Talk Elections

RPRYOR03 is nominated as GAME MODERATOR

CLASSIC CONSERVATIVE is nominated as SECRETARY OF STATE

HOMELYCOOKING is retained as SECRETARY OF FEDERAL ELECTIONS

THE OCCUPANTS OF ALL OTHER CABINET POSITIONS are hereby dismissed if said offices are occupied

x Griff

In the wake of the Paris massacre, any non-essential executive branch departments and agencies of the Federal Government regularly scheduled to be open on Saturday, November 14, 2015 shall be closed and their employees excused from duty.

x Griff

A special Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) is hereby authorized for the sole purpose of and with its scope defined to assisting French authorities in surveillance, electronic monitoring, source development and interviews relating to the November 13, 2015 attacks, and shall be assembled upon written confirmation by the French government requesting such assistance.

x Griff

As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on November 13, 2015, in Paris, France, by the authority vested in the President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is ordered that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, November 20, 2015.

x Griff

To restore full time work hours and remove statutes

Title: The Restoring Full Time Work for Atlasia Act.
1. Sections One, Two, and Three of the Amendment to the Productivity Equalization and Worker Employment Act of 2011 are hereby repealed in full.

2. Beginning at December 1, 2015, the normal hours of work within a week of full-time employment, before accruing overtime pay, shall be established by regional governments, and may not be more than 34 hours.

3. Beginning at July 1, 2016, the normal hours of work within a week of full-time employment, before accruing overtime pay, shall be established by regional governments, and may not be more than 36 hours.

EVERGREEN is nominated as REGISTRAR GENERAL

All felons convicted in the Republic of Atlasia past and present, with completed sentences, probations and paroles - with the exception of those convicted of treason, bribery in an election, or any violent offense - shall immediately have their federal voting rights restored and, if re-registered within the time-frame that is applicable, shall be eligible to vote in the next federal election.

x Griff

The refugee ceiling is hereby raised to 150,000 per year.

Justice System Reform Bill 1 2015

1.   From 1 January 2016 all Federal prisons, or any other institution of criminal detention, currently being managed, owned or operated by a private company, on behalf of the Federal Government, will be returned to the full control of the Federal Government.
2. Those previously incarcerated under old drug laws for offenses that have since had their criminal penalties reduced or removed entirely shall be subject to review of their sentences based on a criteria using the new statutes for said crimes and their subsequent behavior whilst in prison. These sentences maybe reduced through this process in accordance with the new law, but shall remain subject to any sentences for any crimes as established by law.
3.   All contracts that are due for renewal before 1 January 2016 will be renewed, however, only until 31 December 2015 with clauses to indicate that this will be a transitory contract and the Federal Department of Internal Affairs and the Justice Department will assume an over-sight role until full responsibility is returned.
4.   For those organisations whose existing contracts extend beyond 1 January 2016, they shall be paid out the remainder of their contract, or, whatever the Federal Government is required to do under individual funding agreements.
5.   Operational personnel currently engaged by private organisations will be employed, if they so wish, by the Federal Government. However, all management positions will be opened to a full application process, as is required by the Federal Government and individuals placed on their merit.
6.   A minimum appropriation for this Bill will be $650 million in this calendar year. The Senate may increase that appropriation at any time.
7.   An additional appropriation of $4 billion will be placed into the Federal Budget as an ongoing cost for the management of Federal institutions covered under this Bill.

Title: The Fixing the Full Time Work Implementation Act

Clause 2 of The Restoring Full Time Work for Atlasia Act is amended as follows:
2. Beginning January 1, 2016, the normal hours of work within a week of full-time employment, before accruing overtime pay, shall be established by regional governments, and may not be more than 34 hours.

Justice System Reform Bill 1 2015

1.   From 1 January 2016 all Federal prisons, or any other institution of criminal detention, currently being managed, owned or operated by a private company, on behalf of the Federal Government, will be returned to the full control of the Federal Government.
2. Those previously incarcerated under old drug laws for offenses that have since had their criminal penalties reduced or removed entirely shall be subject to review of their sentences based on a criteria using the new statutes for said crimes and their subsequent behavior whilst in prison. These sentences maybe reduced through this process in accordance with the new law, but shall remain subject to any sentences for any crimes as established by law.
3.   All contracts that are due for renewal before 1 January 2016 will be renewed, however, only until 31 December 2015 with clauses to indicate that this will be a transitory contract and the Federal Department of Internal Affairs and the Justice Department will assume an over-sight role until full responsibility is returned.
4.   For those organisations whose existing contracts extend beyond 1 January 2016, they shall be paid out the remainder of their contract, or, whatever the Federal Government is required to do under individual funding agreements.
5.   Operational personnel currently engaged by private organisations will be employed, if they so wish, by the Federal Government. However, all management positions will be opened to a full application process, as is required by the Federal Government and individuals placed on their merit.
6.   A minimum appropriation for this Bill will be $650 million in this calendar year. The Senate may increase that appropriation at any time.
7.   An additional appropriation of $4 billion will be placed into the Federal Budget as an ongoing cost for the management of Federal institutions covered under this Bill.

