Office of Southern Governor LouisvilleThunder

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Bill passes 3-0-1-1 and awaits Governor action

TRUMAN SAYS GUN RIGHTS ARE NON-NEGOTIABLE ACT

Whereas, the region of Fremont passed the Plain Packaging Act which directly contradicts, violates, and nullifies a lawful statute of the government of Atlasia, and;

Whereas, the Plain Packaging Act, a regional law, was drafted and carried into execution by the sitting Attorney General, Harry Truman, and;

Whereas, despite the obvious conflict of interest the Atlasian Attorney General has opined that the Plain Packaging Act, a regional law, supersedes contradictory Atlasian statutory law regardless of the Supremacy Clause of the Atlasian Constitution on the grounds that we “demonstrate … genuine attachment to the principle of regional rights. If … not, we shall know that all this talk of federalism is a humbug and merely a flimsy disguise for their putative devotion to the monied interest. We call on all the friends of labor to stand firm against the combination of the communists and fascists in their war on regionalism. This war we must and shall win for the liberty of all Atlasians under the constitution.”, and;

Whereas, the sitting Attorney General, Harry Truman, has determined that regional nullification of an Atlasian statute is appropriate when regional rights and the liberty of the people are threatened, that failure to engage in such regional nullification benefits communists and fascists, and that the Atlasian Department of Justice would not enforce a nullified Atlasian law;

Now, therefore, we the Chamber of Delegates of the Southern Region, under the principles of comity and regional equality, do hereby ordain and resolve the following:

1. That it is position of the Chamber of Delegates of the Southern Region that the National Firearms Act (NFA) 26 USC §5801 - 5872, the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA) 18 USC §921 - 931, and the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (Brady Act) 18 USC §921 - 922, Atlasian statutes violate regional rights and the liberty of the people.

2. That accordingly, the NFA, GCA, and Brady Act are hereby nullified within the legal jurisdiction of the Southern Region. No local, State, or Regional money or resources shall be expended in the enforcement of these statutes, nor shall any local, State, Regional, or Atlasian employees or agents enforce, or attempt to enforce, these statutes within the Southern Region.

3. That any provision herein found to be unconstitutional by a court of proper jurisdiction shall be severable from the remainder of this act.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Bill passes 4-0-1 and awaits Governor action

POORLY WRITTEN AND BROKEN LAWS REPEAL ACT

Whereas, it is important that laws passed pursuant to the Southern Constitution be written in a manner that actually contain operative language, clear legal duties, and the exercise of only those powers belonging to the Southern Chamber, and;

Whereas, over the last few years several purported laws were passed despite obvious defects in the wording of such purported laws, thus resulting in a broken code with legal nullities held out as law, and;

Whereas, it is the duty of the Southern Chamber to repeal defective laws to avoid unnecessary confusion;

Now, therefore, the Southern Region hereby declares the following:

1. The Access to Early Childhood Education Fund is hereby repealed.
2. The Restructured Employment for Miners Act is hereby repealed.
3. The Affordable Transit Act is hereby repealed.
4. The Youth Risk Prevention Act is hereby repealed.
5. The Southern Culturally Significant Songs Act is hereby repealed.
6. The Confederate Statue Removal Act is hereby repealed.
7. The Bane of S019 Act is hereby repealed.
8. The Juvenile Justice Transitory Act is hereby repealed.
9. The Autonomous Technology Regulation Act is hereby repealed.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Bill passes 3-0-1-1 and awaits Governor action

OFF LABEL USE IS OK ACT

Any pharmacist licensed in the Southern Region shall be immune from civil liability or criminal prosecution for dispensing to a patient with a valid prescription, a prescription drug that has been approved as safe by the FDA, regardless of if the patient prescribed the drug is taking the drug for an off label treatment. This shall include but no be limited to Hydroxychloriquine and Ivermectin. This act shall take effect immediately.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Bill passes 4-0-1 and awaits Governor action

IT’S AN EMERGENCY ACT

TITLE I: EMERGENCY RULES

1. Any emergency rule, regulation, or executive order issued by the Governor of the Southern Region shall automatically expire within thirty (30) days of issuance. If the Southern Chamber votes to allow the Governor to extend the emergency rule, regulation, or executive order, then the emergency rule, regulation, or executive order shall remain in force for another thirty (30) days. If the Southern Chamber declines to permit the Governor to extend the emergency rule, regulation, or executive order, then the Governor shall be prohibited from issuing the same or a similar emergency rule, regulation, or executive order relating to the same emergency.

