Nova Scotia's recent legislation is available online. The Progress of Bills tables provide access to the full text of the Bills and Acts of the Nova Scotia Legislature beginning with the 1995 fall session.

The name below the title of the Bill is the name of the Member who introduced the bill. The date listed for First Reading is the date on which the Bill was introduced by the MLA.

The date of Second Reading is the day on which the house voted to give the Bill 2nd Reading after being debated in the House.

The date(s) listed for Law Amendments Committee or Private and Local Bills Committee indicate the day(s) on which the Bill was discussed in either the Law Amendments Committee if it was a public bill or the Private and Local Bills Committee if it was a private bill or a local bill. Members of the public can attend the meetings of these Committees and make presentations respecting any Bill when it reaches this stage. Anyone who wishes to make a presentation should let the Legislative Counsel's office know so that their names can be listed on the agenda. Just call 424-8941 to do this.

The date listed for Committee of the Whole House is the day on which the bill was reported back to the House of Assembly after having been debated, clause by clause, in the Committee of the Whole House on Bills.

The date listed for Third Reading is the day on which the Bill received the final approval of the House. There may be some debate at this stage but usually the Bill is voted on with no discussion.

The Asterisk following the Title of the Bill indicates that the Bill has been amended between First and Third Readings.

The date listed for Royal Assent is the day on which the Lieutenant Governor signs the final version of the Bill and the Bill is then referred to as an Act.

The date listed for Commencement is the day on which the Act takes effect. Ordinarily, an Act takes effect on the date that it is assented to. It is, however, sometimes established that it shall be proclaimed to take effect on a specified date or on a date to be decided by the Cabinet or the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

The Chapter No. is the number assigned to each Act from that session of the Legislature. The Acts will appear in this order when they are published in the sessional volumes of the Statutes of Nova Scotia.

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