Each Boys State student is required to write a bill-a proposal to improve our state by changing the law. Perhaps you think that the state should do more to help people find jobs or should do more to promote recycling or should spend more on education. A bill can accomplish such goals by raising or lowering taxes; spending money; criminalizing or legalizing an activity; and creating, reorganizing, or eliminating agencies.
How to write a bill
It is important to remember that bills are not essays. They are supposed to change 
the law, not explain why the law ought to be changed. Instead, a bill should consist of provisions that implement your proposal. If, for example, you want the state to make it easier for residents to find jobs, you may write a bill that spends money on job training for the unemployed. If you are worried the state's bridges are unsafe, you may write a bill that directs the state's Department of Transportation to inspect all the bridges in a year.
Now, we don't expect you to be able to quote New Hampshire statutes or to cite Supreme Court decisions. You don't need to go to law school to write a good Boys State bill. There are, however, a few things we are looking for in your bill. First, it should address a problem that a state government can solve. If the problem you're thinking of is a national one, try tailoring your bill to address how the problem affects the state. Second, we're looking for clarity. Your bill should be legible, and an ordinary person should be able to understand what the bill will-and will not-do if passed. Sometimes, defining some of the more important terms in the bill can help make it clearer. Finally, your bill should demonstrate that you have thought through how the law you propose is going to work. If your bill creates a new crime, what are the penalties for committing it? If your bill spends money, where does the money come from? If your bill raises taxes, where will the money go?
There is no fixed structure for a bill, but the samples below are good bills that we have seen in the past. Yours doesn't need to look precisely like them, but it should reflect the tone and style you see below. Please submit your bill on the Draft Bill form provided. The Draft Bill form also lists suggested bill topics.
Boys State staff will assign the different bills to the appropriate House or Senate committee at Boys State.
AND IF YOUR BILL IS IMPERFECT, DON'T WORRY. YOU WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO REVISE IT WHEN YOU GET TO BOYS STATE. Good luck!
Sample Bill #1
BE IT ENACTED BY THE 2012 SESSION OF BOYS STATE THAT:
Sample Bill #2
Sample #2:
BE IT ENACTED BY THE 2012 SESSION OF BOYS STATE THAT: