senate and the House, going back and forth until they are approved by both. You might be saying, “What happens if the bill is approved in the House but not approved in the Senate, and vice versa?” In this case, the bill would then be deemed ineffective and would be shut down. 

Once a bill is accepted, it is then put in front of the president. The president is the final step in the process and can ultimately determine what happens. The president can sign the bill immediately and turn it into a law. Or, they can send the bill back to Congress to restart the back-and-forth process between the House and Senate. 

The last option the president has, and the wildest of them all, is to do nothing. Yes, you read that right – one option is to simply do nothing. If this option is chosen while Congress is in session, the bill becomes law in 10 days, but if Congress is adjourned, meaning not currently in session, it is instantly wiped out.

That is the entire life cycle of a bill. Breaking this process down step by step gives you civic clarity, which is my goal for Scots. Understanding how this complicated process works can allow you to be more educated and informed in the world of politics.

Josh Cornell (‘26) is a Chattanoogan political science major. He has worked with various political organizations, including political campaigns, has sat in on council meetings, and is the current senior class president. This column will cover topics ranging from local and state government to national news, and anything in between.To respond to this column in The Highland Echo and offer your political perspective, reach out to Editor-in-Chief Maddux Morse at [email protected].