Law New Covers Legislative and Policy Developments

Law New is a news section that covers legislative and policy developments at the federal, state and local levels. It includes articles on how laws are made, bills that have passed through Congress and other legislative bodies, and decisions by courts interpreting federal and state laws.

A law is a rule or regulation that governs behavior within a society or country. A law can be either unwritten or written. A written law is also known as a statute. A bill is a proposed law that has been introduced for consideration by a legislative body. When a bill is passed by a legislative body, it becomes a law. A bill can be a new law or it can be an amendment to an existing law.

The process for making a law at the federal level begins with a new policy idea. This idea can come from a sitting member of Congress, a campaign promise during an election, a petition from a citizen group or from any source. The idea is then submitted to the appropriate congressional committee for review and analysis. Once the bill is in committee, staff members prepare a committee report that describes the purpose of the legislation, its scope and the reasons for the recommendation to approve the bill. The report must also include a section-by-section analysis of the legislation that clearly shows precisely what is being changed by the legislation.

At the state level, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed 730 bills and has 87 bills currently awaiting her approval. Among them is “Matthew’s Law,” which allows community pharmacies and health care providers to provide fentanyl test kits to the public, a life-saving measure for those struggling with addiction and overdose.