Parliament Act (ParlA)
English is not an official language of the Swiss Confederation. This translation is provided for information purposes only and has no legal force.
Chapter 1 General
Art. 31 Organs
The organs of the Federal Assembly are: a. the National Council; b. the Council of States; c. the United Federal Assembly; d. the Presiding Colleges; e. the Offices; f. the Conference for Coordination and the Administration Delegation; g. the committees and their sub-committees and delegations; h. the parliamentary groups.
Art. 32 Seat of the Federal Assembly
1 The Federal Assembly meets in Bern. 2 It may by simple federal decree decide by way of exception to meet at a different location. 3 If it is not possible to convene in Bern, the Conference for Coordination may decide that the Federal Assembly shall meet at a different location.
Para. 3 — Inserted by No I of the FA of 17 March 2023 (Improvements in the Organisation and Procedures of Parliament, Especially in Crisis Situations), in force since 4 Dec. 2023 (AS 2023 483; BBl 2022 301, 433).
Art. 32a Council meetings held virtually
1 If an in-person meeting is not possible, a council’s office may decide to hold individual council meetings virtually. Council decisions to the contrary remain reserved. 2 Elections and meetings in camera in accordance with Article 4 paragraph 2 shall not be held virtually. 3 Votes shall not be held again if assembly members are unable to cast their votes on technical grounds. 4 Subject to any other decisions taken by the council, the office shall determine which meetings are to be held virtually and the items on the agenda for those meetings. It may adopt temporary organisational measures that deviate from the rules of procedure of the relevant council.
Art. 32a — Inserted by No I of the FA of 17 March 2023 (Improvements in the Organisation and Procedures of Parliament, Especially in Crisis Situations), in force since 2 March 2026 (AS 2023 483; 2026 78; BBl 2022 301, 433).
Art. 33 Convening meetings
1 The National Council and the Council of States are convened by their Offices. 2 The United Federal Assembly is convened by the Conference for Coordination. 3 The President of the National Council or, in the event of his or her incapacity, the President of the Council of States is obliged to convene the councils if the security of the federal authorities is endangered or the Federal Council is unable to act.
Art. 33a Postponement or early termination of a session
1 The decision of one Council to postpone or prematurely end the session requires the consent of the other Council. 2 If it is not possible to convene in person, the Conference for Coordination may decide to postpone or terminate the session early.
Art. 33a — Inserted by No I of the FA of 17 March 2023 (Improvements in the Organisation and Procedures of Parliament, Especially in Crisis Situations), in force since 4 Dec. 2023 (AS 2023 483; BBl 2022 301, 433).
Chapter 2 The National Council and Council of Stat
Art. 34 Presiding Colleges
The Presiding College of each council comprises the President, the first Vice-President and the second Vice-President.
Art. 35 Offices of the councils
1 Each council shall establish an office to deal with its administration and other related matters. 2 The office of each council comprises the members of the Presiding College and other members as determined by the respective standing orders of the councils. 3 The rights and duties assigned to the committees by this Act also apply to the Offices.
Art. 36 Council standing orders
Each council shall issue standing orders with the implementing provisions relating to its organisation and procedure.
Art. 37 Conference for Coordination
1 The Office of the National Council and the Office of the Council of States constitute the Conference for Coordination. 2 The Conference for Coordination has the following duties: a. It decides on the calendar week in which the ordinary and extraordinary sessions are held. b. It deals with business between the two councils and between the councils and the Federal Council. c. … d. It elects the General Secretary of the Federal Assembly. The election must be confirmed by the United Federal Assembly. e. It approves the formation of new parliamentary groups in accordance with the criteria stated in Article 61. 3 The Federal Council may participate in its meetings in an advisory capacity. 4 The decisions of the Conference for Coordination require the agreement of the Offices of the National Council and of the Council of States. Elections in accordance with paragraph 2 letter d shall take place by an absolute majority of the voting members. 5 ...