2. No emergency rule, regulation, or executive order issued by the Governor of the Southern Region, any Governor of a State within the Southern Region, or any subordinate department or agency applies to the free exercise of religion in a church, synagogue, or other place of worship.

3. No emergency rule, regulation, or executive order issued by the Governor of the Southern Region, any Governor of a State within the Southern Region, or any subordinate department or agency shall prohibit businesses that sell firearms or ammunition from operating if within the same locality other types of businesses receiving similar or greater volumes of customers are not prohibited from operating.

4. Any emergency rule, regulation, or executive order issued by the Governor of the Southern Region, any Governor of a State within the Southern Region, and any subordinate department or agency establishing any moratorium on the payment of rent to landlords in the Southern Region may only apply to a person subject to a confirmed order of quarantine or isolation and only for the duration of such quarantine or isolation.

5. No public utility shall discontinue utility services to any residence as a means to enforce any emergency rule, regulation, or executive order limiting the number of persons who may physically gather.

6. No hospital or medical facility shall generally prohibit or restrict the ability of a patient who has tested positive for infection with influenza or COVID-19 to receive visits from members or his family based solely on such positive test.

TITLE II: FACE BURKAS

1. The Governor of the Southern Region, any Governor of a State within the Southern Region, and any subordinate department or agency are hereby prohibited from issuing any rule, regulation, or executive order that requires:

A. Individuals to wear masks or other face coverings; or

B. Businesses, churches, or other privately-owned places of public gathering to require persons physically present at such places to wear masks or other face coverings.

2. No State, locality, or School Board in the Southern Region shall require any student enrolled at a public school to wear masks, face coverings, or other coverings of the nose and mouth at school, on a school bus, or at a school-sponsored activity.

TITLE III: NEEDLE RAPE

1. The Governor of the Southern Region, any Governor of a State within the Southern Region, and any subordinate department or agency are hereby prohibited from issuing any rule, regulation, or executive order that requires:

A. Individuals to receive any vaccination for any influenza strain or COVID-19; or

B. Businesses, churches, or other privately-owned places of public gathering to require persons physically present at such places to have received vaccination for any influenza strain or COVID-19 or to present documentation thereof.

2. No State, locality, or School Board in the Southern Region shall require any student enrolled at a public school to have received vaccination for any influenza strain or COVID-19 or to present documentation thereof at school, on a school bus, or at a school-sponsored activity.

3. No person shall discriminate based on a person’s influenza or COVID-19 vaccination status with regard to education, employment, insurance, utility service, or the issuance of a driver’s license or other identification documents.

4. Any employee shall have a civil cause of action against his employer for any adverse reaction or injury sustained by reason of a medical mandate issued by the employer as a condition of employment. In any such action, the employee may recover compensatory damages, punitive damages, and reasonable attorney’s fees and costs. Medical mandate shall mean any requirement by an employer for an employee to undergo or participate in a health-related test, procedure, tracking or monitoring program, or bodily insertion or injection of any drug or microchip.

5. No person may receive preferential treatment in the receipt of a vaccine on the basis of race, color, or ethnicity.

TITLE IV: TRUMAN SAYS VACCINES ARE OPTIONAL

Whereas, the region of Fremont passed the Plain Packaging Act which directly contradicts, violates, and nullifies a lawful statute of the government of Atlasia, and;

Whereas, the Plain Packaging Act, a regional law, was drafted and carried into execution by the sitting Attorney General, Harry Truman, and;

