Law new is legislation that has been proposed, debated, and passed by Congress or another legislative body. It’s an official rule that governs behavior within a society or country. Typically, the term is also used to refer specifically to laws that have been recently introduced or passed.
Laws are also known as statutes, which is an alternate name for bills. A bill is a proposal for a new law, while a statute is a written law that has been approved and signed into effect by the president or other authorized person.
When a legislator introduces a bill, the committee staff prepares a detailed report on the proposed law. The committee report describes the purpose of the bill and explains its scope and impact. The committee report also includes the text of any existing law the bill amends or repeals, and the committee’s reasoning for recommending approval of the bill. The committee report is an important part of the legislative history of a statute and is referenced frequently by courts, executive departments, and the public when interpreting the scope of a law’s meaning and application.
State & Local Law News reports on current developments in the law of interest to state and local government lawyers, news about Section activities, and other information of professional interest to Section members. The newsletter is published quarterly.
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