Commonwealth of Fremont • 10th Parliament

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Aye

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Aye

[Sherrod Brown Shill]

Aye

[Mad Deadly Worldwide Communist Gangster Computer God]

Aye.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

And with 4 votes in favour, the amendment to the standing orders is now adopted.

[YE]

And with 4 votes in favour, the amendment to the standing orders is now adopted.

Since when did you become speaker?

Edit: This actually is a good idea tbf.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

And with 4 votes in favour, the amendment to the standing orders is now adopted.

Since when did you become speaker?

Edit: This actually is a good idea tbf.

Just informing everyone that it's passed. It's the speakers job to certify it.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

The amendment to the Standing Orders has been adopted by a 4-0 Aye vote.

ARTICLE IV, New Section

2) Only votes cast within the exact 72 hours after the Speaker has opened the vote shall be valid. Any votes cast after the 72 hours has expired are to be considered invalid, and may not be counted by the Speaker.

All following sections are renumbered accordingly.

[Mad Deadly Worldwide Communist Gangster Computer God]

AN ACT
Relating to fair employment practices; specifying reasonable accommodations for medical needs arising from pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions as specified; and providing for an effective date.

Section 1: Title

This legislation may be cited as the Pregnant Workers Support Act.

Section 2: Discriminatory and unfair employment practices enumerated; limitations.

(i)  Upon enactment of this law, it is a discriminatory or unfair employment practice:

For an employer to refuse to make a reasonable accommodation for any condition of a job applicant or employee related to medical needs arising from pregnancy, childbirth or a related condition if the applicant or employee so requests, unless the employer can demonstrate that the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the employer's program, enterprise or business.  An employer shall not take adverse action against a job applicant or employee who requests or uses a reasonable accommodation, including:

(A)  Denying employment opportunities based on the need for a reasonable accommodation;

(B)  Requiring an employee to take leave if another reasonable accommodation can be provided or to accept an accommodation that the applicant or employee chooses not to accept;

(C)  Counting an absence related to pregnancy, childbirth or a related condition under no fault attendance policies; or

(D)  Failing to reinstate the employee to the employee's original job or to an equivalent position with equivalent pay and accumulated seniority, retirement, fringe benefits and other applicable service credits when the employee's need for reasonable accommodations ceases.

(ii)  "Reasonable accommodation" includes more frequent or longer breaks, time off to recover from childbirth, acquisition or modification of equipment, seating, temporary transfer to a less strenuous or hazardous position, job restructuring, light duty, break time and private non-bathroom space for expressing breast milk, assistance with manual labor and modified work schedules.

(iii)  "Undue hardship" means an action requiring significant difficulty or expense when considered in light of factors, including:

(A)  The nature and cost of the accommodation;

(B)  The overall financial resources of the employer;

(C)  The overall size of the business of the employer with respect to the number of employees, and the number, type and location of its facilities;

(D)  The effect on expenses and resources or the impact otherwise of the accommodation upon the operation of the employer.

Section 3: Impact on existing protections

This act shall not be construed to preempt, limit, diminish or otherwise affect any other provision of law relating to sex discrimination or pregnancy or in any way to diminish protections or coverage for pregnancy, childbirth or a condition related to pregnancy or childbirth under any other provision of law.

Section 4: Effectiveness

This act is effective July 1, 2019.

[Mad Deadly Worldwide Communist Gangster Computer God]

AN ACT
To authorize public schools, in kindergarten through eighth grade, to implement an Atlasian civics course of study comprised of topics relating to the Republic of Atlasia's and the Commonwealth of Fremont's systems of government and describe the use of comparative analysis when studying other countries' systems of government

Section 1: Title

This legislation may be cited as the Fremont Civic Education Act.

