Introducing the Bill
Bills are first introduced when a member of either House of Congress puts the bill in the hopper (for the House) or "by being recognized by the presiding officer and announcing the bill's introduction" (311). Legislation usually starts in Congress. A president may introduce a bill, usually similar to something already proposed in Congress, after consulting with key players in Congress. A bill may either be public, a bill on general affairs, or private, a bill pertaining to a specific person (like a person seeking to become a naturalized citizen). If a bill is rejected by either House of Congress and the president signs it, all within one Congress, the bill becomes dead and has to be reintroduced into the next session of Congress.