Section 7: Procedure for Bills
1. Any Senator, not otherwise inhibited, may send a proposed bill to the Speaker for consideration by the Senate.
2. Upon receipt of a bill from a Senator, the Speaker shall create a thread in the forum, and open the bill for debate.
3. After the opening of the bill, Senators may speak in the following order:
A. Sponsors
B. Co-Sponsors
4. The speaker shall then declare the bill open for discussion by other Senators, who may then formally and respectfully declare their views on the bill at hand,
as well as propose amendments.
A. The debate period will last 48 hours from the opening by the Speaker
5. Upon conclusion of the debate period the Speaker will move the bill forward to the amendment period which will last a further 48 hours.
A. Any Senator, including the bill’s sponsor(s) may propose amendments to the bill.
6. Upon conclusion of the amendment period a second debate period will be opened by the Speaker which will last 48 hours.
A. This second debate period will only pertain to proposed amendments, if there are no proposed amendments the speaker shall move the bill directly to vote.
7. Upon conclusion of the second debate period the Speaker shall move the bill to the voting period which will last 48 hours.
If the bill has proposed amendments there will be two distinct voting periods. The amendments will be voted on individually in a single voting period.
A. If the bill has proposed amendments there will be two distinct voting periods.
B. The amendments will be voted on individually in a single voting period.
C. Upon the conclusion of voting upon the proposed amendments the bill shall progress to the second voting period to be voted on its entirety.
8. The voting period (or second voting period if there were proposed amendments) will occur, a simple majority required for passage.
A. Voting periods shall end either at the conclusion of the 48 hours (unless extended in accordance with General Procedures of The Senate) or after all Senators have submitted votes.
9. The process outlined in steps 2 through 8 shall be repeated for bills originating in the General Assembly with the following changes
A. The General Assembly sponsors of the bill are permitted to introduce the bill but will not participate in further debate after The Speaker has declared the bill open for discussion.
B. If
the amendment period results in no
passed amendments
are passed and the bill is then approved by the Senate, the bill shall be delivered to the President.
C. If
the amendment period results in one or more
passed amendments
are passed, the bill shall be returned to the General Assembly.
10. For bills amended by the General Assembly returning to the Senate.
A. The bills sponsors retain the right to introduction, as well as one person as designated by the Chairperson of the General Assembly when the bill was returned to the Speaker.
B. A debate period concerning the amendments introduced by the General Assembly will be commenced by the Speaker.
No new amendments may be proposed during this debate period
C. There will be no amendment period for a bill returning to the Senate with amendments from the General Assembly.
D. The bill and its amendments shall be subject to a majority vote of approval. Should the bill succeed it will be forwarded to the President. Should the bill fail the vote, it is defeated.
11. Should the President veto a bill, any Senator may choose to contest this veto, and submit such a notice to the Speaker. The Speaker shall then create a thread in the appropriate place in the forum, with the bill that was vetoed and the objections from the president. There shall then be a period of debate on both the bill and the objections, and then a voting period.
A. Should the rejection of the veto be approved with a four fifths majority of the Senate, it shall be forwarded by the Speaker to the Chairperson of the General Assembly.
