A proposal is introduced
A member introduces a bill in the House or Senate. Committees can study, change, and advance it. Most bills do not reach enactment.
CIVICS, ONE QUESTION AT A TIMEPassed the House.
Passed the House.
Is it a law?
Not yet. A bill generally needs agreement on the same text from both chambers of Congress, then a constitutional route to enactment.
One chamber passes it
The first chamber approves a version of the bill. This is a major step, but approval by the House alone does not make it a law. Bills can also begin in the Senate; bills for raising revenue must begin in the House.
Both chambers agree
The other chamber must also pass the bill. If it changes the text, the chambers must resolve their differences and approve exactly the same version.
The bill becomes a law
The agreed bill is presented to the president. When the president signs it, it becomes law. The Constitution also provides routes involving a veto override or no presidential action.
And if the president doesn’t sign?
If the president vetoes the bill
The president returns it with objections. Congress can override the veto with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. If both chambers override, the bill becomes law without the president’s signature.
If the president takes no action
After ten days, excluding Sundays, the bill becomes law without a signature if Congress has not prevented its return by adjourning. If an adjournment prevents its return during that period, it does not become law; this is called a pocket veto.
The rules come from Article I, Section 7. Read the Constitution at the National Archives
FOLLOW A REAL EXAMPLE
The Postal Service Reform Act of 2022
House passage. Senate passage. Presidential signature. See the dates and the official evidence.