Law new refers to legislation that has been proposed, debated and passed by Congress or another legislative body. The process of creating a law begins with an idea for a policy change. These ideas may come from a senator’s constituents, an interest group or State agencies. Once the idea is settled on, it must be drafted into bill form. This is a complex task that requires specialized legal training. Often, the draftsman is a member of the Senate’s staff, although in some cases, interest groups or lawyers working for State agencies submit their own drafts of bills to the Senate.

Once a bill has been drafted, its draftsman prepares a committee report which describes the purpose and scope of the bill. These reports are a valuable source of information for the courts, executive branch and public regarding the meaning of the legislation. They must also include a section-by-section analysis of existing law that is being changed and explain why the change is desirable.