Whereas, despite the obvious conflict of interest the Atlasian Attorney General has opined that the Plain Packaging Act, a regional law, supersedes contradictory Atlasian statutory law regardless of the Supremacy Clause of the Atlasian Constitution on the grounds that we “demonstrate … genuine attachment to the principle of regional rights. If … not, we shall know that all this talk of federalism is a humbug and merely a flimsy disguise for their putative devotion to the monied interest. We call on all the friends of labor to stand firm against the combination of the communists and fascists in their war on regionalism. This war we must and shall win for the liberty of all Atlasians under the constitution.”, and;

Whereas, the sitting Attorney General, Harry Truman, has determined that regional nullification of an Atlasian statute is appropriate when regional rights and the liberty of the people are threatened, that failure to engage in such regional nullification benefits communists and fascists, and that the Atlasian Department of Justice would not enforce a nullified Atlasian law;

Now, therefore, we the Chamber of Delegates of the Southern Region, under the principles of comity and regional equality, do hereby ordain and resolve the following:

1. That it is position of the Chamber of Delegates of the Southern Region that the Immunization Act of 2021, an Atlasian statute violates regional rights and the liberty of the people.

2. That accordingly, the Immunization Act of 2021 is hereby nullified within the legal jurisdiction of the Southern Region. No local, State, or Regional money or resources shall be expended in the enforcement of this statute, nor shall any local, State, Regional, or Atlasian employees or agents shall enforce, or attempt to enforce, this statute within the Southern Region.

3. That any provision herein found to be unconstitutional by a court of proper jurisdiction shall be severable from the remainder of this act.

TITLE V: ENACTMENT

1. This act shall take effect immediately.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

This bill passes 3-0-2 and now awaits Gubernatorial action.

TOILET PAPER EQUALITY ACT

1. No Regional funds shall be expended for the purchase of one-ply toilet paper.

2. No Regional funds shall be expended for the purchase of toilet paper for the Regional capitol building, appurtenant offices, and/or other Regional buildings that is of different, varying, or inferior or superior quality to toilet paper provided in or on any other Regional property.

3. It is the position of the Southern Region that no officer or employee of the Southern Region shall receive better quality toilet paper in public toilets than is available to the general public in such toilets.

4. This act shall take effect within thirty (30) days of passage.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

This bill passes 3-0-2 and now awaits Gubernatorial action.

TRUMAN SAYS PROTECT OUR SUPPLY CHAINS ACT

Whereas, the region of Fremont passed the Plain Packaging Act which directly contradicts, violates, and nullifies a lawful statute of the government of Atlasia, and;

Whereas, the Plain Packaging Act, a regional law, was drafted and carried into execution by the sitting Attorney General, Harry Truman, and;

Whereas, despite the obvious conflict of interest the Atlasian Attorney General has opined that the Plain Packaging Act, a regional law, supersedes contradictory Atlasian statutory law regardless of the Supremacy Clause of the Atlasian Constitution on the grounds that we “demonstrate … genuine attachment to the principle of regional rights. If … not, we shall know that all this talk of federalism is a humbug and merely a flimsy disguise for their putative devotion to the monied interest. We call on all the friends of labor to stand firm against the combination of the communists and fascists in their war on regionalism. This war we must and shall win for the liberty of all Atlasians under the constitution.”, and;

Whereas, the sitting Attorney General, Harry Truman, has determined that regional nullification of an Atlasian statute is appropriate when regional rights and the liberty of the people are threatened, that failure to engage in such regional nullification benefits communists and fascists, and that the Atlasian Department of Justice would not enforce a nullified Atlasian law;

Now, therefore, we the Chamber of Delegates of the Southern Region, under the principles of comity and regional equality, do hereby ordain and resolve the following:

1. That it is position of the Chamber of Delegates of the Southern Region that Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (Jones Act) 45 USC §55102 – 55121, an Atlasian statute violates regional rights and the liberty of the people.

2. That accordingly, the Jones Act is hereby nullified within the legal jurisdiction of the Southern Region. No local, State, or Regional money or resources shall be expended in the enforcement of this statute, nor shall any local, State, Regional, or Atlasian employees or agents enforce, or attempt to enforce, this statute within the Southern Region.

