Assent to Bills
Article 200 — Assent to Bills
Assembly of a State or, in the case of a State having a Legislative Council, has been passed by both Houses of the Legislature of the State, it shall be presented to the Governor and the Governor shall declare either that he assents to the Bill or that he withholds assent therefrom or that he reserves the Bill for the consideration of the President: Provided that the Governor may, as soon as possible after the presentation to him of the Bill for assent, return the Bill if it is not a Money Bill together with a message requesting that the House or Houses will reconsider the Bill or any specified provisions thereof and, in particular, will consider the desirability of introducing any such amendments as he may recommend in his message and, when a Bill is so returned, the House or Houses shall reconsider the Bill accordingly, and if the Bill is passed again by the House or Houses with or without amendment and presented to the Governor for assent, the Governor shall not withhold assent therefrom: Provided further that the Governor shall not assent to, but shall reserve for the consideration of the President, any Bill which in the opinion of the Governor would, if it became law, so derogate from the powers of the High Court as to endanger the position which that Court is by this Constitution designed to fill.
Plain English Summary
This article explains the process by which a law (Bill) passed by a State Assembly is approved. The Governor of that State must either agree to the law, refuse to agree, or send it to the President for consideration.
Key Points
- The Governor decides whether to give assent (approve) to the Bill or withhold assent.
- The Governor can reserve the Bill for the President's consideration.
- The Governor has the power to return a Bill for reconsideration if it is not a Money Bill, asking the legislature to review it.
- The Governor cannot refuse assent if the House passes the Bill again after reconsideration.
Why It Matters
This article outlines the final step in making a State law official, ensuring that the executive authority (the Governor) plays a role in validating the legislative process.
Landmark Judgements
No major landmark judgements.