Title: The Fixing the Full Time Work Implementation Act

Clause 2 of The Restoring Full Time Work for Atlasia Act is amended as follows:
2. Beginning January 1, 2016, the normal hours of work within a week of full-time employment, before accruing overtime pay, shall be established by regional governments, and may not be more than 34 hours.

Latex Balloons Littering Prevention Bill

1. It shall henceforth be prohibited for manufacturers of latex balloons to mislead consumers by referencing their product as being 'biodegradable.'
2. All packs of balloons manufactured for general sale must contain a warning (outlined below) that makes up no less than 25% of the front packaging and no less than 40% of the back packaging.
a. The warning must have a black background and a white text in capital letters which simply states that "LETTING BALLOONS GO IS LITTERING".
b. The warning must be accompanied by an image, which will alternate randomly on each piece of packaging, which will depict bird and/or marine life and the negative impacts of balloon littering on these animals.
3. All packs of balloons manufactured for general sale must clearly indicate on the front and back of the packaging, separately from the warning outlined in Section 2, which states in capital letters that "HELIUM IS A FINITE RESOURCE."
4. Manufacturers of balloons will have three months, effective upon passage, to find themselves compliant to new packaging standards and those manufacturers found to be in violation of this law will be fined a minimum of $500,000 per violation.  (One violation being defined as one piece of packaging in contravention of the stipulations outlined above.)

Latex Balloons Littering Prevention Bill

1. It shall henceforth be prohibited for manufacturers of latex balloons to mislead consumers by referencing their product as being 'biodegradable.'
2. All packs of balloons manufactured for general sale must contain a warning (outlined below) that makes up no less than 25% of the front packaging and no less than 40% of the back packaging.
a. The warning must have a black background and a white text in capital letters which simply states that "LETTING BALLOONS GO IS LITTERING".
b. The warning must be accompanied by an image, which will alternate randomly on each piece of packaging, which will depict bird and/or marine life and the negative impacts of balloon littering on these animals.
3. All packs of balloons manufactured for general sale must clearly indicate on the front and back of the packaging, separately from the warning outlined in Section 2, which states in capital letters that "HELIUM IS A FINITE RESOURCE."
4. Manufacturers of balloons will have three months, effective upon passage, to find themselves compliant to new packaging standards and those manufacturers found to be in violation of this law will be fined a minimum of $500,000 per violation.  (One violation being defined as one piece of packaging in contravention of the stipulations outlined above.)

Evergreen is dismissed as Registrar General.

Clyde1998 is nominated as Registrar General.

Bill Title: "The Homeschooling Regionalization Act of 2015"

1. The Homeschooling Act of 2014 is hereby repealed in full.

2. The Senate encourages the regions to proceed with establishing regulations protecting all homeschooled students, as well as establish curriculum standards and processes to verify the compliance with said students.

3. This act shall go into effect immediately.

Bill Title: "The Homeschooling Regionalization Act of 2015"

1. The Homeschooling Act of 2014 is hereby repealed in full.

2. The Senate encourages the regions to proceed with establishing regulations protecting all homeschooled students, as well as establish curriculum standards and processes to verify the compliance with said students.

3. This act shall go into effect immediately.

Windjammer is nominated as Supreme Court Justice.

Talleyrand is nominated as Secretary of Federal Elections.

Clyde1998 is hereby pardoned of any and all crimes committed prior to this pardon.

Fix the Justice System You Kinda Broke Act
i. The Department of Home Affairs and the Office of the Solicitor General are hereby abolished, and all powers, duties, and responsibilities associated with the same are transferred to the Department of the Interior. This Department shall be headed by a Secretary of the Interior appointed according to the processes set forth in the Constitution of the Republic of Atlasia.

Section 1 (Title)
i. The long title of this Act shall be the "Arab Confederation Recognition and Assistance Act." It may be cited as the "Recognition and Assistance Act" or as "ACRA."

Section 2 (Recognizing the Arab Confederation)
i. The Republic of Atlasia hereby recognizes the Arab Confederation as the sole rightful government of those lands comprising the former Republic of Iraq and the former Kingdom of Jordan and rejects the claims of all other rival powers to its territory.

Section 3 (Assisting the Restoration of Stability)
i. In order to ensure the ability of the Arab Confederation to respond to threats to its territorial integrity, the Republic of Atlasia hereby commits $500 Million in foreign aid and weaponry to the Arab Confederation.

