HOW A BILL BECOMES
A LAW
Contact the Center for appropriate hand-outs
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Subjects:
Duration: 2-3 class sessions
Description: This lesson provides an overview of how a proposal gets passed into law at the national, state, and municipal levels.
Goals:
ISBE Standards:
·
14A: Understand
and explain basic principles of the United States government.
·
14B: Understand
the structures and functions of the political systems of Illinois, the United
States and other nations.
·
14D: Understand
the roles and influences of individuals and interest groups in the political
systems of Illinois, the United States and other nations.
2. Language Arts
· 1B: Apply reading strategies to improve understanding and fluency.
· 1C: Comprehend a broad range of reading materials.
· 3A: Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization and structure.
· 3B: Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences.
· 3C: Communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes.
· 4A: Listen effectively in formal and informal situations.
· 4B: Speak effectively using language appropriate to the situation and audience.
· 5A: Locate, organize, and use information from various sources to answer questions, solve problems and communicate ideas.
1. Understand the many steps involved for a bill to become a law at the national, state, and local level.
2. Appreciate the role of compromise in lawmaking.
3. Understand each government body’s role in passing a bill into law.
4. Understand the impact that citizens can have on the law-making process, and
5. Identify at what points in the process citizens have the greatest impact.
Materials:
1. Paper
2. Pens
3. School House Rock! “I’m Just a Bill” Video (approx. 3 minutes long)
4. “How a Bill Becomes a Law: Federal Level” Blank Chart Handout (one per student)
5. “How a Bill Becomes a Law in Illinois” Handout (one per student)
6. Several copies of your town’s municipal code (available either online or from your city/village clerk)
7. Butcher Paper
8. Markers
Instruction and Activities:
The detailed process for how a bill becomes a law is complicated and tedious. One of the best tools for teaching this process is the School House Rock! video “I’m Just a Bill.” It gets the message across, but makes it simple and interesting. (The video can be obtained ordered from or bought from just about any bookstore.)
A. Present the “I’m Just a Bill” video to the class, asking them to note the different steps of the process.
B. Ask students to brainstorm and list the steps for a bill to become a law from the video. For the lecture on federal government, have students follow along and fill in the flow chart as you explain the different steps in the lecture. For state government, students can just follow the already filled-in chart. For local government and voter-initiated referenda, students should take their own notes.
C. Where does a bill start?
When an individual or group gets an idea for a new law or a change to an old law. It starts with the people.
D. What is a bill?
An idea of a citizen, taken to a congressperson, and put down in writing as a proposed law.
E. After a bill is drafted, Representative(s) (either Congresspersons or Senators) propose(s) a bill in the House or Senate.
F. The Bill is read to the representatives on the floor (a bill must be read into the record three times – watch for these three occasions!)
G. The Bill is sent to the appropriate House or Senate standing committee (For example, an issue dealing with education would be sent to the Education Committee; an issue dealing with the interstate highway system would be sent to the Transportation Committee)
H. The committee holds public hearings on the bill where individuals or interested groups can give public comment or testimony on what they think of the bill.
I. The committee debates and votes on whether to approve the bill and send the bill back to the floor (with or without amendments), or to “kill” the bill by keeping it in committee for further debate (“Stuck in committee . . .”)
J. If the committee approves the bill, it goes to the floor of the originating house where it is read a second time. At this point, any amendments made to the bill are debated by the members of this house of Congress.
K. After the debate is finished, the bill is read a third time. The members debate again, and vote on the bill.
L. If the first house passes the bill, it goes to the second house (for example, if the bill started in the House of Representatives, it would then go on to the Senate).
M. The whole process starts over again in this second house.
N. If the House and Senate pass different versions of the same bill, the bill is sent to a conference committee made up of members from both houses to try and reach a compromise on the bill. Both houses must then agree to the compromise by majority vote.
O. If both houses agree on a final version of the bill, it goes to the president for his or her signature.
P. The president can 1) sign the bill into law or 2) veto the bill.
Q. If the president vetoes the bill, it is sent back to the Congress. Congress can then re-vote on the bill. If each house of Congress votes to override the veto by a 2/3 majority vote, the bill becomes a law.
* What part of the process lies within the legislative branch?
* What part of the process lies within the executive branch?
