How to Write a Bill

Writing a bill is an opportunity to explore an issue you care about and propose legislation to address it. As you prepare your bill for PMC, keep the following tips in mind:

  • Choose a topic that interests you. Focus on an issue you care about that falls within your assigned committee's jurisdiction.

  • Do your research. Learn about the issue, existing policies, and different perspectives to help develop your proposal. Our research resources can help you get started.

  • Make your proposal clear. Explain what your bill aims to accomplish and how it would work. Consider practical details, such as implementation and funding, where relevant.

  • Prepare for debate. Familiarize yourself with your bill's main provisions so you can explain your ideas, answer questions, and consider amendments during committee sessions. You don't need to be an expert on your topic!

Bill Structure

A PMC bill should have three parts:

Preamble

This section should provide your rationale for enacting the bill. Why is your topic something that should be addressed by the government? This section's clauses should always begin with a "Whereas..."

Body

This section should be separated into sections and subsections. Each proposed idea for the implementation of the bill should be a section. Subsections should be used to provide further detail and clarification (definitions, etc.) for their appropriate bill sections.

Enactment Clause

This is the final section of the bill (and can be labeled as a section as normal). EACH BILL MUST HAVE AN ENACTMENT CLAUSE! The enactment clause tells your fellow Congresspeople when your bill will take effect if passed. It may specify a future date (i.e., January 30, 2027) or a certain number of days following the passage of the bill (i.e., 60 days after passage).

Enactment dates within 30 days of passage are used for EMERGENCY legislation only. Enactment dates more than 90 days after passage are used for most legislation and is the enactment period for normal bills. It is worth noting that, per Robert's Rules of Order, bills with an enactment clause of 91 days after passage or more require a simple majority to pass, whereas emergency legislation requires a 2/3 majority. So, unless you have a compelling reason for a shorter timetable, it's generally in your best interest to make the enactment date 91 days after passage.

Sample Bills and Template

Having consistent standards for bill submissions is of the utmost importance to PMC. Please look over the two sample bills below to understand what PMC expects, and download our bill template as a starting point for your own bill.

BILL SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 2026 CONFERENCE

Bill submission will be available following committee assignments.

All bills must be submitted by Saturday November 7th.

Bill Template (doc)
NASA Space Hotel (PDF)
Agricultural Subsidies Bill (PDF)