Senate Legislation Introduction Thread

[Mike Thick]

Courtesy of MP Scott:

A BILL
To aid states impacted by the 2020 wildfires

Be it enacted by the House of Representatives and Senate assembled:

Section 1. Title

This legislation may be cited as the Wildfire Relief Act of 2020.

Section 2. Appropriations for States and Local Fire Departments

1. $5 million in one-time funding shall be appropriated to local fire departments to:

a. assist in combating forest fires and overtime pay for relevant officials,
b. open and operate evacuation hubs for afflicted areas, while following COVID-19 guidelines where possible,
c. devise a strategy for forest thinning of dead brush and sick or dying trees
d. assist in creating a transparent, effective early warning system, and
e. assist the homeless and civilians incapable of self-evacuating in evacuating afflicted areas

2. Funding for this act shall be allocated to the state governments of California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, Utah, and Texas.

[Mike Thick]

A BILL
To correct oversights in the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (BAPCPA)

Be it enacted by the House of Representatives and Senate assembled:

Section 1. Title & Definitions

1. This legislation may be cited as the Stop Corporate Looting Act of 2020.

2. BAPCPA is defined herein as an abbreviation for the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005.

2. "Performance bonus plan," or "PBP," is defined as any transaction covered by Sec. 331 of the BAPCPA as it stood on October 1st, 2020.

Section 2. Closing Bonus Plan Regulation Loopholes

1. Upon initiation of bankruptcy proceedings under 11 U.S. Code Title 11, a company shall provide the bankruptcy judge a comprehensive accounting of PBPs implemented by the company within the prior six months.
a. In such cases where PBPs have been implemented by the company within this period, the company shall reimburse their creditors for an amount equivalent to the value of the PBP.

2. No company shall implement any PBPs within six months of the conclusion of bankruptcy proceedings under 11 U.S. Code Title 11.
a. Should the company be found in violation of this clause, they shall be held liable in the amount of the value of the violating PBP.

3. No PBP prohibited by Sec. 331 of the BAPCPA shall be implemented as part of a reorganization plan authorized under 11 U.S. Code § 1129.

4. Payments made under PBPs paid within the six months prior to the initiation of bankruptcy proceedings under 11 U.S. Code Title 11, or within the six months successive to the conclusion of such proceedings, shall not be federally tax-deductible.

Section 3. Establishing Fact-Finding Processes for Approval of Bonus Plans for Bankrupt Companies

1. The Congress finds that, considering the conflict between private incentive and public interest inherent in BAPCPA proceedings for approval of PBPs, and the difficulty inherent in ascertaining the merits of such plans, bankruptcy judges deserve to see arguments from both companies and the U.S. in situations where they must approve or deny a PBP.

2. If a company engaging in bankruptcy proceedings under the provisions of 11 U.S. Code Title 11 requests that a bankruptcy judge approve a bonus plan as specified under Sec. 331 of the BAPCPA, the U.S. Trustee shall brief the judge on their opinion on whether the PBP should be permitted.
a. The judge shall provide an appropriate amount of time for the Trustee to voice their opinion in such cases.

[Mike Thick]

Looking for a sponsor.

A RESOLUTION
To reduce gridlock and streamline Congressional rule changes

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives and Senate assembled:

Section 1. Title

1. This legislation may be cited as the J.K. Sestak Congressional Reform Resolution.

Section 2. Recognizing the Need for Reform

WHEREAS, legislative debate under the bicameral system has slowed to a crawl;

WHEREAS, many bills go without comment by all but a handful of members in each House;

WHEREAS, the glacial pace of passing and debating legislation, as well as the difficulty of monitoring legislation that moves between two chambers, unnecessarily complicates the work of the Congress;

WHEREAS, the voices of both regional and federal interests in the policymaking process must be heard in the course of Congressional debate;

WHEREAS, procedural reforms should incorporate the unique interests both chambers have in the lawmaking process,

IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, that Congress must move towards a model of debate in which both the Senate and the House of Representatives debate legislation in permanent joint session;

FURTHER RESOLVED, that such a model of debate must originate from a package of rules jointly debated and approved by both chambers;

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the best way to reach broad consensus on a new rules package is through a special joint session of Congress.

Section 3. Working Towards Real Procedural Change

1. The President of the Congress shall preside over a special joint session of Congress for the purpose of modifying the rules and procedures of both legislative houses, and unifying their procedural governance under a single set of revised rules.
a. The revised rules shall take effect upon their approval in the special joint session by both houses of Congress.

2. The special joint session shall deliberate for thirty (30) days, or until Congress approves the new set of rules.
a. Congress may further extend the special joint session for as long as it sees fit to do so.

2. The special joint session shall commence immediately upon passage of this resolution by both Houses.

[Mike Thick]

No.

Yes

[Mike Thick]

Looking for a sponsor

A BILL
To secure the stability of a Latin American ally
Be it enacted in both Houses of Congress assembled

1. $5 billion in aid shall be appropriated to the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
a) Nothing in this legislation may be interpreted to appropriate repeat payments to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
2. Congress encourages the President to impose any and all necessary sanctions on the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, should it be clearly proven that the aid is used for improper purposes.
3. This legislation shall take effect immediately upon passage into law.

[Mike Thick]

Looking for a sponsor here. Whether you agreed with the original rule change or not, this just serves to align the Senate procedures for initial cloture with the House procedures.

Section 2. Amendment to Senate Rules

1. Article 11 of the New Senate Rules Resolution is amended to read as follows.

...
5.) Whenever either house shall consider a bill, order, or resolution that shall have originated in the other, the President of the Congress shall immediately call a vote in that house on whether to immediately pass the legislation, or further debate it.
a.) The President of Congress shall maintain a single thread in which to preside over these votes as held by both houses, and shall regularly update the title of the thread to inform the Congress of what legislation is being considered in which house.
b.) Should the house vote to debate the legislation further, debate shall proceed in a separate thread as established elsewhere in these rules.

5.) Whenever either house shall consider a bill, order, or resolution that shall have originated in the other, following a 48-hour period in which Congress may discuss, but not formally move to modify, the legislation,the President of the Congress shall call a vote in that house on whether to immediately pass the legislation, or further debate it.
a.) Should the house vote to debate the legislation further, debate shall proceed in a separate thread as established elsewhere in these rules.
b.) These votes shall be known as "initial cloture" votes.

[Mike Thick]

Introducing this to the Presidential emergency slot.

AN ACT
To end the ongoing Incest Crisis

I. TITLE AND DEFINITIONS

1. This legislation may be cited as the Incest Ban Act.

2. “Sexual relations” shall be defined as penetrative anal or vaginal sex, or any activity in which one person physically stimulates the genitalia of another person for sexual purposes.

II. BAN ON INCEST

1. No person shall commit incest.
a. Incest shall be defined as knowingly engaging in sexual relations with any person with whom they share any of the following biological familial relationships.
i. Parent-child
ii. Sibling-sibling
iii. Grandparent-grandchild
iv. Uncle/aunt-nephew/niece
v. Cousin-cousin

2. Incest shall be punishable by no less than one thousand eight hundred and twenty five (1,825) days in federal prison, and no more than three thousand six hundred and fifty (3,650) days in federal prison.
a. In addition to the above prison sentence, incest may be punished by a fine of no more than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).

III. ENACTMENT

1. This legislation shall go into effect immediately upon the President’s signature.