Senate Legislation Introduction Thread

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A BILL

To establish a "Do Not PM" List for registered voters


Be it enacted by the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia assembled

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the "Bugger Off" Act of 2016

SECTION 2. CREATION OF "DO NOT PM" LIST

1. Any Atlasian who makes an explicit request in the New Register Thread to be placed on a "Do Not PM" list will be registered in such a list by the Registrar General.

2. The "Do Not PM" list shall be visible in one of the opening posts of the Census Bureau thread.

3. Any Atlasian wishing to campaign through PMs is requested to read the "Do Not PM" list before doing so.

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A BILL

To remove the federal prohibition on marijuana


Be it enacted by the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia assembled

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2016

SECTION 2. REMOVAL OF FEDERAL MARIJUANA PROHIBITION

1. "Marihuana" and "tetrahydrocannabinols" are hereby stricken from Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act.

2. It shall no longer be policy of the Federal government to prosecute marijuana-related drug charges.

3. No region, state, territory, or locality shall be required to prosecute the possession or sale of marijuana.

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A BILL

To authorize creation of a State Department report of military and economic relations between the Republic of Atlasia and recognized foreign states


Be it enacted by the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia assembled

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as The New Foreign Relations Review Act

SECTION 2. CREATION OF THE FOREIGN RELATIONS REVIEW

1. It shall be responsibility of the Secretary of State to provide, by and with the advice and consent of the Congress, a report examining the relations between Atlasia and all other recognized states of the world.

2. The Foreign Relations Review shall specifically examine the military and economic relations between the Republic of Atlasia, and the states in question.

3. The creation of the Foreign Relations Review shall be completed entirely by the Secretary of State and submitted to the Congress for deliberation and approval.

SECTION 3. AUTHORITY OF THE FOREIGN RELATIONS REVIEW

As approved by Congress, the Foreign Relations Review becomes the official policy of the Republic of Atlasia.

SECTION 4. AMENDING THE FOREIGN RELATIONS REVIEW

1. The Secretary of State may offer, to the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia, revisions to the Foreign Relations Review of previous officeholders.

2. The President may also, by and with the advice and consent of the Congress, amend the Foreign Relations Review as he or she finds appropriate.

3. The Congress may amend the Foreign Relations Review as it sees fit by passing an Act, which shall be subject to the President's signature or veto.

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The following treaty has been agreed to be representatives of the Republic of Atlasia and the United Kingdom and awaits a sponsor so that it may proceed to the Senate floor for debate.

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Sponsored!

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[Withdrawn]

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A BILL

To mandate the casting of English-only ballots in federal elections and to prevent obscure legal interpretations of 'voting booth campaigning'


Be it enacted by the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia assembled

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the Ballot Integrity Act.

SECTION 2. AMENDMENT TO THE FEDERAL ELECTORAL ACT

Section one of the Federal Electoral Act is hereby amended:

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I don't think that's necessary.

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I'm going to reserve further discussion on this for when the bill is brought to the floor.

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AN AMENDMENT

For the resolution of tied presidential elections


Be it enacted by the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia assembled

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the Electoral Tie Resolution Amendment.

SECTION 2. AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE IV OF THE FOURTH CONSTITUTION

Article IV of the Fourth Constitution of the Republic of Atlasia, upon ratification by two thirds of the Regions, shall be amended:

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AN ACT

To ensure and expand quality and access of affordable healthcare to Atlasians


Be it enacted by the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia assembled

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the Universal Healthcare and Affordability Act.

SECTION 2. CREATION OF NON-PROFIT HEALTH INSURANCE COOPERATIVES

1. The Department of Health and Human Services of Atlasia shall be compelled to grant no less than $6,000,000 for the creation of Health Insurance Cooperatives (HICs), which shall operate on a strictly non-profit basis.  HICs may be privately established and subject to existing rules and regulations pertaining to healthcare and health insurance within the regions of which they operate.

2. HICs may offer similar insurance plans to that of traditional for-profit health insurance companies, however, neither HICs nor for-profit health insurance companies may deny consumers on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions.  HICs and for-profit insurance companies shall be required to allow enrollment of persons onto their parent's or guardian's plan up to the age of twenty-six.

SECTION 3. MEDICARE BUY-IN OPTION AND EXPANSION

1. Recipients of the federal Medicaid program, which shall be merged with and have all financial assets transferred to Medicare, shall be automatically enrolled in the Medicare program.

2. Individuals and families with an annual income below $90,000, including children and minors, shall be automatically enrolled in the Medicare program.

3. Individuals and families with an annual income above $90,000 and not exceeding $500,000, shall have the option to purchase health insurance either from an HIC, a for-profit health insurance company, or enroll in the Medicare program.  Individuals and families with an annual income exceeding $500,000 may not be eligible for Medicare enrollment.

