Sources
- https://www.usa.gov/how-laws-are-made
This official U.S. government website provides a comprehensive overview of the legislative process, including how bills become laws, which directly supports the content of the blog post. - https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/learn-about-citizenship/the-naturalization-interview-and-test/100-civics-questions-and-answers-with-mp3-audio-english-version
This USCIS page lists the 100 civics questions and answers for the naturalization test, including the question about who signs bills into law, making it a primary source for the blog post's content. - https://www.senate.gov/reference/reference_index_subjects/Laws_and_Regulations_vrd.htm
The U.S. Senate's official website provides detailed information on the legislative process, including the roles of the House and Senate in passing bills, which aligns with the explanation in the blog post. - https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/our-government/the-legislative-branch/
The White House's official page on the legislative branch explains the process of how bills become laws, including the President's role in signing or vetoing bills, which is central to the blog post's explanation. - https://www.congress.gov/help/learn-about-the-legislative-process/how-our-laws-are-made
This resource from Congress.gov offers an in-depth look at the legislative process, from bill introduction to presidential action, providing authoritative support for the detailed steps described in the blog post.
Key Points
- The President signs bills to become laws after they pass through Congress.
- The President has 10 days to sign a bill; if not signed within this period, it still becomes law unless Congress adjourns (pocket veto).
- The President can veto a bill entirely or partially, returning it to Congress with an explanation.
- Bills start with a draft proposal by any member of Congress and are introduced to either the House or Senate.
- Initial readings in Congress identify the bill's title and number; the full text is read during the second reading.
- Committees review bills, hold public hearings if necessary, and decide whether to send the bill to the floor, amend it, or reject it.
- Bills must pass both the House of Representatives and the Senate to become law, undergoing similar processes in each chamber.
- Discrepancies between House and Senate versions of a bill are resolved by a conference committee.
- Once signed by the President, the bill is recorded and distributed by the Official Gazette Office.
- The legislative process allows for multiple amendments and can result in significant changes to the original bill.
Summary
To pass the US citizenship test, applicants must answer questions like "Who signs bills to become laws?"—the correct answer is the President. The process involves a bill passing through Congress, being reviewed by committees, and debated in both the House and Senate before reaching the President, who has 10 days to sign or veto it. If signed, the bill becomes law and is recorded for publication.
To pass the US citizenship test, you will have to answer 10 of a possible 100 questions. The following question is from the USCIS test.
Who signs bills to become laws?
Answer:
The President.
The following is a full explanation of the USCIS question:
The President of the United States Signs Bills to Become Laws
After a bill passes through both chambers of the United States Congress, it will then be presented to the head of the executive branch, the President of the United States, for his approval. Accordingly, the president then has a period of not more than 10 days to affix his signature to the bill. If he chooses to sign it within that period, the bill becomes law. Likewise, if he fails to sign it within that same period, the bill will still become a new law.
The president may also choose to veto the bill in its entirety or partially. If, within that 10-day period, the president chooses to veto the bill, he will return it to the United States Congress along with a message explaining why he vetoed it. If Congress adjourns during that period, a failure of the president to either sign or otherwise veto the bill is commonly referred to as a pocket veto.
The Introduction of a Bill
All bills start the same way. After a legislator in Congress has discovered an issue that can only be resolved through congressional action, they will prepare a draft proposal. A single member of Congress may author this draft proposal, or it may be a joint effort. Any member of Congress, regardless of whether they are congressional or senatorial representatives, may introduce a bill.
Once a draft bill has been prepared, it is time to present it to the floor. In the lower chamber, it is the responsibility of the Secretary General to conduct the initial reading and committee assignment. However, in the upper chamber, the Senate Parliamentarian conducts the initial reading and assigns the bill to a committee.
The initial reading of the introduced bill, regardless of whether it’s in the upper or lower house, is merely to identify the title and bill number in a legislative session. It’s not until the second reading that the entire text of the proposed bill is read to the floor.
Committee Debates
It is the responsibility of the Secretary General and the Senate Parliamentarian to determine which committee will be responsible for reviewing the legislation. The proposed bill is then sent to the appropriate committee chair, who then has to decide whether the bill’s contents can be discussed in committee or whether public hearings need to take place.
There is no need for any form of public hearings for most bills. Generally, the representatives assigned to the committee will discuss, debate, and offer amendments to the proposed bill. However, when there is a need to hold public hearings, a date for the hearing is scheduled. The members of the committee will then be able to invite experts in their field to help debate and discuss the contents of the proposed bill.
Once the discussion and debate have ended, the members of the committee will then have to decide whether to send the bill as is to the house floor, make an amendment to the bill, or reject it. In the event that a majority of the committee members vote in favor of the passage of a government bill, it is then sent to the chamber floor, where every member of the house will be able to discuss, debate, and vote on whether it should pass.
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The House of Representatives Passes a Bill
Before any bill can become law, it has to pass through both the upper and lower house. Except for specific types of legislation, any member of Congress may introduce a bill. However, most bills will originate in the House of Representatives and, if passed, will be referred to the Senate.
When a bill passes one house and is transmitted to the other house, it will undergo the same process. If the bill is passed from the lower house to the upper house, the Senate parliamentarian will do an initial reading before sending the bill to a committee. This process is repeated until it is either passed or rejected by the Senate. The only real difference is that the rules of the Senate are slightly different than those of the House of Representatives, insomuch as they are more formal in nature.
The United States Senate Passes a Bill
A bill may either pass or die after the proposed bill has made its way through the initiating house and transmitted to the second house for final action. It is entirely possible for the Senate to fail to act on a bill. If the Senate does not act on it, it will simply die. Moreover, any proposed bill can die at any point of the process in the Senate, just as it would before the House of Representatives.
Throughout the entire legislative process, a bill may be amended multiple times. As a result, the proposed bill that passes in the Senate may be quite different from the one passed in the House of Representatives. To resolve any disputes that may arise, a conference committee will need to be established so that representatives from both houses can meet, discuss, and debate the final draft. After a conference committee action to sign off on the final draft, it is sent to the president.
The President’s Signature
The president has 10 days from receipt of the proposed bill to sign it into law during that time. He may choose to sign the law or veto it. Generally, when a bill passes to the president and the president has agreed to sign it, there is a signing ceremony. The sponsors and cosponsors of the bill are usually invited to participate in the signing.
Once signed, the bill is sent back to the house of origin, where it is prepared and transmitted for publication and distribution. It is the responsibility of the Official Gazette Office to ensure that the signed law is properly recorded and that all relevant agencies are notified.
