How A Bill Becomes a Law

Multiple Choice

What is the main purpose of a bill in the legislative process?

• To create new laws

• To enforce existing laws

• To interpret laws

• To repeal the Constitution

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT a common source of ideas for bills in the US legislative process?

• Private citizens

• The White House

• Special interest groups

• Foreign governments

Multiple Select

Which actions can a committee take after receiving a bill? Select all that apply.

• Suggest passing the bill

• Mark up a bill with changes and suggest it be passed

• Replace original bill with a new one

• Send the bill directly to the President

Multiple Choice

After a bill is introduced in Congress, what is the first step in its legislative journey?

• It is signed by the President

• It is sent to a standing committee

• It goes to the Supreme Court

• It is voted on by both chambers

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is true about how amendments are accepted during the debate of a bill in the House and Senate?

• The House accepts only amendments relevant to the bill, while the Senate allows unrelated amendments (riders).

• Both the House and Senate accept only amendments relevant to the bill.

• The Senate accepts only amendments relevant to the bill, while the House allows unrelated amendments (riders).

• Neither the House nor the Senate allows amendments during debate.

Open Ended

Compare the rules of debate in the House and Senate. How do these rules affect the way members can participate in debates?

Multiple Select

Which of the following statements about filibuster and cloture in the Senate are correct?

• A filibuster allows one member to delay a vote by speaking for long periods.

• Cloture is a procedure to end a filibuster and requires 3/5 of the Senate to vote for it.

• After cloture is invoked, no one can speak for more than an hour.

• Filibusters are common and happen frequently.

Fill in the Blanks

Ted Cruz conducted a filibuster during the debate on

in September 2013.

Multiple Choice

What happens if a bill passes in one house of Congress?

• It is sent to the other house.

• It becomes law immediately.

• It is sent to the President.

• It is rejected.

Multiple Choice

What is the main purpose of a Conference Committee in the legislative process?

• To reconcile differences between House and Senate versions of a bill.

• To sign bills into law.

• To reject bills.

• To amend bills after they become law.

Multiple Select

Which actions can the President take when a bill is presented to him?

• Sign the bill into law

• Veto the bill

• Do nothing (pocket veto)

• Send the bill back to Congress for amendments

Fill in the Blanks

If the President vetoes a bill, it is sent back to the two

for another vote.

Multiple Choice

What happens if Congress is not in session during the 10 days after the President decides to do nothing with a bill?

• The bill dies.

• The bill becomes law.

• The bill is sent to the Supreme Court.

• The bill is sent back to the Conference Committee.

Open Ended

Explain what happens during a pocket veto and how Congress can respond to it.

Open Ended

The video 'I'm Just a Bill' helps explain how a bill becomes a law. Do you have any questions or would you like to know more about any part of this process?

Open Ended

After watching the video 'I'm Just a Bill,' what is one step in the process of how a bill becomes a law that you found most interesting or surprising?