What is Bill (proposed law)?
A '''bill''' is a proposed new [[law]] introduced within a [[legislature]] that has not been adopted. Once a bill has become law, it is thereafter an [[Statute|act]]; but in popular usage the two terms are often treated as if they meant the same. == Types of bills == Bills can be divided into: * [[public bills]], which apply to the general population * [[private bills]], which only apply to a single person or to a select group of people. If a private bill is punitive in nature, it is called a [[bill of attainder]]. * [[hybrid bills]], which combine elements of both public and private bills. Note that the concept of hybrid bills is not widely recognised outside the United Kingdom (in particular, it is expressly not recognised in Canada). * [[local bills]], which affect only a certain locality, and are often proposed by [[local government]] to the legislature == Other websites == === Hong Kong === * [http://www.legco.gov.hk/general/english/bc/bc_0408.htm Bills Committees of the Legislative Council] === New Zealand === * [http://www.knowledge-basket.co.nz/gpprint/docs/welcome.html List of current bills] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014053225/http://www.knowledge-basket.co.nz/gpprint/docs/welcome.html |date=2008-10-14 }} === United Kingdom === * BBC Parliament Guide: ** [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/bbc_parliament/2290085.stm Making new law] ** [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/bbc_parliament/2290403.stm Types of bill] ** [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/bbc_parliament/2295875.stm Bill procedure] ** [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/bbc_parliament/2297381.stm First reading] ** [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/bbc_parliament/2298827.stm Second reading] ** [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/bbc_parliament/2298941.stm Commons committee stage] ** [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/bbc_parliament/2300537.stm Lords committee stage] ** [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/bbc_parliament/2300667.stm Report stage] ** [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/bbc