In this article
Every two years, members of the US Congress introduce thousands of bills. Most people assume that a bill is a serious attempt to change the law. Many are. But the numbers show something surprising: about nine in ten bills never get past the first step.
This guide follows the bills of the last full Congress, the 118th (2023 to 2025), to show where they stopped. If you want the basic steps first, read how a bill becomes law.
Key facts
- 19,315: bills and resolutions introduced in the 118th Congress.
- 274 (1%): became law as separate bills.
- 626 (3%): became law if you count bills whose text was folded into other laws.
- 17,565 (91%): were introduced, and sometimes reviewed by a committee, but went no further.
The numbers, step by step
The website GovTrack, which tracks every bill in Congress, sorts each one by its final status. Here is the breakdown for the 118th Congress.
| Final status | Number | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Enacted as law | 274 | 1% |
| Enacted, including text folded into other laws | 626 | 3% |
| Resolutions passed | 735 | 4% |
| Got a major vote in one chamber, but not enacted | 685 | 4% |
| Failed a vote | 43 | under 1% |
| Vetoed, with no override | 13 | under 1% |
| No action after introduction or committee | 17,565 | 91% |
The pattern is not new. In the 117th Congress (2021 to 2023), 365 of 17,817 bills and resolutions were enacted, about 2%. GovTrack also notes that since World War II, Congress has typically passed 4 to 6 million words of new law every two years. The difference is that it now does so in fewer, much larger bills.
Stop 1: The committee
After a bill is introduced, it is sent to a committee that covers its subject. The committee chair decides whether to hold hearings, make changes and vote on it. If the chair takes no action, the bill simply sits there. Congress.gov explains that committees are where most of the detailed work on legislation happens, and also where most bills end.
Committees have limited time and staff. A committee may receive hundreds of bills in a single Congress but act on only a few dozen. Chairs usually pick the ones that leaders of the majority party support.
Stop 2: Getting time on the floor
Even a bill that clears committee needs time for a vote in the full House or Senate. In the House, the majority leadership and the Rules Committee control which bills come up and how they are debated. A bill without leadership support rarely reaches the floor.
Stop 3: The Senate’s 60-vote hurdle
In the Senate, most bills can be blocked by a filibuster, which means extending debate to stop a vote. Ending a filibuster requires a vote called cloture. Under Senate rules, cloture on most legislation needs three-fifths of senators, which is 60 out of 100. Since neither party usually holds 60 seats, most major bills need some support from both sides.
Stop 4: The other chamber and the president
A bill must pass both the House and the Senate in exactly the same form. If the two versions differ, they must be reconciled and passed again. Then the president can sign it or veto it. In the 118th Congress, 13 bills were vetoed and the veto was not overridden.
Why so many bills are introduced anyway
If most bills go nowhere, why write them? There are several reasons, and many of them are not about passing that exact bill.
- Showing a position. A bill tells voters and interest groups where a member stands, even if it has no chance this year.
- Starting a debate. Some ideas take several Congresses to build support. Bills that die at the end of one Congress are often introduced again in the next.
- Getting into a bigger bill. Many small bills end up as sections of large packages, such as the annual defence bill or spending bills. That is why GovTrack’s “including text folded into other laws” count is more than twice the plain number.
- Responding to events. After a crisis or a news story, several members may introduce similar bills at once. Only one, at most, can move forward.
How to judge whether a bill has a real chance
When you see a headline that a bill has been introduced, these questions help you judge whether it matters.
- Is the sponsor in the majority party, or a committee chair?
- Does it have co-sponsors from both parties?
- Has the committee held a hearing or a vote on it?
- Do the leaders of the House and Senate support it?
- Is there a companion bill in the other chamber?
If the answer to most of these is no, the bill is probably a statement of intent rather than a law in the making.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of bills become law?
In the 118th Congress (2023 to 2025), about 1% of bills and resolutions were enacted as separate laws. Counting bills whose text was folded into other laws, the figure was about 3%.
What happens to a bill that is not passed?
It dies when the two-year Congress ends. To try again, a member must introduce it as a new bill in the next Congress.
Why does the Senate need 60 votes?
Most bills can be filibustered. Under Senate rules, ending debate on most legislation (cloture) needs three-fifths of senators, which is 60 when all 100 seats are filled. Some budget bills and nominations follow different rules.
For how other systems pass laws when no party has a majority, read our guide to how coalition governments work, or browse the Law section.
