A new law is a proposed rule or regulation that is passed by a legislative body, such as Congress. Once approved, it becomes an official law that governs behavior within a society or country. For example, if students in a class debate ideas for improving their school and then vote on one idea to implement, that becomes an official new rule that all members of the school must follow. New laws are also known as legislation, statutes, or laws.
In the United States, the Federal Government passes new laws through the legislative branch of the federal government, known as Congress. The laws are then signed by the President and published in the Statutes at Large, a collection of all public laws (also known as “slip laws”) passed by Congress. State legislatures may also create their own new laws, called bills. New York lawmakers propose ideas for new policies through a process called the legislative process, which includes public hearings and a vote by the entire Senate. Once a bill has passed, the Governor has 10 days to sign or veto it. If a bill is not signed or vetoed within that period, it becomes law automatically. If the Governor does veto a bill, a two-thirds majority of members of each house can override it and make the bill into a law.
Some bills are drafted by the Senate itself, while others are drafted by interest groups or State agencies. When a bill is drafted, it is assigned a number by the Senate’s Legislative Bill Drafting Commission. Senators then review the draft and can make changes. The final version of the bill is then filed with the Senate. Other legislation is drafted in the executive branch, such as regulations imposed by State agencies or rules made by administrative bodies, such as the City Council.
For example, a new law aims to prevent people from accidentally overdosing on fentanyl. It requires health care providers and local pharmacies to offer free fentanyl and other drug adulterant testing kits to the public. This is a response to the ongoing opioid and overdose crisis in New York. The bill is named Matthew’s Law in honor of a young man who died from a fentanyl overdose.
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