The legislative process is defined by the 1985 Constitution, amended in 1993 by referendum. Guatemala has a unicameral legislative system, with legislative power delegated to the Congress of the Republic. The Members of the Congress are directly elected through universal suffrage for a four-year term, with the possibility of re-election.
The right of legislative initiative is attributed to members of Congress, executive bodies (the President), the Supreme Court of Justice, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, and the University of San Carlos. Proposals are submitted to the legislative direction of the Congress and then addressed to a working committee. Following the recommendation of the committee, the draft text is discussed at the plenary session, requiring three separate reading sessions. General laws require a simple majority of votes to be approved, but there are exceptions to decrees that may require a higher majority of votes.
A bill passed in Congress requires presidential assent and publication before it is enacted. After the process in the Congress is successfully concluded, the draft is submitted to the government. If it is sanctioned by the president, the law comes into force after being published in the Official Gazette. In the case of a presidential veto, Congress can overturn the decision by a two-thirds majority of votes and send the new law for publication in the Gazette.