New laws (also known as statutes) are official rules and regulations that govern behavior within a society or country. Laws are typically proposed, debated, and passed by a legislative body such as Congress. A bill is the draft of a proposed law that is presented to a legislative body for consideration. The process of creating laws varies by legislative branch and jurisdiction.

The lawmaking process begins when a senator or representative comes up with an idea for a policy change. This idea may come from a variety of sources, including a constituent, an interest group, or a State agency. The draft is then written as a bill, and it is assigned to a committee for research, discussion, and changes. If the bill passes through both houses of Congress, it is sent to the Governor for consideration. The Governor has 10 days to sign or veto the bill. If the Governor signs the bill, it becomes law; if the Governor vetoes the bill, it is returned to the legislature with a statement of the Governor’s disapproval. If two-thirds of each house votes to override the Governor’s veto, the bill becomes law.

The study of law includes a variety of topics, from property and criminal law to commercial law and constitutional law. Property law includes ownership and possession of real property, which is land and things attached to it such as buildings, fixtures and trees; personal property, which are movable objects such as cars, computers or jewelry; and intellectual property, which is intangible such as trademarks, copyrights or patents.