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Task 2. Read and translate the text. Write a list of words, unknown to
you. Use your dictionary to check their meaning.

How a Bill Becomes a Law
The legislative branch – Congress- consists of the Senate and the
House of Representatives. Congress makes all laws and each House of
Congress has the power to introduce legislation.
The Senate and the House of Representatives meet in session each
year to create new laws, change existing laws and enact budgets for the
State. The members of the House and Senate offer legislation, or bills, for
consideration. Once a member introduces a bill, the legislative process
begins. The process has a number of specific steps. Bills must have three
readings in each House in order to pass the Legislature.
The first thing that happens to bills on the “floor” is introduction and
referral to committee. When a Senator or a Representative introduces a
bill, he sends it to the clerk of his House, who gives it a number and a title.
This is the first reading of the bill.
Most of the work of Congress is carried out in Committees. The
committee may decide the bill unwise or unnecessary and table it, thus
killing it at once. Or it may decide the bill is worthwhile and hold hearing
to listen to facts and opinions presented by the experts. After members of
the Committee have debated the bill and perhaps offered amendments, a
vote is taken, and if the vote is favorable, the bill is sent back to the house.
The clerk reads the bill sentence by sentence to the house and this is
known as the second reading.
It is on the second reading that the chamber discusses the merits of
the legislation. It is here, too where members can offer amendments to the
bill. In the House of Representatives, the time for debate is limited by a
closure rule, but there is no such restriction in the Senate.
The third reading is by title only and the bill is put to vote. The bill
then goes to the other house of Congress, where it may be defeated or
passed with or without amendments. If the bill is defeated, it dies. If it is
passed with amendments, a joint Congressional committee must be
appointed by both Houses to iron out the differences. After its final
passage by both Houses, the bill is sent to the President. If he approves the
bill, he signs it and the bill becomes a law. If the President disapproves, he

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