What does the Senate do?
The Senate consists of 75 members, also known as senators. The Senate, together with the House of Representatives, forms the Dutch parliament. The main task of the Senate is to assess the bills that have been approved by the House of Representatives.
The Senate checks whether a law does what it was intended to do, whether it fits within the Constitution and European laws and whether it is enforceable. If the majority of the senators are satisfied, the law is passed. If not, the law is rejected. The Senate cannot amend a law.
The members of the Senate are elected by the members of the Provincial Council and the electoral colleges in Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, and the electoral college of non-residents (Dutch nationals abroad).