Also known as: bicameralism · bicamerally · two-house legislature · two-chamber system
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A legislative body consisting of two separate chambers whose approval is required for the passage of legislation.
Congress enacts a statute authorizing an agency to award grants to nonprofits. After the agency approves a grant to a particular organization, one house passes a resolution purporting to cancel it. The resolution has no legal effect on the nonprofit's rights because legislative alteration of external legal relations requires action by both chambers.
A state legislature other than Nebraska's considers a bill imposing new taxes on corporations. The bill passes one chamber but receives no vote in the second. The tax provisions never take effect because the state's bicameral structure demands approval from both houses before any measure becomes law.
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A bicameral legislature consists of two distinct chambers that maintain separate procedures and leadership. Each chamber must act independently on proposed legislation.
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The Constitution places all legislative power in a Congress composed of two houses. Any measure altering rights or duties outside the legislative branch must therefore secure passage in both chambers.
A resolution passed by only one house fails to satisfy bicameral requirements. Such a measure cannot alter the legal rights or duties of persons outside Congress.
Forty-nine state legislatures are organized as bicameral bodies. Only Nebraska operates under a unicameral structure.
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