4. Individual states and regions of the Republic of Atlasia shall have the option to develop a public buy-in health insurance program to operate in conjunction with private insurance and HICs, or to establish a fully-universal "single-payer" health insurance system under their jurisdictions.  Regions which adopt single-payer programs may be granted waivers from regulations set under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

SECTION 4. MEDICARE BENEFITS AND COVERAGE

Medicare shall cover, under this act, all medically necessary services, including the following:

• Primary care and prevention.
• Inpatient care.
• Outpatient care.
• Emergency care.
• Prescription drugs.
• Durable medical equipment.
• Long-term care.
• Palliative care.
• Mental health services.
• The full scope of dental services (other than cosmetic dentistry).
• Substance abuse treatment services.
• Chiropractic services.
• Basic vision care and vision correction (other than laser vision correction for cosmetic purposes).
• Hearing services, including coverage of hearing aids.
• Podiatric care.
• Contraceptive services.
• End of Life Care - Shall be limited in hospital settings up to the cost of such care when attained through a hospice setting.

SECTION 5. TAX SUBSIDIES FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

Individuals and families shall be eligible for an annual tax credit not exceeding $5,000 to offset "out-of-pocket" prescription drug costs that exceed 5% of their annual income.

SECTION 6. FOREIGN NATIONALS

Foreign nationals visiting the Republic of Atlasia via visa must provide proof of insurance coverage prior to admittance.  Permanent residents shall be eligible for private, non-profit, or public insurance.

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Cosponsoring.

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A BILL

To defund and dismantle the federal Transportation Security Administration


Be it enacted by the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia assembled

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the Defund TSA Act.

SECTION 2. FINDINGS

Whereby the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia hereby acknowledges:

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been subject to stringent criticism for its invasive security procedures and mechanisms throughout its existence;
The TSA has a documented 95% failure rate in DHS tests;
TSA agents have been the subject of numerous scandals, as more than 500 officers have been terminated for theft, and twelve were recently indicted for the smuggling of approximately 20 tons of cocaine;
Airline passengers have filed more than 30,000 claims of missing valuables between 2010 and 2014;
The TSA is an overall ineffective and expensive agency, draining public funds to the tune of $7.3 billion per year

SECTION 3. ABOLISHMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

No federal funds shall be appropriated to maintaining the TSA upon conclusion of fiscal year 2018, whereafter it shall no longer be established as a federal agency under the Department of Homeland Security.

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Sponsor: Sen. LongLiveRock (Lab-CO)

Sponsored.

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Would someone be able to sponsor this for me in the Senate?

Sponsored.  I converted the Euro amount to dollars in section 4.

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Cosponsor: Senator R2D2

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Sponsoring this, with grammatical changes.

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A BILL

To expand public service opportunities for Atlasians


Be it enacted the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia assembled

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the Public Service Act.

SECTION 2. FINDINGS

Whereby the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia hereby acknowledges:

That studies have shown volunteerism is particularly important to young adult Atlasians;
That AtlasiaCorp is receiving five times more applications than it has spots to fill, and the Peace Corps has seen a 40-year high in applications for its overseas program;
That national service provides important job training opportunities especially for non-college youth, and that these opportunities build skills that are attractive to employers

SECTION 3. CREATION OF ONLINE NATIONAL SERVICE CERTIFICATION SYSTEM

AtlasiaCorps shall be endowed with the responsibility of creating and maintaining an online national service certification system, for which potential reservists might have a quick and easy way to search a comprehensive listing of paid service opportunities offered by the Peace Corps, AtlasiaCorps, and certified national service organizations, including state and local government agencies, schools, higher-education institutions, and nonprofit organizations and social enterprises.

SECTION 4. FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EDWARD M. KENNEDY SERVE ATLASIA ACT

Congress shall fully implement the 2009 Edward M. Kennedy Serve Atlasia Act, authorizing the addition of 250,000 AtlasiaCorps positions.

SECTION 5. PATHWAYS TO EMPLOYMENT FOR THE UNEMPLOYED

Congress shall invest $8 billion in creating subsidized employment opportunities for low-income and long-term unemployed workers as part of the 2014 Pathways Back to Work Fund.

SECTION 6. WORK AND EDUCATION CREDITS

Atlasian public service programs shall be obligated to provide opportunities for service work which offer leisure time from occupational work as well as reduced student loans.

SECTION 7. EXPENDITURES

Expenditures for the projects outline in this legislation shall exceed no more than $20 billion over a ten-year period.

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A BILL

To reform federal drug policy and to affirm Atlasian sovereignty over federal drug policy


Be it enacted the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia assembled

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the Federal Drug Policy Reform Act.

SECTION 2. RESCHEDULING OF THE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT

1. The 1971 Controlled Substances Act is hereby amended;

a. Peyote is hereby descheduled from Schedule 1
b. Ecstacy is hereby moved from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3
c. Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is hereby moved from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3

SECTION 2. FEDERAL DECRIMINALIZATION OF DRUG POSSESSION WITHOUT INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE

Possession without intent to distribute of all controlled substances upon passage of this act are hereby decriminalized under federal law.  All criminal and federal courts shall be barred from imposing prison or felony sentences upon non-violent drug possessors, but may otherwise issue fines and/or require mandatory drug counseling for drug addicts.

