| A | B |
|---|
| Citizens, special interest groups, the president, or other officials develop an idea for a bill. | Step 1 |
| Lawmakers or others write the new bill. | Step 2 |
| A representative of the House drops the bill into a box near the clerk’s desk, or a senator, recognized by the presiding officer of the Senate, makes a formal presentation of the bill. | Step 3 |
| The bill is given a title and a number in the first reading of the bill. | Step 4 |
| A committee or subcommittee may pigeonhole the bill and let it die, vote to kill the bill, or recommend that the bill be adopted as is or in a revised form. | Step 5 |
| Hearings are held during which a committee listens to testimony from proponents of the bill. | Step 6 |
| A committee meets in a markup session to decide what changes, if any, to make in the bill | Step 7 |
| The committee votes to kill the bill or send it to the House or Senate for action | Step 8 |
| The bill receives a second reading as it is debated on the floor of the House and the Senate. At this time, lawmakers may propose amendments to be added to the bill. | Step 9 |
| After a third reading, the bill, printed in its new form, is voted on, as long as a quorum of the members of the House or Senate are present. A majority vote is needed for passage. | Step 10 |
| Both the Senate and the House pass the bill in identical forms or send the bill to a conference committee to work out the differences. | Step 11 |
| The bill goes to the president who can sign it or reject it | Step 12 |
| If vetoed, the bill goes back to Congress | Step 13 |
| Congress votes with a 2/3 majority to override the veto and bill becomes law | Step 14 |
