House Legislation Introduction Thread

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Legislation Designation House Rules Amendment Resolution

To fix the numbering system for House bills and resolutions

Article 2, Section 8 of the House Rules is amended to read as follows:

8.) House Bills and Resolutions shall be enumerated as "HB" for House bills or "HR" for House resolutions, followed by a blank space, then two numbers seperated by a "-", with the first number being the number of the current session and the second increasing sequentially for each bill or resolution placed on the floor per each session.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Including Overlooked Constitutional Powers Amendment

As the Congress does not have the power to establish, consolidate, alter, or terminate executive departments, be it resolved that these powers shall, and additional powers that were overlooked in the drafting of the Constitution be included in the Constitution

Section 1: Short Title

This Act shall be cited as the "Including Overlooked Constitutional Powers Amendment".

Section 2: Amendment

Article III, Section 6 of the Fourth Constitution shall be amended to read as follows:

1. The Congress shall have the power, except where limited elsewhere by this Constitution, to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises, and to distribute the revenue thus collected;

1. to regulate foreign trade and inter-regional commerce;
2. to establish uniform laws of immigration and naturalization;
3. to regulate the value and coinage of the national currency;
4. to establish a uniform system of weights and measures;
5. to establish post offices and post roads;
6. to define and punish crimes committed on the high seas;
7. to declare war, issue letters of marque and reprisal, and make laws governing the capture of land and water;
8. to raise, support, and regulate the national armed forces;
9. to admit new states and territories to the Union;
10. to make laws governing borrowing, lending, and the selling of stocks and bonds;
11. to confirm or reject nominations for the Supreme Court and the officers of executive departments;
12. to establish a central national bank;
13. to make laws necessary for the enforcement of the Constitution and federal law; and
14. to regulate voter registration and federal elections.;
15. Tto impeach the President, Vice President, Justices and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court, and other officers of this government for high crimes and gross negligence.;
16. to establish, consolidate, alter, or terminate independent agencies led by non-playable officials, leaving it to the discretion of the President to control department structure and the existence of any playable principle officers, if any at all, which the President may appoint to roles in the agency, with the advice and consent of the Senate;
17. to make uniform rules for bankruptcies;
18. to temporarily grant inventors, authors, and artists exclusive patents or copyrights for their creations;
19. to constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court of Atlasia;
20. to exercise exclusive jurisdiction over a district not exceeding 100 miles square that shall serve as the capital of the government of Atlasia, however nothing shall prevent persons domiciled in this district from voting for any at-large federal election or any Senate election for the Region in which the district is located.

This Constitutional amendment give Congress the power to establish uniform laws relating to immigration, impeach federal officeholders, to manage independent agencies, to make laws relating to bankruptcy, grant patents and copyright, establish tribunals, and guarantee the right to vote to those living in Nyman.

[fhtagn]

Amendment to the Carbon Tax Act

AN ACT OF CONGRESS
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 entity 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)

1. 70 30% 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."

2. 30% of revenues generated by the carbon tax shall be used to cover the costs of the Renewable Energy Rebate and Subsidy Act.

3. 10% of revenues generated by the carbon tax shall be used to fund federal grants for research and development to discover and implement new renewable energy sources and improve on existing sources.

4. 30% of the revenues generated by the carbon tax shall be used to aid in reducing our national deficit.  

SECTION 6. BORDER CARBON TAX ADJUSTMENT

Goods imported from countries without a carbon tax will be subject to a tax on their value upon importation equal to the cost of Atlasia's carbon tax for the amount of carbon involved in the production of the product.

This amendment is intended to redistribute how we spent the revenues generated by the carbon tax, and allow for funding towards new research in renewable energy and deficit reduction.

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Zombie Voters are good Act

A BILL

To recognize that Zombie Voters are a vital part of Atlasia

Be it enacted by the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Republic of Atlasia in Congress assembled,

Section 1: Definition of a Zombie Voter
(a) FINDINGS
Congress finds the following:
  1. Zombie Voters are any voter that does not hold an office in Atlasia but actively votes in Atlasia elections
  2. Zombie Voters are a vital part of Atlasia and the game would not function well without them
  3. Zombie Voters are recognized to be a key part of the game and should be recognized as honored members of society, not attacked as "scum", their rights as voters should be respected as well.