Section 2: Teaching of history, culture, and civil government

(A)  Public schools in the Commonwealth of Fremont are required to meet standards in civics for kindergarten throughout eighth grade through an Atlasian course of study that emphasizes, at a minimum, comprehension of foundational factual knowledge in the following areas:

(i)  History and origin of the Constitution of the Republic of Atlasia and Bill of Rights;

(ii)  The structure and responsibilities of the three branches of the federal government and our system of checks and balances to prevent abuse of power;

(iii)  Federalism and the role of the regions;

(iv)  Individual rights that are protected in the Bill of Rights from encroachment by the federal, regional, and state governments;

(v)  The structure and responsibilities of Fremont's Parliament;

(vi)  The Fremont Constitution; and

(vii)  The rights and responsibilities of Atlasian citizenship in our constitutional, representative federal system of government.

(B)  If state academic standards in civics for kindergarten through eighth grade require the study of government systems in other countries, public schools that implement the Atlasian civics course of study should include a comparative analysis of the foreign country's system of government and the Republic of Atlasia's system of government, comparing the role of an independent judiciary, individual rights, and limits on government power.

Section 3: Effectiveness

This act is effective starting at the 2020-2021 school year.

[YE]

AN ACT
In response to Eckne's story

Section 1: Title

This legislation may be cited as the Pacific Railway Reauthorization Act.

Section 2: Findings

In the original 2017 bill, a sum of 10 billion dollars was allocated to the development of rail lines connecting San Francisco and Seattle, Sacramento and Omaha, and Salt Lake City and Minneapolis; however, a recent cost analysis suggests that it will need almost double that sum for each line.

A key issue involves the necessity to build the Omaha line through the rocky mountains. Although BNSF and Union Pacific rail lines exist across the Rockies, the requirements for a high-speed line are more stringent, and require avoidance of sharper bends that wouldn't be out of place in existing tracks. As such, potentially extensive tunneling will need to be carried out on significant portions of the path to make the line feasible. Alternatively, the project could share BNSF tracks at a greatly lowered cost, at the expense of the 'high' in 'high-speed.'

In addition, problems are arising in negotiations with state and local governments, as existing stations in major cities are in need of extensive modifications in order to accomodate the new high-speed rail lines. Significantly, project managers are considering moving the terminus of the Seattle from San Francisco to Emeryville (in Alameda County), citing development concerns regarding the Transbay Transit Center in San Francisco.  

Section 3: Funding
$10,298,400,000 in funding for the Pacific Railway Act of 2017 has been reauthorized following construction difficulties.

[Mad Deadly Worldwide Communist Gangster Computer God]

I propose the following amendment to the Standing Orders:

ARTICLE III, New Section

8.) The Speaker or First Minister shall have authority to correct grammar and formatting of legislation, provided that such technical changes do not alter the intended meaning of the legislation.

All following sections are renumbered accordingly.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Seconded

[YE]

A RESOLUTION

That this chamber voices its matter on SB 9010.

Whereas, the Senate is voting on SB 9010: Fulfilling Railway Promises Act.
Whereas, X.
Resolved, Y.

[YE]

AN ACT
To provide disaster relief

Section 1: Title

This legislation may be cited as the Nebraska and Iowa Flood Relief Act.

Section 2: Text
The sum of $250 million shall be allocated to a fund that deals with the recent floods in Nebraska and Iowa.  Of this, the sum of $160 million shall be used in Iowa; while the sum of $90 million shall be used in Nebraska.

[Mad Deadly Worldwide Communist Gangster Computer God]

AN ACT
To revise the Protecting Children From Smoking in Vehicles Act and to finance public anti-smoking campaigns

Section 1: Title

This legislation may be cited as the Fremont Healthy Lungs Act.

Section 2: Amendment to Protecting Children From Smoking in Vehicles Act

The Protecting Children From Smoking in Vehicles Act is amended:

Protecting Children From Smoking in Vehicles Act

To prohibit individuals from smoking in a vehicle with passengers under the age of 18

Section 1. Short title

This Act shall be cited as the “Protecting Children From Smoking in Vehicles Act”.

Section 2. Definitions

As used in Act, unless otherwise provided or indicated by the context:

(1) The term "smoke" shall mean the inhaling and exhaling of a vapor produced by the burning, heating, or lighting of a tobacco product or drug in a cigar, cigarette, pipe, or other device, or the use of such device. (2) The term "electronic cigarette" shall mean a device that produces a nicotine vapor that can be inhaled.

