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Bills submitted for consideration by the National People's Congress
can come from both NPC and government departmental sources. The
detailed procedures are laid out in the provisions of the Organic
Law of the National People's Congress and the Rules of Procedure
for the National People's Congress.
Bills may be brought forward by the NPC Presidium, the NPC Standing
Committee and the various NPC special committees as well as by the
State Council, the Central Military Commission, the Supreme
People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate. Bills are
put on the agenda for the NPC session by the Presidium.
Any group of at least 30 NPC delegates may also present a bill to
the National People's Congress. The Presidium will decide whether
to put the bill straight onto the agenda or pass it first to the
relevant special committee for it to consider and prepare a
report.
When a bill is on the NPC agenda, the general procedure is for the
proposer to make a presentation at the plenary session where it is
then discussed and deliberated upon. It then goes for consideration
by the delegations typically at their group meetings. In the
meantime, the Presidium may entrust the relevant special
committee(s) with discussion and deliberation of the bill and the
preparation of a report to be submitted by the Presidium to the
plenary session for voting. The voting could be by ballot or a show
of hands or take such other form as may be determined by the
Presidium. Provided it does not seek to amend the Constitution, the
bill will be passed if more than half of the deputies attending the
NPC session vote for it. The result of the vote is announced on the
spot by the chair of the meeting.
Even more rigorous procedures are required for an amendment to the
Constitution. Here the proposal must be made either by the Standing
Committee or be brought forward by more than one-fifth of the
deputies to the NPC. And it requires a majority of not less than
two-thirds of the deputies determined by ballot.
While the various delegations are considering a bill or a related
report, the state body concerned provides a senior official to
attend the meeting, to seek the views of and answer questions put
by the deputies.
A
delegation or more than 30 NPC deputies may sign a petition to
raise questions concerning the work of the State Council and the
various ministries and commissions that operate under its auspices.
The work of the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's
Procuratorate may also be questioned in this way.
The Presidium of the NPC or more than three delegations or a
petition of more than one-tenth of all NPC deputies may propose
organizing an ad hoc committee to investigate a specific issue.
Such a proposal is taken by the Presidium to the NPC plenary
session for a decision.
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