Bill: Rejected Parliament Reform Omnibus Act

[FreddBear]

Parliament Reform Omnibus Act

A
Bill
To

Reform the current standards and regulations of Parliament.



Section I. Name
Section II. Commencement
Section III. Reasoning
Section IV. Transparency
Section V. Parliament Records
Section VI. Activity Standards
Section VII. Constitutional Amendment 1
Section VIII. Constitutional Amendment 2
Section IX. Constitutional Amendment 3
Section X. Constitutional Amendment 4
Section XI. Constitutional Amendment 5
Section XII. Constitutional Amendment 6
Section XIII. Constitutional Amendment 7
Section XIV. Sanctions and Penalties
Section XV. Bill Categorization & Modification Regarding Forums



The Parliament of Stratham Enacts;

Section I. Act Name​

1. This act is the Parliament Reform Omnibus Act, and can be abbreviated as the PROBE act.

​

Section II. Commencement​

1. All provisions of this act are to be effective immediately after passage by the Parliament of Stratham.
2. In cases of conflicts with previous legislation regarding the topics covered by this Act, this Act is to take precedence.

Section III. Reasoning​

1. The Republic of Stratham has expressed discontent with the past few sessions of Parliament regarding its transparency, function, and activity. Additionally, no clear standards exist for certain aspects of Parliament, such as voting records. This bill aims to set up a clear system of standards to improve the functionality of Parliament and allow the public to observe the processes which their elected officials carry out.

Section IV. Transparency​

1. The process of proposing, voting on, and passing a bill and/or amendment must be done publicly on both the “Parliament of Stratham” Discord server as well as the forums.
2. The process of voting on government appointees must be carried out in view of the public.
3. All parliamentary committees must be carried out in view of the public.
4. All VoNC investigations and hearings must be carried out in view of the public.
5. The following channels within the “Parliament of Stratham” Discord server are to be made viewable by the public and must remain viewable by the public:
   1. #general-announcements is to be made viewable by the public and must remain viewable by the public.
   2. #debate-chamber is to be made viewable by the public and must remain viewable by the public.
   3. #points-of-order is to be made viewable by the public and must remain viewable by the public.
   4. #bill-proposal is to be made viewable by the public and must remain viewable by the public.
   5. #voting-lobby is to be made viewable by the public and must remain viewable by the public.
6. A new Discord channel within the “Parliament of Stratham” Discord server is to be made titled #confidential-discussions, which is to be only accessible by Parliament, in addition to the Server Owners: Koalition and Luxaholic.
7. The #confidential-discussions channel is only to be used for classified discussions related to internal government affairs that do not relate to the public.
   1. Internal government affairs can be defined as disciplinary actions relating to Parliament and unofficial discussions pertaining to other branches of government, as well as any other information that is too sensitive for the public.
8. The #confidential-discussions tab is not to be used to vote on bills, amendments, appointed officials, investigations, Vote of No Confidence hearings, or the official discussion related to them. No official parliamentary action or discussion is meant to be carried out in this channel, failure to adhere to this rule may result in sanctions and penalties being levied by the judiciary, repeated offences may result in removal from office by the judiciary.
9. Parliament may discuss and edit bills not yet proposed amongst themselves privately in direct messages and on political party Discord servers, however, private channels related to these discussions are not allowed on the “Parliament of Stratham” Discord server.

Section V. Parliament Records​

1. Parliament is required to keep and maintain a publicly viewable voting record. This record applies to any measure parliament must vote on and is required to show how each member of parliament voted (Aye, Nay, Present, etc.), as well as the total votes counted.
2. All conversations, debates, discussions, investigations, hearings, or any other chat conversation related to parliament must be preserved as a matter of record.
3. In some instances, deleting a message may be necessary. If a message is sent too soon it may be deleted or edited to allow the author to finish their thoughts. Deleting messages with intent to hide or obstruct the record is not allowed.
4. Indecent and/or highly inappropriate messages may be deleted at the request of any Member or Parliament or player.
5. It is the job of the Deputy Speaker of Parliament to ensure that a clean and concise record is kept at all times. Failure to maintain the record as outlined above may result in removal as Deputy Speaker by the judiciary. If removed, you may not be reappointed for the position of Deputy Speaker for the remainder of the term.
   1. As defined above, the record is defined as all conversations, debates, discussions, investigations, hearings, or any other chat conversation related to parliament and its function, as well as the voting record.
6. Any effort to delete, change, or otherwise obstruct the record will result in criminal prosecution and the potential for removal from office by the judiciary.