Para. 2 let. a — Amended by No I of the FA of 21 June 2013 (Improvements in the Organisation and Procedures of Parliament), in force since 25 Nov. 2013 (AS 2013 3687; BBl 2011 6793, 6829). Para. 2 let. c — Repealed by No I of the FA of 17 March 2023 (Improvements in the Organisation and Procedures of Parliament, Especially in Crisis Situations), with effect from 4 Dec. 2023 (AS 2023 483; BBl 2022 301, 433). Para. 5 — Repealed by No I of the FA of 15 June 2018, with effect from 26 Nov. 2018 (AS 2
Art. 38 Administration Delegation
1 The Administration Delegation comprises three members from each of the Offices of the councils as appointed by the Conference for Coordination. The Administration Delegation shall appoint one of its members as its delegate. It constitutes itself. 2 The Administration Delegation is responsible for the overall management of the administration of Parliament. Within the scope of its responsibilities for the draft budget of the Federal Assembly, it shall ensure in particular that the Federal Assembly and its bodies have the necessary resources and infrastructure at their disposal. It may issue directives on the allocation of human and financial resources. 3 The Administration Delegation shall take decisions by a simple majority of its voting members.
Para. 2 — Amended by No I of the FA of 17 March 2023 (Improvements in the Organisation and Procedures of Parliament, Especially in Crisis Situations), in force since 4 Dec. 2023 (AS 2023 483; BBl 2022 301, 433).
Chapter 3 United Federal Assembly
Art. 39 Office of the United Federal Assembly
1 The Office of the United Federal Assembly comprises the Presiding Colleges of both councils. 2 The chairperson is the President of the National Council or, in the event of his or her incapacity, the President of the Council of States. 3 The Office shall prepare the meetings of the United Federal Assembly. 4 It may appoint committees of the United Federal Assembly. They comprise twelve members of the National Council and five members of the Council of States.
Art. 40 Pardons and Jurisdiction Committee
1 The Pardons and Jurisdiction Committee considers applications for pardons and decisions on conflicts of jurisdiction between the supreme federal authorities. 2 Its president is elected alternately from the members of the National Council and the members of the Council of States. 3 It shall submit applications for pardons to the Federal Council, which provides it with a report and a proposal thereon. 4 It may inspect the application and the files on the investigation, the court proceedings and the execution of the judgement.
Art. 40a Judiciary Committee
1 The Judiciary Committee is responsible for the preparation for the appointment and removal from office of: a. judges of the federal courts; b. members of the Supervisory Authority for the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland; c. the Attorney General of Switzerland and the deputies of the Attorney General of Switzerland; d. the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (the Commissioner). 2 It issues public invitations for applications for vacant positions as federal judges, the Attorney General of Switzerland, the deputies of the Attorney General of Switzerland and the Commissioner. If the law permits part-time positions, the level of occupation is stated in the invitation to apply. 3 The Judiciary Committee submits its election nominations and proposals for removal from office to the United Federal Assembly. 4 It determines the details of the employment contracts of the judges, the Attorney General of Switzerland, or the deputies of the Attorney General of Switze
Art. 40a — Inserted by No II of the FA of 13 Dec 2003, in force since 1 Aug. 2003 (AS 2003 2119; BBl 2001 4202, 2002 1181). Para. 1 let. d — Inserted by Annex 1 No II 12 of the Data Protection Act of 25 Sept. 2020, in force since 1 Sept. 2023 (AS 2022 491; BBl 2017 6941). Para. 1 let. d — Amended by Annex No II 2 of the Law Enforcement Authorities Act of 19 March 2010, in force since 1 Jan. 2011 (AS 2010 3267; BBl 2008 8125). Para. 2 — Amended by Annex 1 No II 12 of the Data Protection Act of 25
Art. 41 Procedure in the United Federal Assembly
1 Unless otherwise provided in this Act, the provisions of the standing orders of the National Council apply by analogy to the procedure in the United Federal Assembly. 2 The tellers and the substitute tellers of the two councils determine the results of elections and votes. 3 If the standing orders of the National Council do not apply, the United Federal Assembly may draw up its own regulations.
Chapter 4 Committees
Section 1 General Provisions
Art. 42 Standing committees and special committees
1 Each council shall appoint from its members the standing committees provided for by this Act and their respective standing orders. 2 In exceptional circumstances, the councils may appoint special committees.
