Legislation
With respect to laws, the Senate has the following powers:
1° to initiate and vote on amendment or revision of the Constitution;
2° to vote on organic laws;
3° to vote on laws approving international treaties and agreements on an armistice, peace, accession to international organisations, modification of national laws, or those approving international treaties and agreements relating to the status of persons;
4° to vote on laws on defence and national security.
When a bill is adopted by the Chamber of Deputies and drafted in three (3) official languages, it is transmitted with its annexes (explanatory notes, minutes of the plenary meeting at which the bill was adopted, protocol or treaty in relation to the bill in case of ratification) by the President of the Chamber of Deputies to the President of the Senate.
At least seven (7) days before the review of the relevance, the President of the Senate transmits to the Senators the bill to be examined.
The Senate’s technical staff conduct detailed research on the relevance of a bill in relation to existing Laws, policies and Programmes. .. They also ensure that the bill complies with the fundamental principles provided for by the Constitution.
The Senate ‘staff in charge of legal affairs provide a legal opinion pertaining to a bill under consideration and assist committees and plenary assembly all along the consideration and adoption stages.
The staff in charge of translation check the quality of the translation of bills tabled before the Senate. They continue the whole process of scrutiny of the bill in committee and finally include any amendment made so that the final text to be submitted to the Plenary Assembly is presented in three official languages. They also harmonize the text voted before it is submitted to the Chamber of Deputies.
The Plenary Assembly conducts general debates on the relevance of the bill in the presence of the person who initiated it.
If the relevance of the bill is rejected, the Bureau of the Senate refers to the Chamber of Deputies the bill annexed to the report of the plenary sitting related to it.
When the relevance is adopted, the President of the Senate transmits the bill to the standing committee whose responsibilities cover the scope of the bill, for consideration. The President of the Senate may, if necessary, transmit the bill to another Committee.
However, at the request of the person who initiated a bill, the Plenary Assembly may decide that the bill be adopted in Plenary sitting without being forwarded to the Committee.
Through the Senate Bureau, a Standing Committee can call upon a member of the cabinet, a representative of an organ or any other person to a Committee meeting to get full information regarding a bill.
Senators who wish to propose amendments to the bill refer them in writing to the Chairperson of the appropriate Committee with a copy to Senators so that they can be able to propose sub-amendments if necessary. Those sub-amendments are also referred to the Chairperson of the appropriate Committee in writing.
The Plenary Assembly discusses the articles as amended by the Committee and vote the bill (article by article as well as the entire bill).
Vote of articles is effected electronically or by a show of hands or by other means if this is not possible.
An entire bill is voted by roll-call with the Clerk of the Senate or the Deputy Clerk, calling the Senators by their names in alphabetical order. When both are absent, another person is designated for that purpose.
Ordinary laws are passed by an absolute majority vote of Deputies or Senators present. Organic laws are passed by a three fifths (3/5) majority vote of Senators.
The President of the Senate forwards the text of the law to the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies within a period not exceeding fifteen (15) days after adoption.
. When a bill is not passed by the Senate or when the amendments made thereto by the Senate are not accepted by the Chamber of Deputies, there is established a joint committee composed of five (5) Deputies and five (5) Senators, responsible for providing a recommendation on provisions that are still under discussion.
At the joint meeting, the two parties appoint the Chairperson and the Vice-Chairperson of the Joint Committee.
The report on amendments agreed in the joint committee is submitted to each Chamber which adopts it without any other amendments.
When a compromise is not reached by the joint committee or if one of the Chambers does not adopt the compromise reached by the Joint Committee, the bill is returned to its initiator.
The Bureau of the Senate ensures that the wording of the law published in the Official Gazette corresponds to the law passed by the Plenary Assembly.
Where the Law published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Rwanda does not correspond to the version voted by the Plenary Assembly of the Senate, the President of the Senate refers the matter to the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies for him/her to inform relevant authorities.
Before the final adoption of the State budget, the Senate provides the Chamber of Deputies with its opinion on the State finance bill after the Chamber of Deputies has adopted the relevance thereof.