SO 2017-65 Amendments to SO#2016-03 ("Parliamentary Procedure Orders Act") ENACTED

WE, the Parliament of the Union, do hereby ORDERED the following;-

Article 1
Current Articles III, IV, V, and IV of SO#2016-03 ("Parliamentary Procedure Orders Act") are deleted, and current Articles VII and VIII of the same are renumbered Articles VI and VII.

Article 2
The following is inserted as Articles III, IV and V of SO#2016-03 ("Parliamentary Procedure Orders Act"):
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III. Acts of Parliament:
The following procedural orders apply to proposed Acts of Parliament:
1) The bill shall be proposed in the Drafting Table section of the forums.
2) a) At any point when a bill is on the Drafting Table or in the Debate Hall, any Senator may request to be added to the bill as a co-sponsor.
b) The Prime Minister will then include that Senator as a co-sponsor on the next version of the bill.
3) When the bill has gathered the endorsements of at least two senators, it shall be considered ready to be debated, and when all bills and constitutional amendments that have previously gained that status have been debated, the Prime Minister shall move it to the Debate Hall section of the forums.
4) The Prime Minister shall set the time for the end of the debate at no less than two and no more than four days from its start, yet that debate time may be interrupted for between two and four days before returning to priority on the list of bills and constitutional amendments to be debated for its remaining allocated time, so that the Parliamentary Committees may evaluate and issue recommendations on the bill.
5) During the first half of the debate, a Motion to Pass to a Vote, especial to the Debate Hall of Parliament, may be tabled by any senator in the forum thread of the bill.
6) If such a motion gathers the endorsements of at least three senators, the Prime Minister may, at his discretion, choose to suspend the debate and skip step 7), moving directly to step 8).
7) a) The Prime Minister may, at the end of the debate time and at his discretion, grant an extension of between one and four days to the debate time.
b) Such an extension may only be granted once for each bill.
8) When the debate time has ended, the Prime Minister will first put all non-withdrawn amendments of the bill to vote simultaneously for at least two and no more than four days, before moving the bill, taking into account any amendments to it, to the Voting Chamber where the senators will vote for at least two and no more than four days or until all the senators have voted within that timeframe.
9) a) The Prime Minister may, at the end of the voting time and at his discretion, grant an extension of between one and four days to the voting time.
b) Such an extension may only be granted once for each bill.
10) If a majority or more of all the senators vote in favor of the bill, it becomes an Act of Parliament, and is sent to the President's desk to be signed or vetoed.
11) Otherwise, the bill is considered to have failed and is dropped.
12) If when Parliament is dissolved, any bill has commenced steps 4), 7), 8), or 9, then that step must continue until completed, but after it has been completed, no further action may be taken on the bill in question until a new Parliament is convened.
 
 
IV. Constitutional Amendments:
The following procedural orders apply to proposed Constitutional Amendments (see also SO 2015-2 Constitution Act):
1) The constitutional amendment shall be proposed in the Drafting Table section of the forums.
2) When the constitutional amendment has gathered the endorsements of at least three senators, it shall be considered ready to be debated, and when all bills and constitutional amendments that have previously gained that status have been debated, the Prime Minister shall move it to the Debate Hall section of the forums.
3) The Prime Minister shall set the time for the end of the debate at no less than four and no more than six days from its start, yet that debate time may be interrupted for between two and four days before returning to priority on the list of bills and constitutional amendments to be debated for its remaining allocated time, so that the Parliamentary Committees may evaluate and issue recommendations on the constitutional amendment.
4) a) The Prime Minister may, at the end of the debate time and at his discretion, grant an extension of between one and four days to the debate time.
b) Such an extension may only be granted twice for each constitutional amendment.
5) When the debate time has ended, the Prime Minister will move the constitutional amendment to the Voting Chamber where the senators will vote for at least four and no more than six days or until all the senators have voted within that timeframe.
6) a) The Prime Minister may, at the end of the voting time and at his discretion, grant an extension of between one and four days to the voting time.
b) Such an extension may only be granted twice for each constitutional amendment.
7) If a two thirds supermajority or more of all the senators vote in favor of the constitutional amendment, it had passed Voting Stage 1, and will pass to Voting Stage 2.
8) Otherwise, the constitutional amendment is considered to have failed and is dropped.
9) If when Parliament is dissolved, any constitutional amendment has commenced steps 3), 4), 5), or 6), then that step must continue until completed, but after it has been completed, no further action may be taken on the bill in question until a new Parliament is convened.
 
Article V. Emergency Legislation:
The following procedural exception applies only to proposed Acts of Parliament:
1) If at least three Senators and the Prime Minister concur that a bill on the Drafting Table is of such urgent importance to the survival and wellbeing of the Union, that it must pass directly to the Voting Chamber, steps 2) through 7) in Article III of this Act may be waived.
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Article 3
The current text of new Article VI of SO#2016-03 ("Parliamentary Procedure Orders Act") is numbered Clause 1 of that article, and the following is appended as Clause 2 of that article:
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2) The Speaker pro tempore of Parliament shall exercise the powers of the Prime Minister set out in this Act when they have been legally delegated to him by the Office of the Prime Minister, and until the said Office has revoked that delegation of powers.
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Article 4
We, the Parliament of the Union, enact these above provisions as Amendments to SO#2016-03 ("Parliamentary Procedure Orders Act"), and order the law to be updated upon such enactment.


September 1, 2017
The Rt. Hon. Prime Minister Abdoa, MP LSM GSM
The Rt. Hon. Minister of Jurisprudence Libertarian Democracy, MP LSM GSM

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Debate Scheduled 14 - 17 November 2017
Motion to Pass to a Vote Tabled 14 November 2017
Motion Sustained 14 November 2017
Vote Scheduled  15 - 18 November 2017
Vote Passed 19 November 2017
Presidential Assent Given 22 November 2017

Status: Enacted