Final answer:
An idea becomes a bill when a senator or representative decides to introduce it to Congress. The bill must then pass through committees and both chambers of Congress, with debates and amendments, before it can become law. The correct option is B. a senator or representative decides to introduce it to congress.
Step-by-step explanation:
An idea becomes a bill when a senator or representative decides to introduce it to Congress. The process begins when a legislator drafts legislation, which may be influenced by various sources such as constituents, interest groups, think tanks, or personal initiatives. In the U.S. House of Representatives, a representative introduces a bill by placing it in the hopper. This stage is where the bill receives its official number and title, marking its formal introduction to the legislative body.
The sponsor of the bill, who may be the original drafter or other supportive legislators, advocates for the bill's passage through committees and, eventually, the entire legislative chamber. Committees play a crucial role by conducting hearings, debating, amending, and voting on the legislation before it can proceed. At every stage, consensus is required for the bill to advance, and it must pass through both chambers of Congress—in identical form—before being sent to the president for final approval.Most bills, however, never make it past the committee review and are often tabled, effectively ending their journey.
Those that do make it through committees will go through a series of debates and amendments on the floor of the respective chamber. Should the bill pass one chamber, it moves onto the next, and if successful there as well, both versions are reconciled before the final version is voted on and potentially becomes law.