the long process

• An idea for a bill may come from anybody, however only Members of Congress can introduce a bill in Congress. Bills can be introduced at any time the House is in session.
• There are four basic types of legislation: bills; joint resolutions; concurrent resolutions; and simple resolutions.
• A bill's type must be determined. A private bill affects a specific person or organization rather than the population at large. A public bill is one that affects the general public.
• Bills can be introduced whenever the House is in session.
• In the House, bills are officially introduced by placing them in a special box known as the hopper, which is located at the rostrum, or Speaker's platform. In the Senate, a bill is introduced by placing it on the presiding officer's desk or by formally introducing it on the Senate Floor.
• In the House, a bill clerk assigns the bill a number. House bills begin with "H.R." Resolutions begin with "H. Res.," "H. Con. Res.," or "H. J. Res," depending what type they are. Senate bills begin with "S."
• A bill can come to the House Floor for consideration in a variety of ways. Many House bills are debated through a parliamentary device known as the Committee of the Whole, which is a mechanism that permits faster consideration.
• Floor action begins and Members debate the bill.
• The conduct of debate is dictated by the Rules of the House generally, and may also be governed by a special rule granted specifically for the bill under consideration.
• Following debate, the second reading of the bill begins in a section-by-section manner, during which amendments may be offered.
• At the conclusion of all amendment debate, the bill is read a third time.
• Next, the House is ready to vote on the bill.
• The first reading of a bill means the bill's title is read on the House Floor. The bill is then referred to a committee for markup.
• The Library of Congress then receives an electronic copy of the bill and posts the bill and its status on THOMAS, a public website.
• The bill is read by title only and put to a vote.
• Members in attendance will vote to pass or not to pass the bill.
• Members most often vote electronically in the House Chamber using the Electronic Voting System. Members of the Senate cast their votes by non-electronic means.
• Roll Call votes cast by the U.S. House of Representatives are recorded in the House Journal, the Congressional Record, and posted on the website of the Clerk of the House.
• Members may vote "Yea" for approval, "Nay" for disapproval, or "Present" to record that they were in attendance but chose not to vote.
• If a majority of the House votes to pass the bill, the bill is then referred to the Senate to undergo a similar process of approval.
• When a bill passes in the House and Senate and is sent to the President for a signature, it is said to be enrolled.
• The President can take one of several possible actions:
  • The president may take no action. If Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law after ten days.
  • A pocket veto occurs when the president takes no action and Congress has adjourned its session. In this case, the bill dies and does not become a law.
  • The president may decide that the bill is unwise or unnecessary and veto the bill.
  • The president may sign the bill, and the bill becomes law.
• The THOMAS website indicates when a bill is sent to the President and whether it becomes law.
• Then Finally................................

After much  work  On December 20, Governor Christine Todd Whitman signed into immediate effect Bill #S1378, the long awaited funding initiative proposed through cooperative efforts of the New Jersey (NJ) Fish and Game Council  and the Disabled Vetrans.