How a Modern Parliament Functions: Procedures and Roles

Posted on Dec 1, 2025 in Police Sciences and Public Security

Parliamentary Operations

Meeting Chambers

Parliamentary work is conducted through both regular and special meetings held in the designated chambers.

  • Regular Meetings
  • Special Meetings

Sessions

Sessions are periods of unified parliamentary work, which do not necessarily coincide with the meeting days of the Chambers. Plenary sessions are almost always public. Commission sessions, however, are not always public.

The Agenda

Only subjects listed on the agenda will be debated and decided upon. The Presidents of the chambers are also involved in setting the committee agendas.

Discussions

A key characteristic of modern parliaments is their deliberative nature, which serves as an ad hoc tool for raising public awareness of the positions of various political forces. Chamber regulations attribute the management of debates to the President, granting them sweeping powers to ensure respect and order.

Voting

Voting is the formal process through which the House expresses its decisions.

Types of Votes

  • By concurrence: Agreement with the Presidency’s proposal when no objection or opposition is raised.
  • Regular Vote
  • Public Roll Call
  • Secret Ballot

Joint Action of Both Houses

The joint action of both houses is required for the exercise of certain non-legislative powers, including:

  • Granting permission for the State to consent to be bound by treaties or international conventions.
  • Approving cooperative agreements between Autonomous Communities.
  • Distributing resources from the Settlement Fund.

The Legislative Role

The legislative function of modern parliaments no longer conforms to classical models. In this regard, government intervention in the legislative process is increasingly prevalent.

The Legislative Process

The legislative process may be ordinary or special and can follow different procedures:

  • The single-reading procedure
  • The two-reading procedure
  • The three-reading procedure

Comparative law shows us different ways the process unfolds, typically in phases:

Introductory Phase

This phase includes the submission of the draft text before the Houses.

Legislative Initiative

A legislative initiative can originate from several sources:

  • A. Government Initiative: Proposed by the executive branch.
  • B. Parliamentary Initiative: Proposed by members of parliament.
  • C. Community Initiative: Proposed by Autonomous Communities.
  • D. Popular Initiative: Proposed by citizens.

Subjects excluded from a popular initiative include: fundamental laws, tax matters, international affairs, the prerogative of mercy, economic planning, and budget preparation.

The process for a popular initiative involves:

  1. The presentation of the initiative.
  2. The collection of signatures.
  3. The parliamentary procedures for the proposition.

Withdrawal of a legislative initiative is permitted before the House makes a final pronouncement.

Constituent Phase (Deliberation)

This phase includes the set of procedures that advance the development and adoption of the law.

Procedures:
  • A. Amendments: Proposing changes to the text.
  • B. Plenary Debate: A full debate in the plenary session of the Congress.
  • C. Committee Deliberation: Discussion in the relevant committee.
  • D. Final Plenary Discussion: The final debate in the plenary session.
  • E. Senate Participation: The involvement of the Senate in the legislative process.

Final Phase: Enactment and Effectiveness

After the deliberation phase, the law is complete but not yet effective. It still requires the Monarch’s sanction, its promulgation, and its official publication to come into force.

Economic and Budgetary Role

In general, the vast majority of chamber agreements are made through policy decisions. The State’s numerous economic functions require legislative provisions to be implemented and enforced.

A law of special importance, both politically and economically, is the General Budget Law.

This law is characterized by its annual nature, its inclusion of all state sector expenditures and revenues, and its specification of tax benefits affecting state taxes. The Government must submit the State Budget to the Congress of Deputies at least three months before the end of the current fiscal year.