[alancia]

House Off-site Procedures Rules Resolution

Be it resolved in the Atlasian House Assembled,

Article 9, Clause 3 of the House rules shall read as follows:

3) All proceedings save for when in Joint Session, must be conducted on the Atlas Fantasy Government Board.

[fhtagn]

Motion of No Confidence Against Speaker Jimmy7812

On behalf of members of the House of Representatives in the 18th Congress of the Republic of Atlasia, I hereby am filing a motion of no confidence, per Article I of the House Rules:

5.) The Speaker will be subject to a Motion of No Confidence should his peers decide it, said proceeding being initiated if at least four Representatives have sponsored a Motion of No Confidence, introduced in the Legislative Introduction Thread, against the Speaker citing the motives of why the Speaker should be removed from his office.

As evidenced below, Speaker Jimmy7812 has abused his power as Speaker of the House to push a partisan agenda and to clear bills from the floor not because of the content or because debate had stopped and was ready for the next step, but because he didn't like who authored the bills.



This type of behavior should not be considered acceptable in the chamber, and it is my hope that my fellow representatives will do the right thing and support this motion.

[alancia]

I second Representative fhtagn's motion of no confidence against the Speaker of the House.

[KoopaDaQuick 🇵🇸]

I third Representative fhtagn's motion of no confidence against the Speaker of the House.

[Coastal Elitist]

I fourth Representative fhtagn's motion of no confidence against the Speaker of the House.

[Terry the Fat Shark]

After careful thinking, I have decided not to sign. While the apology did honestly come across as fake to me (which is why I sent it to fhtagn because I was mad and I do stupid things when mad), I don't think a removal is necessary at this time. It is true we all make mistakes and ultimately this was a huge one to make, but jimmy is human as am I. I believe Jimmy should remain speaker at this time and reaffirm my support for him as speaker and as VP. Hopefully this will be a catalyst to be better as a body and for us to come together for more compromises.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

After careful thinking, I have decided not to sign. While the apology did honestly come across as fake to me (which is why I sent it to fhtagn because I was mad and I do stupid things when mad), I don't think a removal is necessary at this time. It is true we all make mistakes and ultimately this was a huge one to make, but jimmy is human as am I. I believe Jimmy should remain speaker at this time and reaffirm my support for him as speaker and as VP. Hopefully this will be a catalyst to be better as a body and for us to come together for more compromises.

Jimmy is a human? News to me!

[YE]

“Razze and I got caught up in the moment with finding a way to go after fhtagn and the opportunity to stop both of her bills”

This is the quote or at least part of it that seems to be causing the problems.

The main takeaway was that Jimmy and Razze wanted an outcome that differed from what fhtagn wanted. Whether that is a good idea can be debated in the respective threads in which the bills reside but what is lacking is the specific evidence. What motions did Jimmy do that only a speaker could do that would have caused it? No one objected to a final vote on a gun bill so a vote was opened. Two people motioned to table the carbon tax bill (and I should add that motion was started by a Federalist Rep) so Jimmy opened a vote. While I am certainly not satisfied with how both Jimmy and Razze may have voted, I fail to see how that’s worthy of removal of the Speakership in Jimmy’s case.

[Lumine]

Four Representatives having sponsored the motion it seems it will fall to the Dean (Razze) to open the appropiate thread to debate the Motion of No Confidence.

[Dr. MB]

Residential Property Privacy Act

HOUSE BILL

To protect the privacy rights of citizens

Be it enacted by the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Republic of Atlasia in Congress assembled,

SECTION I: SUBSTANCE

1. Federal, regional, state, and municipal government and law enforcement agencies may not position surveillance cameras in such a way that they capture parts of residential private property not visible from the street.
2. Any footage captured by illegally positioned cameras may not be used as evidence in a court of law.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

HOUSE RESOLUTION

To establish Special Elections for the Office of Vice President.

