SO 2016-3 Parliamentary Procedure Orders

I. Preface:

Recognizing that there is no formal procedure for the working of this Parliament, we set out these Orders to govern our procedure.

II. Acts of Parliament:

The following procedural orders apply to proposed Acts of Parliament:
a) The bill shall be proposed in the Drafting Table section of the forums.
b) When the bill has gathered the endorsements of at least two senators, the Prime Minister shall move it to the Debate Hall section of the forums.
c) 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.
d) During the first half of the debate, a Motion to Pass to a Vote may be tabled by any senator in the forum thread of the bill.
e) If such a motion gathers the endorsements of at least two senators, the Prime Minister may, at his discretion, suspend the debate and move the bill to the voting Chamber section of the forums where the senators will vote for two days or until all the senators have voted within that timeframe.
f) If a majority or more of the nine senators vote in favor of the bill, it becomes an Act of Parliament, and is sent to the President to be signed or vetoed.
g) Otherwise, the Prime Minister will resume the debate and the bill will complete the debate time assigned.
h) The Prime Minister may, at the end of the debate time and at his discretion, grant an extension of either one or two days to the debate time.
i) Such an extension may only be granted once for each bill.
j) When the debate time has ended, the Prime Minister will move the bill 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.
k) If a majority or more of the nine senators vote in favor of the bill, it becomes an Act of Parliament, and is sent to the President to be signed or vetoed.
l) Otherwise, the bill is considered to have failed and is dropped.

III. Constitutional Amendments:

The following procedural orders apply to proposed Constitutional Amendments (see also SO 2015-2 Constitution Act):
a) The constitutional amendment shall be proposed in the Drafting Table section of the forums.
b) When the constitutional amendment has gathered the endorsements of at least three senators, the Prime Minister shall move it to the Debate Hall section of the forums.
c) The Prime Minister shall set the time for the end of the debate at no less than three and no more than five days from its start.
d) The Prime Minister may, at the end of the debate time and at his discretion, grant an extension of either one, two or three days to the debate time.
e) Such an extension may only be granted twice for each constitutional amendment.
f) 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 three and no more than five days or until all the senators have voted within that timeframe.
g) If a two thirds supermajority or more of the nine senators vote in favor of the constitutional amendment, it had passed Voting Stage 1, and will pass to Voting Stage 2.
h) Otherwise, the constitutional amendment is considered to have failed and is dropped.

IV. Amendments to this Act:

In spirit with the fluctuating needs of this Parliament, these Orders should also be adaptable to different times. Therefore, at the beginning of each Parliament, Amendments to these Orders may be proposed in the Drafting Hall as a bill and follow the path under the current Orders. However, to pass, they must be backed by a two thirds supermajority in the Voting Chamber.

V. Conclusion:

We, the Parliament of the Union, hereby enact these Orders to govern our procedure.

February 9, 2016
Abdoa, Senator

Mareut endorses this bill. It would be nice to have an actually procedure for once.