The Meeting of the Chairmen may introduce a bill to the Standing
Committee for deliberation during a current session.
The State Council, the Central Military Committee, the Supreme
People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and various
special committees of the NPC, can introduce a bill to the Standing
Committee. The Meeting of the Chairmen can make a decision to put
the bill on the agenda of the next session of the Standing
Committee or refer it to a relevant special committee, and submit a
report, whereupon the Meeting of the Chairmen can then decide to
put it on the agenda of the next session of the Standing Committee.
If the Chairmen are of the opinion that there are outstanding
issues in respect of the bill, which require further study, it may
advise that the sponsor revise and improve the bill before it is
introduced to the Standing Committee.
More than ten members of the Standing Committee, acting together,
may introduce a bill to the Standing Committee, and the Meeting of
the Chairmen may then decide if it will be put on the agenda of the
Standing Committee's session or if it should be referred to a
special committee. Where such a bill is not to be put on the agenda
for the Standing Committee, the Meeting of the Chairmen will make a
report to the Standing Committee or explain its reasons to the bill
sponsor.
In
the course of the deliberations, the committee may invite the
sponsor to the session to comment further.
For a bill that has been put on the agenda for a session of the
Standing Committee, members must first be provided with a copy of
the draft law seven days prior to the session of the Standing
Committee.
Such a bill is in general deliberated three times in a current
session before being put to the vote.
In
the first deliberation, the bill sponsor will brief the plenary
session, and thereafter, deliberation will be conducted at group
sessions.
In
the second deliberation of the bill at the Standing Committee
session, the Law Committee will brief the plenary session on the
status of amendments and major issues in respect of the draft law,
and thereafter, deliberation will be conducted at group
sessions.
In
the third deliberation of the bill, the Law Committee will report
to the plenary session on the result of the deliberations on the
draft law, and thereafter, deliberations will be conducted at group
sessions.
If
necessary, the Standing Committee can, in the course of
deliberations, convene a joint group or plenary session to discuss
major issues of the draft law.
For a bill that has been put on the agenda and a subsequent problem
consensus formed, a procedure of voting may take place after two
deliberations by the session of the Standing Committee. For a bill
which partially amends a national law, a problem consensus can be
brought to a vote after one deliberation.
In
the course of deliberations by the group sessions, the sponsor can
send representatives to the sessions to hear comments and answer
questions.
In
the course of deliberations, and if requested by a group, a
relevant agency or organization can send representatives to brief
the group session.
When a bill that has been put on the agenda of the Standing
Committee session has been deliberated by the special committee, it
shall present its findings, and print and distribute them, to
members of the Standing Committee session.
In
the course of deliberation, the relevant special committee can
invite members of other committees to give special comment.
For a bill that has been put on the agenda of a session of the
Standing Committee, the Law Committee can conduct uniform
deliberations based on opinions from members of the Standing
Committee, the relevant special committee and concerned
constituents, and thereafter, give a report on the status of
amendment or produce a deliberation report and amended draft law.
This report or deliberation will contain notes on major issues of
opinion and where a major deliberation opinion is not adopted, the
Law Committee should report back to the special committee.
In
the course of deliberation, the Law Committee may invite members of
a relevant special committee to give their comments.
In
the course of deliberation, a special committee will convene a
plenary session to conduct deliberations and may request the
relevant agency to send the person in charge to brief the
session.
When, in the course of deliberations, opinion on a major topic
varies, this shall be reported to the Meeting of the Chairmen.
For a bill which has been put on the agenda for a session of the
Standing Committee, the Law Committee, the relevant special
committee and the office of the Standing Committee shall hear the
opinions of concerned constituents, by panel discussion,
feasibility study meetings and hearings.
Once deliberated, the office of the Standing Committee will
distribute the draft law to the relevant agencies, experts and
organizations for comment, and will compile the commentary and
present to the Law Committee and the relevant special committee as
appropriate, and if required, distribute to the current session of
the Standing Committee.
In
the case of a major bill on the agenda of the Standing committee,
the Meeting of the Chairmen may decide to present the draft law to
the public for comment. The subsequent commentary, made by
agencies, organizations and citizens, will be compiled and
presented to the Standing Committee.
In
the case of a bill on the agenda of the Standing committee, the
office of the Standing Committee will collect and compile
commentary from group sessions and concerned constituents. It shall
then distribute them to the Law Committee, the relevant special
committee, and if necessary, distribute to the Standing Committee
current session.
When a sponsor of a bill on the agenda of a session of the Standing
Committee makes a request for withdrawal before voting begins, the
sponsor shall provide an explanation, and depending on the consent
of the Meeting of the Chairmen, and a report received by the
Standing Committee, the bill shall be terminated.
If
a bill has passed three deliberations by the Standing Committee and
still has major issues that need further study, a Meeting of the
Chairmen can prepare a motion and upon approval of a joint group
session or plenary session, voting may be postponed, there upon the
bill shall be submitted to the Law Committee and relevant special
committee for further deliberations.
If
the deliberation on a bill, that has been put on the agenda of a
session of the Standing Committee, is postponed for more than two
years, due to major differences between constituents such as those
that relate to the necessity or feasibility of enacting the bill,
or that the voting being postponed, the bill has not been put back
on the agenda of a session of the Standing Committee for two years,
the Meeting of the Chairmen shall report to the Standing Committee
and deliberations on the bill will cease.
Upon the deliberation of the draft law by the Standing Committee,
the Law Committee will make further amendments based on comments
made during deliberations by members of the Standing Committee, and
will present a final version of the draft law, to be submitted by
the Meeting of the Chairmen, to a plenary session of the Standing
Committee for voting. The bill shall then be enacted if more than
half of the Standing Committee members vote it through.
A
national law passed by the NPC standing committee will be
promulgated by a signed presidential order from the President of
the state.
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