US Civics Deep-Dive — How a Bill Becomes a Law (14 Stages) + Mock-Congress Simulation Tracing Civil Rights Act of 1964

iCivics 'LawCraft' 5-min game intro. Display MG-21. Read aloud LBJ July 2 1964 signing statement: 'We believe that all men are created equal. Yet many are denied equal treatment.'

• Play iCivics LawCraft 5 min
• Display MG-21
• Recite TWELVE PROMISES

Today is G8-DEEP civics deep-dive. HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW via mock-Congress simulation. 14 STAGES per MG-21: (1) Idea + drafting — anyone can draft; only Senator or Representative can sponsor; (2) Introduction in House (Speaker drops in hopper) OR Senate (Senator reads on floor or introduces in writing); House bills HR + Senate bills S; (3) Committee referral — Speaker (House) or Presiding Officer (Senate) refers to standing committee with jurisdiction (House has 21 standing committees + Senate 16); (4) Subcommittee hearing + markup — witnesses testify + experts heard + bill examined line-by-line; majority of bills die here (~95%); (5) Full committee markup + vote — committee amendments + 'reported' to floor with committee report; (6) Reported to floor; HOUSE: Rules Committee sets terms of debate (closed rule = no amendments; open rule = amendments; modified rule); SENATE: usually proceeds by unanimous-consent agreement; (7) Floor debate + amendments + vote — House voting via electronic voting (15-min open period); Senate by voice or roll call; House majority 218 / Senate 51; SENATE FILIBUSTER — Rule 22 (1917) allows unlimited debate unless 60 votes for CLOTURE (lowered from 67 in 1975); 2013 Reid nuclear option lowered to 51 for executive + judicial nominations except SCOTUS; 2017 McConnell extended to SCOTUS; (8) Sent to other chamber; (9) Other chamber repeats stages 3-7; if amended, returns to original chamber; (10) Conference Committee reconciles differences (House + Senate members); (11) Both chambers vote on conference report; (12) President signs OR vetoes OR pocket-vetoes (10 days, Sundays excluded — if Congress adjourns within 10 days unsigned bill dies = 'pocket veto'); SIGNING STATEMENTS Reagan-era expansion clarifying executive interpretation; (13) If vetoed: 2/3 override House + Senate (rare — ~7% of vetoes overridden); (14) Law published Public Law (PL) number + Statutes at Large + codified into US Code Title XXX. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 traced through all 14 stages: KENNEDY proposed June 19 1963 after George Wallace Univ Alabama standoff + MLK Letter from Birmingham Jail + Birmingham Children's Crusade; STAGE 1-2: drafted by Justice Dept Burke Marshall + Nicholas Katzenbach; H.R. 7152 introduced June 19 1963 by Rep. Emanuel Celler (D-NY); STAGE 3-5: Celler House Judiciary Committee — bipartisan markup; reported Oct 26 1963; STAGE 6: Rules Committee — Howard Smith (D-VA Segregationist Chair) refused for 3 months → Discharge Petition route discussed → Smith released Jan 30 1964; STAGE 7 House: passed Feb 10 1964 290-130 ~10 hours debate; STAGE 8-9 Senate: Title II public-accommodations + Title VII employment + Title VI federal-funding key provisions; SENATE FILIBUSTER 54 DAYS (March 30 – June 10 1964) led by Sen. Richard Russell (D-GA Southern bloc 18 senators); MANSFIELD MAJORITY LEADER + DIRKSEN (R-IL Minority Leader) + HUMPHREY (D-MN Majority Whip) lined up 67 votes (then-threshold); CLOTURE INVOKED JUNE 10 1964 71-29 (first successful civil-rights cloture in Senate history); Senate passage June 19 1964 73-27 ~3 months total floor consideration; STAGE 10 House accepted Senate amendments (no Conference Committee needed); STAGE 12 LBJ SIGNED JULY 2 1964 telecast prime-time televised White House East Room with MLK + Rosa Parks + Roy Wilkins present + JFK family members + Hubert Humphrey + ceremonial pens distributed; STAGE 14: PUBLIC LAW 88-352 + 78 Stat. 241 + codified Title 42 USC Chapters 21-21G. SUBSEQUENT CHALLENGES: HEART OF ATLANTA MOTEL v. UNITED STATES 379 U.S. 241 (Dec 14 1964) SCOTUS unanimously upheld Title II under Commerce Clause; KATZENBACH v. McCLUNG 379 U.S. 294 (Dec 14 1964) same — Ollie's Barbecue Birmingham AL. iCivics 'LawCraft' simulation lets students draft + amend + filibuster + pass a sample bill via avatars representing different demographics + districts + party affiliations.