Section 1 (Title)
i. The long title of this Act shall be the "Arab Confederation Recognition and Assistance Act." It may be cited as the "Recognition and Assistance Act" or as "ACRA."

Section 2 (Recognizing the Arab Confederation)
i. The Republic of Atlasia hereby recognizes the Arab Confederation as the sole rightful government of those lands comprising the former Republic of Iraq and the former Kingdom of Jordan and rejects the claims of all other rival powers to its territory.

Section 3 (Assisting the Restoration of Stability)
i. In order to ensure the ability of the Arab Confederation to respond to threats to its territorial integrity, the Republic of Atlasia hereby commits $500 Million in foreign aid and weaponry to the Arab Confederation.

Enduro is nominated as Game Moderator.

DemPGH is nominated as Secretary of the Interior.

Appropriations and Budget Act (FY 2016)

REVENUE

Income Taxes (By Tax Bracket)
$35K-80K (10%): $105.8 B
$80K-170K (26%): $257.8 B
$170K-368K (35%): $254.5 B
$368K-1M (40%): $232.0 B
$1M+ (60%): $553 B
Income Tax Revenues: $1403.1 B

Corporate Taxes (By Tax Bracket)
$100K-1M (5%): $45.4 B
$1M-10M (10%): $19.0 B
$10M+ (25%): $272.5 B                                 
Corporate Tax Revenues: $336.8 b                             

Healthcare Taxes
Healthcare Payroll Tax (8.0%) (CSSRA Sec.4): $871.3 B
Health Insurance Tax (ANHA Sec.2c): $10.7 B               
Healthcare Tax Revenues: $882.0 B

Excise Taxes      
Gasoline Tax (20 cents/gallon): $28.272 B
Cigarette and Tobacco Tax ($5.00/pack, plus 2% or 4% for various products)* : $75.58 B
Alcohol Tax (various rates per unit, plus 8% tax)*: $22.0 B
Marijuana Tax ($2/pack cigarettes plus 20% on all products)*: $ 16.7 B
Firearms Tax (Firearms and Mental Health Tax of 2013): $4.99 B
*(National Sin Tax Act, as amended, and Consolidated Marijuana Regulation Act)
Excise Tax Revenues: $147.55 B

Carbon Taxes ($25-30/ton)
Domestic: $126.4 B
Carbon Import Tax: $18.7 B
Carbon Tax Revenues: $156.6 B

Financial Transaction Tax: (1.0 % on each stock and similar transactions)
Financial Tax Revenues: $317.4 B

Estate Taxes
Estate Tax Revenues: $43.4 B
   
Special Program Taxes      
Plastic Bag Tax (Environmental Fund): $4.7 B
Chain Business Differential Tax (SBA Fund): $31.4 B
Oil Spill Protection Tax (5% on profits > $1B): $7.1 B
Electrical Power Transmission Network Tax (0.65 c/kW-h): $23.2 B
Special Program Tax Revenues: $67.3 B

National Broadcaster Levy
Individual (0.25% > $50K): $13.8 B
Corporate (0.5% > $350K): $4.7 B
NBL Revenues: $18.5 B

Miscellaneous Taxes
Customs Duties: $58.4 B
Other Revenue (Sales, Earnings, Fees, Etc.): $79.0 B   
Go Green Fund (Returned to general fund; Omnibus Green Energy Act): $21.5 B
Miscellaneous Tax Revenues: $158.9 B

REVENUE: $3531.55 B      

---

SPENDING               

TAX CREDITS

Earned Income Tax Credit: $46.3 B
Jobs Now Act of 2012 Credits: $8.06 B
Total Tax Credits: $54.36 B

DIRECT SPENDING

Military Spending
Military personnel: $105.0 B
Operation and maintenance: $120.06 B
Procurement: $60.0 B
Research, development, test and evaluation: $55.0 B
Military Construction, Family Housing and Other: $15.25 B
Atomic Energy Defense Activities: $18.29 B
Defense Related activities: $4.00 B
Military Spending Expenditures: $377.6 B

Military Retirement
Military retirement: $45.0 B
Income security for veterans: $40.0 B
Veterans education, training, and rehabilitation: $18.0 B
Veterans mental health resources: $8.0 B
Hospital and medical care for veterans and retired military: $50.0 B
Housing and other veterans benefits and services: $5.0 B
Military Retirement Expenditures: $166 B

International Affairs
International development and humanitarian assistance: $18.0 B
International military aid: $5.0 B
Conduct of foreign affairs: $6.0 B
Foreign information and exchange activities: $2.0 B
Central Intelligence Agency: $30.0 B
Global Solidarity Fund (Let's Make HIV/AIDS History Act): $1.0 B
International Affairs Expenditures: $62.0 B

