From Citizen Ideas to Bills

Written By Beatriz Rey

Inside Brazil’s Senate’s New System for Linking Public Input to Lawmaking

BY BEATRIZ REY

Earlier this year, the Brazilian Senate introduced a new artificial intelligence tool that reshapes how citizen input feeds into the legislative process. Traditionally, ideas submitted through the e-Cidadania platform only entered formal deliberation if they reached a minimum threshold of public support. The new system allows suggestions to be identified and used even when they remain below the required number of endorsements.

By connecting the citizens’ idea database directly to the workflow of the Senate’s Legislative Consultancy, the tool transforms a largely underused archive into a resource for drafting bills, strengthening justifications, and guiding policy design. In doing so, it expands participatory channels beyond visibility and popularity, making legislative listening less dependent on digital mobilization capacity.

The tool works by using artificial intelligence to scan the e-Cidadania database whenever consultants are asked to support the preparation of a new bill. The system searches for ideas that are thematically aligned with the proposal under development and highlights those that may contribute to its content or rationale. Selected suggestions can then be incorporated into the draft and explicitly referenced in its justification, reinforcing the link between public input and legislative output. Its first concrete result illustrates this potential.

A proposal submitted by Cândida Magalhães, calling for free psychological care for children of women affected by domestic violence, was identified by the system and incorporated into Bill 6,125/2025, presented by Senator Jorge Kajuru. The bill establishes a National Policy for the Protection of Children of Victims of Domestic Violence, addressing a gap left by the Maria da Penha Law, which does not guarantee automatic psychological support for children.

More News on Modernization

  • On the first anniversary of POPVOX’s Foundations Digital Parliaments Project, Government Innovation and Global Initiatives Director Aubrey Wilson looks back at key milestones and shares what’s next for 2026. More to come soon!

  • POPVOX Foundation also released a curated list of AI resources for MPs and parliamentary staff that is essential reading.

  • The latest IPU Innovation tracker highlights how the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina used a strategic IT assessment to bridge critical infrastructure gaps and chart a path to digital maturity.

  • Thailand’s Office of the Council of State is partnering with Microsoft to modernize its legal system using cloud and AI tools that make more than 70,000 interconnected laws searchable, comparable, and aligned with international standards.

Legislative Elections This Year

In 2026, dozens of countries across all regions will renew their national legislatures, reshaping political balances and redefining how power is exercised inside parliaments. For anyone interested in democratic institutions, governance, and legislative innovation, these elections deserve close attention.

Africa

  • Algeria (National People’s Assembly) – expected June 2026.

  • Cape Verde (National Assembly) – scheduled for May 17, 2026.

  • Zambia (National Assembly) – scheduled for August 13, 2026 as part of general elections.

  • Somalia (House of the People) – expected legislative election by December 31, 2026.

  • South Sudan (National Legislative Assembly & Council of States) – general elections with parliamentary renewal by December 22, 2026.

Asia and the Pacific

  • Vietnam (National Assembly) – expected by March 2026.

  • Nepal (House of Representatives) – scheduled for March 5, 2026.

Europe

  • Cyprus (House of Representatives) – scheduled for May 24, 2026.

  • Armenia (National Assembly) – set for June 7, 2026.

  • Slovenia (National Assembly) – expected by September 1, 2026.

  • Russia (State Duma) – scheduled no later than September 20, 2026.

  • Latvia (Saeima) – expected on October 3, 2026.

  • Israel (Knesset) – expected by November 2026.

Americas

  • Colombia (Congress — Senate & House) – legislative elections on March 8, 2026.

  • Brazil (Chamber of Deputies & Federal Senate) – as part of general elections on October 4, 2026.

  • United States (House of Representatives and one-third of Senate) – midterm Congressional elections on November 3, 2026.

POPVOX Foundation in Berlin

In January, the POPVOX Foundation team spent several days in Berlin, Germany, exchanging ideas with lawmakers and parliamentary staff from around the world on how legislatures can responsibly and effectively adopt emerging technologies. From discussions on how the Bundestag approaches institutional innovation to conversations about using AI to strengthen post-legislative scrutiny, the team gathered practical insights into how parliaments are adapting to rapid technological change.

Across these exchanges, three themes stood out: meaningful innovation requires strategic intent, people remain central to democratic institutions, and no legislature is navigating this transformation alone. The team also built on lessons from the Legislative Scrutiny Course cohosted with Westminster Foundation for Democracy and the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, reinforcing the value of international forums where institutions can share experiences, compare approaches, and collectively strengthen democratic resilience in an evolving digital landscape.

Events

Modern Parliament (“ModParl”) is a newsletter from POPVOX Foundation that provides insights into the evolution of legislative institutions worldwide. Learn more and subscribe at modparl.substack.com.

Beatriz Rey
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AI Resources for MPs and Parliament Staff