A bill is a proposal for a new law or for a change to an existing law that is put before the legislature for consideration. Once passed by the legislature a bill becomes an act of the legislature, also known as a statute. Bills may go through a number of stages before they are enacted into law. These include the “first reading” stage where the clerical officers read the contents of the bill to the legislators and where there is minimal discussion or voting. After this the bill is considered in a committee, if it passes this stage it goes to another house and then back to the original house for final consideration before it becomes an act of parliament.
Some bills are subject to a constitutional review, this is where the Constitutional Court examines the bill to see if it would violate the Constitution. This process can take a long time and sometimes a bill will not pass through this stage. Some bills are also subject to a president’s veto, where he or she can disallow some parts of the bill but allow other parts of it.
The contents of a bill are written in a document called a Bill Book, which includes the title, short title and the text of the bill. The bill is also numbered and divided into SECTIONS (Sec) each one being a specific part of the law that the bill would enact or amend. When reading a bill it is important to know that references inside quotes are to the existing statute that the amendment is being made to.
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