Hopper

The hopper is the box on the House floor into which Members drop bills to introduce them. As the House historian’s office describes it, Representatives introduce bills by placing them in the bill hopper attached to the side of the Clerk’s desk in the Chamber — the term comes from the funnel-shaped containers that feed grain or material into a mill.

Example: The House’s own collection records the bill hopper used on the House floor: bills deposited in it are formally introduced when the Clerk numbers them and refers them to committee (history.house.gov).

Common misconception: Dropping a bill in the hopper is only the act of introduction — it does not mean the bill has been read, debated, or voted on. A bill’s path to the floor runs through committee consideration first, and most introduced bills never reach a vote.

Sources: Bill Hopper | U.S. House of Representatives, History, Art & Archives