Question

A bill passes the House of Representatives and is sent to the Senate. The Senate also passes the bill, but with a series of minor changes from the original version sent over from the House of Representatives. What is the next

step for the bill before it becomes law?
A. The amended bill goes back to the committee that originally reviewed the bill,
B. The amended bill must go back to the House of Representatives for a new vote of approval.
C. Both bills go to the president who decides which one to sign.
D. Both bills are rejected and bill's sponsors start over

Answer 1

The bill with minor changes from the Senate would either be accepted by the House or go through further amendments. Failing consensus, a conference committee resolves the differences. Once agreed upon, the bill is presented to the President for approval or veto.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a bill passes the House of Representatives and the Senate with minor changes, the next step is for the two chambers to agree on identical language for the bill. This can be done by the House accepting the Senate's changes or by further amending and sending it back to the Senate. If a consensus cannot be reached in this manner, the bill may be sent to a conference committee which harmonizes the differences between the two versions of the bill. Once a unified version of the bill has been achieved, it is then sent to the President for signature. If the President approves the bill, they sign it, and it becomes law. If the President vetoes the bill, it is sent back to Congress where a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate is required to override the veto and pass the bill into law.