General Science, Space, and Technology
National Science Foundation programs: $11.0 B
Department of Energy general science programs: $4.5 B
Space flight, research, and supporting activities: $30.0 B
Nuclear Cleanup/Containment (Comprehensive Protection of Nuclear Power Act): $2.5 B
General Science, Space and Technology Expenditures: $48.0 B

Non-Defense Energy Spending
Energy supply: $1.0 B
Energy conservation and preparedness: $1.0 B
Energy information, preparedness, & regulation: $0.4 B
Smart Grid development (the Smart Grid Electrical Distribution Act): $20.0 B
Coverage and Rate Protection (Electricity Fairness Act): $10.0 B
Non-Defense Energy Spending Expenditures: $32.4 B

Natural Resources and Environment
Water resources: $5.4 B
Conservation and land management: $9.0 B
Recreational & Park resources: $3.3 B
Pollution control and abatement: $2.0 B
Environmental Fund from plastic bag tax: $4.9 B
Other natural resources: $5.0 B
Oil Spill Protection Fund (Oil Spill Protection Act): $7.2 B
National Foresty Association (Forest Restoration Act of 2013): $0.75 B
International Biodiversity Conservation Bureau (International Biodiversity Conservation Aid Act): $1.0 B
Natural Resources and Environment Expenditures: $38.55 B

Agriculture
Farm income stabilization & crop insurance: $4.3 B
Agricultural research and services: $3.5 B
Worker Co-operative Loan Assistance (Worker Co-operative Pilot Program): $1.0 B
Farming Cooperative Agencies (Agricultural Policy Act of 2015): $0.05 B
Atlasian Agricultural Authority (Agriculture Policy Act of 2015): $0.2 B
Agriculture Expenditures: $9.05 B

Commerce and Housing Loan Programs
Federal Housing Loan Programs: $-4.28 B
Postal service: $1.95 B
Deposit insurance: $-0.96 B
Universal service fund: $7.96 B
Other advancement of commerce: $1.93 B
Commerce and Housing Loan Programs Expenditures: $6.6 B

Transportation
Highways and highway safety: $25.7 B
High speed rail (Transportation Infrastructure Investment Act): $19.5 B
Other Mass transit: $10.0 B
Railroads: $3 B
Coast Guard: $8.00 B
Air Transportation: $8.0 B
Water transportation: $5.0 B
Other transportation: $0.42 B
Ensuring Long-Term Utility (Protecting Vulnerable Infrastructure Bill): $.583 B
Rural Transport Investment Fund Act: $0.5B
Transportation Expenditures: $80.703 B

Community and Regional Development
Community development: $6.0 B
Area and regional development: $8.0 B
Disaster relief and insurance: $10.15 B
Homeless Shelter Emergency Housing: $2.5 B
FEMA: $5.0 B
Regional Economic Development Grants: $14.0 B
Community and Regional Development Expenditures: $45.65 B

Education
Elementary, Secondary & Vocational education: $68.4 B
Higher education: $35.0 B
Research and general education: $3.39 B
The Duke-Scott Educating the People Reform: $30 B
The Atlasian Universal Education Bill: $5.0 B
Modern Health Education Act: $1.0 B
Education Expenditures: $142.79 B

Training, Labor and Unemployment
Training and employment: $8.0 B
Labor law, statistics, and other administration: $1.6 B
Unemployment Insurance (CSSRA Sec. 5): $87.28 B
LegalAid Pilot Scheme (LegalAid Creation Act): $5.0 B
Training, Labor and Unemployment Expenditures: $101.88 B

Atlasian National Healthcare
IDS Community Health Partnership: $ B 235.0
ME Community Health Partnership: $ B 265.0
MW Community Health Partnership: $ B 115.0
NE Community Health Partnership: $ B 195.0
PA Community Health Partnership: $ B 170.0
Central Administration Costs: $ B 20.0
Atlasian National Healthcare Expenditures: $1000 B

Non-ANH Health Spending
Disease control, public health and bioterrorism: $5.5 B
Health research and training: $29.36 B
Food safety and occupational health and safety: $3.01 B
Drug abuse treatment (Consolidated Marijuana Regulation Act): $1.74 B
Regional Mental Health Fund (Firearms & Mental Health Act of 2013): $4.86 B
Center for Understanding and Researching the End to Cancer (CURE Cancer Act): $5.0 B
Non-ANH Health Spending Expenditures: $49.47 B

Civilian Retirement
Civilian retirement and disability insurance: $4.89 B
Federal employee retirement and disability: $58.22 B
Federal employees' and retired employees' health benefits: $8.91 B
Elderly Insurance (CSSRA Sec. 6): $710.0 B
Civilian Retirement Expenditures: $781.12 B

