Congress for Kids: [Legislative Branch]: Making Laws

Legislative Branch

Introduction House of Representatives The Senate Making Laws The Veto

Join Our Mailing List!

Receive information about any changes to Congress for Kids and the other seven sites in The Dirksen Center's Web suite!

Can Congress write any law it wants?

Do you think that the two houses of Congress are a good idea? Does this system seem fair? If not who benefits?

If both houses of Congress pass a compromise bill, where does it go?

14 Units to Learn How a Bill Becomes a Law

Making Laws

Print these trivia questions and write a complete sentence to answer each question.

Play More

Every session of Congress begins with a prayer by a paid preacher whose salary has been paid by the taxpayer since 1777.

Projects You Can Do

Children and teens often see laws as big don'ts that someone has imposed upon them to take away their freedom. This project idea will give you a chance to visualize the step-by-step process of how an idea becomes a law and how involved the process is.

Make a list of the 14 steps of a "Bill to law." Write out the three actions the President may take and explain each. Think about the definition of the term "override." With a friend or alone decide on a motif or theme for a poster. Create a poster by arranging the motif or theme to illustrate the steps of a bill to become a law.

Awards