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''Step 1:'' A bill begins by with a legislator's sponsor and introduction of the bill to the respective house in congress.
''Step 2:'' Since there are numerous bills proposed daily, committees composed of small groups of legislators, review the content of the proposed bill in detail.
''Step 3:'' If deemed an appropriate course of action, committees may refer a bill to a subcommittee for further study and hearings on the piece of legislation. Hearings provide an opportunity for experts, proponents, or and opposition to make their views known during the subcommittee review process.
''Step 4:'' Following the hearing process, subcommittees may amend the bill prior to forwarding the piece of legislation to the full committee.
''Step 5:'' Full Committees then make a recommendation on whether or not they believe the bill should pass, be rejected, or they can may abstain completely from making a recommendation. The procedure is formally known as "ordering a bill reported"
''Step 6:'' After the committee has voted on a bill ,l the committee chairman assigns staff to create a written report on the bill highlights: views of supporters and detractors, impact and changes to current legislation , and scope.
''Step 7:'' Once a bill is passed on from the committee, the committee's recommendation is read aloud to the legislative floor. Chamber members are encouraged to debate the bill and analyze the incorporation of potential amendments.
''Step 10'': Depending on the severity of amendments, a bill is either returned to the chamber of origination for agreement, or for greater changes, a conference committee is created. The conference committee is formed to reconcile the differences between the chambers. If the conference committee fails to reach agreement, the legislation dies. If agreement is achieved, a conference report is drafted and forwarded to the chambers for approval .
''Step 11:'' If the bill is approve approved by both chambers, it is sent to the President for approval. If the President approves the bill it becomes law. If the President rejects the bill, he or she can veto it. If the President fails to take any action on the bill for ten days, and congress is still in session, it is automatically enacted into law. If the President fails to take action and congress has adjourned, the legislation dies.
''Step 12:'' If the President vetoes a bill, it can still become law if a 2/3rds majority vote is achieved in both the House and Senate.
