KATHMANDU, July 14: The House of Representatives is heading toward an extended lull after Tuesday as the government has failed to register enough new bills, leaving Parliament with little legislative business and raising the prospect of fewer House sittings.
Although Tuesday's meeting has several items on its agenda, Parliament is expected to run out of legislative business in the days ahead, increasing the likelihood that both the House of Representatives and the National Assembly will meet less frequently.
With most budget-related work nearing completion in both chambers, parliamentary officials say the government's delay in introducing new legislation has created a shortage of business before Parliament. Despite repeated assurances that a series of new bills would be tabled, the government has yet to register any significant legislation, casting uncertainty over the continuity of regular parliamentary proceedings.
As the possibility of a prolonged suspension of House sittings grows, many lawmakers are preparing to return to their home districts.
Stack of bills stalled in National Assembly
Tuesday's House meeting is scheduled to table several bills and refer them to the relevant parliamentary committees. These include the Bill to Amend and Repeal Certain Nepal Acts, 2026, the Bill to Amend the Nepal Special Service Act, 1985, and the National Service Corps Bill, 2026, all of which will be sent to committees for clause-by-clause deliberation.
Earlier, the Nepal Rastra Bank (Third Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Tourism Bill, received from the National Assembly with amendments, had already been referred to the respective committees.
The House is also scheduled to begin discussions on and the ratification process for two International Labour Organization conventions and a protocol during Tuesday's meeting.
With the limited number of bills currently before the House being referred to committees and no fresh legislation in sight, parliamentary proceedings are expected to slow significantly in the coming weeks.
Although the government has pledged to provide Parliament with adequate legislative business, it has so far registered only seven new bills, including budget-related legislation. The remaining bills under consideration were introduced to replace ordinances.
Since committee deliberations typically take time, Parliament is expected to face a shortage of agenda items unless the government introduces fresh legislation.
Between May 11 and July 10, the two Houses passed eight bills, including one budget-related bill, four ordinance replacement bills, and three regular bills. These include the Appropriation Bill, the Alternative Development Finance Mobilization Bill, the Elections of House of Representatives Members Bill, and the Voter List Amendment Bill. Parliament also enacted ordinance replacement bills related to public procurement, money laundering prevention, cooperatives, and health science academies.
Meanwhile, the Finance Bill and the National Debt Recovery Bill are yet to be endorsed by the National Assembly.
With the budget process nearing completion, the government is expected to introduce a fresh batch of legislation. However, its failure to do so has raised questions about its legislative preparedness and Parliament's ability to function effectively.
