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What Does A Good Bill Look Like?
Choosing Your Topic | Developing Your Idea | What Does A Good Bill Look Like? | Writing Your Bill | Bill Format | Bill Requirements | Banned Topics | Sample Bill | Next Steps
A Bill is proposed law which puts in writing by a member of the Legislature. A “good” Bill will
meet most of the following tests:
- Deal with only one subject.
- Express the subject accurately and clearly in the Title section.
- Concern a matter within the field of State Legislation – not federal or local.
- Conform to the provisions of both the Constitution of the United States and that of the State of New Jersey.
- Express the author’s intent in clear and concise language.
- Able to be applied in a simple yet orderly fashion.
- If it amends an existing law, each section amended constitutes a separate section of the Bill.
- Definitions, if needed, will be included.
Authors should ask themselves:
- Does this Bill truly serve the public interest? Does it improve the use of the States’
human material or natural resources?
- How will it affect the nature of government? Could the function be performed better
at some other level of government?
- Would this issue be best handled by private enterprise, government, or some other
venue?
- What will it cost now and in the future? How will it be paid for? Is it worth the cost?
- What is the most effective way to provide this service? Will it require monitoring?
By whom? Who will administer the implementation?
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