How to read a bill

Step by step

1. Get the official text and check where the bill has reached. Checked against the rules

   After a bill is registered, the Secretariat gives it to members within two days (government bill) or four days (other bills) and puts it on the Parliament website the same day. The Secretariat must also publish online the status of each bill from registration to authentication. Work from that text, not a news summary or an earlier draft. Federal Parliament Secretariat Rule 104 (p. 49); rule 136(3) (p. 62)

2. Note who brought the bill, which House it started in, and whether it is a Money Bill. Checked against the rules

   A bill can start in either House, but a Money Bill can start only in the House of Representatives and only as a government bill; so can a bill on the Nepal Army, Nepal Police or Armed Police Force. These facts decide which timelines apply later. Government of Nepal Art. 110(1)-(4) (pp. 59-60)

3. Read the attached notes before the clauses: objectives and reasons, the concept note, the explanatory notes, the three-column comparison, any note on delegated powers, and any financial memorandum. Checked against the rules

   The House rules require a member introducing a bill to attach these. They tell you the purpose, the cost and how much is left to later regulations. If one is missing or thin, note it as a question. Federal Parliament Secretariat Rule 100(1)-(2) (p. 48); rule 103 (p. 49)

4. Read the short title, commencement and definitions sections first, then the operative sections. General advice

   Definitions decide who and what the law covers. A narrow or very broad definition can change the whole effect of the bill. Check when the law would start: on a fixed date, at once, or on a date the government picks later.

5. For each operative section, write down who must act, who may act, and what happens if they do not. General advice

   "Shall" (गर्नेछ, गर्नुपर्नेछ) creates a duty; "may" (गर्न सक्नेछ) gives a choice. A duty without a deadline, a budget or a consequence is often hard to enforce.

6. Compare the bill with the law it changes, using the three-column comparison and the current Act. General advice

   An amending bill only makes sense beside the existing text. Policy Nepal's law library (/library/) links to the official text of Acts in force.

7. Follow the first debate. When the bill is moved, the House discusses its principles only; no clause is debated and no amendment can be moved at that stage. Checked against the rules

   At this stage the member in charge moves either that the bill be considered, or that it be circulated to get public opinion. Federal Parliament Secretariat Rule 107(1) and (4) (p. 50)

8. Watch for a chance to comment. If the House agrees to circulate the bill for public opinion, the bill is published in the Nepal Gazette with a deadline for opinions. Checked against the rules

   Opinions received in time are compiled and passed to the member in charge, and the House then considers the bill together with them. Committees may also invite affected groups and experts to give views. Federal Parliament Secretariat Rules 108-109 (p. 51); rule 186(2) (p. 104)

9. Track the clause-by-clause stage and amendments. After the general debate the bill goes to clause-by-clause discussion either in the House or in the relevant committee. Checked against the rules

   Members give notice of amendments within 72 hours after the general debate ends. An amendment must be relevant, consistent with the bill's principle, and say exactly which words it replaces. The committee then reports the bill back to the House, and the member in charge moves that it be passed. Federal Parliament Secretariat Rule 110 (p. 51); rules 112-113 (p. 52); rule 121 (p. 55); rule 124 (p. 57)

10. Follow the bill to the other House. The National Assembly must return an ordinary bill within two months and a Money Bill within 15 days. Checked against the rules

    If the Houses disagree, the bill goes back to the House where it started, and some disputes go to a joint sitting. In the National Assembly, a bill can be sent to its Legislation Management Committee for clause-by-clause discussion. A bill still under consideration lapses if the House of Representatives is dissolved or its term ends. Government of Nepal · Federal Parliament Secretariat Const. Art. 111(1)-(10) (pp. 60-61); NA Rules rule 104(1)(ख) (p. 73)

11. Check authentication. The Speaker (or the National Assembly Chair for bills that started there) certifies the bill, and the President authenticates it within 15 days. Checked against the rules

    The President may send a bill other than a Money Bill back once for reconsideration. Once authenticated, the bill becomes an Act. Government of Nepal Art. 113(1)-(5) (pp. 61-62)

12. After it becomes law, watch the regulations and the results. Checked against the rules

    Rules made under delegated powers must be given to the relevant House committee within 15 days of publication in the Gazette, and the committee checks them. A committee may also measure how well a law has worked once it has been in force for at least two years. Federal Parliament Secretariat Rule 138(1)-(3) (p. 63); rule 139(1) (pp. 63-64)

Key terms

Bill

A proposed law put before Parliament. It becomes an Act only after both Houses pass it and the President authenticates it.

Money Bill

A bill only about taxes, the Consolidated Fund, government borrowing or guarantees, or government accounts (Constitution Art. 110(3)). A bill is not a Money Bill just because it sets fees or fines. The Speaker decides in case of doubt.

Government bill / non-government bill

A government bill is brought by a minister; a non-government (private member's) bill by any other member. Money Bills and bills on the security forces can only be government bills (Art. 110(2)).

Statement of objectives and reasons

A short note attached to every bill saying why it is needed (HoR Rules 2083, rule 100(1)). It is the quickest way to learn what the drafters intend.

Financial memorandum

A note required when a bill will cost public money once it becomes law, giving details of the likely minimum financial burden (rule 100(2)).

Delegated legislation

Power a bill gives to the government or another body to make regulations, directives or orders later. A bill that delegates such power must explain why, and its nature and limits (rule 103).

Three-column comparison

A comparison table that the rules require to be attached to a bill (rule 100(1)). The rules do not define its columns; in practice it is used to set the current text beside the proposed change.

Clause-by-clause discussion

The stage where each section of the bill, and each proposed amendment, is discussed and decided, either in the full House or in a committee (rules 110, 115).

Authentication

The President's signature that turns a passed bill into an Act (Art. 113).

Limits of this guide

This guide covers ordinary federal bills. Bills to amend the Constitution (Art. 274; HoR Rules rule 140) and ordinances (Art. 114) follow special procedures that are only mentioned here. Provincial assemblies have their own rules, which were not checked. The Constitution text used is the official English translation; the Nepali text is authoritative. The House and National Assembly rules exist only in Nepali, and the English wording here is Policy Nepal's plain-language rendering. Procedures were checked against the rules in force on 11 October 2026; rules can be amended, so check the version on the Parliament website.

Related on Policy Nepal

• How Parliament works
• Laws
• नेपालको संविधान · Constitution of Nepal
• आयकर ऐन, २०५८ · Income Tax Act, 2002
• Parliamentary committees

Sources

1. The Constitution of Nepal (2nd amendment, English translation) Checked 2026-10-11
2. प्रतिनिधि सभा नियमावली, २०८३ (House of Representatives Rules, 2083) Checked 2026-10-11
3. राष्ट्रिय सभा नियमावली, २०७५ (दोस्रो संशोधनसम्म मिलाइएको) (National Assembly Rules, 2075, consolidated to the second amendment) Checked 2026-10-11