Art. 43 Appointment of the committees
1 The members of the committees and their chairpersons (president and vice-president) shall be appointed by the office of the relevant council. 2 Unless otherwise provided by this Act, the chairpersons of joint committees of both councils and of committees of the United Federal Assembly shall be elected by the Conference for Coordination. The president and the vice-president may not belong to the same council. 2bis The Conference for Coordination ensures that die Presidents of the Control Committees of both councils do not belong to the same parliamentary group. 3 The composition of the committees and the allocation of seats among the committee chairpersons are determined by the strengths of the parliamentary groups in the relevant council. Wherever possible, appropriate account should be taken of the official languages and regions of the country. 4 The term of office of the members of the standing committees is determined by the respective standing orders of the councils.
Para. 2bis — Inserted by No I of the FA of 21 June 2013 (Improvements in the Organisation and Procedures of Parliament), in force since 25 Nov. 2013 (AS 2013 3687; BBl 2011 6793, 6829).
Art. 44 Duties
1 In accordance with the terms of reference under this Act or the standing orders, the committees have the following duties: a. they conduct a preliminary discussion of the business referred to them for the attention of their council; b. they consider and decide on the business referred to them for final decision in terms of this Act; c. they monitor the social and political developments in their areas of responsibility; d. they draw up proposals relevant to their areas of responsibility; e. they are responsible for impact assessments in their areas of responsibility. They submit related proposals to the competent bodies of the Federal Assembly, or issue related mandates to the Federal Council; f. they take account of the results of impact assessments. 2 The committees shall submit reports on the business referred to them and their proposals thereon to their respective council.
Para. 1 let. e — Amended by No I of the FA of 3 Oct. 2008 (Parliamentary Law. Miscellaneous Amendments), in force since 2 March 2009 (AS 2009 725; BBl 2008 1869, 3177).
Art. 45 General powers
1 In order to fulfil their duties, the committees may: a. submit parliamentary initiatives, parliamentary procedural requests and proposals and compile reports; b. consult external experts; c. consult representatives of the cantons and interest groups; d. conduct inspections. 2 The committees may appoint sub-committees from their members. These shall report and submit proposals to the committee. Joint sub-committees may be appointed by two or more committees.
Art. 45a Meetings
1 The meetings of the committees are generally held in accordance with an annual meeting schedule. 2 The president may cancel meetings or schedule additional meetings. Decisions of the committee to the contrary remain reserved. 3 Between ordinary meetings, the committee shall be convened on an unscheduled meeting day if the majority of committee members have agreed to a corresponding request by circular resolution, in which an item of business is specified, the handling of which is urgent.
Art. 45a — Inserted by No I of the FA of 17 March 2023 (Improvements in the Organisation and Procedures of Parliament, Especially in Crisis Situations), in force since 4 Dec. 2023 (AS 2023 483; BBl 2022 301, 433).
Art. 45b Virtual meetings
1 The committees may hold their meetings virtually if: a. an in-person meeting is not possible; or b. urgent decisions or decisions on how to proceed are to be taken. 2 A meeting may only be held virtually if the president and the majority of the committee members have given their consent by circular resolution. 3 The following persons may be connected virtually to a committee meeting taking place in person: a. committee members for whom representation is not legally possible; b. participants in hearings in accordance with Article 45 paragraph 1 letters b and c.
Art. 45b — Inserted by No I of the FA of 17 March 2023 (Improvements in the Organisation and Procedures of Parliament, Especially in Crisis Situations), in force since 4 Dec. 2023 (AS 2023 483; BBl 2022 301, 433).
Art. 46 Procedure in the committees
1 The committees are governed by the procedural rules of their respective council, unless this Act or the respective standing orders of the councils provide otherwise. 2 Resolutions of joint committees of both councils require the agreement of the majority of the voting members from each council, unless this Act provides otherwise. 3 Persons in the service of the Confederation must normally provide written documents and visual presentations for the committees in two official languages. External experts and representatives of cantons and interest groups shall be notified in the invitation to the committee meeting that they should, if possible, take account of committee being multilingual.
Para. 3 — Inserted by No I of the FA of 21 June 2013 (Improvements in the Organisation and Procedures of Parliament), in force since 25 Nov. 2013 (AS 2013 3687; BBl 2011 6793, 6829).
Art. 47 Confidentiality
1 The discussions in the committees are confidential; in particular, no information may be provided on the opinions of individual participants in meetings or on the way in which they voted. 2 The committees may decide to hold public hearings.
