Congress Legislation for Varsity

Full Description of Legislation can be found on the Topics page on the NSDA Website (speechanddebate.org)

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SCDL VARSITY Congress Legislation:

A Resolution to Include Taiwan in the World Health Organization

1 WHEREAS, As an agency of the United Nations, the World Health Organization cannot recognize

2 Taiwanese sovereignty due to China’s Security Council veto power; and

3 WHEREAS, Membership in the World Health Organization would reflect an imperative first step in to

4 ensuring Taiwanese sovereignty while also granting the Taiwanese government access 

5 the same information and resources as the rest of the members of the United Nations; and

6 WHEREAS, International precedence has been established with Taiwan’s entry into the World Trade

7 Organization, independent of the People’s Republic of China, under the name Separate

8 Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu (Chinese Taipai); now,

9 therefore, be it

10 RESOLVED, That the Congress here assembled recommend that the United Nations admit the

11 Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu (Chinese Taipai) to 

12 the World Health Organization.

A Bill to Remove Tax-Exempt Status for Religious Institutions

1 BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

2 SECTION 1. 26 U.S.C. §501 shall be amended to strike all exemptions for religious

3 organizations.

4 SECTION 2. This legislation shall take effect January 1, 2022, with all laws in conflict hereby 

5 declared null and void.

A Resolution to Transition to Statehood

1 WHEREAS, The Constitution of the United States states, “The Congress shall have Power to dispose

2 of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property

3 belonging to the United States” (Article IV, Section 3, Clause 2); and

4 WHEREAS, The U.S. Territory of Puerto Rico passed in November 2020 a referendum to become 

5 the 51st state; and

6 WHEREAS, No valid petition for statehood has ever been denied by the United States Congress; 

7 now, therefore, be it

8 RESOLVED, That the Congress here assembled recommends the 46th President of the United States

9 issue a proclamation on January 20, 2021, to begin the transition process that will result

10 in Puerto Rico’s admission as a state effective January 1, 2022.

A Resolution to Decriminalize Personal Drug Use

1 WHEREAS, Huge swaths of the American population are in prison due to a drug-related crime,

2 compounding the already existent issue of individuals getting trapped in the prison

3 pipeline as societal structures create a bulwark against opportunities even once they

4 leave prison, such as employment; and

5 WHEREAS, There are currently more than 389,000 people in prisons for drug-related offenses and

6 individuals, consequently, fear the retributively centered American justice system,

7 which discourages them from seeking safe injection sites or medical treatment for

8 overdoses; and

9 WHEREAS, The current legal system has demonstrated that the criminalization of drugs lacks

10 incentives for individuals not to use drugs in the ways that government officials hoped,

11 meaning without significant legal alterations individuals will continue to be sent to

12 prison in huge quantities; and

13 WHEREAS, Oregon in November of 2020 became the first state to decriminalize the possession

14 and personal use of all drugs in small quantities; and

15 WHEREAS, Oregon is expanding access to addiction assistance and other health services instead of

16 arresting and jailing its vulnerable populations; now, therefore, be it

17 RESOLVED, That the Congress here assembled recommend states adopt measures such as 

18 Oregon’sto decriminalize the possession and personal use of drugs.

Ending Qualified Immunity Act

1 SECTION 1. Section 1979 of the Revised Statutes (42 U.S.C. 1983) is amended by adding at the end

2 the following: “It shall not be a defense or immunity to any action brought under this

3 section that the defendant was acting in good faith, or that the defendant believed,

4 reasonably or otherwise, that his or her conduct was lawful at the time when it was

5 committed. Nor shall it be a defense or immunity that the rights, privileges, or

6 immunities secured by the Constitution or laws were not clearly established at the time

7 of their deprivation by the defendant, or that the state of the law was otherwise such

8 that the defendant could not reasonably have been expected to know whether his or

9 her conduct was lawful.”

10 SECTION 2. This bill shall take effect upon passage, with all laws in conflict hereby declared null 

11 and void.

Inspired by H.R. 7085, “Ending Qualified Immunity Act,” 116th Congress, sponsored by Rep. Justin Amash.

Global Climate Change Resilience Strategy Act

1 BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

2 SECTION 1. 8 U.S.C. 1101(a) is amended–

3 (A). To replace paragraph 8 with: “the term ‘climate-displaced person’ means

4 any person who, for reasons of sudden or progressive change in

5 environment impacting life or living conditions– (a) is obliged to leave his or

6 her habitual home, either within his or her country of nationality or in

7 another country; (b) is in need of a durable resettlement solution; and (c)

8 whose government cannot or will not provide such durable resettlement

9 solution.”

10 (B). To amend paragraph 34 to read: “The term ‘designated application center’

11 means any United States embassy or consulate, or other facility as the

12 Secretary of State may delegate to accept applications for climate-displaced

13 person status.”

14 SECTION 2. 22 U.S.C. 2151p, §117 of Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is amended to establish

15 within the Department of State a comprehensive 10-year “Global Climate

16 Change Resilience Strategy,” to mitigate impacts of climate change on

17 displacement and humanitarian emergencies. This agency shall–

18 (A). Establish criteria, metrics, and mechanisms for determining aid, assistance,

19 and multilateral policies needed for such mitigations internationally;

20 (B). Determine what the United States can do to pathways for relocation to the

21 U.S., up to and including citizenship for climate refugees.

22 SECTION 3. The Secretary of State and Secretary of Homeland Security are responsible for

23 enforcement of this act, as well as reporting to Congress on the efficacy of

24 implementation.

25 SECTION 4. This bill shall take effect upon passage, with all laws in conflict hereby declared

26 null and void.

Inspired by S.2565, “A Bill to establish a Global Climate Change Resilience Strategy,” 116th Congress, sponsored by Sen. Edward Markey.