• Committees gatekeep.

  model ~95% of introduced bills die in committee per CRS. Committees are the substantive work; floor is final. Committee chairs (selected by majority party + seniority traditionally) gatekeep. Per Q1 + Q6 silences.

  prompt Why most bills die in committee?
• Procedure shapes outcomes.

  model Filibuster Rule 22 1917 + 67-vote (now 60-vote) cloture threshold + Southern bloc historically used filibuster to block ~200+ antilynching + civil-rights bills 1882-1964 (per EJI 2017 + Wells 1890s campaign). Civil Rights Act of 1964 cloture June 10 1964 71-29 first successful civil-rights cloture. Per Q12 PRESENT-CONNECTION: ongoing filibuster reform debate.

  prompt Why Senate filibuster matters for civil rights?

• Name 5 of 14 stages.
• Date CRA 1964 cloture + signing.
• Why do most bills die in committee?

M-8-S-CIV-19-A Diagram

36x48 wall poster; 14 stages numbered + visualized as flowchart with House + Senate parallel tracks + Conference Committee + President + Override paths; Civil Rights Act of 1964 traced through all 14 stages including 54-day filibuster + cloture June 10 1964 + LBJ signing July 2 1964; Public Law 88-352 + 78 Stat. 241 + Title 42 USC.

MG-21 Diagram

MG-21 US CIVICS DEEP-DIVE — HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW (14 stages) wall poster — 36x48; STAGE 1 Idea + drafting; STAGE 2 Introduction in House OR Senate (sponsor required); STAGE 3 Committee referral (Speaker / President pro tempore); STAGE 4 Subcommittee hearing + markup; STAGE 5 Full committee markup + vote; STAGE 6 Reported to floor + Rules Committee (House); STAGE 7 Floor debate + amendments + vote (simple majority House 218 / Senate 51 OR cloture 60 to end filibuster); STAGE 8 Sent to other chamber; STAGE 9 Other chamber repeats stages 3-7; STAGE 10 Conference Committee reconciles differences; STAGE 11 Both chambers vote on conference report; STAGE 12 President signs OR vetoes (10 days); STAGE 13 If vetoed: 2/3 override House + Senate; STAGE 14 Law published Public Law number + Statutes at Large; example: Civil Rights Act of 1964 traced through all 14 stages with 54-day Senate filibuster + cloture June 10 1964 + LBJ signing July 2 1964.

M-8-S-CIV-19-B Photograph

Photograph LBJ signing Civil Rights Act of 1964 in East Room of White House July 2 1964 with MLK + Rosa Parks + Roy Wilkins + Hubert Humphrey + JFK family + ceremonial pens; caption naming MLK receiving pen + LBJ-Russell relationship.

• Groups of 6: assigned roles (sponsor + opposition senator + committee chair + Rules Committee + president + lobbyist) for mock-Congress simulation passing a sample bill (instructor provides bill stub on a school-uniform-policy or local issue).

  scaffold Role cards + iCivics LawCraft templates
• Each group documents 14 stages they traversed (or where their bill died).

  scaffold Pre-printed 14-stage tracking sheet

• Name 5 of 14 stages.
• Date CRA 1964 signing.
• Apply Q12 to contemporary filibuster reform.

• Add 1 sticky to MG-6
• Preview Lesson 20: Supreme Court Process mock-Brown re-argument

• Play iCivics LawCraft simulation home + bring 1 paragraph reflecting on how stages 6-7-8 differ House vs Senate.