When a bill is introduced in either House of Parliament, it is assigned a number based, in part, on its chronological order of introduction in its House of origin and the following criteria: government bills are numbered consecutively from -1 to -200, while private Members' bills are numbered consecutively from -201 to -1000. Private bills, most of which are introduced in the Senate, are numbered beginning at -1001. Finally, bills that are first introduced in the Senate are prefixed with the letter "S"; bills originating in the House of Commons are prefixed with the letter "C".
The published text of bills is available by selecting "Government Bills", "Other Bills" or "Private Members' Bills" under the Senate or House of Commons menu on the left navigation bar. To find a bill considered in the House of Commons, please use the Search the Debates by Subject link on the Chamber Business page.
For information about the legislative stages completed, as well as background, analysis and other general information on most bills, please consult LEGISinfo, prepared by the Library of Parliament.
For further information, please consult the Legislative Process section of the Compendium of House of Commons Procedure.