Atlasian National Broadcaster
Infrastructure maintenance and acquisition: $1.65 B
Administrative costs: $0.8 B
Atlasian National Broadcaster Expenditures: $2.45 B

Aid to Low-Income Families
Housing assistance: $65.0 B
Food stamps: $86.62 B
Other nutrition programs (WIC, school lunches): $21.0 B
Child care funds: $4.8 B
Other aid to low-income families: $2.58 B
Aid to Low-Income Families Expenditures: $180.0 B

Public Housing Expenses (Public Housing Act)
Public Housing Capital Fund: $5.0 B
Community Development Fund: $1.0 B
Neighborhood Stabilization Program: $2.0 B
Homeless Prevention: $0.50 B
Public Housing Expenditures: $8.50 B

General Family Support:
Foster care and adoption assistance: $8.0 B
Child support and family support programs: $2.92 B
Social and family services: $16.14 B
General Family Support Expenditures: $27.06 B

Administration of Justice
Federal law enforcement: $7.25 B
Border security and immigration: $7.46 B
Federal litigation and judicial activities: $7.6 B
Federal prison system: $3.26 B
Criminal justice assistance: $4.22 B
Administration of Justice Expenditures: $29.79 B

General Government Administration
Legislative functions: $2.75 B
Executive office programs: $0.95 B
IRS & other fiscal operations: $7.6 B
Other general government: $2.5 B
General Government Administration: $13.80 B

Civil Rights Act
Reparations to African Atlasians and Native Atlasians: $0.150 B
Anti-Discrimination Campaign: $0.025 B
Civil Rights Act Expenditures: $0.175 B

Interest on Debt
Interest on Debt
Net Interest: $244.73 B
Interest on Debt Expenditures: $244.73 B[/b]14

TOTAL DIRECT SPENDING: $3448.32 B
TOTAL TAX CREDITS: $54.36 B

EXPENDITURES: $3502.68 B
SURPLUS: $28.87 B

Closing Election Loopholes Act of 2016

Section 1. A declared or write-in candidate in a presidential election may only run as part of one ticket, indicating such in the Candidate Declaration Thread, or through his or her vote in the case of a write-in candidacy. A declared or write-in candidate in a presidential election must have a declared Vice Presidential candidate in order to be a valid candidate.

Section 2. No voter may make any post in the voting booth that is not the voter's ballot, nor make multiple posts in the voting booth. Such action will result in the invalidation of any applicable ballots.

Section 3. Once a ballot has been posted in the voting booth thread, the voter shall have 20 minutes from the posting of the ballot to edit his post as necessary; but no ballot shall be counted as valid which has been edited more than 20 minutes after being posted in the voting booth thread.

Section 4. The candidacy declaration deadline for regular elections to the Senate shall be twenty-four hours before the commencement of the election.

Closing Election Loopholes Act of 2016

Section 1. A declared or write-in candidate in a presidential election may only run as part of one ticket, indicating such in the Candidate Declaration Thread, or through his or her vote in the case of a write-in candidacy. A declared or write-in candidate in a presidential election must have a declared Vice Presidential candidate in order to be a valid candidate.

Section 2. No voter may make any post in the voting booth that is not the voter's ballot, nor make multiple posts in the voting booth. Such action will result in the invalidation of any applicable ballots.

Section 3. Once a ballot has been posted in the voting booth thread, the voter shall have 20 minutes from the posting of the ballot to edit his post as necessary; but no ballot shall be counted as valid which has been edited more than 20 minutes after being posted in the voting booth thread.

Section 4. The candidacy declaration deadline for regular elections to the Senate shall be twenty-four hours before the commencement of the election.

Section 1 (Title)
i. The long title of this Act shall be the "Reconstruction of the Pacific Act of 2016." It may be cited as the "Reconstruction Act" or "ROPA."

Section 2 (Emergency Powers)
WHEREAS, it has recently become evident that the term of the previous Governor and Legislative Council of the Pacific Region expired without elections being held to choose their successors, and that the office of the Chief Judicial Officer has sat vacant since before the end of the old year;

WHEREAS, it can therefore be concluded that the Pacific Region is without a functioning government, as no person or body has any legal or Constitutional claim to office in that Region;

WHEREAS, it is the moral and Constitutional duty of the Senate to secure for each Region a stable and republican government;

i. The Senate of the Republic of Atlasia hereby empowers the President of the Republic to appoint an Emergency Commissioner for the Pacific Region, who shall be empowered to organize the election of a democratic government for that Region under the existing Constitution thereof.
ii. The Emergency Commissioner shall serve as the acting chief executive of the Pacific until such time as the new Governor and Legislative Council shall have been elected, with all the rights and privileges bestowed upon the Governor of the Pacific Region by the Constitution thereof; but the elections described in this Act shall begin no more than seven (7) days following the appointment of the Commissioner by the President.
iii. The new Governor and Council having been inaugurated, the Emergency Commissioner will continue to oversee progress in the Pacific until such time as the President shall see fit to dismiss him.
iv. If, at any point following the elections prescribed in Section 2.i of this Act, one of the officers thus elected shall have made no post on the Regional Government board for a period exceeding two weeks (336 hours), said officer shall be relieved of his duties under the Pacific Constitution. The Emergency Commissioner will then have the authority to organize a special election to fill the vacated post.

