The first thing many people think of when they hear the word bill is money that they may owe to the government. When a bill is presented to the House of Representatives or the Senate it is known as a draft of a law. There are several different legislations such as bills, resolutions, and riders. There are two ways that a bill may be presented to Congress. A bill may be public or private depending on its contents.
A public bill involves matters of national interest. For example, a bill may be proposed on how Humana Health care has changed its guidelines to the elderly. A private bill only applies to certain persons or places rather than the nation as a whole. A private bill may apply to the Haitian refugees that arrived to Key Biscayne. Either way they both may be presented to the House of Representatives or the Senate. .
Introducing a bill, as a written proposal and placing it into the hopper, a box by the clerk's desk, may be the easiest part of trying to get a bill through the process. A sponsor then drafts and proposes the bill. The bill is then numbered and printed in the Congressional record for its first reading.
Depending on what a bill is in relation to it is sent to its appropriate committee. For example, if a bill were about the Haitian refugees then it would be sent to the Immigration Committee. Depending on if a bill pigeonholed, put aside and ignored, then it is sent to the subcommittee to be researched. If the committee favors it is rewritten and goes on further in the process.
Next the bill is placed onto the congressional calendar. There are five different calendars and as before the bill is placed to one of the calendars by subject. The bill is sent to the House rules committee so it can be granted to go into debate on the floor.
The House of Representatives debate on the bill, and the present amendments. It then goes through the Senate in order to follow the same guidelines so it can be taken to the Conference Committee.
