The government has begun preparations to draft and introduce 151 bills in the upcoming fiscal year 2026-27 as part of an ambitious legislative agenda.

With the aim of tabling the bills in the winter session of the federal parliament, the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs has directed all 18 ministries to submit the names of proposed laws and, if available, preliminary drafts.

Upon assuming office, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Sobita Gautam pledged to speed up the legislative process. In line with that commitment, she held discussions with all ministries and prioritised the drafting of 45 bills in the first phase. As line ministries continue preparing draft laws, the ministry has compiled a legislative calendar for the current fiscal year comprising both new bills and amendments to existing laws.

Man Bahadur Aryal, joint secretary at the ministry, said all ministries were asked to submit legislative proposals for the upcoming fiscal year, resulting in a consolidated list of 151 bills.

“The list largely consists of amendments to existing laws, along with several new bills,” Aryal said.

According to the ministry’s legislative repository, the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers has proposed 13 bills; the Ministry of Finance 12; the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies four; the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation four; the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs 14; the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Environment 11; the Ministry of Home Affairs 11; and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs one.

The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport has proposed 16 bills; the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives, Federal Affairs and General Administration eight; the Ministry of Women, Children, Gender and Sexual Minorities and Social Security seven; the Ministry of Youth, Labour and Employment five; the Ministry of Defence one; the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation four; the Ministry of Education and Sports eight; the Ministry of Information and Communications six; the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation 12; and the Ministry of Health and Food Safety 14.

Among the proposed laws are bills to regulate artificial intelligence, allow non-resident Nepalis (NRNs) to participate in the secondary securities market, govern asset management, reform savings and credit cooperatives, and strengthen the legal framework for science, technology and innovation.

The legislative agenda also includes bills on the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), chemical substance management, domestic airline liability, regulation of breast-milk substitutes, and legal frameworks for surrogacy and in vitro fertilisation (IVF).

The ministry sought the proposals in accordance with the Legislative Act, 2024. Chapter 2 of the Act sets out the process for preparing and prioritising bills. It requires ministries to identify legislation needed to implement government policies, programmes, budgets, periodic plans, sectoral policies, and international treaty obligations, and submit a priority list to the Law Ministry by mid-June each year.

Aryal said the final list of 151 bills was prepared in line with the provisions of the Act.

Under the law, the ministry, in consultation with line ministries, will determine the priority order for introducing the bills in Parliament and prepare an annual legislative calendar. The calendar must be finalised and submitted to the federal parliament by mid-July.

The Act requires ministries to prepare bills according to the approved calendar, and Aryal said the ministry is on track to meet the statutory timeline.

Ministry-wise breakdown

According to the ministry's legislative plan, the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers has proposed 13 bills, including those related to development management, the National Vigilance Centre, good governance, artificial intelligence, information technology, cybersecurity, corruption control, the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority, statistics, the Nepal Trust, and benefits for ministers, constitutional office bearers and provincial heads.

The Ministry of Finance has proposed 12 bills covering public debt management, banks and financial institutions, banking offences, credit information, negotiable instruments, securities market management, asset management, non-tax revenue, participation of non-resident Nepalis (NRNs) in the secondary securities market, appropriation, national debt, and the annual Finance Bill.

The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies has proposed four bills on mines and minerals, companies, industrial property, and exports and imports, while the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation plans four bills related to water resources, renewable energy and energy efficiency, electricity, and irrigation development and management.

The Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs has prepared 14 bills, including legislation on mediation, amendments to the Civil and Criminal Codes, free legal aid, interpretation of laws, the Federal Parliament Secretariat, remuneration and benefits for parliamentarians and parliamentary officials, the Infrastructure Tribunal, the Nepal Law Commission and the Nepal Bar Council.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Environment has proposed 11 bills covering slaughterhouses and meat inspection, the Veterinary Council, animal health and welfare, forests, environmental protection, the National Dairy Development Board, the Nepal Agricultural Research Council, national parks and wildlife conservation, the National Tea and Coffee Development Board, plant quarantine and pesticide management.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has submitted 11 proposals related to immigration, the Nepal Police, the Armed Police Force, land acquisition, registration of associations, elections, political parties, benefits for VIPs, compensation, local peace and security, and prisons. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has proposed a single bill concerning non-resident Nepalis.

The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport has proposed 16 bills covering water supply and sanitation, the Nepal Water Supply Corporation, the Water Supply Management Board, vehicles and transport, road safety, the Diploma Engineering Council, public roads, construction business, shipping, alternative financing for public infrastructure, waste management, protection of the Kathmandu Valley and Bagmati civilisation, buildings, ownership of joint housing (apartments), urban development, and urban public transport management.

The Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives, Federal Affairs and General Administration has proposed eight bills covering land surveys, land management, savings and credit cooperatives, cooperatives, the federal civil service, local government operation, construction materials management and the Nepal Administrative Staff College.

The Ministry of Women, Children, Gender and Sexual Minorities and Social Security has prepared seven bills on human trafficking, children's rights, the rights of persons with disabilities, social security, contribution-based social security, integrated social development and gender-based violence. The Ministry of Youth, Labour and Employment has proposed five bills concerning youth, employment, labour migration, foreign employment and labour.

The Ministry of Defence has proposed a single amendment to the Army Act. The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation has prepared four bills covering science, technology and innovation, the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology, chemical substance management and a Science Museum.

The Ministry of Education and Sports has proposed eight bills on universities, technical and vocational education, school education, the National Qualifications Framework, Nepal Scouts, libraries, higher education and sports development.

The Ministry of Information and Communications has submitted six bills covering the Media Council, national mass communications, telecommunications, postal services, Rastriya Samachar Samiti and Gorkhapatra Corporation.

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has proposed 12 bills, including legislation on domestic airlines’ liability, the Nepal Tourism, Hotel and Mountaineering Training Academy, the Lumbini Development Trust, the Nepal Aviation Authority, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, the Pashupati Area Development Trust, the Nepal Tourism Board, copyright protection, the Greater Janakpur Area Development project, trekking trails, ancient monuments preservation and the Nepal Airlines Corporation.

The Ministry of Health and Food Safety has prepared 14 bills covering health insurance, drugs and medical supplies, burns management, regulation of breast-milk substitutes, tobacco control, safe motherhood and reproductive health, health services, surrogacy and in vitro fertilisation (IVF), central disease control, mental health, the Integrated Health Sciences Academy, health quality accreditation, protection of health workers and health institutions, and food technology and quality control.