Organic Law of Local People’s Congresses at All Levels and Local People’s Governments at All Levels of the People’s Republic of China

Adopted by the 2nd Session of the Fifth National People's Congress on July 1, 1979. It has been amended for the first time on December 10, 1982, for the second time on December 2, 1986, for the third time on February 28, 1995, for the fourth time on October 27, 2004, and for the fifth time on August 29, 2015. The “Organic Law of Local People’s Congresses at All Levels and Local People’s Governments at All Levels of the People’s Republic of China” is a political document that has been given legal effect or reinterpreted by the national legislature in accordance with the law. It consists of 5 chapters and 69 articles in total.

The “Organic Law” states:

People's congresses and people's governments shall be established in provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government, autonomous prefectures, counties, autonomous counties, cities, municipal districts and towns. Standing committees shall be established by local people's congresses at or above the county level. The organs of self-government of autonomous regions, autonomous prefectures and autonomous counties shall, in addition to exercising the functions and powers as specified by this Law, exercise the power of autonomy within the limit of their authority as prescribed by law.

Local people's congresses at various levels shall be local organs of state power. Deputies to the people's congresses shall be elected. Deputies to the people's congresses shall fully exercise their own power. Standing committees of local people's congresses at or above the county level shall fully exercise their functions and powers. Standing committees may set up administrative offices and other organs of work according to their needs in work.

Local people's governments at various levels shall be the executive organs of the local people's congresses at the corresponding levels; they shall be the local organs of state administration. The local people's governments at various levels throughout the country shall be state administrative organs under the unified leadership of the State Council and shall be subordinate to it. Local people's governments at various levels must exercise their administrative functions and powers according to law.

Provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government and its Standing Committee may, in accordance with this Law and the actual situation, to make specific provisions on the implementation of the issue.