* What are the check and balances you see in this process between the executive and legislative branches? Mark them on your chart.
* Where do private citizens have a voice in the process?
* Drafting the legislation;
* At the public hearing during committee;
* Calling and writing to key committee members;
* Calling and writing to their individual representatives; and
* Calling and writing to the President.
· Before going through the steps of how a bill become law in Illinois, have students take a few minutes to see if they can figure out what the differences are between the Illinois chart and the one they just filled in.
· Explain that for state government, the process in Illinois is very similar to Congress. The following are some differences between the federal and state process:
1. Citizens may testify during public committee hearings by filling out a “witness slip”.
2. In the House, 60 votes are required to pass a bill. In the Senate, 30 votes are required to pass a bill.
3. The Governor may veto the bill in 4 different ways:
· Item veto: eliminates a part of the bill but passes the rest.
· Reduction veto: reduces a budget item
· Amendatory veto: changes a part of the bill and passes the rest.
· Total veto: rejects the whole bill.
4. If the Governor changes the bill, it goes back to the legislature for a vote.
5. To override a veto, 3/5 of both houses must vote to override.
1. Divide the classroom in half and tell each group they are the executive branch of government. As the executive branch, one of their jobs is to propose legislation.
2. Have students brainstorm changes in laws that they would like to see, either in their schools or community. (Lowering of the driving age, allowing those under 18 to have others under 18 in the car. Make a list and have students vote on the issues that they find to be most pressing.
3. Give one of the top two topics to each group so that they can draft and propose legislation on that topic. For example, one group will design a bill to combat the problem of drugs in school. The other group will design legislation to lower the driving age.
4. Have the two groups list their ideas and be ready to present them to the other group. Students can use the butcher paper and markers to draft their final copy. Each group should elect a speaker to present the bill.
5. Now inform the two groups that they are switching hats to become the legislative branch. Have the groups exchange their pieces of legislation. Each group will debate and modify the original bills, voting on each proposal.
6. Those proposals that each group passes by vote must go back to the executive branch. Both groups become the executive branches again and decide whether or not to sign their proposals into law (switch them back).
The following is an outline and instructions for a short lecture on local lawmaking:
· An ordinance is a formal local law that if passed, is permanent unless repealed.
· Examples of local ordinances are laws governing the park district, liquor license requirements, smoking bans, and zoning laws*
* Teachers can obtain copies of current ordinances at the local library, or City Hall. Some communities have ordinances on-line. Pass around a few copies of your town’s municipal code for students to browse.
1. A member of the community or a council member has an idea for a law.
2. A council member proposes or introduced the idea.
3. City council members (or village trustees) often form a committee to evaluate the proposed law, or assign the proposal to an appropriate committee. This step is not required.
4. A public hearing is required for some ordinances, such as zoning ordinances. Citizens must have at least 10 days notice of the hearing.
5. The members of the committee vote on whether or not to adopt the ordinance.
6. The committee recommendation goes to the Council. A majority of the Council must approve the ordinance for it to pass. Usually the mayor or village president does not vote except in the case of a tie.
7. The mayor or village president can veto an ordinance, but only if it 1) creates liability against the city, 2) provides for spending money or for 3) involves selling any city property.
8. The members can override the executive’s veto with a 2/3 vote.
Assignment: The Power of Citizen Action: Have students search newspapers and magazines to find an example of individuals taking on a cause, and making a difference as a citizen. Students should read the article and be prepared to tell the class how the individual influenced change. They should write down answers to the following questions
· What caused the individual to get involved?
· At what point in the political process did the individual get involved? Did that individual help create legislation, comment on it, protest it, etc.?
· Was the individual’s initiative successful?
· Would you consider doing something similar to the subject in the article?
· About what subjects do you feel so passionately that they would move you to action?
· Has anything moved you to act on an issue before?
· Were your efforts successful in your mind?
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Citizen Advocacy Center. All rights
reserved. No part of this lesson plan
may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior, written permission
of the Citizen Advocacy Center. The Citizen Advocacy Center is a 501(c)(3)
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about the Center, or to make a tax deductible contribution, visit www.citizenadvocacycenter.org,
call 630.833.4080. The Center is located at 238 N. York Rd., Elmhurst IL 60126