Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation and sponsor of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, Samuel Nartey George, has rejected calls for Parliament to revisit the legislation following its passage.

His comments come after Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin called for a reconsideration of the bill, which was passed on May 29, 2026.

Speaking at the 4th African Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family Sovereignty and Values, Mr George argued that Parliament's Standing Orders do not allow a bill to be reopened after it has passed its third reading.

“Everything that we do in this House, Parliament is a house of rules. Respectfully to Mr Speaker, it’s not a house of appeals. It’s a house of rules. And so if there’s no rule in the rule book that gives us room to do what he wants to do, I'm saying that there is still a room in there; the Presidency can come back to us,” he said.

According to him, Parliament has completed its role in the legislative process and must now transmit the bill to the President.

“When Parliament passes a bill, Parliament becomes functus officio. I think that the only role that Parliament has today is to transmit the bill to the President,” he stated.

Mr George explained that the Constitution provides options for the President once the bill is presented to him, including assenting to it, seeking advice from the Council of State, or returning it to Parliament with recommendations for reconsideration.

“The Constitution spells out the steps the President can take to scrutinise the bill. He has a number of days after it has been transmitted to him to report back to the House and say, ‘I have no objection. I’m signing it; I’m assenting to it.’

“If he has an issue, he can write back to us and say, ‘I have an issue with this provision, that provision. Parliament should reconsider it with his recommendations.’ He cannot just raise objections; he must make recommendations through his Attorney-General,” he said.

The Ningo-Prampram MP also maintained that Parliament's rules do not permit the reversal of a bill after it has been passed.

“The act of rescission of a passed bill is alien to our Standing Orders,” he said.

“Once the bill has gone through the third reading, Parliament has no role again to play. So once the bill passes after the third reading, that’s it. We have to transmit it.”

Mr George said any concerns about the legislation should be addressed through the constitutional processes available to the President.

“Let’s transmit it. Let the Presidency come back to us with any challenges that they have. If they have concerns, Parliament can then reconsider those recommendations in accordance with the Constitution. That is the only route I see here for any reconsideration to happen,” he added.

The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, popularly known as the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, was passed by Parliament on May 29, 2026, and is awaiting transmission to President John Mahama for further action.