The House of Assembly is the elected chamber of the Parliament of The Bahamas. Members of the House represent constituencies throughout The Bahamas and participate in the consideration and passage of legislation, debate matters of national importance, examine public expenditure and perform other functions assigned to Parliament under the Constitution and laws of The Bahamas.
The House of Assembly is one of two chambers that comprise the Parliamentary Institution of The Bahamas.
As the elected chamber, the House of Assembly is composed of Members of Parliament elected by citizens of the various constituencies throughout the country. Every member of the Bahamian society has a representative in the House of Assembly.
The House is a central forum for democratic debate and legislative business. Members debate proposed legislation, and matters of public importance. Members also examine Government expenditure and participate in parliamentary scrutiny and oversight.
The proceedings of the House form an important part of the public record of The Bahamas and provide a record of the issues, legislation and decisions considered by the nation’s elected representatives.
The House conducts its business in accordance with the Constitution of The Commonwealth of the Bahamas, the Standing Orders and other applicable laws, rules and parliamentary practices.
The House of Assembly performs a range of legislative, representative and oversight functions, including:
Members of the House of Assembly are elected to represent the various constituencies throughout The Bahamas.
Each Member serves as a representative of one constituency while participating in the wider legislative and parliamentary work of the House.
Members participate in debates, legislative proceedings, parliamentary committees and other business conducted by the House.
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The House of Assembly meets to conduct parliamentary business in accordance with its established calendar and procedures.
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A bill is a draft of a proposed law. It is presented to the House in the form the law is intended to be.
The Bill is formally introduced and read for the first time. Copies are distributed to every Member for their consideration in preparation for debate.
Members debate the general provisions of the Bill, giving their reasons for supporting or rejecting the Bill.
The Bill is examined in greater detail and amendments may be considered. During the committee stage each clause is voted on individually. This is also the stage where proposed amendments are considered by the House.
The House considers the Bill in its final form. The third reading of the Bill is the first half of the legislative process. The Bill is then sent to the Senate with a request for the Senate to pass the Bill also.
The Bill proceeds through the appropriate parliamentary process in the upper chamber, known as the Senate.
Once the parliamentary process has been completed, the Bill proceeds to the Governor General for the required assent (or signature).
Following completion of the other constitutional requirements, the legislation becomes law. It is then published in the Official Gazette.
The Hansard is a specialized department in the Parliament. The Hansard provides the official verbatim transcripts of the proceedings in the House of Assembly and the Senate.
Through the Hansard, members of the public can explore the contributions made during sittings of the House and follow debates concerning legislation and matters of national importance.
There are two basic kinds of Parliamentary Committees, Ad Hoc (or select) Committees and Standing of Sessional Committees.
Ad Hoc Committees allow Members of Parliament to undertake detailed investigation of legislation, public matters and other issues within their respective frame of reference. Ad Hoc Committees are created to investigate a specific matter. Their terms of references are laid out by the petition that is presented to the House requesting their appointment.
Standing Committees are part of the construct of the Parliament. They perform specific roles or the Parliament.
A very important function of the Parliament is the hold the government to account. The House’s committee system forms an important part of parliamentary scrutiny and examination.
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Follow proceedings of the House of Assembly through the Parliament’s official broadcast and digital channels.
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The House of Assembly is the elected chamber of the Parliament of The Bahamas.
There are presently forty-one members in the House of Assembly, each representing a specific single constituency in The Bahamas.
Members are elected by voters in their respective constituencies. Through a clearly defined electoral process in the Parliamentary Elections Act.
The House of Assembly is the elected chamber of the Parliament, while the Senate is the appointed chamber of Parliament.
The Speaker presides over proceedings of the House of Assembly. In the absence o the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker presides. In the absence of the Deputy Speaker, the speaker can choose another member other than a Cabinet member to preside. When the House resolves into a Committee, the Speaker is not allowed to preside. The committee is presided over by the Deputy Speaker and in his absence another member other than a member of the Cabinet must preside.
Yes, however Parliament has official visitor/public-gallery policies.
Bills are available through the Parliament’s online legislative documents section.
Debates are available through the Hansard Department.