Be it resolved by a 2/3rds majority in both houses and ratified by the regions,

Section I: Title

This Resolution shall be titled, “The Vice President Special Election Amendment”

Section 2: Changes to the Constitution

(1) Article IV, Section I of the Constitution is amended to read as follows:

Section 1 (The Executive)
1. The executive power shall be vested in the President of the Republic of Atlasia. He shall hold his office for a term of four months, together with a Vice President chosen for the same term.
2. Elections for President shall be held in the months of February, June, and October, in accordance with the measures prescribed by the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia. Each candidate for President shall run jointly with a candidate for Vice President, with whom their name shall appear jointly on the ballot. A vote for a candidate for President shall be considered a vote for the candidate for Vice President whose name appears on the ballot with the presidential candidate, and accordingly the candidate for Vice President whose name appears on the ballot with the successful candidate for President shall be elected.
3. In the event that two candidates for President tie in the popular vote at the conclusion of a special presidential runoff election, the candidates shall be elected Co-Presidents, with each Presidential and Vice Presidential candidate serving two months of a single four-month term. Should the candidates be unable to agree on which of them becomes President first, the candidate who has been registered longest as a citizen of Atlasia shall serve with their Vice President for the first two months, followed by the newest registered candidate and their respective Vice President for the latter two months.
4. In the event of a vacancy of the office of Vice President with more than four weeks remaining prior to the next regular Presidential election, a special election shall be held in accordance with the measures prescribed by Congress of the Republic of Atlasia.
4 5. No person shall be President or Vice President who has not attained 500 or more posts, nor whose account is not at least 4,320 hours old, nor is not a citizen of the Republic of Atlasia.
5 6. Upon the commencement of his term in office, the President shall swear the following oath: "I, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the Republic of Atlasia, and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the Republic of Atlasia."

(2) Article IV, Section 2, Clause 5 of the Constitution is amended to read as follows:

to appoint, with the advice and consent of the Senate, the vice president in the event of a vacancy in that office, if there are less than four weeks remaining before the next regular vice presidential election;

This amendment would edit Article IV Section I to establish special elections for the filling of Vice-President vacancies and Article IV Section 2 for Vice-President appointments confirmed by the Senate when it is less than 4 weeks before the next Presidential election.

[Dr. MB]

Free, Reasonable, and Ethical Approaches for Keenly Protecting and Officially Welcoming Equal Rights Act

HOUSE BILL

to expand individual liberties

Be it enacted by the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Republic of Atlasia in Congress assembled,

SECTION I: NAME

1. This bill may be cited as the Free, Reasonable, and Ethical Approaches for Keenly Protecting and Officially Welcoming Equal Rights Act, or alternatively, the FREAK POWER Act.

SECTION II: LEGALIZED SUBSTANCES

1. The following substances are hereby completely legal for personal use and sale:
a) Marijuana
b) Psychedelic cacti, including but not limited to, peyote, San Pedro cactus, Peruvian torch, and Bolivian torch
c) Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)
d) Dimethyltryptamine (DMT)
e) Psilocybin mushrooms
f) Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ecstasy)
g) Mescaline
h) Khat
i) Leaves of the coca plant
j) Ayahuasca
k) Cathinone
l) Diisopropyltryptamine (DiPT)
2. Sales of these substances and the ages at which they may be purchased are subject to regulation by regions and localities.

SECTION III: PROPERTY RIGHTS

1. Detonations of lawfully acquired explosives on one's own private property is explicitly permitted.
2. All substances classified as fireworks, "firework" being defined as a device containing gunpowder and other combustible chemicals that causes an explosion when ignited, are hereby legal for sale and use.
3. If said explosions cause any damage to neighboring property, the detonator shall be held financially responsible.

SECTION IV: DRINKING AGE

1. The nationwide drinking age for alcoholic beverages is standardized at 19.
2. Regions may set a lower drinking age should they wish.

SECTION V: PROCEDURES

1. This bill shall take effect immediately upon passage.

[Dr. MB]

HOUSE BILL
To reform federal patent policy


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

Title of Act:

This legislation may be cited as the Patent Reform Act of 2019.

Substance

F.L. 10-1, the Patent Reform Act of 2017, is amended to read as follows, renumbering accordingly:

Title I: Rules of Civil Procedure in Patent Cases

1.) Any person who files a civil action alleging patent infringement must include the following information in their court pleadings:

A) The registered number of any patent at issue
B) All claims necessary to produce the identification of each instrumentality or process alleged to infringe any claim of each patent allegedly infringed
C) The name, model number, or description of each accused instrumentality
D) Each element necessary to prove each claim against each instrumentality
E) The Authority of the party alleging infringement to assert each patent
F) Grounds for jurisdiction.

