Legislative process

Legislative Process How a Bill

Becomes a Law

By Emina DeAngelis and Lynn Cortella

Know the steps of how a bill becomes a law.

Understand the intent of and current status of National Nursing Shortage Reform and Patient Advocacy Act

Discuss positives and negatives of U.S. Legislative System

Learning Objectives

Executive

Legislative

Judicial

Branches of Government

President

Vice President

and Cabinet

The President has the power either to sign

legislation into law or to veto bills enacted by Congress.

Executive Branch

The House of Representatives &

The Senate

Both the House and the Senate must pass the same bill by majority vote. If the President vetoes a bill, they may override his veto by passing the bill with at least two-thirds of each body voting in favor of the bill.

Legislative Branch

Supreme Court JudgesFederal courts enjoy the sole

power to interpret the law,

determine the constitutionality of the law, and

apply it to individual cases.

Judicial Branch

Nurses working together decide a need for change

They draw up a bill with the help of a consultant

How a Bill Becomes a Law

The Bill-National Nursing Shortage Reform and Patient Advocacy Act

Nurses present bill to a legislator

What’s in it ?

Establish safe nurse-to-patient ratios

Better prepare nurses for work in a hospital setting.

Report violations of minimum standards of care

Getting The Word Out

The legislator is willing to introduce and sponsor the bill The Bill is

introduced to Congress and assigned a number

S 739

(S =Senate Bill)

(H.R = House of Representatives Bill)

Getting the Bill to Congress

Governor Sandra Boxer

Committees decide : which bills move forward to the House or Senate as a whole.

Committee consider bills and issues and recommend measures for consideration by their chambers. They usually specialize in certain areas such as HEALTH

BILL-S739 referred to Committee on Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on April 16th 2013 and remains here presently

To Committee

COMMITTEE CANApproves the

Bill

Rewrite the Bill:

Kill the Bill:

What Happens Next

The Bill then goes to congress for a vote

The Bill is rewritten then moved on to Congress

Committee decides to throw out the bill - Bill dies in Committee

CONGRESS PASSES BILL CONGRESS DOES NOT PASS BILL

DEBATE AND VOTE BY CONGRESS

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If the President signs the Bill

it becomes a LAW

If the President vetoes the Bill it goes back to CONGRESS

THE PRESIDENT DECIDES

Click

Vote to over ride the Presidents veto and pass the bill by 2/3rds Majority

Vote in each House of Congress

Decide not to Pass the Bill and the Bill Is

DISCARDED

Congress Can

2/3 VOTE

1/3 VOTEC

LICK

BILL BECOMES A LAW

LETS SEE WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED

1. Choose a partner and read through the slides of “how laws are made”

2. List each step and write in a blank flow-chart being sure to capture the correct order of the steps

3. Each group should write a story about “the life of a bill”, tracing all steps until it becomes a law

4. The groups should get back together and create a chart with two sides to list “what’s good and what’s bad” about our current bill to law system.

5. At the end of the assignment reconvene and decide if we should keep our system or revise it. If a revision is decided upon, document suggestions for possible revisions.

Mapping The Way…. student activity

1. Which Branch of Government reviews the Bills and sends them to a committee?

The Judicial

The Executive Branch

The Legislative Branch

Interactive Test

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2.What happens next after Congress approves the Bill for the first time ?

It becomes a law

It goes to the President for approval

It goes to the legislator that introduced the law

Interactive Test

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3. What is a Committee?

A group of individuals that come up with a Bill

Congress members that consider bills and issues and recommend measures for consideration by their chambers.

The president and his cabinet members

Interactive Test

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4. How is a Bill

introduced to Congress

By a legislator that will sponsor a Bill

By the President of the United States

By a group of individuals that see a need for change

Interactive Test

Advance to next Question

5. What is the National Nurses Shortage Reform

and Patient Advocacy Act

A law requiring safe nurse to patient ratios

A bill that died in Congress

A Bill currently being reviewed in a committee requiring safe staffing in hospitals

Interactive Test

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CORRECT ANSWER- Back to Test

INCORRECT ANSWER- Try Again

Click Here

Click Here

Get Involved- Go to a town board meeting, visit your local legislature, learn more about government

Find out more about the Bill in our presentation : National Nursing Shortage Reform and Patient Advocacy Act visit : http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/s739#summary/libraryofcongress

Anyone Can Make a Difference

Branches of Government · House.gov retrieved from http://www.house.gov/content/learn/branches_of_government/

Government 101: How a Bill Becomes Law - Project Vote Smart retrieved from http://votesmart.org/education/how-a-bill-becomes-law

GovTrack.us: Tracking the U.S. Congress retrieved from http://www.govtrack.us/

Shi, L., Singh, D, A. (2008). Delivering health care in America: A systems approach ( 4th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Barlett Publishers.

The Legislative Process : How a Bill Becomes a Law and Legislative Terms Retrieved from www.mentoring.org/downloads/mentoring_1278.pdf

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