HOW THE U.S. CONGRESS MAKES LAWS
Prepared by Karen Kimber, Social Sciences and Humanities Team Leader
Paul Laurence Dunbar University, Wright State University
To go directly to the list of sources, see Finding U.S. Legislation
| Legislative Action | Related Publications | |
|---|---|---|
| In each chamber of Congress, a bill or resolution is introduced and referred to committee | Bills and resolutions | Notes |
| Committee holds hearings | Hearings | Notes |
| Committee recommends passage | Senate and House reports | Notes |
| Chamber debates and votes | Records of debates and votes | |
| President signs or vetoes | Presidential statements | |
| Law has been enacted | Individual laws as enacted | Notes |
| Law is codified, that is, incorporated into the exisiting body of law arranged by subject | United States Code | Notes |
Besides the official documentation above, other sources may be useful for finding background about particular bills or laws.
After a law has been passed, in many cases an administrative agency makes regulations to administer that law. See How Federal Agencies Make Regulations.
| Revised 27 October 2008
http://www.wright.edu/~karen.kimber/legisf1.html |
Karen Kimber (karen.kimber@wright.edu)
Paul Laurence Dunbar Library - (937) 775-3034 Wright State University Libraries |