How is a federal bill passed into law? How Laws Are Made How is a federal bill passed into law?

What is a bill? Bill – a written proposal for a law. It is introduced in parliament and if passed becomes an act. Act – a proposed law passed by parliament

How does a bill become a law? House of Commons 1) Pre-parliamentary stage 2) First Reading 3) Second Reading 4) Committee Stage 5) Reporting Stage 6) Third Reading Senate 7) Same process as the house 8) Royal Assent and proclamation

Governor General David Johnston From a Bill to Law Governor General David Johnston House of Commons Senate

1 Pre-Parliamentary Stage An idea is proposed by a cabinet minister, private member or other source Cabinet approves the idea Civil servants investigate and lawyers help to draft the bill Cabinet and caucus approve bill

2 First Reading The bill is introduced into the House of Commons Each MP receives a copy of the bill No vote takes place Opposition parties begin to discuss what their position on the bill will be

3 Second Reading MPs debate the bill in the House of Commons Following the debate, a vote is taken If passed, the bill is approved in principle

4 Committee Stage A legislative committee involving representatives from each party is set up to debate the bill in depth Public input is heard Amendments are proposed as long as they do not alter the core of the bill

5 Reporting Stage The committee reports to the House of Commons the amendments proposed to the bill Amendments are voted on

6 Third Reading The bill with all of its amendments is read and a final vote is held This brings an end to the legislative process in the House of Commons

7 Senate The same procedures are held in the Senate Bills move through the Senate quite quickly with little discussion because Senators are not democratically elected

8 Royal Assent The Governor General recognizes the bill as a law The bill officially becomes a law after proclamation

Types of Bills Government Bills – are introduced by the governing party Public Bills – have a large impact on all Canadians Private Bills – deal with private individuals or corporations Private Member’s Bill – are introduced by individual MPs without government support

Designing a Bill Tomorrow we will be playing a bill-to-law game In preparation for the game you need to write a bill that your classmates will try to pass. This bill can be related to issues at our school or relevant to Canada Be sure to explain your bill clearly and give it a name – e.g., Clean Air Act Write your bill on a separate piece of paper with your name on it and hand it in