Section 1 (Title)
i. The long title of this Act shall be the "Reconstruction of the Pacific Act of 2016." It may be cited as the "Reconstruction Act" or "ROPA."

Section 2 (Emergency Powers)
WHEREAS, it has recently become evident that the term of the previous Governor and Legislative Council of the Pacific Region expired without elections being held to choose their successors, and that the office of the Chief Judicial Officer has sat vacant since before the end of the old year;

WHEREAS, it can therefore be concluded that the Pacific Region is without a functioning government, as no person or body has any legal or Constitutional claim to office in that Region;

WHEREAS, it is the moral and Constitutional duty of the Senate to secure for each Region a stable and republican government;

i. The Senate of the Republic of Atlasia hereby empowers the President of the Republic to appoint an Emergency Commissioner for the Pacific Region, who shall be empowered to organize the election of a democratic government for that Region under the existing Constitution thereof.
ii. The Emergency Commissioner shall serve as the acting chief executive of the Pacific until such time as the new Governor and Legislative Council shall have been elected, with all the rights and privileges bestowed upon the Governor of the Pacific Region by the Constitution thereof; but the elections described in this Act shall begin no more than seven (7) days following the appointment of the Commissioner by the President.
iii. The new Governor and Council having been inaugurated, the Emergency Commissioner will continue to oversee progress in the Pacific until such time as the President shall see fit to dismiss him.
iv. If, at any point following the elections prescribed in Section 2.i of this Act, one of the officers thus elected shall have made no post on the Regional Government board for a period exceeding two weeks (336 hours), said officer shall be relieved of his duties under the Pacific Constitution. The Emergency Commissioner will then have the authority to organize a special election to fill the vacated post.

1. The President shall be given the authority to seek and destroy ISIS elements within Atlasia with only constitutional limitations on power.
2. The President may authorize any kill-or-capture raid against ISIS targets abroad, regardless of national borders.
3. This legislation shall go into effect immediately and must be up for reauthorization on the twentieth of every month.

Rpryor03 is nominated as Secretary of Federal Elections.

No unit of government receiving funding from the federal government shall permit a civil court to certify a lawsuit in which the claim was originated by a plaintiff's criminal activity.

Section 1: Once per decade following the effective date of this legislation, 50% of employees in a unionized workplace who were not employed/a member of the representing union at the time of workplace unionization may initiate a secret ballot vote to reauthorize or decertify the representing union.
Section 2: The right to campaign and participate in a referendum initiated under Section 1 of this Act shall be exclusive to the employees of the unionized workplace in question, and no person, board, committee, party, or other entity composed in whole or in part of persons not being both an employee of the affected workplace or a member of the affected union shall aid or support any campaign associated with said referendum.

Education Reform Act

1. The National Needs in Labor Scholarship (hereafter NNIL Scholarship) shall be instituted for students pursuing academic, technical, or vocational education that will enable entry in one of the Top 25 Growth Professions, as identified in an annual report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
   a. Students who are currently high school seniors and live in a household with an annual gross taxable income of less than ($150,000 x number of children in the household) will be eligible.
   b. Eligible students may apply for NNIL Scholarships in one or more of these fields, but an individual student may only be selected for one. Space permitting, students selected for multiple scholarships may choose which one they will receive. Judging will occur based on relevant academics, extracurricular activities, work experience (if applicable), and an essay on their interest in the field.
   c. The amount of the NNIL Scholarship shall be $10,000 per annum or the cost of tuition for the school, whichever is less.
   d. The top 5,000 judged entrants for each field shall be awarded NNIL Scholarships. Where the number decreases below 5,000 due to entrants opting to receive other NNIL Scholarship awards or to decline the award, additional entrants shall be selected.

2. In order to retain the NNIL Scholarship in future years, the student must make satisfactory progress towards entry into the field.
   a. For technical education, this includes continued enrollment and progress in a program leading to a certificate necessary for entry in the field.
   b. For vocational education, this includes continued enrollment and progress in a relevant vocational program or apprenticeship under a recognized practitioner in the field.
   c. For academic education, this includes:
      i. Satisfactory academic progress
      ii. Declaration of a relevant major course of study within a reasonable timeframe depending on the structure of the program.
      iii. Obtaining an internship or other part-time employment in the field by the beginning of the student's third year in the program.