3. That any provision herein found to be unconstitutional by a court of proper jurisdiction shall be severable from the remainder of this act.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

This bill passes 3-0-1-1 and now awaits Gubernatorial action.

HAIR TODAY GONE TOMORROW ACT

1. All persons in the Southern Region shall maintain their right to having natural hair, treated or untreated hairstyles and facial hair such as beards, topknots, locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, fades, and Afros. As such, in the Southern Region it shall be unlawful for public schools to penalize a student for the way his hair (including facial hair) is styled or require a student to shave, restyle his hair, or for public employers and employers of ten (10) or more persons to discharge an employee on the basis of his facial hair or hairstyle.

2. Nothing in this act shall prohibit acting/talent agencies, museums, or similar employers from controlling the appearance of performance artists or costumed interpreters.

3. Nothing in this act shall prohibit employers from limiting certain facial hair or hairstyles when such facial hair or hairstyle creates a safety hazard or interferes with the proper wearing of personal protective equipment.

4. Violations of this act shall be punishable by a fine of $2,500, reinstatement of the employee, and backpay.

5. This act shall take effect 45 days after passage.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

This bill passes 3-0-1-1 and now awaits Gubernatorial action.

ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO HERITAGE ACT

TITLE I: ALCOHOL

1. No State in the Southern Region shall entirely prohibit the retail sale of alcoholic beverages for off-premises consumption from private businesses. Any State in the Southern Region that currently prohibits such retail sales shall issue licenses for the same based on general qualifications and standards as may be necessary for the protection of the public health and safety. Any State-owned, leased, or managed stores for the retail sale of alcoholic beverages for off-premises consumption shall cease operation.

2. No State in the Southern Region shall entirely prohibit bars or taverns from the retail sale of alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption if such bar or tavern fails to also sell a minimum volume, quantity, or ratio of food.

3. This Title shall take effect on January 1, 2023.

TITLE II: TOBACCO

Whereas, the region of Fremont passed the Plain Packaging Act which directly contradicts, violates, and nullifies a lawful statute of the government of Atlasia, and;

Whereas, the Plain Packaging Act, a regional law, was drafted and carried into execution by the sitting Attorney General, Harry Truman, and;

Whereas, despite the obvious conflict of interest the Atlasian Attorney General has opined that the Plain Packaging Act, a regional law, supersedes contradictory Atlasian statutory law regardless of the Supremacy Clause of the Atlasian Constitution on the grounds that we “demonstrate … genuine attachment to the principle of regional rights. If … not, we shall know that all this talk of federalism is a humbug and merely a flimsy disguise for their putative devotion to the monied interest. We call on all the friends of labor to stand firm against the combination of the communists and fascists in their war on regionalism. This war we must and shall win for the liberty of all Atlasians under the constitution.”, and;

Whereas, the sitting Attorney General, Harry Truman, has determined that regional nullification of an Atlasian statute is appropriate when regional rights and the liberty of the people are threatened, that failure to engage in such regional nullification benefits communists and fascists, and that the Atlasian Department of Justice would not enforce a nullified Atlasian law;

Now, therefore, we the Chamber of Delegates of the Southern Region, under the principles of comity and regional equality, do hereby ordain and resolve the following:

1. That it is position of the Chamber of Delegates of the Southern Region that certain provisions preempting regional governments from regulating the packaging and labeling of tobacco products found in the Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act, an Atlasian statute violates regional rights and the liberty of the people.

2. That accordingly, those certain provisions of the Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act are hereby nullified within the legal jurisdiction of the Southern Region. No local, State, or Regional money or resources shall be expended in the enforcement of this statute, nor shall any local, State, Regional, or Atlasian employees or agents shall enforce, or attempt to enforce, this statute within the Southern Region.

3. That all packaged tobacco products subject to the Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act sold in the southern region include printed on the label in a size equal to any other required warnings one (1) of the following messages: A) FREMONT SUCKS or B) PHUCK PHREMONT

4. That any packaging for tobacco products that contains a sound-emitting device or smell-emitting device shall be prohibited.