Art. 47a Classification of minutes and other documents
1 Minutes of meetings and other committee documents must be classified; the exception being documents that are already publicly available before being passed to the committee. 2 The committees may declassify their documents and make them publicly available, with the exception of the minutes of their meetings. The conditions for accessing documents are regulated in an ordinance issued by the Federal Assembly.
Art. 47a — Inserted by No I of the FA of 15 June 2018, in force since 2 Dec. 2019 (AS 2018 3461; BBl 2017 6797, 6865).
Art. 48 Information for the general public
The committees shall inform the general public of the results of their deliberations.
Art. 49 Coordination between the committees
1 The committees of each council shall coordinate their activities with each other and with the committees of the other council that are considering the same or similar issues. 2 The procurement of information or the clarification of issues may be carried out in joint meetings or these tasks may be assigned to a single committee. 3 The Control Committees and the Finance Committees may hold joint preliminary discussions of the annual report and accounts. 4 In the case of matters concerning more than one area of responsibility, other committees may submit reports to the committees responsible for the preliminary examination. 5 ...
Para. 5 — Repealed by No I of the FA of 3 Oct. 2008 (Parliamentary Law. Miscellaneous Amendments), with effect from 2 March 2009 (AS 2009 725; BBl 2008 1869, 3177).
Section 2 Finance Committees
Art. 50 Duties of the Finance Committees
1 The Finance Committees (FCs) are responsible for the financial management of the Confederation; they shall conduct a preliminary examination of the financial planning, the draft budget and its supplements and the state accounts. They exercise supervisory control over the entire financial budget in accordance with Article 26 paragraph 2, unless this Act provides otherwise. 2 They may submit reports regarding legislative bills with substantial financial repercussions to the committees responsible for their preliminary examination. Such legislative bills may be referred to them for an accompanying report or for a preliminary examination. 3 The Finance Committees shall be invited to report on drafts for appropriation credits and payment limits that are not assigned to them for preliminary examination. They have the same rights as the committees responsible for the preliminary examination with regard to representing their proposals in the Assembly.
Para. 2 — Amended by No I of the FA of 3 Oct. 2008 (Parliamentary Law. Miscellaneous Amendments), in force since 2 March 2009 (AS 2009 725; BBl 2008 1869, 3177). Para. 3 — Inserted by Annex No 1 of the FA of 26 Sept. 2014 (New Management Model for the Federal Administration), in force since 1 July 2015 (AS 2015 1583; BBl 2014 767).
Art. 51 Finance Delegation
1 The Finance Committees shall each appoint three of their members and a permanent deputy for each of those members to the Finance Delegation (FinDel). The Delegation constitutes itself. 2 The Finance Delegation is responsible for the detailed examination and supervision of the entire financial budget. 3 The dealings between the Finance Delegation and the Federal Audit Office are governed by Articles 14, 15 and 18 of the Federal Act of 28 June 1967 on the Federal Audit Office. 4 The Finance Delegation shall submit reports and proposals to the Finance Committees. 5 It may consider other items of business and notify the Finance Committees or other committees of its findings. 6 It shall reach decisions by a simple majority of its voting members.
Para. 1 — Amended by No I 2 of the FA of 17 Dec. 2010 on Safeguarding Democracy, the Rule of Law and the Capacity to Act in Extraordinary Situations, in force since 1 May 2011 (AS 2011 1381; BBl 2010 1563, 2803). Para. 3 — SR 614.0
Section 3 Control Committees
Art. 52 Duties of the Control Committees
1 The Control Committees (CC) exercise supervisory control over the conduct of business in accordance with Article 26 paragraphs 1, 3 and 4. 2 Their supervisory activities focus on the criteria of legality, expediency and effectiveness.
Art. 53 Control Delegation
1 The Control Committees each appoint three of their members to the Control Delegation (CDel). The Delegation constitutes itself. 2 The Delegation supervises activities in the field of state security and the intelligence services and supervises state activities in matters that must be kept secret because their disclosure to unauthorised persons may be seriously detrimental to national interests. 3 It accepts additional specific mandates that are assigned to it by a Control Committee. 3bis The Federal Council shall inform the Delegation at the latest 24 hours after making its decision of orders to safeguard the interests of the country or to safeguard internal or external security. 4 The Delegation shall submit reports and its proposals thereon to the Control Committees. 5 It reaches decisions by a simple majority of its voting members.
