A Bill
A Bill is a draft Act, an Act that has not yet
been discussed, possibly amended and approved by Parliament.
It is a
proposal for a new piece of legislation - if approved by both the Houses, it
will be "granted Royal Assent".
Once a
Bill has received Royal Assent, it becomes an Act. Most bills relate to public
policy and have been "sponsored" by a government minister or by a private
member. A famous example of a private members' bill which became law was the
Abortion Act 1967, which was
introduced by the then-MP David Steel. These are called public bills.
However, organisations and individuals outside Parliament can also petition
for a bill relating to a specific issue to be introduced via a Parliamentary
agent. These are known as private bills.