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Parliamentary Education Office, 2011. Please visit the Image Library page for important information about use of images.

Description

This diagram illustrates the path of a bill through the federal parliament to become Australian law.

In the House of Representatives a bill goes through the following stages:

• 1st reading—the bill is introduced to the House of Representatives.
• 2nd reading—members debate and vote on the main idea of the bill.
• House committee*—public inquiry into the bill and reporting back to the House.
• Consideration in detail*—members discuss the bill in detail, including any changes to the bill.
• 3rd reading—members vote on the bill in its final form.
• The bill is passed in the House of Representatives and sent to the Senate.

In the Senate a bill goes through the following stages:

• 1st reading—the bill is introduced to the Senate.
• 2nd reading—senators debate and vote on the main idea of the bill.
• Senate committee*—public inquiry into the bill and reporting back to the Senate.
• Committee of the whole*—senators discuss the bill in detail, including any changes to the bill.
• 3rd reading—senators vote on the bill in its final form.
• The bill is passed in the Senate.

The bill is given Royal Assent—The Governor-General signs the bill.

The bill becomes an Act of Parliament—a law for Australia.