Legislative Source Transparency Act (Proposed)

In democratic governance, laws must be rooted in truth, reason, and the lived realities of the people. Yet many proposed bills are filed without clear references to supporting data, public consultation, or precedent. This gap allows for the passage of laws driven by personal interest, political expediency, or unverified claims, rather than sound evidence. As a result, public trust in legislative work continues to erode.

The Legislative Source Transparency Act seeks to institutionalize a simple yet powerful reform: the mandatory inclusion of a References and Annex Section in all proposed bills or ordinance (local law). This section shall list all sources - such as legal provisions, academic studies, consultations, statistical reports, or previous laws - that directly informed the bill’s creation. It will serve as both a transparency tool and an intellectual foundation that lawmakers must stand upon when presenting their proposals.

This requirement shall apply to both national and local legislators. Any bill submitted without a References Section shall be deemed incomplete and ineligible for calendaring, committee hearings, or plenary debates. By enforcing this condition, the law will ensure that legislative proposals meet minimum standards of research, consultation, and intellectual honesty before they are allowed to shape the nation’s laws.

Ultimately, the Act will empower citizens, researchers, and media to better understand the rationale behind every proposed law. It will also help expose copy-pasted bills, recycled proposals with no public benefit, or laws drafted without due diligence. In doing so, it restores the dignity of the legislative process and aligns governance with truth, competence, and accountability.