VI. Legislation

Art. 49.

(1) Legislative Acts are: (a) laws; (b) decrees of the President of the Republic.

(2) No legislative act may be contrary to the Constitution.

Art. 50.

1) The right of legislative initiative is vested in the Government and the Seym.

2) Legislative initiative in matters regarding the Budget, the contingent of army - recruits and the ratification of international agreements pertains exclusively to the Government.

3) The Diet may not without consent of the Government pass a law entailing expenditure, for which there is no cover in the budget.

Art. 51.

The obtaining of State loans, the disposal or mortgage of State real-estate appraised at a sum of over 100,000 Zlotys, the imposition of taxes and public levies, the introduction of import duties and monopolies, the fixing of the monetary system as also the acceptance of financial guarantees by the Treasury — shall take place only on the strength of a legislative act.

Art. 52.

1) Agreements with other countries: commercial, customs tariff, permanently burdening the State Treasury, containing obligations to impose new burdens upon the citizens or obligations to impose new burdens upon the citizens or evoking change in the frontiers of the State — require before ratification the agreement of the Legislative Chambers expressed in the form of a law.

2) In cases not permitting delay, the President of the Republic may, on the motion of the Council of Ministers, put provisionally into effect all or some of the clauses of customs-tariff or commercial agreements before their ratification.

Art. 53.

1) Each Bill passed by the Seym shall be submitted to the Senate for consideration.

2) A resolution of the Senate rejecting or amending a Bill is considered as accepted unless the Seym rejects it by a three-fifths majority.

Art. 54.

1) The President of the Republic shall confirm with his signature the validity of laws passed constitutionally and shall order their promulgation in the Journal of Laws.

2) The President of the Republic may within thirty days of the receipt of a Bill refer it back to the Seym with the demand that it be reconsidered, but this can take place not earlier than during the next ordinary session.

3) If the Legislative Chambers pass the Bill without amendment for a second time by a majority of the statutory number of deputies and senators, the President of the Republic shall order its promulgation after having confirmed the validity of the law with his signature.

Art. 55.

(1) The law may authorize the President of the Republic to issue decrees within the period and the scope determined by it; amendments of the Constitution shall not be included in such authorization.

(2) While the Seym is dissolved, the President of the Republic has the right, in case of State necessity, to issue decrees within the limits of State legislation with the exception of:

(a) amendments to the Constitution; (b) the laws concerning elections to the Seym and the Senate; (c) the budget; (d) the imposition of taxes and establishment of monopolies; (e) the monetary system; (f) the issue of State loans; (g) the disposal and mortgaging of State real estate valued at a sum over 100,000 zlotys.

(3) Decrees issued in pursuance of provisions of the present article shall be issued on the motion of the Council of Ministers and can be amended or abrogated only by a legislative act.

Art. 56.

Decrees concerning the organization of the Government, the Supreme command of the Armed Forces and the organization of State administration may be issued at any time; they can be amended or abrogated only by similar decrees of the President of the Republic.

Art. 57.

(1) The Decrees of the President of the Republic have the force of law and shall be published in the Journal of Laws with reference made to their constitutional basis.

(2) Whenever the Constitution or laws require a bill for settlement of a particular legislative question, this matter may also be settled by a decree of the President of the Republic, issued in accordance with the conditions specified by the Constitution.