BILLS OVERVIEW

A Bill may propose entirely new legislation

or change existing legislation and must pass through several steps in order to become law of the province of Alberta.

How a Bill becomes a Law

1

First Reading

2

Second Reading

3

Committee of the Whole

4

Third Reading

5

Royal Assent

A Bill passed by the Legislative Assembly becomes law upon receiving royal assent and is then referred to as an Act. 

An Act comes into force either upon proclamation or on a specified date; if neither is indicated, it comes into force upon receiving royal assent. For information on proclamation dates call the Legislative Counsel branch of Alberta Justice at 780.427.2217. The final version of a Bill with all approved amendments incorporated is available through Alberta King's Printer.

Stages of a Bill

Speaker Cooper explains how a Bill becomes law in Alberta.

Find additional videos explaining aspects of the parliamentary process on

The Speaker's Corner

Types of Bills

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Government Bills

Approved by cabinet prior to being introduced in the Assembly.

These Bills propose laws which, if passed, govern certain areas of society and also include appropriation, or money Bills that request the Assembly approve the government’s spending of public funds.

 Numbered from 1 to 199.
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Private Members’ Public Bills

Introduced by MLAs (government and opposition) who are not members of cabinet.

These Bills typically propose legislation that allows the Assembly to debate important issues and opposition parties to promote their policies. Private Members cannot introduce Bills that require the government to spend public funds. 

 Numbered 201 to 299.

Standing Committee Activity

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Private Bills

Initiated by an individual or group and propose legislation that affects only one or more persons, or a group of persons, but not the population as a whole.

These Bills are sponsored by a private Member rather than a cabinet minister. The Standing Committee on Private Bills administers private Bill petitions through the Office of Parliamentary Counsel.

 Numbered Pr. 1, Pr. 2 and so on.

Standing Committee Activity

Questions About a Bill

Questions about the content of a particular Bill should be directed to the sponsor of the Bill, whose name is listed in conjunction with each Bill on this website. Use Find Your MLA to search for an MLA’s contact information, or select the Member's name following the title of the Bill.

Find Your MLA

Private Bills

Private Bills are a special type of legislation that accommodates extraordinary situations or provides limited exemption from public legislation. These rare Bills differ from public Bills in their intent, content and method of passage.

Learn about private Bills

Watch the Assembly

Live and archived streams of Assembly and committee proceedings.

Watch the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and its committees in action, live or at your convenience.

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