Conference Committees, Presidential Action and Laws

Conferees

Senators appointed to serve on conference committees. They are also called "managers." Conferees are usually appointed from the committee or committees that reported the legislation; they are expected to try and uphold the Senate’s position on measures when they negotiate with conferees from the other body.

Conference Committee

A temporary, ad hoc panel composed of House and Senate conferees which is formed for the purpose of reconciling differences in legislation that has passed both chambers. Conference committees are usually convened to resolve bicameral differences on major and controversial legislation.

Conference Report

The compromise product negotiated by the conference committee. The "conference report," which is printed and available to Senators, is submitted to each chamber for its consideration, such as approval or disapproval.

Enacted

Once legislation has passed both chambers of Congress in identical form, been signed into law by the President, become law without his signature, or passed over his veto, the legislation is enacted.

Override of a Veto

The process by which each chamber of Congress votes on a bill vetoed by the President. To pass a bill over the President’s objections requires a two-thirds vote in each Chamber. Historically, Congress has overridden fewer than ten percent of all presidential vetoes.

Pocket Veto

The Constitution grants the President 10 days to review a measure passed by the Congress. If the President has not signed the bill after 10 days, it becomes law without his signature. However, if Congress adjourns during the 10-day period, the bill does not become law.

Presidential Signature

A proposed law passed by Congress must be presented to the President, who then has 10 days to approve or disapprove it. The President signs bills he supports, making them law. He vetoes a bill by returning it to the house in which it began, usually with a written message. Normally, bills he neither signs nor vetoes within 10 days become law without his signature.

Private Law

A private bill enacted into law. Private laws have restricted applicability, often addressing immigration and naturalization issues affecting individuals.

Public Law

A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.

Slip Law

A few days after a law has been enacted, it is officially published first as a "slip law." Slip laws are unbound and printed on one or a few pages of paper.

Statutes at Large

A chronological listing of the laws enacted each Congress. They are published in volumes numbered by Congress.

Veto

The procedure established under the Constitution by which the President refuses to approve a bill or joint resolution and thus prevents its enactment into law. A regular veto occurs when the President returns the legislation to the house in which it originated. The President usually returns a vetoed bill with a message indicating his reasons for rejecting the measure. The veto can be overridden only by a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House.