Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-05-27
HOW BILLS ARE PASSED
Mr.. STILLMAN DESCRIBES PROCESS BY
WHICH A BILL BECOMES A STATUTE.
Interesting Description Of Various Stages
Through Which Measure Passes Be.
fore Being Finally Placed Upon
the Statute Books.


cial Correspondence have been
asked to describe in detail the process
by which a bill becomes a statute.
The suggestion is good one as l
fancy there are few people other than
those who have had. legislative exper-
fence, who are familiar with the
rocky route bill travels before it is
written in the book of laws. although.
of course everybody ought to know
about it.
In order that the information might
be absolutely dependable. l requested
veteran congressman to narrate the
story Of a bill and have recorded it
here in language untechnical and COM
prehensible to grammar school chill.
dren.
How is law made? We will sup
pose, just for example. that MEM
Der of the House of Representatives
decides there should be law that
railroad trains shall not run faster
than sixty miles an hour. He writes
upon sheet of paper as follows
"Be it enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives Of the
United States of America, in Con-
gress assembled, that from and after
January 1. 1909, it shall be unlawful
for any railroad or corporation or per.
son to run or operate an engine. car
or train faster than sixty miles an
hour" Then follows many details
making it plain just what is meant
and fixing penalties if the law is
violated.
This is q bill. It is folded the size
of legal document and upon the
outside is written the name of the
representative who introduces it.
what the bill is about and its number.
Then the representative places the
bill in q basket near the presiding
officer of the. House of Representatives
who is known as the speaker.
The: House1 thereafter we will refer
to the House of Representatives as the
House') is divided into nearly fifty
committees of from three to seventeen
members each. The business of these
committees is to carefully examine
every bill introduced in Congress and
report if the bill should become law
or not.
Every time bill is placed in the
basket the Speaker refers it to the
committee which is appointed to deal
with that subject. For instance, the
bill just spoken of would be sent to
the committee on railroads. A bill to
increase the army would be sent to
the committee on military affairs,
etc.
Then the bill is given to clerk
who takes it to the government print
ing office and several hundred copies
are printed so every senator and repre-
sentative can have a bill to examine.
The clerk to the committee to
which the bill is sent writes the name
of the bill and the name OF the repre-
sentative who introduced it in large
book in which all bills referred to
that committee are recorded or
"docketed. At the next meeting Of
the committee, which is held in q
room for the special use Of the CON-
mittee, the chairman calls the atten-
tion of the members Of the committee
to the bill and it is then discussed.
Representatives who are not in favor
of the bill will talk against it and
those who think it good one argue
for It. Persons who are not members
of Congress are allowed tc argue be-
fore the committee il they are inter-
ested in the bill. For example, if the
bill-making it unlawful for trains to
be run faster than sixty miles an hour
should be under consideration. Off
ciaIs of railroads would be allowed to
be present with their lawyers and
argue why such a law would be bad
and try to prove to the committee
that there was not any need for such
law
Many days and sometimes weeks are
spent in discussing the good and the
bad points in bill in the committee.
1t is here. oftentimes, that the hard
est work is done because il the bill is
beatenIin the:committee it is dead for
that session at least.
After everybody has talked and
argued as long as.theyldesire. the bill
is voted upon by the committee.
Sometimes changes, called amend
ments, are made so that..the bill final
ly favored by the committee may be
very different from the bill the repre-
sentative introduced. For example,
using the railroad bill. several men,
bers of the committee might be oppos.
ed to passing law making 1t unlaw-
full to run q train faster than sixty
miles an hour who would be in favor
of bill changing the limit OF speed
to eighty miles an hour. II the bill
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