SECTION 3. WITHDRAWAL FROM INTERNATIONAL MANDATORY DRUG POLICY TREATIES

The Republic of Atlasia, upon passage of this act, hereby withdraws from the following international conventions:

• Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961
• Convention on Psychotropic Substances, 1971

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A BILL

To permit the importation of safe and affordable prescription drugs from Canada by certified pharmacists, wholesalers, and individuals in Canada with legal permission to distribute prescription drugs


Be it enacted the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia assembled

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the Drug Import Act.

SECTION 2. LOWERING PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES FOR ATLASIANS BY IMPORTING DRUGS FROM CANADA

It shall no longer be policy of the federal government of the Republic of Atlasia to prohibit the importation of prescription drugs from Canada, or to discourage prescription drug imports via tariff or quota, provided that prescription types are approved by the Atlasian Food and Drug Administration.

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AN AMENDMENT

To reform Congressional procedure on amended legislation that has been rejected by one house of Congress


Be it enacted by 2/3 of each house of Congress and subsequently ratified by at least 2/3 of the Regions

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the Congressional Procedure Amendment.

SECTION 2. AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE II, SECTION 5 OF THE FOURTH CONSTITUTION

Article II, Section 5 of the Constitution is hereby amended:

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A BILL

To give Atlasian citizens additional time to consider how they intend to vote in federal elections


Be it enacted by the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia assembled

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the Act to establish a 72-hour Window between House Candidacy Declarations and Federal Elections

SECTION 2. AMENDMENT TO THE FEDERAL ELECTORAL ACT

1. Section 8 of the Federal Electoral Act is hereby amended:

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2. Section 6 of the Federal Electoral Act is hereby stricken from the law, and the remaining sections of the law renumbered accordingly.

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A BILL

To reform settlements and compensatory damages awarded in police brutality lawsuits, to prohibit paid leave for law enforcement officers under suspicion of wrongdoing, and to promote responsible policing


Be it enacted by the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia assembled

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the Police Responsibility Act.

SECTION 2. COMPENSATORY DAMAGES, SETTLEMENTS, AND REMEDIES IN POLICE BRUTALITY CASES

All compensatory damages, settlements, and remedies in cases involving police brutality shall be paid directly from the accused/guilty police officer's/officers' retirement fund/s or pension plan/s.

SECTION 3. BAN ON PAID LEAVE FOR OFFICERS SUSPECTED OF WRONGDOING

No law enforcement official shall be entitled to monetary compensation if he or she is placed on mandatory leave under suspicion of wrongdoing.

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A BILL

To implement a seven-day waiting period prior to the fulfillment of deregistration requests


Be it enacted by the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia assembled

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the Deregistration Waiting Period Act.

SECTION 2. MANDATORY WAITING PERIODS FOR GRANTS OF DEREGISTRATION

1. Deregistration of citizens shall officially take effect seven days after a request for deregistration has been made.

2. Within the seven days after deregistration has been requested, those who have requested deregistration may withdraw their request without penalty.

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A BILL

To impose a tax on the burning of carbon-based fuels, and to incentivize minimizing carbon emissions through conservation, substitution, and innovation


Be it enacted by the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia assembled;

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the Carbon Tax Act.

SECTION 2. FINDINGS

Whereby the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia hereby acknowledges:

That increasing levels of CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere are destabilizing established climate patterns and damaging ecosystems;

That rapid reductions in Atlasia's and other nations' carbon emissions are essential to avoid runaway climate destabilization and minimize severe weather events, inundation of coastal cities, spread of diseases, loss of forests, failure of agriculture and water supply, infrastructure destruction, forced migrations, political upheavals, and international conflict;

Current prices of electricity, gasoline, and other fuels reflect little or none of the long-term costs from climate change or even near-term health costs of burning fossil fuels, and this suppresses incentives to develop and deploy carbon-reducing measures such as energy efficiency

SECTION 3. TAX RATES

Following are tax rates consistent with charging $50.00 per ton of carbon (not carbon dioxide) emitted.
 Consistent with the intent of phasing this level in over a five-year period, the rates for years 1 through 4 will be calculated by multiplying the rates in the table by 20%, 40%, 60% and 80%, respectively.

All rates are expressed in dollars per million Btu of fuel.

---
Bituminous coal ----- $1.40
Subbituminous coal - $1.45
Lignite ----------------- $1.47
Crude Oil -------------- $1.12
Gasoline --------------- $1.07
Residual Fuel Oil ----- $1.18
Natural Gas ----------- $0.80
---

SECTION 4. REBATES FOR CO2 CONTROL

Paying entities may be eligible for a partial or total rebate of the tax payments if the paying eneiety can prove that some or all of the carbon dioxide emissions will be kept from entering the Earth's atmosphere for millennia.

SECTION 5. EQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF FEDERAL REVENUES TO ATLASIAN CITIZENS (GREEN CHECKS)

100% of revenues generated by the carbon tax shall be distributed on an equal basis to all Atlasian households on a quarterly time basis via cheque, which shall henceforth be referred to as "green checks."

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