5. That any provision herein found to be unconstitutional by a court of proper jurisdiction shall be severable from the remainder of this act.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

This bill passes 4-0-1 and now awaits Gubernatorial action.

ATTORNEY LICENSING REFORM ACT REFORM ACT

The Attorney Licensing Reform Act shall be amended to include the following:

5. Any person who has successfully completed five (5) semesters of law school at a law school in the Southern Region shall be eligible to sit for any bar exam in any State in the Southern Region regardless of if that person has successfully obtained a juris doctorate.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

This bill passes 4-0-1 and now awaits Gubernatorial action.

PRISON CHANGES ACT

1. The Southern Prison Reform Act shall be amended as follows:

14.) The month of June 2018 April 2022 is hereby declared Prison Guard appreciation month.

15.) All prisons in the Southern Region shall permit virtual visitations in line with the same rules and standards as for in-person visitations.

16.) Any prisoner in the Southern Region who is 60 years or older, is not imprisoned for committing a violent crime, and has served at least 50% of his prison sentence shall be eligible to obtain partial parole in which the remainder of his sentence of imprisonment may be served under monitored house arrest. This partial parole may only be granted if the Parole Board finds that such house arrest will not create a likely safety risk to any victims of the prisoner, or the community to which he will be released. Failure to abide by any terms of partial parole may result in the revocation of the partial parole.

17. All persons imprisoned in the Southern Region shall be segregated on the basis of sex. For purposes of this paragraph, a biologically male prisoner who has had gender confirmation surgery upon his genitals shall be considered female when being segregated. Every prison in the Southern Region and every employee thereof has a duty to provide for and ensure the physical safety and protection of transgender prisoners.

2. This act shall take effect 30 days after passage.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

This bill passes 4-0-1 and now awaits Gubernatorial action.

F.U.RIOTERS ACT

TITLE I: NAME AND ENACTMENT

1. This act shall be referred to as the Fighting Useless Rioters Act or the F.U. Rioters Act.

2. Unless otherwise stated herein, the provisions of this act shall take effect immediately.

TITLE II: DEFINTIONS

1. As used in this act the following terms are defined as such:
“Conditions arising from the emergency” means civil unrest, power outages, curfews, voluntary or mandatory evacuations, or a reduction in the presence of or response time for law enforcement, emergency services, other first responders, or homeland security personnel.

“Conditions arising from the riot” means civil unrest, power outages, curfews, or a reduction in the presence of or response time for law enforcement, emergency services, other first responders, or homeland security personnel.

“Memorial” means a plaque, marker, statue, monument, obelisk, marker, flag, banner, cenotaph, relief, engraving, stained-glass window, religious symbol, painting, seal, tombstone, cannon, sign, structure name, or display that is constructed and located with the intent of being permanently displayed or perpetually maintained; is dedicated to a historical person, an entity, an event, or a series of events;  and honors or recounts the military service of any past or present military personnel, or the past or present public service or historical significance of a resident of the geographical area comprising the State or the Region or Atlasia.

TITLE III: RIOTING

1. A person who participates in a public disturbance involving an assembly of three (3) or more persons acting with a common intent to mutually assist each other in:

A. disorderly and violent conduct resulting in injury or damage to another person or property;

B. creating a clear and present danger of injury or damage to another person or property; or

C. by force, or threat of force, endangering the safe movement of a person or vehicle traveling on a public street, highway, road, trail, sidewalk, or parking area,

is guilty of rioting. Rioting is a felony and shall be punishable by imprisonment for no less than six (6) months and no more than five (5) years and a fine of not more than $100,000. A person arrested for a violation of this paragraph shall be held in custody until brought before the court for a bail hearing. At such hearing the court shall determine if permitting bail presents a probable risk of future rioting or civil disturbance.

2. A person who willfully incites or encourages another to imminently or at a specific time participate in a riot, resulting in a riot, civil disturbance, or a clear and present danger of a riot or civil disturbance, is guilty of inciting a riot. Inciting a riot is a felony and shall be punishable by imprisonment for no less than six (6) months and no more than five (5) years and a fine of not more than $100,000. A person arrested for a violation of this paragraph shall be held in custody until brought before the court for a bail hearing. At such hearing the court shall determine if permitting bail presents a probable risk of future rioting or civil disturbance.

