SENATE BILL: Snip Snip Snip Act (Withdrawn)

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

SENATE 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 Snip Snip Snip Act.

SECTION II: GENITAL MUTILATION ISN'T COOL

a. Definition
1. For the purposes of this bill, "involuntary circumcision" shall be defined as the removal of the foreskin for unnecessary and non-medical purposes.

b. Banning Involuntary Circumcision in Atlasia
1. Involuntary circumcision of any child under age 13 is forbidden in the Republic of Atlasia.
2. Should a person between the ages of 13 and 17 wish to get circumcised, they must sign a written consent form along with their parent or legal guardian.
3. Should a person aged 18 or over wish to get circumcised, they must sign a written consent form.

c. Penalties
1. Any licensed medical professional who performs involuntary circumcision on a child under age 13 may be fined up to $1000 and lose their license to practice for up to 6 months on the first offense.
2. Fines shall double for each subsequent offense until it reaches $50,000.
3. On the 3rd offense, they shall have their license revoked permanently.
4. Anyone who is not a licensed medical professional who performs involuntary circumcision on a child under age 13 may be fined up to $1000 on the first offense, with the fine doubling for each subsequent offense until it reaches $50,000.

Sponsor: MB298
Senate Designation: SB21:13

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The sponsor has 24 hours to speak on this and the other members have 48 hours to respond.

[Dr. MB]

Circumcision is an unnecessary medical procedure that is often performed on babies who are unable to consent. No matter the purpose, it doesn't do any good for the person and most importantly is a violation of bodily autonomy. Unless it is medically necessary, there's no reason to keep doing this to our children.

When someone is old enough to want to get circumcised for themselves, whatever the reason, they should be allowed to do it, and this bill provides for that scenario.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

At very least there should be an exception for Jews on religious grounds.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

For some reason, I have a hunch this thread could lead to issues relevant to my most recently acquired position.

[Dr. MB]

At very least there should be an exception for Jews on religious grounds.

Circumcision is common with Jewish (and Muslim) people based on religious grounds but that doesn't change anything. If a religion came out and said "all babies should have their pinky finger chopped off" would that fall under religious freedom? No, of course not. So why should circumcision?

[AustralianSwingVoter]

At very least there should be an exception for Jews on religious grounds.

Circumcision is common with Jewish (and Muslim) people based on religious grounds but that doesn't change anything. If a religion came out and said "all babies should have their pinky finger chopped off" would that fall under religious freedom? No, of course not. So why should circumcision?

Cutting off someone's pinky finger will cause harm. The medical consensus is that male circumcision has neither no benefit nor no risks. Hell, the World Health Organisation currently encourages male circumcision as a preventative measure for HIV. And most major national medical bodies consider neonatal male circumcision to be an ethical procedure.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Also, on Game Engine grounds, I'm sure the Arabs and Israelis wouldn't be happy about this. So good job MB, you've managed to get the Israelis and the Arabs to agree on something.

[Peanut]

Yeah, I would support a religious exception on this.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

So we need an amendment then? Anyone have a text in mind?

Which portions would be exempt, all of it, or just certain clauses?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

So we need an amendment then? Anyone have a text in mind?

Which portions would be exempt, all of it, or just certain clauses?

I am willing to offer an amendment here, but I need some help to formulate it. I am not an expert on "such matters".

[Don Vito Corleone]

I feel I should point out that this bill (if passed) would have detrimental effects on our standing abroad.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

I don’t think this bill is a good idea.

[Dr. MB]

I feel I should point out that this bill (if passed) would have detrimental effects on our standing abroad.

It's not like countries which hang gay people and drug users particularly hate us for allowing same sex marriage and legal weed.

[Pyro]

This is (obviously) not something I'm in favor of.

[Peanut]

I feel I should point out that this bill (if passed) would have detrimental effects on our standing abroad.

It's not like countries which hang gay people and drug users particularly hate us for allowing same sex marriage and legal weed.

That is not particularly related to the subject at hand I don't think. The thing is, this bill is using language that is far too strict and without a religious exception (or a clause allowing circumcision on religious grounds) we're risking the rights of our citizens (and our standing abroad, as the Secretary states).

[Dr. MB]

So is anyone gonna introduce an amendment for religious exemptions?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

So is anyone gonna introduce an amendment for religious exemptions?

I would gladly do so but I am not an expert on what would be "not to strict" to use Peanut's phrasing.

It seems interest in the bill is declining and thus going to make it more difficult for either someone else to offer it or for someone to assist me in composing such.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I find myself struggling to resist the urge to make a number of crude jokes about my lack of knowledge necessary to form an amendment here.

I would be resisting even less if I weren't a moderator, just saying.

I will reiterate the questions from before, and hope I am not just talking to the pecan pies and cranberry sauce.

Would an exemption be best applied to all provisions here, or just some? What would be an appropriate criteria for someone to be eligible for such an exemption? Those are the two big matters that would be necessary to figure out to craft an amendment, at least from my perspective, but again as I have stressed repeatedly, I am surprisingly not an expert on matters of the...

Edit: I think I just succumbed to the urge in spite of resistance.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Come on people, why are my posts sitting for days with no responses?

[Dr. MB]

I'll just withdraw the bill for now.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Senators have 72 hours to assume sponsorship. If no one takes it will be withdrawn.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

This is withdrawn.