Directions for Parliamentarians

PITTSBURGH DIOCESAN CFL NATIONAL QUALIFYING SENATE--2021

Instructions for Parliamentarians:

Preliminary Business:

1.       Roll Call of Members:  After registration closes, changes will be made in the seating charts, if needed, to rebalance the chambers. The initial senate meeting is scheduled for 8:15 am; debate should begin at 8:30.

2.      Setting the Calendar:  The only legislation to be considered in a chamber are those submitted by schools whose competitor(s) are seated IN THAT CHAMBER.  Any other legislation from the original packet submitted by a school not present in a chamber is not to be included.  The Parliamentarian will establish the calendar for each chamber by conducting a blind draw of the pieces of legislation that are available for debate.  The calendar order is set by the Parliamentarian, the chamber may not suspend the rules to alter it.

3.       Election of the Presiding Officer:  The Parliamentarian will take nominations from the floor, and ask if a candidate accepts such nomination.  After all nominations taken, Parliamentarian will entertain a motion/second/vote to close nominations.  Each nominee may give a short speech of introduction/qualifications before Parliamentarian conducts the vote for Presiding Officer.

A simple majority elects the PO.  If no majority is reached, the candidate receiving the lowest total of votes is eliminated; if the bottom two students’ vote total is less than the total of the student who is third from the bottom, the bottom two students are both eliminated from the next round of voting.

There shall be two full two-hour debate sessions of the Senate. (8:15 - 10:15; 10:30 - 12:30)

Debate on legislation:

1.       Speeches are three minutes; there is no grace period.  At 3 minutes, PO allows speaker only to complete her/his sentence.

2.       A member from the school which submitted the legislation shall be privileged to open debate with a Sponsorship Speech, followed by a mandatory two minute questioning period.

 NOTE: There is NO Direct Questioning in NCFL.  Questioners are to be recognized to ask one question; and may only be recognized for an additional question if there are no other questioners, and time remains.

The speech introducing legislation for debate and the first negative speech have a mandatory two-minute questioning period. All other speeches have a mandatory one minute questioning period that may not be suspended.

3.       There is no automatic limit on length of debate [i.e. 3 speeches in a row on the same side DO NOT automatically call the Previous Question.]  No minimum cycle rule.  To end debate on a given piece of legislation:  Members move the Previous Question/second/vote.   If no one seeks the floor, PO can ask the chamber if they are ready to call the question, or PO can call the Question her/himself without a vote, if there is no objection.  Motion on the Previous Question IS NOT DEBATEABLE

Precedence and recency continue over the two preliminary morning session.

Advancement to Super Session:  Since 12 speakers are required in the Super Session, in 2021 the top six speakers in each chamber will advance to the Super Session based on total preliminary ranks of Scorekeepers and Parliamentarian.  Each Scorekeeper will rank their top 6 Senators; Parliamentarian will rank all  in the Chamber.