How a Bill Becomes Law

A bill is introduced in the House or Senate, assigned to a committee, and usually amended there before reaching the floor. The chamber debates, may amend further, and passes its version.

The other chamber repeats the process, and if the texts differ, a conference committee reconciles them. Both chambers must pass identical versions, and the president then signs or vetoes.

A veto can be overridden only by two thirds of both chambers. Most bills die in committee, which is why committee assignments and chairs matter so much to outcomes..