How are the laws made in Spain?

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Laws in Spain are made through the legislative process, which involves the participation of the Cortes Generales, the Spanish Parliament. The process can be summarized as follows:

1. Initiative:

- The legislative process begins with the presentation of a bill, known as a "draft law" ("proyecto de ley").

- The initiative for a bill can come from various sources: the Government (the executive branch), individual members of Parliament, parliamentary groups, regional governments, or through popular initiative (with a minimum of 500,000 signatures).

2. Parliamentary Procedure:

- Bills undergo parliamentary procedure within the Cortes Generales, which consists of two chambers: the Congress of Deputies (lower chamber) and the Senate (upper chamber).

- The relevant parliamentary committee first examines the bill and makes amendments or changes if necessary.

- The bill is then debated and voted on by the full chamber.

- If a majority vote approves the bill in the first chamber, it moves on to the second chamber.

- The second chamber can propose modifications, which must be approved by the first chamber.

3. Conciliation Commission:

- If there are discrepancies between the versions passed by each chamber, a conciliation commission is formed to reconcile the differences and reach an acceptable text.

4. Final Approval and Promulgation:

- Once the bill is approved in both chambers in identical terms, it is sent to the King for royal assent, which is a formality.

- The King signs the bill and promulgates it as a law, officially known as a "Law."

- The law is published in the Official State Gazette (Boletín Oficial del Estado, BOE) and enters into force on the date specified in the law or, if no date is specified, on the twentieth day from its publication in the BOE.

It's important to note that the legislative process can be complex, and additional procedures and considerations may apply depending on the type of law and the specific circumstances.