Section VI. Activity Standards​

1. All Members of Parliament must maintain at least twelve hours of playtime within the past thirty days during their term.
2. If a member of Parliament expects to be away, they are to inform the Speaker of Parliament (SoP), Members of Parliament, and the general public of their expected absence and its length.
   1. Absence is defined as a complete lack of communication via Discord, the forums, and in-game participation. If you can still communicate on Discord on a semi-daily basis, you are not considered absent.
   2. Absence can also be defined as a vacant spot or seat in Parliament, such as when a Member of Parliament resigns or is removed from office, this absence is temporary and a new Member/s of Parliament must be elected.
3. In the event of an emergency absence, Member/s of Parliament will inform the speaker within seven days of initial departure. Reasoning for emergency departures do not need to be provided.
4. If a planned absence goes longer than expected, the Speaker of Parliament must be informed within seven days, failure to do so may result in removal from office by the judiciary
5. Post-election playtime requirements for Members of Parliament can be waived by the Speaker of Parliament (SoP) in the event of a planned or emergency absence if needed.
6. When a Member of Parliament is absent, the voting requirements to pass amendments will be lowered to accommodate the absence.
7. Temporary exceptions to the post-election playtime requirements can be made if a Member of Parliament announces their planned departure and unavailability within seven days of their departure. A set timeframe must be given to the Speaker or Deputy Speaker of Parliament in order for an exception to be official and binding under the law.

Section VII. Constitutional Amendment 1​

1. An addition to section three, subsection two, as follows:
   
   Old Text:
   “(II) The Judicial Branch is responsible for presiding over court cases which include;
   (A) Civil cases (a dispute between two private parties)
   (B) Criminal cases (state prosecution against an individual's violation of a criminal law)
   (C) Constitutional cases (where a Government's decision is disputed)
   (D) Appeal cases (where a Judge’s decision is disputed)
   
   New Text:
   “(II) The Judicial Branch is responsible for presiding over court cases which include;
   (A) Civil cases (a dispute between two private parties)
   (B) Criminal cases (state prosecution against an individual's violation of a criminal law)
   (C) Constitutional cases (where a Government's decision is disputed)
   (D) Appeal cases (where a Judge’s decision is disputed)
   (E) Parliamentary Oversight (state prosecution against a sitting member of parliament for breaking parliamentary/constitutional regulations)

Section VIII. Constitutional Amendment 2​

1. An addition to section three, as follows:
   
   “(VIII) In cases involving Parliamentary Oversight, the judiciary has the power to remove a sitting member/s of Parliament if they are found to be in violation of the Constitution of the Republic of Stratham or any other parliamentary regulation passed as law.
   (A) All cases of Parliamentary Oversight must be tried before a panel of three (3) judges.

(B) In order to remove a member of parliament, the panel must unanimously agree on removal.
(C) Before removal from office is carried out, the panel must select a judge to write the majority opinion, which will discuss the reasoning behind removal.
(D) If the panel does not come to a unanimous decision after deliberating, the side with the majority of the judges will write a majority opinion, with the one dissenting judge writing the dissenting opinion.
(E) If a majority of the panel finds the defendant guilty of any violations, they may sanction them under the regulations laid out in the Parliamentary Reform Omnibus (PROBE) Act.

Section IX. Constitutional Amendment 3​

1. Amend section one, subsection two, as follows:
   
   Old Text:
   (I) No one may serve as a sitting Member of Parliament unless they meet the following requirements:

(A) Having joined the server at least four weeks prior to the start of the election.
(B) At least twelve hours of playtime in the past 30 days prior to the start of the election.
(C) Participating on forums, and on Discord.

