What must happen for a bill to become a law? Choose two correct answers. The judicial branch must decide if the bill is constitutional A committee must research and report on the bill Both Chambers of the legislature must vote on and approve the bill A citizen of Mississippi outside the government must introduce the bill The governor must sign the bill without vetoing it.
Answers
Answer:
Step 1: The bill is drafted
Any member of Congress – either from the Senate or the House or Representatives – who has an idea for a law can draft a bill. These ideas come from the Congress members themselves or from everyday citizens and advocacy groups. The primary Congress member supporting the bill is called the "sponsor". The other members who support the bill are called "co-sponsors".
Step 2: The bill is introduced
Once the bill is drafted, it must be introduced. If a Representative is the sponsor, the bill is introduced in the House. If a Senator is the sponsor, the bill is introduced in the Senate. Once a bill is introduced, it can be found on Congress.gov, which is the official government website that tracks federal legislation.
Step 3: The bill goes to committee
As soon as a bill is introduced, it is referred to a committee. Both the House and Senate have various committees composed of groups of Congress members who are particularly interested in different topics such as health or international affairs. When a bill is in the hands of the committee, it is carefully examined and its chances of passage by the entire Congress are determined. The committee may even choose to hold hearings to better understand the implications of the bill. Hearings allow the views of the executive branch, experts, other public officials and supporters, and opponents of the legislation to be put on the record. If the committee does not act on a bill, the bill is considered to be "dead".
In passing an ordinary bill, a simple majority of members present and voting is necessary. But in the case of a bill to amend the Constitution, a majority of the total membership of the house and a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting is required in each house of Parliament.