Para. 2 — Amended by No I of the FA of 17 June 2011 (Specification of the Information Rights of the Supervisory Committees), in force since 1 Nov. 2011 (AS 2011 4537; BBl 2011 1817, 1839). Para. 3bis — Inserted by No I 2 of the FA of 17 Dec. 2010 on Safeguarding Democracy, the Rule of Law and the Capacity to Act in Extraordinary Situations, in force since 1 May 2011 (AS 2011 1381; BBl 2010 1563, 2803). Para. 4 — Amended by No I 2 of the FA of 17 Dec. 2010 on Safeguarding Democracy, the Rule of L
Section 4 Reporting to the Council
Amended by No I of the FA of 3 Oct. 2008 (Parliamentary Law. Miscellaneous Amendments), in force since 2 March 2009 (AS 2009 725; BBl 2008 1869, 3177).
Art. 54
Repealed by No I of the FA of 3 Oct. 2008 (Parliamentary Law. Miscellaneous Amendments), with effect from 2 March 2009 (AS 2009 725; BBl 2008 1869, 3177).
Art. 55 ...
The Finance and Control Committees shall report to their respective council once a year on the principal results of their work.
Art. 55 — Repealed by No I of the FA of 3 Oct. 2008 (Parliamentary Law. Miscellaneous Amendments), with effect from 2 March 2009 (AS 2009 725; BBl 2008 1869, 3177).
Section 5 Drafting Committee
Art. 56 Composition and organisation
1 The Drafting Committee (DrC) is a joint committee of both councils. 2 It consists of three sub-committees, corresponding to each of the official languages of the Confederation. 3 The Committee constitutes itself. 4 It shall reach decisions by a simple majority of its voting members.
Art. 57 Duties and procedure
1 The Drafting Committee verifies the wording of legislative texts and determines the final version prior to the final vote. 1bis It is also responsible for editorial corrections which are not subject to a final vote in legislative texts. 2 It ensures that the texts are formulated in a concise and understandable manner. It shall examine whether they conform to the intentions of the Federal Assembly, and ensures that the versions in the three official languages are consistent. 3 The Drafting Committee is not authorised to carry out any material corrections. If it encounters any material omissions, ambiguities or contradictions, it must inform the Presidents of the councils.
Para. 1bis — Inserted by No I of the FA of 15 June 2018, in force since 26 Nov. 2018 (AS 2018 3461; BBl 2017 6797, 6865).
Art. 58 Corrections made after the final vote
1 Where, following the final vote, an error of form or wording that does not conform with the results of the parliamentary deliberations is discovered, the Drafting Committee shall instruct the required corrections to be made prior to publication in the Official Compilation of Federal Legislation. An indication must be given of the corrections made. 2 Following the publication of a legislative enactment in the Official Compilation of Federal Legislation, the Drafting Committee may instruct the correction of obvious errors and alterations of a formal nature. An indication must be given of the corrections made. 3 The members of the Federal Assembly must be informed of major corrections.
Art. 59 Implementing regulations
An ordinance of the Federal Assembly shall regulate the details of the composition and duties of the Drafting Committee as well as the procedure for the verification of legislative bills prior to the final vote and for the instruction of corrections following the final vote and following publication.
Section 6 Delegations to International Assemblies
Art. 60
The organisation, duties and procedures of delegations that represent the Federal Assembly at international parliamentary conferences or in bilateral dealings with parliaments of third countries are regulated in an ordinance of the Federal Assembly.
Chapter 5 Parliamentary Groups
Art. 61 Formation
1 Parliamentary groups are composed of the assembly members who belong to the same party. 2 Members who do not belong to a party or who belong to more than one party may, provided they share similar political views, form their own parliamentary groups. 3 A parliamentary group must consist of a minimum of five members from one of the two councils. 4 Each parliamentary group must notify the General Secretary of the Federal Assembly of its formation, its members, its chairperson and its secretary.
