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How a Bill Becomes a Law

As we prepare for another advocacy campaign on Capitol Hill this year, it is useful to review some basic information regarding the legislative process. This article will outline the process in significant detail in order to provide an accurate understanding of just what's involved and how you can act as an advocate in support of CCFA's legislative priorities.

For starters, let's take a look at Congress. It consists of two chambers, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each state elects two senators. But every state elects representatives based on its population. There are 100 senators, but currently 435 representatives.

A "new" Congress convenes every two years, in the January following a November congressional election. The Congress is new in the sense that the entire House of Representatives is elected every two years, even though only about one-third of the Senate is elected biennially. Congresses have been numbered consecutively since the first Congress, which began in 1789. The Congress that convened in January 2005, following the November 2004 election, is the 109th Congress.

Typically, each Congress meets in two annual "sessions," one in its first calendar year and another in the second calendar year. Thus, the first session of the 109th Congress occurs in 2005, and the second in 2006. A bill is, technically, available for consideration throughout an entire Congress, unless it is defeated somewhere along the way. However, if a bill has not been acted on before the end of a Congress, it has to be reintroduced in a succeeding Congress and begin the legislative process all over again.

The Long Road of Legislation

Introducing a bill is the first important step toward legislation, but it is only the beginning. A proposed bill must be forwarded to committees, amended, debated, and then if it passes in one House of Congress, it moves to the next. Here is the short version of what happens to a bill once it has been introduced or sponsored.

Introduction. The bill is introduced by a member of Congress, usually in the House. Sometimes it is introduced with a statement which provides immediate information about the bill and its importance. The IBD Research Act has been officially introduced in the House with a list of original sponsors.
Committee. Next, the bill is assigned to Committee. The House has about 20 standing committees for reviewing bills. The proposed IBD Research Act would be referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, then to the Subcommittee on Health.
- The committee studies the bill, often hearing testimony from experts. Then it may make amendments or changes, which is known as the "mark up." The committee may decide to table the bill, which means it is put aside so the House cannot vote on it. Or it may release the bill, with a recommendation to pass it, or revise the bill and then release it. Releasing a bill is called "reporting it out."
Calendar. The released bill goes on a "calendar" -- a list of bills awaiting action. The House Rules Committee may call for the bill to be voted on quickly, limited in debate, or prohibit amendments. Undisputed bills may be passed by unanimous consent.
House Debate. The bill goes to the floor of the House for consideration. A complete reading of the bill occurs. If the bill passes by simple majority, the bill moves to the Senate.
Senate. The bill is introduced in the Senate, where it is then assigned to a new committee. The Senate has about 20 Standing Committees. The proposed IBD Research Act would be referred to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
Senate Debate. Once the committee releases the bill, it goes to the Senate floor. Bills are debated in the order they come from the committee. The Senate can debate a bill indefinitely. Once the debate is over, the bill is voted on. A simple majority passes it.
Conference Committee. The bill now moves to yet another committee! The Conference Committee is made up of members from each House. This group works out any differences between versions of the bill. The revised bill is sent back to both houses for their final approval. At this phase, the combined bill will often receive a new number. The bill is then printed by the U.S. Government Printing Office in a process called enrolling. The clerk from the House that introduced the bill certifies the final version.
Signing or Veto. Now known as an enrolled bill, it is signed by the Speaker of the House, and the Vice President, who is also the leader of the senate. Then it is sent to the President, who has 10 days to sign it or veto it. If the President vetoes a bill, it can still become a law if two-thirds of each house vote in favor of it.

That was an overview of the basic process. Remember, the proposed bill can be stopped at any time until it is signed into law. This is why advocacy is so important: the interest, enthusiasm and important message behind the legislation must be sustained long after the bill has been introduced.

Advocacy: You Speak Out with CCFA's Help

Did you know that only about 6% of all the bills introduced in the two-year life span of a Congress reach enactment? That means a whopping 94% are tabled or stopped somewhere else in the process! This is why it is so critical to keep abreast of current legislative developments and make sure your congressional representatives know how important this bill is to you. You are not only speaking out as a constituent, but you are helping to raise public awareness about this disease and the devastating effects it can have on the people and families who live with it every day. Doing your part to make sure senators and representatives are aware of the provisions of the bill puts a personal stamp on what is often just another piece of legislation coming across a desk. Hearing from you means that legislators connect to a person and not a statistic.

But what can you do?

Most importantly, it is urgent for IBD patient advocates to write their senators and congressmen urging them to support this bill. By sending letters to your local legislatures, it lets them know IBD research and funding is of great importance to their constituents. Another way to make your voice heard, is to register and attend IBD Day on the Hill 2005. During this third annual event, patient advocates will rally together, meet with legislatures and have an opportunity to share their stories. Joining CCFA's National IBD Advocacy Network is yet another way of getting involved. This will keep you informed of what's happening with legislative issues and describe the opportunities for getting involved. Although passing the Research Review Act and having our second piece of legislation introduced in the House of Representatives are benchmarks for CCFA's advocacy efforts, the bill actually consolidates many of the issues that the foundation has been addressing on an individual basis for many years. Some of CCFA's other ongoing advocacy efforts include:

Letters from members of CCFA's National Scientific Advisory Committee (NSAC) to the Social Security Administration, advocating that the classification of IBD be changed to reflect the true nature of the illness. This may make it easier for patients truly in need to receive Social Security disability.
Testimony before the Congressional Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies. Every year, hundreds of organizations ask to be heard at these hearings; less than 50% of those who make the request get to testify. CCFA has provided testimony for five of the past seven years, and has had a great impact. We have achieved our goal to double the budget of the National Institutes of Health and also the budget for IBD research.
Collaboration with other organizations such as the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable and the Digestive Disease National Coalition to increase awareness of the importance of screening for colon cancer and to advocate for the rights to specialty care. Section 4 of the proposed bill reads: "The Director for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shall establish a national program of prevention and epidemiology to determine the prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease in the United States, and conduct public and professional awareness activities on inflammatory bowel disease." Eager to jump-start the program, CCFA invited the CDC to submit a research proposal for an initial study, which would be funded by CCFA. In September 2002, CCFA's NSAC and Board of Trustees approved the proposal.

Every Day Advocates

All of CCFA's advocacy efforts are designed to help the many, many people who suffer from IBD across the county. Our efforts are generally targeted at the federal level, although many chapters are active on the local level. It's important to remember that those of you living with IBD every day are our greatest advocates. Every time you explain your condition, you are educating the public and creating awareness; for every chapter event you support or participate in, you expand awareness in your community. Whenever you stand up for yourself on the job or at school, or when receiving medical care -- in all these ways, every day, you are being an advocate. By taking the little strides people make in their communities to big leaps that have an impact on federal legislation, CCFA has the support of the most powerful advocate in America -- you.

Resources for More Information on the Legislative Process

http://thomas.loc.gov (note no www): Information on federal legislation, including full text of bills and bill status
http://congress.indiana.edu: Web site for the Center on Congress at Indiana University, which was created to improve the public's understanding of Congress
www.c-span.org: Provides information on public access to the political process; news about Congress
http://www.loc.gov: The Library of Congress Web site; this library functions as the research arm of Congress
www.senate.gov and www.house.gov: These are the home pages of the Senate and the House of Representatives, where you will find information on the policies and procedures, and the members of Congress.