New Text:
(I) No one may serve as a sitting Member of Parliament unless they meet the following requirements:
(A) Having joined the server at least four weeks prior to the start of the election.
(B) At least twenty-four hours of playtime in the past 30 days prior to the start of the election.
(C) Participating on forums, and on Discord.
(D) Continually maintain twelve hours of playtime within the past 30 days post-election for the remainder of their term.

Section X. Constitutional Amendment 4​

1. An addition to section one, subsection three, as follows:
   
   “(VI) The Deputy Speaker of Parliament;
   (A) Is responsible for maintaining and keeping the parliamentary record.
   (B) May temporarily fill in for the Speaker of Parliament (SoP) during periods of planned or unplanned absence.
   (C) May hold a Vote of No Confidence to remove the Speaker of Parliament (SoP) from their position as Speaker in the event of a prolonged, unplanned absence of more than twenty-one days, requiring a supermajority of 6/7 votes to pass.
   (D) May be temporarily given additional roles and duties by the Speaker of Parliament (SoP) in order to improve the efficiency, communication, and effectiveness of Parliament.

Section XI. Constitutional Amendment 5​

1. An amendment to section one, subsection four, as follows:
   
   Old Text:
   (V) The process of Constitutional Amendments will follow a more complex process as follows:

(A) Proposals for amendments will be made on Discord under #bill-creation and in the Parliament subforum.
(B) 48 hours after the proposal, the amendment will be voted on by the Members of Parliament.
(C) Voting will close after 24 hours have passed.
(D) In order for an amendment to pass, it must have the super majority support (6/7 votes) and consist of at least one section titled with the amended section and/or article of the Constitution. If the amendment fails to achieve either of these requirements, it will be rejected.
(E) Once passed, the amendment will be put to Prime Ministerial assent or veto. If given assent, the amendment shall be amended on the Constitution forum page by the Speaker of Parliament, or their office. In case the Amendment is vetoed, the Parliament cannot overturn the veto.

New Text:
(V) The process of Constitutional Amendments will follow a more complex process as follows:
(A) Proposals for amendments will be made on Discord under #bill-creation and in the Parliament subforum.
(B) 48 hours after the proposal, the amendment will be voted on by the Members of Parliament.
(C) Voting will close after 24 hours have passed.
(D) In order for an amendment to pass, it must have the super majority support (6/7 votes) and consist of at least one section titled with the amended section and/or article of the Constitution. If the amendment fails to achieve either of these requirements, it will be rejected.
(E) In the event where one or more members of Parliament are absent, the threshold for passing an amendment goes down by the corresponding amount of absences (one absence equates to 5/6 and two absences equates to 4/5), a minimum of four Members of Parliament must be present for the vote to pass.
(F) Once passed, the amendment will be put to Prime Ministerial assent or veto. If given assent, the amendment shall be amended on the Constitution forum page by the Speaker of Parliament, or their office. In case the Amendment is vetoed, the Parliament cannot overturn the veto.
(G) In the case where an amendment is vetoed by the Prime Minister, a statement must be provided to Parliament as well as the general public discussing their objections to the proposed amendment.

Section XII. Constitutional Amendment 6​

1. An amendment to section one, subsection four, as follows:
   
   Old Text:
   (IV) The process of a bill becoming an Act of Parliament is as follows.

(A) Bills will be proposed on Discord in the #bill-creation channel and in the Parliament subforum.
(B) The bill will be voted on by the Members of Parliament 24 hours after the proposal, or at the Speaker of Parliament’s discretion with consent of the other Parliamentarians.
(C) Voting will close after 24 hours have passed, or at the Speaker of Parliament’s discretion. In order for a bill to pass, the majority support of sitting Members of Parliament is required. If the bill fails to achieve this majority, it will be rejected.
(D) Once passed, the bill will be put to Prime Ministerial assent or veto. If given assent, the bill becomes an Act of Parliament.

