Section VII - the committees

Article 58. The National Congress and both its Houses shall have permanent and temporary committees, established in the manner and with the incumbencies set forth in the respective regulations or in the act from which their creation  Paragraph 1. In the composition of the Directing Boards and of each committee, the proportional representation of the parties or the parliamentary groups which participate in the respective House shall be ensured to the extent possible.  Paragraph 2 - The committees have the power, on account of the matter under their authority.  I - to debate and vote on bills of law which, in accordance with the regulations, are exempt from being submitted to the Plenary Assembly, except in the event of an appeal from one-tenth of the members of the respective House; II - to hold public audiences with entities of civil society;  III - to summon Ministers of State to render information on matters inherent to their duties;  IV - to receive petitions, claims, statements or complaints from any person against acts or omissions of Government authorities or entities;  V - to request the testimony of any authority or citizen;  VI - to examine construction work programs and national, regional and sectorial development plans and to report thereupon. Paragraph 3 - Parliamentary inquiry committees, which shall have the powers of investigation inherent to the judicial authorities, in addition to other powers set forth in the regulations of the respective Houses, shall be created by the Chamber of Deputies and by the Federal Senate, jointly or separately, upon the request of one-third of its members, to investigate a given fact and for a certain period of time? and their conclusions shall, if the case may be, be forwarded to the Public Prosecution to determine the civil or criminal liability of the offenders.  Paragraph 4 - During recess there shall be a committee to represent the National Congress, elected by both its Houses in the last regular session of the legislative session, with incumbencies defined in the common regulations, the composition of which shall repeat, to the extent possible, the proportional representation of the political parties.  

Section VIII - the legislative process subsection I - general provision

Article 59. The legislative process comprises the preparation of:  I - amendments to the Constitution;  II - supplementary laws;  III - ordinary laws;  IV - delegated laws;  V - provisional measures;  VI - legislative decrees;  Sole paragraph - A supplementary law shall provide for the preparation, drafting, amendment and consolidation of laws.  

Subsection II - amendments to the constitution

Article 60. The Constitution may be amended on the proposal of:  I - at least one-third of the members of the Chamber of Deputies or of the Federal Senate;  II - the President of the Republic; III - more than one half of the Legislative Assemblies of the units of the Federation, each of them expressing itself by the relative majority of its members.  Paragraph l - The Constitution shall not be amended while federal intervention, a state of defense or a state of siege is in force.  Paragraph 2 - The proposal shall be discussed and voted upon in each House of the National Congress, in two readings, and it shall be considered approved if it obtains in both readings, three-fifths of the votes of the respective members.  Paragraph 3 - An amendment to the Constitution shall be promulgated by the Directing Boards of the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate with the respective sequence number.  Paragraph 4 - No proposal of amendment shall be considered which is aimed at abolishing:  I - the federative form of State;  II - the direct, secret, universal and periodic vote;  III - the separation of the Government Powers;  IV - individual rights and guarantees. Paragraph 5 - The matter dealt with in a proposal of amendment that is rejected or considered impaired shall not be the subject of another proposal in the same legislative session.