Art. 62 Duties and rights
1 Parliamentary groups conduct a preliminary discussion of the business to be submitted to the councils. 2 They have the right to submit parliamentary initiatives, parliamentary procedural requests, proposals and election nominations. 3 The standing orders may provide for further rights for parliamentary groups. 4 Parliamentary groups may establish their own secretariats. These receive the same documents as the assembly members and are subject to official secrecy in accordance with Article 8. 5 Parliamentary groups shall receive a subsidy to cover the costs of their secretariats. The details of the foregoing are regulated by the Parliamentary Resources Act of 18 March 1988.
Para. 5 — SR 171.21
Chapter 6 Cross-Party Groups
Art. 63
1 Assembly members who share an interest in a specific matter may join together to form a cross-party group. These groups must be open to all assembly members. 2 The groups must notify the Parliamentary Services of their formation and of their members. The Parliamentary Services keeps a public register of cross-party groups. 3 The cross-party groups are entitled, as far as possible, to administrative assistance and to conference rooms. 4 They are not entitled to act as the representatives of the Federal Assembly.
Chapter 7 Administration of Parliament
Art. 64 Duties of the Parliamentary Services
1 The Parliamentary Services assist the Federal Assembly in the fulfilment of its duties. 2 They carry out the following tasks: a. they plan and organise the sessions and the meetings of the committees; b. they are responsible for providing secretarial services, carrying out translation work and taking the minutes of the resolutions and debates of the councils, the United Federal Assembly and the committees; c. they keep records and offer services in relation to records and information technologies; cbis. they operate information systems used to evaluate data for the fulfilment of the tasks of the Federal Assembly, its organs and the members of the councils; this data processing may also include particularly sensitive personal data; a Federal Assembly ordinance shall specify the sources used for this purpose and regulate access authorisations and how this data may be disclosed; d. they advise the assembly members, and in particular the Presiding Colleges of the councils and the chairpe
Para. 2 let. cbis — Inserted by No I of the FA of 16 March 2018 (Up-to-date parliamentary information and documentation services), in force since 26 Nov. 2018 (AS 2018 3547; BBl 2017 6877, 6889).
Art. 65 Management of the Parliamentary Services
1 The Parliamentary Services are subject to the supervision of the Administration Delegation. 2 The General Secretary of the Federal Assembly is responsible for the management of the Parliamentary Services. 3 If offices of the Parliamentary Services act for organs of the Federal Assembly, then they work in accordance with their instructions.
Art. 66 Appointment of the Parliamentary Services staff
Organs of the Federal Assembly as well as the General Secretary of the Federal Assembly are authorised by an ordinance of the Federal Assembly to appoint the staff of the Parliamentary Services.
Art. 67 Rights to information
The offices of the Parliamentary Services have the same rights to information as the organs of the Federal Assembly on behalf of which they are acting.
Art. 68 Involvement of the Federal Administration
1 The organs of the Federal Assembly, and the Parliamentary Services when acting on their behalf, may call on the services of offices of the Federal Administration in order to fulfil their duties. 2 Such involvement must take place with the consent of the appropriate Department or of the Federal Chancellery. 3 In the event of any disagreement, the Administration Delegation shall decide after consulting the Federal Council.
Art. 69 Right to use Assembly chambers and access to the Parliament Building
1 The right to use the Assembly chambers is regulated by the Presidents of the councils, and the right to use the other premises of the Federal Assembly and the Parliamentary Services is regulated by the Administration Delegation. 2 Each assembly member may have an entry pass issued for a specified period to any two persons who wish to have access to the parts of the Parliament Building that are not accessible to the public. The details of these persons and their functions must be recorded in a register that is available for public inspection.
Art. 69a
Inserted by No I of the FA of 1 Oct. 2021, in force from 2 Oct. 2021 to 31 Dec. 2022 (AS 2021 588; BBl 2021 2181, 2183).
Art. 70 Implementing regulations
1 The Federal Assembly shall enact in the form of ordinances of the Federal Assembly the implementing regulations that determine the rules for the administration of Parliament. 2 Unless an ordinance of the Federal Assembly provides otherwise, the implementing regulations of the Federal Council or of any of its subordinate offices that apply to the Federal Administration are applied in the administration of Parliament. 3 Powers that are accorded to the Federal Council or to any of its subordinate offices by such implementing regulations shall be exercised by the Administration Delegation or General Secretary of the Federal Assembly.