2.) The prevailing party in a patent infringement case may petition the Court for reasonable legal fees, and the presiding Judge shall grant the petition, unless:

A) The non-prevailing party was reasonably justified in their legal and factual argument, or
B) Special circumstances, such as severe economic hardship to a named inventor, make an award unjust.

3.) A defendant in a patent infringement case who is being sued solely as an end-user or retailer of a composite product may petition the court to be dismissed as a defendant provided:

A) The Manufacturer of the composite product is a party to the lawsuit, and
B) The end-user or retailer agrees to be bound on issues of law.

4.) A defendant in a patent infringement case may petition the court for a stay of discovery:

A) Pending a motion to dismiss,
B) when the plaintiff is granted a preliminary injunction to prevent economic activity, or
C) during drug and biological product applications.

Title II: Patent Infringement Demand Letters

1.) The sending of purposefully evasive demand letters to end users or retailers, without identifying the registered number of any patent allegedly being infringed or the identity of the patent holder, shall be considered a fraudulent and deceptive trade practice.

2.) The Federal Trade Commission is hereby authorized to investigate complaints of evasive demand letters, assess penalties on violators, and petition federal courts for an injunction against violators.

Title III: Evergreen Patents and Medicine

1a.) It shall be unlawful for any holder of an expiring drug or biological patent to offer or make any payment to a manufacturer or distributor of generic drugs or biologics in exchange for delaying future sales of the generic drug.

1b.) No method or process patent may be granted for drugs that are protected under existing patents.  All existing process or method patents for drugs shall be null upon passage of this act.

2.) The Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) shall not grant a patent holder more than 4 continuation applications.

Title IV: Seed and Biological Patents

1.) Living organisms, including seeds, are not patentable material.
2.) Thus, patents for animal and plant DNA are rendered invalid.


1.) In any civil action against a farmer alleging infringement of a patented seed licensing agreement, the court shall determine the origin of the seeds in question. If it is determined by clear and convincing evidence that the unlicensed seeds were illegally purchased by a farmer, the farmer shall be liable to the patent holder for the cost of the seed, the cost of court filings, and the reasonable costs of the investigation. If however it is shown by preponderance of the evidence that the farmer did not purposefully acquire and then plant the patented seeds, the patent holder shall be liable to the farmer for all legal expenses as well as treble damages on the value of the crop yield.

2.) Venue for the case shall be the District Court of the place where the alleged infringement occurred.

Title V: Software patents

1.) Software patents shall pertain solely to enabled code without regard to means or function of code.

Title VI: Protection for human DNA combinations

1.) Human DNA combinations shall not be patentable subject matter under terms of the Patent Act of 1952.

Title VII: Time period limits

1.) Patents for biologic drugs shall expire after ten years.

2.) Genetic patents shall expire after fifteen years.

3.) Software patents shall expire after eight years

Title VIII: International patent applications

1.) All patent applications must be filed in English.

[Dr. MB]

George Soros Day Act

HOUSE BILL

To honor a dignified Atlasian

Be it enacted by the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Republic of Atlasia in Congress assembled,

SECTION I: SUBSTANCE

1. August 12, the birthday of businessman George Soros, is hereby designated as "George Soros Day", in honor of his many contributions to Atlasian society, including over $32 billion in philanthropic donations.

[Dr. MB]

Party Like It's Your Birthday Act

HOUSE BILL

Be it enacted by the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Republic of Atlasia in Congress assembled,

SECTION I: SUBSTANCE

1. Every person employed in the Republic of Atlasia or any territory in which the Republic has jurisdiction shall have the right to a paid day off on his or her birthday, effective upon the passage of this legislation.

2. Persons not wishing to take a paid day off on their birthday shall be compensated three times their regular hourly rate if they choose to work on their birthday, effective upon the passage of this legislation.

3.
a) The Republic of Atlasia shall issue a $1,000 savings bond, free of charge, to all persons at birth. Said bond shall be only payable to the person to whom it is issued and shall fully mature upon said individual's eighteenth birthday.
b) Should the person to whom the bond is issued die before they reach their eighteenth birthday, it shall be payable to the deceased's parent(s) or legal guardian(s) upon death.

[Dr. MB]

Freedom of Thought and Honorable Opposition to Tyranny Act

HOUSE BILL

Be it enacted by the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Republic of Atlasia in Congress assembled,

SECTION I: NAME

1. This bill may be cited as the Freedom of Thought and Honorable Opposition to Tyranny Act, or, alternatively, the Freedom of THOT Act.

