Choose another procedure How is a state law adopted? Presidency decision and entity objection How is a Federation law adopted? How is an RS law adopted? How is a cantonal law adopted? How is a Brčko District law adopted? How is the BiH institutions budget adopted? How is the Council of Ministers formed? How is the Federation Government formed and a deadlock resolved? How is a Federation law adopted? Both Houses are required; the VNI procedure is governed by the current 2022 amendments, not the original two-people rule of 1994.
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Government and parliamentary proposers A bill within federal competence is prepared; the Prime Minister and ministers make legislative proposals and recommendations within their remit.
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Federation House of Representatives Considers and adopts the bill under constitutional and procedural rules; without the required majority it is not adopted.
Potential blocking point Who Representatives How Do not provide the majority required for adoption. What happens next The proposal cannot become law by decision of the other House alone. 3
Federation House of Peoples The second House must also approve the bill; it ordinarily decides by simple majority, subject to constitutional and procedural exceptions. Each House is expected to act within 45 days of the other’s approval; after expiry the bill goes on the next sitting’s agenda, no later than another 30 days.
Potential blocking point Who House of Peoples How Rejects the bill or does not give it the required majority. What happens next There is no adopted law; the agenda deadline is not automatic adoption. 4
Caucuses and leadership of the House of Peoples Two thirds of one constituent-people caucus or more than one chair/vice-chair may determine that the proposal affects a VNI listed in IV.A.17a. This must occur within one week of submission to delegates and no later than the vote.
Potential blocking point Who Holders of the constitutional VNI trigger How Adoption requires a majority of each caucus represented in the House; agreed amendments return to the House of Representatives. What happens next Without agreement or approval of amendments, a parity joint commission of both Houses is formed and decides by consensus. Vital interest and the Belgian alarm bell Belgium · Alarm bell procedure, Article 54 Similar: A group of representatives can trigger a special procedure to protect a community, rather than relying only on an ordinary majority disagreement.
But different: In the state House of Peoples a majority of one constituent-people caucus triggers a requirement for a majority in each of the three caucuses; a disputed invocation goes to a joint commission and potentially the Constitutional Court. Belgium requires three quarters of one linguistic group, suspends proceedings and refers the matter to the Council of Ministers for a reasoned opinion within 30 days, excluding budgets and special-majority laws.
Sources for the rules in BiH
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Joint commission and Federation Constitutional Court Vital Interest Panel If the commission harmonises the text, the act is deemed adopted; otherwise the Constitutional Court finally decides on VNI. The panel has seven judges: two from each constituent people and one from Others.
Potential blocking point Who Vital Interest Panel How It decides admissibility by two-thirds majority within one week and the merits of an admissible case within one month; at least two votes are required to find a vital interest. What happens next If it finds a VNI, the act fails and returns to the proposer, who may not resubmit the original text. If it finds no VNI, the act is deemed adopted/is adopted by simple majority. Vital interest and the Belgian alarm bell Belgium · Alarm bell procedure, Article 54 Similar: A group of representatives can trigger a special procedure to protect a community, rather than relying only on an ordinary majority disagreement.
But different: In the state House of Peoples a majority of one constituent-people caucus triggers a requirement for a majority in each of the three caucuses; a disputed invocation goes to a joint commission and potentially the Constitutional Court. Belgium requires three quarters of one linguistic group, suspends proceedings and refers the matter to the Council of Ministers for a reasoned opinion within 30 days, excluding budgets and special-majority laws.
Sources for the rules in BiH
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Federation President and Official Gazette The President signs legislative decisions following adoption (IV.B.7(a)(iv)); the law is published in the Official Gazette and cannot take effect before publication.