As we near the end of the year, it's good to review the bills that have been tabled and passed in the House of Assembly and Senate. This information can be found on the Bermuda Parliament website at www.parliament.bm.

More specifically, House bills going back to 2010 can be viewed here, where 2016 bills are listed here. Senate bills going back to 2010 can be found on this page, where 2016 bills are listed here.

Below is a snapshot of both:



As a refresher on how a bill becomes a law, this is the summary from the parliamentary website:

Most Bills go through the same stages in both Houses. Bills can also start in either House, but traditionally bills are tabled in the House of Assembly. Once a bill has passed through one House, the bill will then be signed by the Speaker and sent to the Senate. The bill will then go through the same stages as listed below. After the bill has been approved in both Houses, it will go to the Premier and then to the Attorney General Chambers for review and then finally sent on to the Governor where it will be signed and then assent.

The Reading Process of a Bill

First Reading – Formal Presentation

Second Reading – House Debate on General Principle

Committee – Detailed examination of clauses and proposed amendments

Report – Consideration of Committee amendments and the opportunity to implement any additional changes

Third Reading – Final Debate on Bill as a whole

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.