New Text:
(IV) The process of a bill becoming an Act of Parliament is as follows.
(A) Bills will be proposed on Discord in the #bill-creation channel and in the Parliament subforum.
(B) The bill will be voted on by the Members of Parliament 24 hours after the proposal, or at the Speaker of Parliament’s discretion with consent of the other Parliamentarians.
(C) Voting will close after 24 hours have passed, or at the Speaker of Parliament’s discretion. In order for a bill to pass, the majority support of sitting Members of Parliament is required. If the bill fails to achieve this majority, it will be rejected.
(D) In the event where one or more members of Parliament are absent, the threshold for passing a bill goes down by the corresponding amount of absences (one absence equates to 4/6 and two absences equates to 3/5) a minimum of four Members of Parliament must be present for the vote to pass..
(D) Once passed, the bill will be put to Prime Ministerial assent or veto. If given assent, the bill becomes an Act of Parliament.

Section XIII. Constitutional Amendment 7​

1. An amendment to section one, subsection two, as follows:
   
   Old Text:

(III) The election of Members of Parliament shall:
(A) Take place every two months beginning on the fourth day of the month and ending on the eighth day of the month.
(B) The period for declaring candidacy shall be held on the fourth and fifth days of the month and shall last forty-eight (48) hours.
(C) The voting period shall be held on the sixth and seventh days of the month and shall lastforty-eight (48) hours.
(D) In the election, voters shall cast up to four(4) votes and the seven (7) candidates with the most votes, at the end of voting, shall be elected to the Parliament of Stratham.
(E) The election results must be announced no later than the end of the eighth day of the month.

1. If there is a tie between two or more candidates for the seventh seat, a second election will be held to determine which of the two or more candidates will be elected to the seventh seat, lasting 24 hour
2. Elected Members of Parliament must be sworn in by the tenth of the month, alongside the new executive government.

New Text:
(III) The election of Members of Parliament shall:
(A) Take place every two months beginning on the fourth day of the month and ending on the eighth day of the month.
(B) The period for declaring candidacy shall be held on the fourth and fifth days of the month and shall last forty-eight (48) hours.
(C) The voting period shall be held on the sixth and seventh days of the month and shall last forty-eight (48) hours.
(D) In the election, voters shall cast up to four(4) votes and the seven (7) candidates with the most votes, at the end of voting, shall be elected to the Parliament of Stratham.
(E) The election results must be announced no later than the end of the eighth day of the month.

1. If there is a tie between two or more candidates for the seventh seat, a second election will be held to determine which of the two or more candidates will be elected to the seventh seat, lasting 24 hours.
2. Elected Members of Parliament must be sworn in by a sitting judge on the tenth of the month, alongside the new executive government.
3. The swearing in of any elected official must be held in view of the public in order to ensure government integrity.

Section XIV. Sanctions and Penalties​

1. Members of Parliament found to be in violation of The Constitution of the Republic of Stratham, The PROBE Act, or any other regulatory law pertaining to Parliament may be subject to the following penalties:
   1. The inability to run in the next parliamentary election.
   2. A fine no less than 2,500kr and no more than 10% of the player’s personal and bank balances combined.
   3. Imprisonment of no less than 15 minutes and no greater than 60 minutes.
   4. Removal from position of Speaker or Deputy Speaker of Parliament.
   5. The inability to become Speaker or Deputy Speaker of Parliament for the remainder of the term.
2. The above listed penalties may be applied in cases of Parliamentary Oversight in the event that a member of Parliament is found guilty of the above listed actions. Not all penalties need to be applied in each case of Parliamentary Oversight.
3. In the event that penalties are applied to a sitting Member of Parliament, the majority of judges on the panel must agree on which penalties are to be applied.

Section XV. Bill Categorization & Modification Regarding Forums​

1. Repeal the “Forums Bill Separation Act”, and “Removal Bills Forum Separation Act” and any conflicting piece of legislation.
2. The categories under the ‘Acts of Parliament’ subforum as listed on the Forums can be edited and changed by the Speaker of Parliament as seen fit. The Acts that have received assent are to go into any of these subcategories best suited.
3. All bills that are created with the main purpose of either amending or repealing another bill must go under the ‘Acts of Removal’ category, which is to be renamed to ‘Acts of Removal & Amendment’.

Authored by FreddBear on behalf of the People of the Republic of Stratham.

 

[FreddBear]

I request this bill be fast-tracked.