Bill: Passed Parliamentary Debate Period Amendment Act

[multiman155]

Author: Multi Man, MP
Sponsor: N/A
Type: Amendment to An Act

A
BILL
TO
CHANGE PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE AROUND THE DEBATE PERIOD​

Preamble: The Parliamentary Procedure Act establishes a debate period. At present, the debate period doesn't have much distinction from when a bill is posted and proposed: sponsors can withdraw bills in debate, can unilaterally amend those bills, and there isn't a statutorily guaranteed way for other MPs to proffer hostile amendments (amendments that are opposed by a sponsor). This includes a sponsor radically changing the text of the bill right before the end of the 48-hour window, which may defeat the purpose of the debate period altogether. Debate period ought have meaning and purpose - bills that move to debate should be amendable by all MPs, should not be withdrawn without consent of the Parliament when involuntarily amended, and should not be subject to unilateral substantive amendments during debate.

1. Short Title and Authorship
(a) This may be referred to as the "Parliamentary Debate Period Amendment Act".
(b) This amendment act was written by Multi Man, MP.

2. Amendment
(a) Section 7 of Parliamentary Procedure Act is amended as follows:

7. Parliamentary debate
(a) Any bill that is introduced will be considered by the house as soon as the speaker opens the debate. Once the debate has opened members will be notified by the speaker.

(bi) At any time during debate any members may raise a point of order, to keep debating a bill. That bill will be in debate until a closure motion Motion to Close Debate is invoked.​

(cii) If no point of order to extend the debate is raised after 48 hours, the speaker will commence voting on the bill.​

(b) Once debate opens, a bill’s wording may change only through an approved Motion to Amend.

(i) A Motion to Amend may be filed in #Parliament-Floor during the debate period by identifying the bill, providing a link to the debate thread, and stating the exact changes sought. Within 24 hours of a valid Motion to Amend being filed, the Speaker shall update the debate thread to notify the Parliament of the motion. A Motion to Amend shall require a member to second the motion prior to the close of the debate period to be proposed for a vote. ​

(ii) A Motion to Amend requires a simple majority, except that a supermajority is required if the bill proposes a constitutional amendment either before or after the proposed changes. Whenever a Motion to Amend passes, the Speaker must publish the revised bill in its forum thread and notify MPs.​

(iii) Debate following a passed Motion to Amend shall continue for 24 hours or the remainder of the debate period at the time of the Motion to Amend's passage, whichever is longer, except if a closure motion has passed. If a closure motion has passed, the debate period shall not be extended by the passage of a Motion to amend.​

(c) During the debate period, a bill may be withdrawn from the floor subject to the following:

(i) A sponsor may unilaterally withdraw a bill by notice in #Parliament-Floor only if, with respect to that bill:​

(1) neither a Motion to Amend nor Motion to Close Debate has been filed, or​

(2) if no Motion to Amend nor Motion to Close Debate has passed and no such motion remains pending a vote.​

(ii) A sponsor may file a Motion to Withdraw in #Parliament-Floor without a seconder.​

(1) A Motion to Withdraw passes 24 hours after that notice unless any MP objects in #Parliament-Floor to the bill's withdrawal during that period.​

(2) If an MP objects in #Parliament-Floor to the bill's withdrawal, a vote shall commence on the bill's withdrawal that shall require a simple majority to pass.​

(d) A closure motion is any motion that seeks to move a bill in the debate stage to voting, such a motion requires a seconding member to be proposed and a simple majority to pass. It can be made at any time during debate.
(d) A Motion to Close Debate is a motion that forcibly closes the debate period and moves a bill forward for voting. Upon passage of such a motion, the debate period shall close immediately. Any Motion to Amend a bill that received a second but had not been voted on prior to the closure of that bill's debate period shall be voted upon prior to the vote on the whole bill.

Enactment: This act comes into force immediately upon passage.