3. Students enrolled in an accredited institution of higher learning and who live in a household with an annual gross taxable income of less than ($150,000 x number of children in the household) will be eligible for loan interest relief.
   a. If a student earns grades in courses required for their declared or intended major that are at least one grade mark (i.e., one-third of a full letter) above the average for that major at that institution, then any federal loans disbursed to them for the following semester will be interest-free.
   b. If a student graduates at the end of the semester in which they earn grades qualifying for relief, then their loans will not accrue interest for the first six months after graduation.

4. All veterans shall have access to vocational, technical, or college education (of up to 5 years) free of charge.

5. $1 billion will be appropriated for the development of vocational programs at public and private universities in Atlasia.
   a. The funds shall be apportioned out on the basis of completeness of proposed programs, unavailability of other such programs in the relevant job market, and need for the relevant profession in said job market.
   b. Any programs set up using these funds must obtain accreditation from a proper authority in a reasonable timeframe. Failure to do so will require that the university pay the funds back to the Treasury.

6. The Republic of Atlasia shall allot an amount not to exceed $5 billion to promote the development of regional school voucher programs.
   a. The program shall be refunded on an annual basis by an equivalent amount indexed to inflation.
   b. The funds shall be disbursed among the regions:
      i. For the first year, based on the school-age population of those regions.
      ii. For subsequent years, based on annual interest and participation within the region. For a student to count as a participant, the student must be enrolled in a secular primary or secondary school accredited by a relevant authority and must be receiving school vouchers pursuant to the program in place with the region.

No unit of government receiving funding from the federal government shall permit a civil court to certify a lawsuit in which the claim was originated by a plaintiff's criminal activity.

Section 1: Once per decade following the effective date of this legislation, 50% of employees in a unionized workplace who were not employed/a member of the representing union at the time of workplace unionization may initiate a secret ballot vote to reauthorize or decertify the representing union.
Section 2: The right to campaign and participate in a referendum initiated under Section 1 of this Act shall be exclusive to the employees of the unionized workplace in question, and no person, board, committee, party, or other entity composed in whole or in part of persons not being both an employee of the affected workplace or a member of the affected union shall aid or support any campaign associated with said referendum.

Education Reform Act

1. The National Needs in Labor Scholarship (hereafter NNIL Scholarship) shall be instituted for students pursuing academic, technical, or vocational education that will enable entry in one of the Top 25 Growth Professions, as identified in an annual report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
   a. Students who are currently high school seniors and live in a household with an annual gross taxable income of less than ($150,000 x number of children in the household) will be eligible.
   b. Eligible students may apply for NNIL Scholarships in one or more of these fields, but an individual student may only be selected for one. Space permitting, students selected for multiple scholarships may choose which one they will receive. Judging will occur based on relevant academics, extracurricular activities, work experience (if applicable), and an essay on their interest in the field.
   c. The amount of the NNIL Scholarship shall be $10,000 per annum or the cost of tuition for the school, whichever is less.
   d. The top 5,000 judged entrants for each field shall be awarded NNIL Scholarships. Where the number decreases below 5,000 due to entrants opting to receive other NNIL Scholarship awards or to decline the award, additional entrants shall be selected.

2. In order to retain the NNIL Scholarship in future years, the student must make satisfactory progress towards entry into the field.
   a. For technical education, this includes continued enrollment and progress in a program leading to a certificate necessary for entry in the field.
   b. For vocational education, this includes continued enrollment and progress in a relevant vocational program or apprenticeship under a recognized practitioner in the field.
   c. For academic education, this includes:
      i. Satisfactory academic progress
      ii. Declaration of a relevant major course of study within a reasonable timeframe depending on the structure of the program.
      iii. Obtaining an internship or other part-time employment in the field by the beginning of the student's third year in the program.

3. Students enrolled in an accredited institution of higher learning and who live in a household with an annual gross taxable income of less than ($150,000 x number of children in the household) will be eligible for loan interest relief.
   a. If a student earns grades in courses required for their declared or intended major that are at least one grade mark (i.e., one-third of a full letter) above the average for that major at that institution, then any federal loans disbursed to them for the following semester will be interest-free.
   b. If a student graduates at the end of the semester in which they earn grades qualifying for relief, then their loans will not accrue interest for the first six months after graduation.

4. All veterans shall have access to vocational, technical, or college education (of up to 5 years) free of charge.

5. $1 billion will be appropriated for the development of vocational programs at public and private universities in Atlasia.
   a. The funds shall be apportioned out on the basis of completeness of proposed programs, unavailability of other such programs in the relevant job market, and need for the relevant profession in said job market.
   b. Any programs set up using these funds must obtain accreditation from a proper authority in a reasonable timeframe. Failure to do so will require that the university pay the funds back to the Treasury.

