Law New is the place to discover laws, rules, and regulations that have been recently signed by the Governor, passed by both houses of the legislature, or amended by the City. Browse by topic, or see the full list of laws and rules sorted by date.
Law is a set of rules and guidelines that govern behavior within a society or country. A law is created when a legislative body, such as Congress, passes a bill and it becomes an official rule called a statute. Laws can be written, oral, or in a document such as a treatise.
The legislation process begins with an idea for a new policy. A senator may have this idea, but it can also come from a constituent asking for a law to be made or from an organization advocating for change. A senator or other legislator can then introduce this idea for a law, which is called a bill.
Bill drafting requires specialized legal training and is usually done by legislative staff. The draft is then reviewed by the Legislative Bill Drafting Commission and may be altered before it is considered by a chamber. Once a bill is passed by both houses of the legislature, the Governor has 10 days to sign or veto it. A vetoed bill can still become a law if two-thirds of the members of both houses vote to override it.