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Law and Legislation: Bills

What are Bills?

Bills are proposals for new legislation or to amend existing legislation.

Bills are read 3 times in Parliament before becoming statutes.

Public or Private?

Public Bills

These are proposals for laws that will affect the public in general. Most public bills are introduced by Government Ministers. Bills sponsored by the Government are numbered from C-1 to C-200 in order of presentation. If they are introduced first in the Senate, they are numbered starting S-1.

Private Bills

These are limited in scope: they concern an individual or group of individuals only. They confer a right on some person or group, or relieve them of a responsibility.

British Columbia

Federal

Other Provinces