The Long Road of a Bill: teacher key

How Laws Are Made, grade 9 edition, written for 9th grade. A bill starts as an idea. It goes to committees, then the House and the Senate, and then the president. Courts can overturn laws that go against the Constitution, and cities and states make laws too.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. What does a House committee do in a mark-up session?
   • Members vote to accept or reject changes (answer)
   • The president signs the bill
   • Witnesses vote on the bill
2. What does Congress need to override a veto?
   • A simple majority in one house
   • A two-thirds vote in each house (answer)
   • The Supreme Court's approval
3. A bill passes the House and the Senate in different versions. What can settle the differences?
   • A conference committee of members from both (answer)
   • A regular veto
   • A slip law
4. Which kind of bill can only be started in the House?
   • A bill about parks
   • A bill about taxes or raising money (answer)
   • A bill about courts
5. In this passage, what does "override" mean: "Congress can sometimes vote to override the veto"?
   • To ignore it and sign nothing
   • To set it aside and make the bill a law (answer)
   • To send it back to a committee

Words

• committee: lawmaker study group
• amendments: changes
• enrolled: final passed copy
• veto: say no
• override: overrule a veto
• ordinances: local laws