Bills
- What is a Bill?
- What is an Explanatory Memorandum?
- What is a Statement of Compatibility?
- How do I find out if a Bill is being drafted?
- How do I find out if a Bill has been introduced into Parliament?
- How do I find out what stage a Bill is at in Parliament?
- How do I obtain a copy of a Bill?
- What is the Royal Assent?
1. What is a Bill?
A Bill is a proposed law (or statute, or piece of legislation) that is introduced into Parliament but has not yet been passed. If passed and given Royal Assent, it becomes an Act.
Further information on the Parliamentary procedure for the passage of Bills is available at www.parliament.vic.gov.au.
2. What is an Explanatory Memorandum?
Each Bill that is introduced into Parliament has an explanatory memorandum at the front of the Bill that explains what the Bill is about.
When a Bill becomes an Act, the explanatory memorandum is not always printed with the Act, but it is included with the Act in the Bound Volume of Acts (from 1999 Vol. 3).
3. What is a Statement of Compatibility?
The Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 requires that a statement of compatibility be prepared for each Bill that is introduced into Parliament (see section 28 of the Charter at www.legislation.vic.gov.au). This requirement applies to all Bills introduced on or after 1 January 2007.
The statement of compatibility for a Bill is tabled before the member introducing the Bill gives the second reading speech for the Bill, and is incorporated into Hansard. You can view the statement of compatibility for a Bill by accessing the home page of the Bill (Parliamentary Documents under Bills at www.legislation.vic.gov.au).
4. How do I find out if a Bill is being drafted?
For information about whether a Bill on a particular subject is being drafted or for any information about a particular Bill, you should contact the responsible Department.
For reasons of confidentiality, OCPC is not able to advise you whether or not a particular Bill or a Bill on a particular subject is being drafted.
5. How do I find out if a Bill has been introduced into Parliament?
To find out whether a Bill has been introduced into Parliament, you can check electronically by:
- accessing the Status of Bills List (Parliamentary Documents under Bills Status List at www.legislation.vic.gov.au)
- accessing the home page of all Bills currently before the Parliament of Victoria (Parliamentary Documents under Bills at www.legislation.vic.gov.au)
- subscribing to the Victorian Legislation Update
For hard copy availability, see General Questions No.3.
6. How do I find out what stage a Bill is at in Parliament?
To find out what stage a Bill is at in Parliament, you can check electronically by:
- accessing the Status of Bills List (see Parliamentary Documents under Bills Status List at www.legislation.vic.gov.au)
- accessing the home page of all Bills currently before the Parliament of Victoria (see Parliamentary Documents under Bills at www.legislation.vic.gov.au)
For hard copy availability, see General Questions No.3.
7. How do I obtain a copy of a Bill?
You can obtain an electronic copy of a Bill by accessing the home page of all Bills currently before the Parliament of Victoria (see Parliamentary Documents under Bills at www.legislation.vic.gov.au).
For hard copy availability, see General Questions No.3.
Copies of Bills can also be obtained from the Parliament of Victoria.
8. What is the Royal Assent?
The Parliament of Victoria consists of the Legislative Council, Legislative Assembly and the Queen.
The Royal Assent is when the Governor of Victoria, representing the Queen, assents to the Bill.
