Legislation

The committee stage

In the above example, it was planned to hold a debate during the first reading. However, the speeches were included in the minutes rather than being delivered orally; this is possible if (at least) two thirds of the Members of the Bundestag present agree. The Federal Government's bill was referred to the Committee on Internal Affairs as the committee responsible, and to other committees as committees asked for an opinion, including the Committee on Legal Affairs. The Bundesrat's draft Third Act to Amend the Weapons Act, which received its first reading together with the Government's bill, was likewise referred to the Committee on Internal Affairs as the committee responsible, and to other committees as committees asked for an opinion. Designation as the "committee responsible“ means that this committee is responsible for the further handling of the bill. The committee responsible must, in keeping with Rule 62 of the Rules of Procedure of the German Bundestag, recommend to the Bundestag a definite decision – the acceptance of the bill, the acceptance of amendments decided upon by the committee, or the rejection of the bill – and is obliged to attend to matters referred to it "without delay“. It therefore cannot, either for political reasons or because of a heavy workload, put a bill on the "back burner“. If it does so, there is the risk that, in keeping with Rule 62, paragraph (2) of the Rules of Procedure, a parliamentary group may, after ten weeks of sittings, demand that the committee submit a report to the plenary giving its reasons for not having considered the bill. Such a report may then be placed on the agenda of the Bundestag for debate, during which the committee can expect to be criticized for its lack of action.

If a particular bill covers different subjects, it is referred to one or more committees in addition to the committee responsible. These committees submit their comments and proposed amendments to the committee responsible, which is required to take them into account in its report to the plenary. The deliberations of the committee responsible conclude with the submission of a report and recommendation to the plenary, on the basis of which the bill is given a second reading.

Under provisions laid down in the Rules of Procedure, the committees are relatively free to organize their work and draw up their agenda. There are, however, certain common procedural rules which every committee must follow. Thus, for every bill referred to them, the committees must appoint rapporteurs from among their members. The rapporteurs are generally appointed on the proposal of the parliamentary groups. They share with the committee chairperson the responsibility for supervising the progress of deliberations, drawing up the results of deliberations and, in particular, for signing the report submitted to the plenary. The rapporteurs must familiarize themselves thoroughly with the content and main political points of the bill. They must also consider statements relevant to the bill, read specialist literature in the relevant field and take into account the wishes and demands of interest groups as well as opinions in the press concerning the bill. The rapporteurs, moreover, liaise between the committee and their respective parliamentary group in the discussion of the bill. They ensure that their parliamentary groups are kept informed of the committee's latest conclusions and deliberations of the committee and keep the committee informed about the views and demands of the parliamentary groups.

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