Does the entire senate vote on federal and state bills?
The U.S. Senate only votes on federal bills. It has nothing to do with state bills.
Thank you. Who votes on state bills?
State legislatures vote on state bills.
In the United States, the Senate is part of the legislative branch of the federal government. It is responsible for reviewing, amending, and voting on bills that are proposed as laws. However, the Senate primarily focuses on federal legislation, meaning bills that affect the entire country rather than specific states.
When it comes to state bills, the Senate at the federal level does not directly vote on or decide the fate of those bills. Each state has its own separate legislative body—usually referred to as a state legislature—that is responsible for proposing, debating, and voting on bills that apply specifically to that state.
To understand how bills become law, let's break it down into two scenarios:
1. Federal Bills:
- A bill is introduced in either the Senate or the House of Representatives. Once introduced, it goes through several stages such as committee review, amendments, and debates.
- If the bill passes successfully in one chamber, it moves on to the other chamber of Congress (House to Senate or vice versa) to undergo a similar process.
- If the bill is approved by both the House and the Senate, it goes to the President for consideration. The President can either sign the bill into law or veto it.
- If the President vetoes the bill, it can still become law if both the House and the Senate vote to override the veto with a two-thirds majority in each chamber.
2. State Bills:
- A bill is introduced in a state legislature. The process varies from state to state, but generally involves committee review, floor debate, and voting in both the state Senate and the state House of Representatives.
- If the bill is approved by both chambers of the state legislature, it is sent to the state's governor for consideration.
- The governor can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action. The ability for state legislatures to override a veto varies by state.
So, to answer your question, while the entire Senate does vote on federal bills, it does not directly vote on state bills. State bills are decided by the respective state legislatures and governors.