Section 3. Rules

(a) In general. -

It shall be a summary offense for an individual to smoke or use an electronic cigarette in a vehicle that has one or more passengers that are under 18 years of age.  Individuals that are under 18 years of age shall not be charged under this section if they are the only minor present in the vehicle.

(b) Penalty. -

An individual caught violating subsection (a), upon conviction, shall:

(1) on the first offense within a 5 2 year period, be required to pay a fine of $250; (2) on the second offense within a 5 2 year period, be required to pay a fine of $500 and have their license suspended for 30 days; (3) on the third offense within a 5 2 year period, be required to pay a fine of $750 and have their license suspended for 90 days; and (4) for any offense thereafter within a 5 2 year period, be required to pay a fine of $1000 and have their license suspended for 1 year.

Section 4. Implementation

This Act shall take effect immediately upon its passage.

Section 3: Appropriation for public anti-smoking campaign

$1,500,000 shall be appropriated for the FY2020 budget for the financing of public health campaigns to discourage use of tobacco.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

If we're getting rid of the license suspension I'd rather like it that we increase fines accordingly.

[Mad Deadly Worldwide Communist Gangster Computer God]

If we're getting rid of the license suspension I'd rather like it that we increase fines accordingly.

The bill as it stands punishes the poor enough IMO.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

AN ACT
Because we really should have settled on a regional Demonym by now

Section 1: Title

This legislation may be cited as the Fremont Demonym Referendum Act.

Section 2: Text
1. A question shall be put forward to the people of Fremont in a referendum to be held on the second weekend following the passage of this Act. Said question shall read: "What should be recognised as the official demonym of the Commonwealth of Fremont?", in order to determine what should be recognised as the official regional demonym. The demonym that wins said election, using established voting systems, shall be designated the region's official demonym.
2. The following options shall be on the ballot:
i. Fremonter/Fremonters
ii. Fremontian/Fremontians
3. Prior to the passage of this act this Parliament shall conduct a non-binding vote to indicate each individual member's preferred demonym.

Section 3: Effectiveness
1. This Act shall take effect immediately upon its passage.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

The point of this bill is to sort out the confusion over the correct demonym for Fremont. Both Fremonters and Fremontians have been used by different people, and there is no consensus on what should be used.
Therefore we might as well hold a referendum on the matter, to sort out the confusion so we can have a unified standard.
Also, before the bill passes, a non-binding vote of Parliament will be held on the matter, just so the people can have clarity over each persons preferred demonym.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

I introduce the following amendment to the Standing Orders. This amendment reduces the duration of final votes from 72 to 48 hours, to achieve standardisation with the voting time for votes on amendments and confirmation of officials. The fact is, if someone hasn't voted within 48 hours, giving them another day isn't going to change anything. However the additional wait holds up Parliament. In almost all votes a majority decision of Parliament has been decided within 24 hours of the votes opening. However even after a bill has already got enough votes to pass, 1 or 2 inactive stragglers hold up the bill for 2 days, holding up the functioning of Parliament with them.

1) Votes on legislation shall last for seventy-two (72) forty-eight (48) hours, or until the whole membership has voted, whichever comes first.

2) Only votes cast within the exact 72 48 hours after the Speaker has opened the vote shall be valid. Any votes cast after the 72 48 hours has expired are to be considered invalid, and may not be counted by the Speaker.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

I object to force an immediate vote. Mr. Speaker?

[Esteemed Jimmy]

A vote on the amendment to the Standing Orders has begun and will last for 72 hours or until every member has voted.

1) Votes on legislation shall last for seventy-two (72) forty-eight (48) hours, or until the whole membership has voted, whichever comes first.

2) Only votes cast within the exact 72 48 hours after the Speaker has opened the vote shall be valid. Any votes cast after the 72 48 hours has expired are to be considered invalid, and may not be counted by the Speaker.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Aye

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Aye