Law new is the official term for the legal process that creates a new law. It starts with a legislative proposal, a bill. Then the idea is debated and voted on. Once it’s passed, it becomes an official new law, also known as a statute. The law is a way to guide and control behavior within a society or country.
Upon passage, a bill is then published in the Statutes at Large. The enacted laws are listed by the letter NARA assigns to them, followed by their Public Law (PL) number. The PL number links to slip law texts, which include both the original bill text and the enacted version of the bill. Private bills are listed separately.
Before a bill is enacted, committee staff writes a detailed report about it. These reports describe the purpose and scope of the bill and explain why it should be approved. They also include any amendments that are being proposed and the reasons for them. The report is the most important element of a bill’s legislative history, since it helps courts and other government officials understand what the law is intended to accomplish.
In addition to a committee’s report, the legislation may contain other legislative history documents, such as legislative histories, schedules, and staff memoranda. The legislature and executive departments should make these as accessible as possible.
The Legislature declares that the people’s right to review and study the processes of governmental decision-making is fundamental to our democracy. To ensure this right, the people must be able to access all records relating to the making of those decisions. To that end, the Legislature establishes this article establishing the rights of the public to have access to information about government decision-making.