6. The Republic of Atlasia shall allot an amount not to exceed $5 billion to promote the development of regional school voucher programs.
   a. The program shall be refunded on an annual basis by an equivalent amount indexed to inflation.
   b. The funds shall be disbursed among the regions:
      i. For the first year, based on the school-age population of those regions.
      ii. For subsequent years, based on annual interest and participation within the region. For a student to count as a participant, the student must be enrolled in a secular primary or secondary school accredited by a relevant authority and must be receiving school vouchers pursuant to the program in place with the region.

1184AZ is nominated as Registrar General.

Section 1 (Title)
i. The long title of this Act shall be, "the Consolidation Amendment to the Atlasian-Canadian Common Market Agreement." It may be referenced as the "Consolidation Amendment Act" or as "CA-ACCMA."

Section 2 (Definitions)
i. "Northern Region" refers to the Region, established by the Fourth Constitution of the Republic of Atlasia, consisting of the states of Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and Vermont.
ii. "Western Region" refers to the Region, established by the Fourth Constitution of the Republic of Atlasia, consisting of the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Montana, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Nebraska, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Section 3 (Amending the ACCMA)
i. Article V, Section 5 of the Atlasian-Canadian Common Market Agreement is amended to read as follows:

Section 4 (Implementation)
i. This Act shall take effect upon the ratification of the Fourth Constitution of the Republic of Atlasia.

Pursuant to Article V, Section 1, Clause 5 of the Fourth Constitution, I hereby designate windjammer as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Tmthforu94 is hereby appointed as Emergency Elections Administrator.

Let it be known from this day forward that Hamilton ("Napoleon") should have never been allowed to win the June 2012 Presidential Election, that the Supreme Court wrongfully and illegally ruled on his behalf, and that a fair and balanced ruling on the matter would have seen the ticket of Tweed/Bgwah properly installed in the White House on July 6, 2012.

A corrosion agent shall immediately be applied to the columns of the White House so as to increase the porous nature of their surface areas, and Sherwin-Williams Heartthrob SW 6686 Exterior Paint shall be immediately applied to said surfaces.

President Griffin recognizes the following Atlasians for their valuable service to the game throughout its history:

Tweed is hereby awarded the Griffin Founding Fathers Gold Star Award for his crucial role in establishing Atlasia more than twelve years ago, and shall hereby be recognized as Citizen of Atlasia with full rights and Privileges.

Leinad, Lumine and Maxwell are hereby awarded the Griffin Founding Fathers Silver Star Award for their consistent dedication to pushing through the direly-needed reforms to our game, unlike many of their Federalist friends who may try to take credit despite us all knowing the real truth.

Marokai Blue is hereby awarded the Griffin Founding Fathers Silver Star Award for his perseverance as President and due to my personal belief that he was one of the best post-dissolution Presidents that we had (but also because he really could get under Hamilton's skin with the best of them and mostly because my actions at the end of his Presidency tarnished his tenure, even though he deserved none of that).

Xahar is hereby awarded the Griffin Founding Fathers Silver Star Award for our give-and-take using relationship of one another to get what we each want, and for being the inspiration and catalyst for what would ultimately lead to the consolidation of Regions and the ultimate reform and revival of this game.

DemPGH is hereby awarded the Griffin Founding Fathers Silver Star Award for his steering of the great Atlasian ship during difficult times, and because of his obvious vindication in the Thursday Night Massacre (namely that Sirnick was the worst).

Poirot is hereby awarded the Griffin Founding Fathers Bronze Star Award for his dedication to policy matters within our deliberative bodies and his tireless advocacy of being allowed to hold federal office, and because I can totally respect that.

Alfred F. Jones is hereby awarded the Griffin Founding Fathers Bronze Star Award for putting up with my shtick for so long, and for having that creepy image of Carl Tanzer's desiccated wife in his signature for so long.

Dereich is hereby awarded the Griffin Founding Fathers Bronze Star Award for actually following through with giving seatown his fourth preference in every election in recent history.

Seatown is hereby awarded the Griffin Founding Fathers Bronze Star Award for standing by my side through thick and thin, and for being far smarter than anybody realizes.

Windjammer is hereby awarded the Griffin Founding Fathers Bronze Star Award because of the President's admiration for him and because he knows how to play the game, with the Bronze Star Award being given (as opposed to a higher ranking) due to the fact that I already gave him a Supreme Court seat.

TimTurner is hereby awarded the Griffin Founding Fathers Bronze Star Award because of his sophisticated and shrewd map-making abilities, and because if he were ever put into a position of reapportionment power within Atlasia, he would rain hell down upon his enemies.

Any and all prosecutable offenses committed by any and all players up until this point in time are hereby pardoned.