SCDU Online Summer Debate Workshop

2023 — Online, CA/US

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HS Congress

Event Description:

1 A Resolution to Upgrade America’s Highways

WHEREAS The current state of America’s highways is deplorable, with pavement conditions in many states worsening every year; and

WHEREAS Poor pavement conditions actually increase greenhouse gas emissions from cars and other vehicles, thereby contributing to climate change; and

WHEREAS Solar-powered energy is one of the most reliable green energy sources known to mankind, with the potential of generating more than 100 times more energy than the United States consumes in a year; and

WHEREAS Reduced consumption of fossil fuels would result in more independence and economic prosperity for the United States; now therefore be it

RESOLVED By the student congress here assembled that the United States will commit to converting 30% of its highways to solar power generation technology by the year 2050.

2 A Bill to Change the Federal Legal Voting Age
to Sixteen Years of Age

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

SECTION 1. The legal voting age shall be decreased from 18 years to 16 years of age nationally.

SECTION 2. This bill pertains to all federal elections. State and local election rules are still controlled by their own state and local board of elections.

SECTION 3. The U.S. Congress will oversee the implementation of this bill along

with the Federal Election Commission.

1. The Federal Election Commission will be responsible for any adjustments to voting procedure and identification regulations.

1. All current laws regarding voting will stay in effect. The only adjustment being made is relative to the legal voting age.

SECTION 4. This bill will go into effect on October 1, 2024.

SECTION 5. All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

3 A Bill to Prohibit Drone Strikes

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

SECTION 1. All U.S. agencies and entities are prohibited from pursuing drone strikes in

foreign territory and shall immediately cease all current drone strikes.

SECTION 2. A drone strike is defined as a military attack performed by a digital aircraft or

projectile weapon that is controlled remotely.

SECTION 3. This bill will be enforced by the Central Intelligence Agency and the U.S.

Department of Defense.

SECTION 4. This legislation will go into effect on March 1, 2021.

SECTION 5. All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

4 A Resolution to Remove Turkey from NATO

WHEREAS, Turkey has directly and consistently undermined democratic ideals through suppression of the press, extrajudicial killings, abuse of ethnic minorities, and inhumane prison practices; and

WHEREAS, A requisite of membership in NATO is the upholding of democracy; and

WHEREAS, Turkey has worked with the Russian Federation for geopolitical gain; and

WHEREAS, The purpose of NATO is to safeguard the freedom and national security of its members, to which the Russian Federation poses a threat;

WHEREAS, Turkey has not displayed any intention to reform its current policies; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Congress here assembled recommends that the Republic of Turkey is removed from NATO

5 A Bill to Extend the School Day

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

SECTION 1: All schools in the United States that receive government funding, grades K-12, will be mandatorily open to all students enrolled at that school from the hours of 7am to 7pm as a condition of that funding.

1. Mandatory academic instruction for grades K-5 shall not be less than 4 nor exceed 7 hours per day

2. For students aged 6-12th, hours of mandatory academic instruction will not be less than 6 nor exceed 8 hours per day

3. The remainder of the hours, which will be optional for students to attend, will provide monitored study hall, and an assortment of tutoring opportunities, extracurricular activities, and further enrichment oppportunities, with specific offerings to be coordinated by school districts.

SECTION 2: Mandatory academic instruction shall be defined as time in a school day during which students engage in educational activity planned by and under the direction of school staff, as directed by the administration and board of directors of the district, which students are required by law to attend. Monitored study hall shall be defined as quiet, supervised time on school property where students may complete their homework.

SECTION 3: This program will be funded by the creation of an annual tax of 3% on individuals with fortunes worth $50 million or above, and 5% on individuals with fortunes worth more than $1 billion.

SECTION 4: The Internal Revenue Service will be responsible for implementing this new tax policy, and the Department of Education will be responsible for dispensing the necessary funds to states to implement these programs.

SECTION 5: This legislation will take effect August 1, 2022.

