<p> How a Bill becomes a Law</p><p>Of the thousands of bills introduced in each session of Congress, only a few hundred become law. Many of them “die” before they get through all of the stages required for final passage. These stages are summarized in the nine statements below, but they are out of order. Rearrange them in the proper order by placing the letters identifying each stage in order in the blanks at the top of the list. If you do it correctly, the letters will spell the name of the group sometimes referred to as the “third house of Congress.”</p><p>______1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9</p><p>B The committee records the bill in final form and sends it to the floor, where it is put on a calendar. </p><p>I In the second house, the bill goes through a committee again. Then, if it passes in the same form, it is sent to the President. If it passes in a different form, it goes to Conference Committee.</p><p>B The bill is read on the floor, debated, and possibly amended.</p><p>L The bill is introduced in one of the houses of Congress, assigned a number, printed, and sent to the proper committee. </p><p>O The committee decides to work on the bill or pigeonhole it (lay it aside). If it decides to proceed, it turns in over to a subcommittee, which holds hearings, then returns the bill to the committee with recommendations.</p><p>S If the President Vetoes the bill, Congress can override the veto by a 2/3 vote of both houses.</p><p>S If the committees of the two houses pass a bill in different forms, then the bill goes to a conference committee, where differences are ironed out before it is sent to the President.</p><p>T The President may sign the bill, let it become law without his signature, or veto it.</p><p>Y The bill is voted upon by the members of the house in which it originated; if it passes, it goes to the other house.</p>