3. If three (3) or more persons meet together to commit a breach of the peace, or to do any other unlawful act, each of them is guilty of participating in an unlawful assembly. Participating in an unlawful assembly is a misdemeanor and shall be punishable by imprisonment for no more than (6) months and a fine of not more than $10,000. A person arrested for a violation of this paragraph shall be held in custody until brought before the court for a bail hearing. At such hearing the court shall determine if permitting bail presents a probable risk of future rioting or civil disturbance.

4. A person who, assembled with two (2) or more other persons and acting with a common intent, compels or induces, or attempts to compel or induce, another person by force, or threat of force, to do any act or to assume or abandon a particular viewpoint is guilty of mob intimidation. Mob intimidation is a misdemeanor and shall be punishable by imprisonment for no more than (6) months and a fine of not more than $10,000. A person arrested for a violation of this paragraph shall be held in custody until brought before the court for a bail hearing. At such hearing the court shall determine if permitting bail presents a probable risk of future rioting or civil disturbance.

5. A person who, being in another State, Region, or country, travels to another State within the Southern Region for the purpose of participating in a riot, incitement of a riot, unlawful assembly, or mob intimidation shall be guilty of a separate felony punishable by imprisonment for no more than (6) months and a fine of not more than $10,000. A person arrested for a violation of this paragraph shall be held in custody until brought before the court for a bail hearing. At such hearing the court shall determine if permitting bail presents a probable risk of future rioting or civil disturbance.

TITLE IV: CRIMES COMMITTED DURING RIOTS

1. A person who assaults another person in furtherance of a riot commits a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for no more than 60 days and a fine of not more than $1,000.

2. A person who commits a battery in furtherance of a riot commits a felony, punishable by imprisonment for no more than (6) months and a fine of not more than $10,000.

3. A person who commits a battery on a law enforcement officer, emergency services personnel, other first responder, or homeland security personnel in furtherance of a riot commits a felony, punishable by imprisonment for no more than (9) months and a fine of not more than $10,000. A person arrested for a violation of this paragraph shall be held in custody until brought before the court for a bail hearing. At such hearing the court shall determine if permitting bail presents a probable risk of future rioting or civil disturbance.

4. A person who commits a burglary during a riot and the perpetration of the burglary is facilitated by conditions arising from the riot; or within a locality that is subject to a state of emergency after the declaration of emergency is made and the perpetration of the burglary is facilitated by conditions arising from the emergency, the burglary shall be considered a separate felony punishable by imprisonment for no more than (6) months and a fine of not more than $10,000 along with restitution. A person arrested for a violation of this paragraph shall be held in custody until brought before the court for a bail hearing. At such hearing the court shall determine if permitting bail presents a probable risk of future rioting or civil disturbance.

5. A person who commits theft during a riot and the perpetration of the theft is facilitated by conditions arising from the riot; or within a locality that is subject to a state of emergency after the declaration of emergency is made and the perpetration of the theft is facilitated by conditions arising from the emergency, the theft shall be considered a separate misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for no more than (3) months and a fine of not more than $1,000 along with restitution.

6. A person who willfully damages or destroys law enforcement equipment, firefighting equipment, emergency services’ equipment, or other first responders’ equipment, or who willfully obstructs a fire hydrant or other firefighting apparatus during a civil disturbance is guilty of criminal assholery. Criminal assholery is a felony and shall be punishable by imprisonment for one (1) year and a fine of $10,000 along with restitution.

TITLE V: FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT

1. A person who intentionally or willfully obstructs the free, convenient, and normal use of a any public street, highway, road, trail, sidewalk, or parking area by blocking, impeding, hindering, stifling, or restraining traffic or passage thereon, by standing or remaining on the street, highway, or road or approaching motor vehicles thereon, or by endangering the safe movement of vehicles or pedestrians traveling thereon is guilty of obstructing the freedom of movement. Obstructing freedom of movement is a misdemeanor and shall be punishable by imprisonment for no more than (1) year and a fine of not more than $10,000. A violation of this paragraph against a law enforcement, firefighting, emergency services, or other first responder vehicle shall receive the maximum punishment allowed herein, provide that such vehicle had its emergency lights illuminated at the time of the violation. 

