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What it is

New rules on how town councils are organized, especially large ones

BOE step 7 of 7 · Passed

It is a government bill. Introduced by the Government. It was introduced on 6 June 2003. Introduced by: Gobierno.

Official title: Government bill on measures for the modernization of Local Government.

Follow this law

Source: Congreso de los Diputados, file 121/000157· updated 11 Nov

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

  1. Town councils must create rules for citizen participation and may receive popular initiatives from residents, which are debated and voted on by the full council. The law also promotes using the internet for procedures and communication with residents.
  2. The Government Commission is renamed Local Government Board (Junta de Gobierno Local), to highlight its executive role. Its members are freely appointed and removed by the Mayor.
  3. Local tax ordinances no longer require an absolute majority Half of all the members of the chamber plus one: 176 of 350 in the Congreso. to pass: the same quorum as for budgets is now required.
  4. Associations of municipalities (mancomunidades) are strengthened: their powers are clarified and they may now be created among municipalities in different autonomous communities.
  5. Large municipalities (for example, over 250,000 residents, or provincial capitals with over 175,000) get a special regime: the full council focuses on debate and oversight, the Mayor leads policy, and the Local Government Board takes on executive functions.
  6. In those large municipalities, districts are mandatory, with a minimum share of the budget managed through them, and a City Social Council and a Special Committee for Suggestions and Complaints are created to defend residents.
  7. Local entities may sanction violations of their ordinances when no other sector rules exist, with fines of up to 3,000 euros for very serious offenses, 1,500 for serious ones and 750 for minor ones.
  8. The law takes effect on January 1, 2004, and the municipalities covered by the large-city regime have six months to adapt their organization.

Words worth knowing

Pleno (full council)
The body of a town council made up of all councilors, which passes rules and oversees the governing team.
Ordenanza fiscal (local tax ordinance)
A municipal rule setting the taxes paid to the town council.
Mancomunidad (association of municipalities)
An association of several municipalities to jointly manage works and services.
Junta de Gobierno Local (Local Government Board)
A town council body that assists the Mayor and holds executive functions.
Distrito (district)
A territorial division of a city with its own bodies to manage municipal matters and bring them closer to residents.
absolute majority
Half of all the members of the chamber plus one: 176 of 350 in the Congreso.

It summarizes the law as published in the BOE. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries

Where it stands

How far did it get?

It took 7 of 7 steps. It reached BOE, and today it is passed.

  1. Introduced6 June 2003Someone registers the text in the Congreso.
  2. Admitted10 June 2003The Bureau of the Congreso accepts it and, for a members’ bill, the plenary decides whether to consider it.
  3. Amendments13 June 2003Groups propose changes.
  4. Committee24 June 2003A committee goes through the text in detail.
  5. Plenary30 September 2003All 350 deputies vote.
  6. Senate16 October 2003The Senate can pass it, amend it or veto it.
  7. BOE27 November 2003It is published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) and comes into force.
See the 11 official steps on a timeline
Jun 2003Jul 2003Aug 2003Sept 2003Oct 200311. 6 June 2003: Presentación22. 10 June 2003: Comisión de Régimen de las Administraciones Públicas Publicación desde 10/06/2003 hasta 13/06/200333. 10 June 2003: Calificación44. 13 June 2003: Comisión de Régimen de las Administraciones Públicas Enmiendas desde 13/06/2003 hasta 13/09/200355. 23 June 2003: Comisión de Régimen de las Administraciones Públicas Mesa - Calificación desde 23/06/2003 hasta 24/06/200366. 24 June 2003: Comisión de Régimen de las Administraciones Públicas Debate de totalidad desde 24/06/2003 hasta 26/06/200377. 13 September 2003: Comisión de Régimen de las Administraciones Públicas Informe desde 13/09/2003 hasta 17/09/200388. 17 September 2003: Comisión de Régimen de las Administraciones Públicas Dictamen desde 17/09/2003 hasta 30/09/200399. 30 September 2003: Pleno Aprobación desde 30/09/2003 hasta 16/10/20031010. 16 October 2003: Senado desde 16/10/2003 hasta 27/11/20031111. 27 November 2003: Concluido - (Aprobado con modificaciones) desde 27/11/2003 hasta 08/01/2004

Was there a plenary vote?

We have no plenary vote linked to this law in the Congreso’s data.

What happens next

What happens now?

It is law, or will be once published in the BOE. It comes into force on the date its own text sets.

The same initiative in the other chamber:

Published in the BOE: Law 57/2003, of 16 December, on measures for the modernization of local government.

Sources

Where does all this come from?

  • The data comes from the open files of the Congreso, the Senate and the BOE, unaltered.
  • Each deputy’s province is the one of their seat on the day of the vote.
  • We only say “passed” or “rejected” when the majority needed is certain; otherwise we say which side had more votes.

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