SECTION II: SUBSTANCE

1. The Internal Security Act of 1950, the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, and the Communist Control Act of 1954 are hereby repealed.
2. The Espionage Act of 1917 and the Alien Registration Act of 1940 (Smith Act) are hereby repealed.

[fhtagn]

Atlasian Patriots Day Act

HOUSE BILL

To honor dignified Atlasians

Be it enacted by the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Republic of Atlasia in Congress assembled,

SECTION I: SUBSTANCE

1. September 23, the birthday of chemical engineer and entrepreneur Fred C. Koch, is hereby designated as "Atlasian Patriots Day", in honor of the Koch family's contributions to society, including the billions in overall philanthropic donations across many charitable foundations run by the family since 1953.

[Dr. MB]

Territorial Disputes and Minor Outlying Islands Act

HOUSE BILL

Be it enacted by the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Republic of Atlasia in Congress assembled,

SECTION I: RESOLVING TERRITORIAL DISPUTES

1. a) The claims to Machias Seal Island and North Rock are hereby retracted.
b) The sovereignty of Canada over these islands is hereby recognized.
2. a) The claims to Bajo Nuevo Bank and Serranilla Bank are hereby retracted.
b) The sovereignty of Colombia over these islands is hereby recognized.

SECTION II: CEDING MINOR OUTLYING ISLANDS TO LARGER JURISDICTIONS

1. The territories of Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Atoll, Palmyra Atoll, and Wake Island shall be ceded to the State of Hawaii.
2. The territory of Navassa Island shall be ceded to the State of Puerto Rico.

[Dr. MB]

Freedom to Perform Act

HOUSE BILL

Be it enacted by the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Republic of Atlasia in Congress assembled,

1. Parties claiming injury or damages as a result of a concert or other musical performance shall not have standing to sue venues unless the venue has failed to meet federal legal standards.

2. Parties claiming injury or damages as a result of a concert or other musical performance shall not have standing to sue performers unless the performers are directly involved in the incident causing damages.

[Dr. MB]

Mountaintop Removal Ban Act

HOUSE BILL

Be it enacted by the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Republic of Atlasia in Congress assembled,

SECTION I: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

1. The Congress of Atlasia hereby acknowledges:

a) that mountaintop removal is considered an 'extreme form' of mining that should be replaced by alternative means of energy production
b) that mountaintop removal hurts biodiversity
c) that mountaintop removal leads to increased unemployment
d) that mountaintop removal is a threat to public health and well-being
e) that mountaintop removal is detrimental to the citizens of mountain regions which are affected by it

SECTION II: BANNING HARMFUL PRACTICES

1. The Atlasian government shall not distribute any permits to coal-mining industries whose practices would result in the topographical alteration and/or removal of a summit, summit ridge, or significant portion of a mountain, hill, or ridge.

SECTION III: ENFORCEMENT

1. Mining industries that partake in this practice will be fined at a maximum of $2,000,000.
2. The final amount shall be determined in a court of law.

[Dr. MB]

Universally Nullifying Involuntary Transfers and Enforced Deplaning Act

HOUSE BILL

Be it enacted by the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Republic of Atlasia in Congress assembled,

SECTION I: NAME

1. This bill may be cited as the Universally Nullifying Involuntary Transfers and Enforced Deplaning Act, or alternatively, the UNITED Act.

SECTION II: RESOLUTIONS TO FLIGHT DISPUTES

1. Should an airline deny one or more booked passengers a seat on said flight due to lack of available space on board the aircraft, the airline must offer the passengers financial compensation for giving up their spot on the flight. Should too few passengers agree to the offered amount of compensation, the airline must offer a larger compensation, and continue increasing the amount until enough passengers have agreed.
2. No airline may stipulate conditions ahead of time for this bidding process setting an upper limit on bids, placing an "automatic bid" at a certain value, or inhibiting this process in any other way as a condition of purchase of passage on its flights.
3. Failure to abide by or attempts to subvert this process shall be punishable by a fine equivalent to the total revenue earned on the flight in question.

SECTION III: FORCED REMOVAL

1. It shall be the prerogative of the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate any case of an airline forcibly removing a customer who posed no physical threat to the safety of the aircraft's passengers or crew from their seat.