Converting a UK Bill into an Act

Introduction

Once a Bill has gone through all the amending phases and is ready for enactment, its content will need updating so that it becomes an Act.

Converting a UK Bill into an Act will make the following changes:

• Updates the XML so that it is now an Act document type

• Inserts the Act front cover (containing Short title, Chapter Number and Explanatory Notes statement)

• Inserts new Table of Contents (containing Short title, Chapter Number)

• The date of enactment rubric will be added after the long title and the Act Year and Chapter Number will be inserted under the Short title in the preface

• “Bill” in the short title will be changed to “Act” and the Act Year inserted at the end

• “Bill” in the long title will be changed to “Act”

• The stage version rubric will be removed

• The back cover will be removed (if there is one)

How to convert a UK Bill into an Act

1. On the Project Tab, select Duplicate version from the Actions menu on the document version you want to convert into an Act (see Duplicating a document version).

2. The system will ask you to specify a folder and a version description.

3. When you have provided a folder and version description, select the Convert Bill to Act checkbox and click Create.

4. Open newly created document version in the Editor and do the following:​

   • Check the Act title​ is correct;

   • Update the Document Information including Act year, chapter number & assent date​ (see Managing document information);

   • Delete Explanatory Notes rubric from front cover​ if not required (and any other element, e.g. the table of contents);

   • Save the document.

5. Generate a PDF (see Generating and viewing a PDF.

6. On the Project Tab, find the PDF snapshot of the approved PDF version and select Submit to TNA (see Submitting an Act or SI/SSI to TNA).