What The Vote

To reauthorize permanently the use of penalty and franked mail in efforts relating to the location and recovery of missing children.

109-hr4416 109th Congress House Became Public Law No: 109-426. Died in Committee

To reauthorize permanently the use of penalty and franked mail in efforts relating to the location and recovery of missing children.

Timeline

Rep. Millender-McDonald, Juanita [D-CA-37]
Sponsor
Rep. Millender-McDonald, Juanita [D-CA-37] (D), CA
Cosponsors
70 cosponsors
Introduced
2005-11-18
Committees
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee; Oversight and Accountability Committee; Committee on House Administration
Subjects
Congress; Congressional mail; Crime and Law Enforcement; Criminal justice information; Families; Franking privilege; Government publications; Missing children; Postal service

Bill Activity

House
Referred to the Committee on Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S11548)
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H4532)
Senate
Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
President
Presented to President.
Became Public Law No: 109-426.

How a Bill Becomes a Law

The typical path from introduction to law. Every bill's actual journey (above) may skip steps or stop early — most never make it past committee.

  1. 1
    Introduced

    A member files the bill in the House or Senate.

  2. 2
    Committee Review

    Referred to committee for hearings, markup, and a vote to advance it.

  3. 3
    Floor Vote

    The full chamber debates and votes on passage.

  4. 4
    Second Chamber

    If passed, it repeats committee review and a floor vote in the other chamber.

  5. 5
    Resolve Differences

    If the chambers pass different versions, a conference reconciles them.

  6. 6
    Sent to President

    The reconciled bill is enrolled and delivered to the White House.

  7. 7
    Signed or Vetoed

    Becomes law with a signature, or automatically after 10 days.

    ✓ Becomes Law ✗ Vetoed
    Stalled here

A veto can still be overridden by a two-thirds vote in both chambers. And once a bill is signed into law, further changes come from new amending legislation — not edits to the original text.

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