Bill: Rejected Better Committee System Act

[End]

A
BILL
To

Amend the Legislative Standards Act and the constitution

The people of the Commonwealth of Redmont, through their elected Representatives in the Congress and the force of law ordained to that Congress by the people through the constitution, do hereby enact the following provisions into law:​

1 - Short Title and Enactment
(1) This Act may be cited as the 'Better Committee System Act'
(2) This Act shall be enacted immediately upon its signage.
(3) This Act has been authored by xEndeavour
(4) This Act has been co-sponsored by v__d

2 - Reasons
(1) The Committee Fix Act actually broke committees. Since the Committee Fix Act passed, there have been no effective committees at all. Its clear that the new system is not working.
(2) The new system was designed to make committees more exclusive and easy for parties and powerbrokers to stack full of people who agree with them. Committees work most effectively when they have a diversity of input and this system allows them to be stacked by parties and individual powerbrokers in Congress.
(3) The Committee system previously served us well where they were not able to be stacked and where they were inclusive of everyone in Congress.

3 - Amendments to LSA
(1) Any reference to committees will be severed from the LSA.
(2) Congress will absorb any powers relating to any reference about joint congressional committees outside of the LSA.
(3) The Senate will absorb any powers relating to any reference about Senate committees outside of the LSA.
(4) The House will absorb any powers relating to any reference about House committees outside of the LSA.
(5) Section 13 is amended:

13 - Congressional Committees
(1) Process of Creating a Committee
(a) Congressional Committees may be either permanent or temporary. They can be created in both the House of Representatives and Senate. The Senate and the House may form their own committees, or may form joint committees together.
(b) In order for a Congressional Committee to be created a Senator or Representative must motion for the creation of a committee on the floor of their respective chamber. If they wish to create a joint committee that applies to both chambers, such motion will originate in the House and be brought to the Senate.
(c) Format:--
- Committee Name:
- Status: Permanent/Temporary
- Committee Purpose:
- Chairperson:
- Members:
(d) The chamber's respective presiding officer must then put the motion to create the committee to a vote, and if approved by a majority of the chamber the committee will then have been created and henceforth be official. If the committee has been motioned to apply to both chambers, it must be approved by a majority of both chambers.
(2) Process for the establishment of already created Committee(s):
(a) In order for a Congressional Committee to be established a Senator or Representative must motion for the establishment of a committee on the floor of their respective chamber. A motion for the establishment of a joint committee will originate in the House of Representatives and be brought to the Senate.
(b) Format:--
- Committee Name:
- Chairperson:
- Members:
(c) The chairperson will be elected in committee if one is not listed.
(d) The chamber's respective presiding officer must then put the motion to establish the committee to a vote, and if approved by a majority of the chamber the committee will then have been created and henceforth be official. If the committee has been motioned to apply to both chambers, it must be approved by a majority of both chambers.
(3) Committee Leadership
(a) Congressional Committees are led by the Committee Chairperson whose responsibilities are:--
- Organizing and Chairing Committee Meetings and Hearings.
- Leading Committee Investigations, Reviews and actions.
- Putting Committee ideas and proposals to a vote.
- Updating the public and congress on the actions of the committee.
- Firing committee members.
(b) The Chairperson may either be appointed through motion or be elected by committee members following the establishment of the committee.
(c) The election of a Chairperson will be facilitated in committee by the respective presiding officer of the chamber where the committee is situated. An election of a joint committee chairperson may be facilitated by any presiding officer.
(4) Internal Workings of a Committee
(a) After the commencement of each Congressional term, the presiding officers for that term will present nominations for committee membership from their respective chamber. These nominations require a majority vote for confirmation and establishment.
(b) Chamber-specific committees will be limited to five members. Committee nominations specific to each chamber require a majority vote within their respective chamber for confirmation to be established.
(c) Joint committees will be limited to seven members with a minimum of two Senators. Joint committee nominations require a majority vote in both chambers to be established.
(d) The House of Representatives exercises complete authority over the selection of its Representatives for committees.
(e) The Senate exercises complete authority over the selection of its Senators for committees.
(f) A channel of communication shall be established for such respective committees.
(5) Committee Oversight
(a) The Presiding Officers shall have oversight of all joint committees, but shall have no benefits unless added to a committee as a member through a majority vote of committee members.
(b) The Speaker of the House shall have oversight of all committees specific to the House of Representatives, but shall have no benefits unless added to a committee as a member through a majority vote of committee members.
(c) The President of the Senate shall have oversight of all committees specific to the Senate, but shall have no benefits unless added to a committee as a member through a majority vote of committee members.

13 - Focus Groups
(1) Each chamber will establish a forums channel to organise discussion topics in named #<chamber>-focus.
(2) Congress will establish a forums channel to organise joint discussion topics in named #congress-focus
(3) All members with access to the focus group will be able to raise topics.
(4) These channels will be non-public.
(5) All members of the relevant chambers are permitted to partake unless otherwise dictated by standing orders.

 

[Real42]

Nay - We finally have working committees set up. This bill just undoes the hard work we put in to make these committees.

 

[End]

Nay - We finally have working committees set up. This bill just undoes the hard work we put in to make these committees.

They are set up yes. In what it took to set up a committee we debated the budget in a focus group and had the budget passed before the committee even started work. Are they effective and useful? No, committees are not and thats why they have not been used for over a year.

 

[Dartanboy]

Nay - Committees work fine. Furthermore if it does become a more popular idea, this doesn't need to be part of the LSA.

 

[MrFluffy2U94]

Nay.