US Virgin Islands Code
The laws in the U.S. Virgin Islands Code are passed by the Legislature of the Virgin Islands, which was created by the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands in 1954. The Legislature of the Virgin Islands contains 15 members, who serve two-year terms and are not subject to any term limits.
A proposed law is known as a bill. After a bill is introduced in the Legislature, it will be referred to one or more standing committees. These committees determine whether a bill should move forward, and they also can propose amendments to a bill. If a bill passes through the committee phase, it will return to the Legislature. The members of the Legislature will discuss the bill and consider any amendments suggested by a committee or by fellow members. Once the bill has been finalized, the Legislature will vote on whether to pass it.
If the Legislature passes the bill, the Governor of the Virgin Islands will review it. The Governor may sign the bill into law, or the Governor may take no action, which means that the bill will become law. If the Governor vetoes the bill, however, it will return to the Legislature. The Legislature can vote to override the Governor’s veto and pass the bill into law. Overriding the Governor's veto requires a two-thirds majority vote.
