Steps in the Passage of a Wilderness Bill

1. Introduction of the bill by a member of Congress (usually at the request of several citizen organizations).
   
2. Referral of the bill to the proper committee, either the House Agriculture Committee or to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee, according to where the bill was introduced.
3. Review of the bill by committee staff.
4. Public hearing at Washington, D.C., held by the committee.
5. Review of hearing testimony by committee staff.
6. "Mark-up" session by the committee at which the committee makes any changes it wants in the language of the bill and then votes whether or not to "report out" the bill, i.e., whether to send it to the full House or Senate for Vote.
7. Debate and vote on the committee's bill on the floor of the House or the Senate (as the case may be).
8. If the bill is passed, then it is sent to the other body of the Congress where it is subject to Steps 2 through 7 again.
9. If the other or second body passes a bill identical to the wording of the bill passed by the first body, then the bill is considered "enacted" and is sent to the President for his signature, which makes the bill a law. Of course the President has the right to veto any act if he wishes. This kills it unless the veto is later over-ridden by a two-thirds majority vote in each body of the Congress.
10. If the bill as passed by the two bodies is not identical in wording, then it is referred to a joint House and Senate conference committee, whose job it is to compromise the differences and agree on some identical language. Then the joint committee's "conference report" is sent to the two bodies, each of which then votes whether to accept the "conference report". If both vote to accept the "conference report", the bill is thereby "enacted" and goes to the President for signing into law.