Assuming you
are referring to US federal laws, the legislative branch of the federal government is the US
Congress.
The Congress is formed by two legislative bodies (houses). These
are the US House of Representatives and the US Senate. Representatives for the two houses are
elected, and anyone elected to either can propose new laws.
The proposal for
a new law is called a bill, and once it is introduced, members of the House of Representatives
or of the Senate will meet to discuss it or make changes to it. The House which met for the
discussion will then vote on the bill; if it is approved, the bill is then presented to the
other body and will go through a similar process.
When the bill has been
approved by both houses, it will be presented to the president, who can approve it and make it
into a law or choose to directly veto it within ten days. In case of veto, the president sends
the bill back to Congress with his or her objections. If this happens, Congress can, in most
cases, override the veto and make the bill a law anyway, providing both houses pass it with a
two-thirds majority.
However, it is not possible to override a pocket veto. A
pocket veto occurs if Congress is adjourned before the president signs a bill into law within
the ten-day signing period. In this case, the bill does not become a law.
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