SECTION 6: All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

6 A Bill to Legalize Marijuana

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

SECTION 1. A. Cannabis shall be reclassified as a Schedule III drug on the list of controlled substances of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Cannabis, cannabis products, and businesses that produce such items shall be subject to excise and business taxes accordingly.

B. Each state of the Union shall have the jurisdiction to regulate the production, transportation, distribution, and sale of cannabis and cannabis products.

SECTION 2. A Schedule III drug is defined as, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration, a drug which “has a potential for abuse less than substances in Schedules I or II and abuse may lead to moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence.”

SECTION 3. This bill will be enforced by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.

SECTION 4. This legislation shall take effect on March 1, 2021.

SECTION 5. All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

7 A Bill To Rehabilitate Convicts

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

SECTION 1: The United States will mandate clinical therapy for one year for all convicts when they are released from prison.

SECTION 2: Clinical Therapy is defined as meeting with a clinical therapist twice per week in an individual or group setting as the therapist deems necessary. Clinical therapist is defined as a licensed therapist who works with patients to help identify, examine, and treat mental health and emotional issues or disorders. Convict is defined as a person found guilty of a criminal offense and serving a sentence of imprisonment.

SECTION 3: The Federal Bureau of Prisons shall oversee the implementation of this legislation.

SECTION 4: This Legislation will take effect the fiscal year of 2022.

SECTION 5: All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

8 A Bill to Reform Police Unions

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

SECTION 1. No state or municipality receiving funding from the federal government for law enforcement purposes may enter into any agreement with a union or organization representing law enforcement employees that:

1. Defines the disciplinary procedures applicable to said employees;

2. Grants law enforcement employees protections from at-will termination of their employment;

3. Concerns any topic other than the salaries and benefits paid to law enforcement employees.

SECTION 2. The Department of Justice shall create and maintain a public database of law enforcement employees terminated for misconduct (“Termination Database”). States and municipalities receiving funding from the federal government for law enforcement purposes must submit to the Department of Justice the name of, and additional requested information for, law enforcement employees terminated for misconduct. No state or municipality receiving funding from the federal government for law enforcement purposes may hire an employee identified in the Termination Database.

SECTION 3. The Department of Justice is responsible for enforcement of this legislation. A “law enforcement employee” is an employee who is empowered to use physical force and whose primary purpose of employment is the enforcement of state, local, or federal laws. Any state or municipality that is non-compliant with Sections 1 and 2 shall be ineligible to receive federal funding from new law enforcement programs, and shall have federal funding for existing law enforcement programs reduced by 20%.

SECTION 4. This legislation will take effect on October 1, 2022.

SECTION 5. All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

9 A Bill to Tie Federal Education Funding to
the Quality of Textbooks

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

SECTION 1. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) shall be amended such that any funds to be disbursed as a result of that act will be reduced by 10% for each area in which a state’s primary school history, literature, and biology textbooks under-represent core quality principles.

SECTION 2. “Core quality principles” shall be defined for each subject category as:

History: inclusion of content on systemic racism, atrocities on US land, primary sources, and listing the economics of slavery and political control over the lives of enslaved peoples as the primary reason for the US Civil War.

Literature: inclusion of works written by authors from historically marginalized groups (including but not limited to African Americans, Latin Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and the LGBTQ community).

Biology: inclusion of evolution as the leading theory of human origins The Department of Education shall oversee implementation of this legislation.

SECTION 3. This legislation will take effect on January 1, 2022.

SECTION 4. All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

10. A Resolution to Amend the Constitution to End the Power to Presidentially Pardon

RESOLVED, By two-thirds of the Congress here assembled, that the following article

1 is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States,

2 which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution

3 when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states

4 within seven years from the date of its submission by the Congress:

5 ARTICLE --

6 SECTION 1: The President of the United States shall not possess the

7 power to grant pardons or reprieves to any individual.

8 SECTION 2: The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by

9 appropriate legislation.

10 Introduced for Congressional Debate by the North Coast District. National Speech & Debate Association • National Congressional Debate: 2021 LEGISLATIVE DOCKET