Congress Legislation

2022
Legislation Packet 

Please read these docket and procedural rules very carefully.  They will be in effect for the duration of the tournament.

1.     Each session (Session 1, Session 2 and Finals- if needed) has three main pieces of legislation. That is nine total topics to research.

2.     Chambers will decide among themselves by a majority vote of the chamber what order to debate the three main pieces of legislation assigned to each session. 

3.     No additional legislation may be considered.  If a chamber debates all three pieces for that session, the session is over.  All students should be prepared to speak on each topic for the session.

4.     The docket agenda can be amended at any time by a 2/3 vote of the chamber, but students may only move around the three pieces of main legislation for that session.  Competitors may not move legislation from other sessions.

5.     Each piece of legislation must have a minimum of both one affirmative and one negative speech before calling for previous question.  Students are encouraged to debate each topic thoroughly but not to the point of rehash.  Chamber members should call for previous question when debate gets stale.

6.     RECENCY:  Each chamber will receive a randomized list of students from the Tab Room.  This list shall serve as the initial precedence list for speeches.  Precedence for questions shall follow the reverse order of the speech precedence list.  Each chamber will receive a new precedence list for the second session.

7.     PRESIDING OFFICERS:  

•       Parliamentarians will use strawpoll.com or strawpoll.me to conduct virtual PO elections.

•       Novice chambers will elect Presiding Officers.  Coaches should teach their Congress students how to preside ahead of the tournament.

•       There will be only one Presiding Officer per session.

8.     Cross examination will use direct questioning with individual questioning periods of 30 seconds until the total cross examination time for the speaker has expired. The Presiding Officer will keep a separate recency chart for this and ensure that all competitors have an equal chance to ask questions.   Initial precedence for questioning will follow the reverse order of the initial speech precedence list.

LEGISLATION DOCKET
Finals will not be held if there is only one preliminary chamber.

Session One (Chamber decides order):

A.    A Bill to Expand Executive Privilege

B.    A Resolution to Amend the Constitution to Enshrine the Right to Privacy

C.   A Bill to End Usury in Post Secondary Student Loans

Session Two (Chamber decides order):

A.    The Kinder Surprise Eggs Justice Act

B.    A Bill to Fund Research to Enable Biological Offspring 

C.   A Resolution for Ethical Behavior Among U.S. Governors

Finals (Chamber decides order):

A.    A Bill to Ban Library Late Fees

B.    A Bill to Make Halloween a Federal Holiday

C.   An Act to Award a Posthumous Congressional Medal to Queen Elizabeth II