bill / draft law
Loading your saved state.
bill / draft law
A fully formulated proposal for a new law or an amendment to a law that is submitted to a parliament for discussion and voting. Before it becomes law, it must go through the legislative process.
Die Opposition kritisierte den neuen Gesetzentwurf der Regierung scharf.
The opposition sharply criticized the government's new bill.
This word is a compound made up of 'das Gesetz' (the law) and 'der Entwurf' (the draft). So it literally means 'law draft,' which describes its meaning exactly. The '-en-' is a linking element that connects the two words.
Ein Gesetzentwurf ist der erste Schritt zu einem neuen Gesetz.
A bill is the first step toward a new law.
A 'Gesetzentwurf' (bill / draft law) goes through a political process and is therefore used with certain verbs: you can 'einbringen' (introduce), 'beraten' (discuss/deliberate on), 'verabschieden' (pass), or 'ablehnen' (reject) it.
Die Regierung hat einen neuen Gesetzentwurf zur Steuerreform eingebracht.
The government has introduced a new bill on tax reform.
This word is found almost exclusively in news and discussions about politics and law. It is closely connected with institutions such as 'der Bundestag' (the German federal parliament), 'die Regierung' (the government), and 'das Parlament' (parliament).
Der Gesetzentwurf wird derzeit in den Ausschüssen des Bundestages beraten.
The bill is currently being discussed in the Bundestag committees.
law
'das Gesetz' and 'der Gesetzentwurf' are both connected to state rules. The important difference is the timing. A 'Gesetz' already applies as a binding rule. A 'Gesetzentwurf' is only a fully formulated proposal for a new law or for an amendment. It still has to be debated and passed. Learners may confuse the words because both contain the word 'Gesetz'. Memory tip: a 'Gesetzentwurf' can later become a 'Gesetz', but it is not one yet.
In der E-Mail schickt die Abgeordnete den Gesetzentwurf an ihre Kollegen.
In the email, the representative sends the bill to her colleagues.
Wegen des neuen Gesetzes müssen Firmen mehr Informationen angeben.
Because of the new law, companies have to provide more information.