Legislation is a set of laws that governing bodies (such as Parliament) enact to govern how people and organisations behave. Legislation aims to ensure order, justice and fairness within society by establishing standards and providing a framework for regulating behaviour.

The process of turning a policy idea into legislation is complex and requires a broad range of expertise. Ideally, the legislative development and coordination team should comprise individuals with policy, legal, drafting and operational experience.

Once a legislative proposal is ready for consideration, it is sent to the Legislative Counsel’s Office to be drafted into an actual bill. The draft bill is returned to the legislator who writes a brief description of its purpose and desired effect in addition to any amendments that are being sought. Members of the legislature can also ask for their bills to be reviewed by other persons or groups that originally provided them with the idea.

After a bill has been drafted, it is read in the House or Senate (often with a number attached that indicates its place in the process) at an open session that is called the first reading. The bill is then referred to one or more committees that specialise in the subject matter of the bill. The committee will study the bill and hold public hearings. In some cases, the committee will refer the bill to a subcommittee to further study and make amendments.

Once the committee has finished with a bill, it is reported to the floor (meaning that the bill will be debated in the House or Senate) and the Members of the House or Senate can vote on whether to pass it or not. If the bill is passed by both houses of Congress, it is enrolled (officially changed to an Act) and sent to the President for signing.