The U.S. legislation process is primarily undertaken by the congress which is the legislature of the country. This process is very crucial since it is responsible for the creation of laws that govern the country. The legislation process takes some notable steps, ranging from the drafting topresidential ascent, where it becomes a law. A bill is a proposed law that is undergoing the legislation process, whereas a law can be understood a system of rules and regulations, which are implemented through social institutions with the aim of governing human behavior and conduct. Amendments can be best understood as any alterations, additions or deletions made to bills or laws in order to meet various needs.
The initial stages of the legislation process encompass the drafting and introduction of a bill in the senate chamber. Firstly, the bill is drafted by any of the U.S. citizen. This includes an individual citizen, interest groups and leaders, who give it to the respective senator to introduce it to the senate chamber. After introduction to the senate chamber, the bill gets an entry in the Senate Journal after it has been read twice to the senate chamber ("Legislative Process", (n.d)). Bearing a bill number, the bill is put in the legislative information system for printing by the government printing office after which it is put in the senate and House document readings for easy accessibility. The second part of the legislation process is the committee stage and amendment process where the bill is discussed by the relevant committee. At this stage, the bill is debated upon and appropriate amendments are made. In addition, the bill is given a title and read to the Senate Chamber for the final time.
After the appropriate amendments have been made, the bill is voted for and if it is passed, a final copy is prepared and signed by the secretary of the Senate. From the senate's office, the bill is send to the House of Representatives for further amendments. The final stage of the bill may take two forms. On one hand, the bill is signed by the President of the Senate and the speaker of the House, after which it is delivered to the white house for signingthe president. On the other hand, the amendments by the House of Representatives may be rejected by the senate which decides to ask for a conference committee. After the conference committee acts on the bill, it is enrolled and signed and later sent to the white house for presidential assent. The bill becomes law when it is signed by the president.
From the above discussion, it is clear that a bill must undergo several stages before becoming a law. In addition, the bill must be signed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives as well as the Head of the Senate. Finally, it becomes a law after it is signed by the president.
