Article 34 — Powers of Legislature

The Legislature shall have the power:

a. to create new counties and other political sub-division, and readjust existing county boundaries;

b. to provide for the security of the Republic;

c. to provide for the common defense, to declare war and authorize the Executive to conclude peace; to raise and support the Armed Forces of the Republic, and to make appropriations therefor provided that no appropriation of money for that use shall be for a longer term than on year; and to make rules for the governance of the Armed Forces of the Republic;

d. to levy taxes, duties, imports, exercise and other revenues, to borrow money, issue currency, mint coins, and to make appropriations for the fiscal governance of the Republic, subject to the following qualifications:

i. all revenue bills, whether subsidies, charges, imports, duties or taxes, and other financial bills, shall originate in the House of Representatives, but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments as on other bills. No other financial charge shall be established, fixed, laid or levied on any individual, community or locality under any pretext whatsoever except by

d. i. the expressed consent of the individual, community or locality. In all such cases, a true and correct account of funds collected shall be made to the community or locality;

ii. no monies shall be drawn from the treasure except in consequence of appropriations made by legislative enactment and upon warrant of the President; and no coin shall be minted or national currency issued except by the expressed authority of the Legislature. An annual statement and account of the expenditure of all public monies shall be submitted by the office of the President to the Legislature and published once a year;

iii. no loans shall be raised by the Government on behalf of the Republic or guarantees given for any public institutions or authority otherwise than by or under the authority of a legislative enactment;

e. to constitute courts inferior to the Supreme Court, including circuit courts, claims courts and such courts with prescribed jurisdictional powers as may be deemed necessary for the proper administration of justice throughout the Republic;

f. to approve treaties, conventions and such other international agreements negotiated or signed on behalf of the Republic;

g. to regulate trade and commence between Liberia and other nations;

h. to establish laws for citizenship, naturalization and residence;

i. to enact the election laws;

k. to establish various categories of criminal offenses and provide for the punishment thereof;

l. to enact laws providing pension scheme for various categories of government officials and employees in accordance with age and tenure of service; and

m. to make other laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the Republic, or in any department or officer thereof.