Bill (proposed law) facts for kids
A bill is a proposed new law that has been introduced in a government group, like a parliament or congress, but hasn't been officially approved yet. Think of it as a draft idea for a law. Once a bill is approved and becomes official, it's called an act or a statute. Even though they are different, people sometimes use "bill" and "act" as if they mean the same thing.
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How New Laws Start
A bill usually starts when a member of the legislature, like a Member of Parliament or a Congressperson, introduces it. In some countries, like the United Kingdom, the government itself introduces most bills. This is because the government leaders are also members of the legislature. They often announce their plans for new laws in a special speech, like the "Queen's Speech."
Other members of the legislature can also introduce bills, but it can be harder for these to become law. In the United States, all bills must come from members of the legislature, not directly from the President.
Bills can be introduced in a few ways:
- Asking for Permission: A legislator can ask for permission to introduce a bill. In the UK, there's a "Ten Minute Rule" where a legislator gets 10 minutes to explain their idea for a new law. If the idea is accepted, it can be discussed later.
- Government Proposal: In places where the government controls most of the law-making, they can simply introduce a bill directly.
Committees in the US Congress
In the United States Congress, there are special groups called committees. These committees study different topics, like education or healthcare. Thousands of bills are introduced each year, so committees help share the work. They are like smaller versions of the legislature, focusing on specific areas. Often, committees have a big say in whether a bill moves forward.
Here are some types of committees:
- Standing Committees: These are permanent groups that exist all the time. They handle most of the law-making work.
- Select Committees: These are created for a short time to deal with a specific issue. For example, a committee might be formed to study child nutrition.
- Joint Committees: These groups include members from both the House of Representatives and the Senate. They work on issues that affect both parts of Congress.
- Conference Committees: A bill must pass in the exact same form in both the House and the Senate to become law. If the two versions are different, a Conference Committee meets to work out the differences. They often make big changes to bills.
- House Rules Committee: This committee in the House of Representatives is very powerful. It decides when and how bills will be discussed and voted on by the full House.
How a Bill Becomes a Law
Bills usually go through several steps, often called "readings." This name comes from a time when someone would actually read the entire bill out loud to the lawmakers. Even though bills aren't usually read aloud anymore, the steps still use these names.
In the UK system, here's how it generally works:
- First Reading: The bill is introduced, and an order is given for it to be printed.
- Second Reading: Lawmakers discuss the main ideas of the bill. They don't focus on small details yet.
- Committee Stage: After the second reading, the bill goes to a committee. This group goes through the bill line by line. They suggest changes, called amendments.
- Report Stage: The committee reports its suggested changes back to the full legislature. More changes can be proposed at this point.
- Third Reading: The lawmakers have a final debate about the bill, including all the changes made.
If the legislature has two parts (like the House of Commons and the House of Lords in the UK), the process is repeated in the second part. After passing both parts, the bill is sent for final approval.
Final Approval
After a bill passes through the legislature, it usually needs one more approval to become a law. This approval often comes from the head of the government, like a monarch, president, or governor. In countries with a king or queen, this is often called "Royal Assent."
- In Parliamentary Systems: In places like the UK, where the government leaders are also part of the legislature, this approval is usually a formality. It almost always happens because the government already has the support of the legislature.
- In Presidential Systems: In countries like the US, where the president is separate from the legislature, the president's approval is very important. If the president refuses to sign a bill, it's called a veto. However, the legislature can sometimes override a veto with a special vote, meaning the bill can still become law without the president's signature.
In some monarchies, certain topics might be covered by special powers of the monarch. For example, in the UK, matters about the royal family might need the monarch's special approval.
Numbering Bills
Legislatures give bills numbers to keep track of them as they move through the process.
- In the United States: Bills starting in the House of Representatives begin with "H.R." (like H.R. 1). Bills from the Senate start with "S." (like S. 1). Every two years, when a new Congress begins, the numbering starts over from 1. This means that different bills from different years can have the same number.
- In the United Kingdom: Bills are numbered from 1 at the start of each new parliamentary session, which usually lasts about a year. So, a bill might change numbers as it moves from one house to another or through different stages. For example, a bill might start as "Bill 9" in the House of Commons, then become "House of Lords Bill 33," and finally become "Act no. 29" when it's approved.
Images for kids
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A bill to amend the act entitled "An act to organize forces to serve during the war," approved Feb. 17, 1864.
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See also
In Spanish: Proyecto de ley para niños
