How an Italian bill becomes law
How a law is born: from the initiative to publication in the Italian Official Gazette (Gazzetta Ufficiale). A path in which the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate hold equal powers (perfect bicameralism).
1. Initiative
A bill (disegno or proposta di legge) can be introduced by the Government, by any member of Parliament, by the people (50,000 signatures), by the Regional Councils or by the CNEL (Art. 71 of the Italian Constitution).
2. Committee review
The committee competent for the subject matter reviews the text (sede referente), may amend it and appoints a rapporteur for the floor.
3. Approval by the first chamber
The floor debates, votes on amendments and approves article by article, then the final text.
4. Transmission to the other chamber (navette)
The text passes to the other chamber. If it is amended, it goes back: the “shuttle” (navette) continues until both chambers approve an identical text.
5. Promulgation
The President of the Republic promulgates the law within one month (and may refer it back to the chambers once, Art. 74 of the Italian Constitution).
6. Publication and entry into force
The law is published in the Official Gazette (Gazzetta Ufficiale) and normally enters into force after 15 days (vacatio legis).
Special cases: the decreto-legge (emergency decree) and the decreto legislativo (delegated decree) follow different paths (urgency and delegation). You can track the real status of a bill in the app.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the legislative process take?
There is no fixed deadline: it depends on the number of readings (navette) and on complexity. A decreto-legge, by contrast, must be converted into law within 60 days.
What is perfect bicameralism?
In Italy the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate hold the same legislative powers: a law must be approved in the same text by both.
Other guides
- Decreto-legge and decreto legislativo: the differences
- How to cite a law with the ELI
- What an MCP server is (and how to use it for the law)
- The hierarchy of the sources of Italian law
- What Normattiva is
- What the Gazzetta Ufficiale is
- How the Italian Constitutional Court works
- Glossary — ELI, CELEX, MCP server, legislative OSINT
Informational tool — not legal advice.