2. A person arrested for a violation of this title who committed such obstruction during a riot shall be held in custody until brought before the court for a bail hearing. At such hearing the court shall determine if permitting bail presents a probable risk of future rioting or civil disturbance.

TITLE VI. VANDALISM AND DESECRATION

1. Any person who, without the consent of the owner thereof, willfully and maliciously defaces, injures, or otherwise damages by any means a memorial and the value of the damage to the memorial is greater than $100 is guilty of heinous vandalism. Heinous vandalism is a felony punishable by imprisonment for no less than (6) months and no more than one (1) year and a fine of not more than $25,000. A violation of this paragraph during a riot or unlawful assembly shall receive the maximum punishment allowed herein. A court shall order any person convicted of violating this paragraph to provide a written apology and pay restitution, which shall include the full cost of repair or replacement of such memorial.

2. Any person who, without the consent of the owner thereof, willfully and maliciously destroys or demolishes any memorial, or pulls down a memorial is guilty of heinous desecration. Heinous desecration is a felony punishable by imprisonment for no less than (1) year and no more than five (5) years and a fine of not more than $100,000. A violation of this paragraph during a riot or unlawful assembly shall receive the maximum punishment allowed herein.  A court shall order any person convicted of violating this paragraph to provide a written apology and pay restitution, which shall include the full cost of repair or replacement of such memorial.

3. Any person who, willfully and knowingly destroys, mutilates, defaces, injures, or removes any tomb, monument, gravestone, burial mound, earthen or shell monument containing human skeletal remains or associated burial artifacts, or other structure or thing placed or designed for a memorial of the dead, or any fence, railing, curb, or other thing intended for the protection or ornamentation of the aforementioned objects is guilty of ghoulish desecration. Ghoulish desecration is a felony punishable by imprisonment for no less than (1) year and no more than five (5) years and a fine of not more than $100,000. A violation of this paragraph during a riot or unlawful assembly shall receive the maximum punishment allowed herein.  A violation of this paragraph in which a person willfully and knowingly excavates, exposes, moves, removes, or otherwise disturbs the contents of a grave or tomb shall receive the maximum punishment allowed herein. A court shall order any person convicted of violating this paragraph to provide a written apology and pay restitution, which shall include the full cost of repair or replacement of any damages.

TITLE VII: SOROS-OWNED POLITICIANS

1. An elected official, prosecutor, or governing body, of a State or locality within the Southern Region that intentionally obstructs or interferes with the ability of a law enforcement agency to provide reasonable law enforcement protection during a riot or unlawful assembly is civilly liable for any damages, including damages arising from personal injury, wrongful death, or property damage, proximately caused by the agency’s failure to provide reasonable law enforcement protection during a riot or unlawful assembly. Sovereign immunity of the locality shall be waived in such a scenario.

TITLE VIII: IMMUNITY

1. In a criminal prosecution for a crime of violence or property damage resulting from a vehicle striking a pedestrian, it is an affirmative defense that such crime arose from injury or damage sustained by a participant acting in furtherance of a riot, unlawful assembly, mob intimidation, obstruction of freedom of movement, heinous vandalism, heinous desecration, or ghoulish desecration. The affirmative defense authorized by this paragraph shall be established by evidence that the charged person attempted in good-faith to avoid the injured or damaged person or property and that the injured or damaged person was a participant in such abovementioned crimes by clear and convincing evidence.

2. In a civil action for damages for personal injury, wrongful death, or property damage, it is an affirmative defense that such action arose from injury or damage sustained by a participant acting in furtherance of a riot, unlawful assembly, mob intimidation, criminal assholery, obstruction of freedom of movement, heinous vandalism, heinous desecration, or ghoulish desecration. The affirmative defense authorized by this paragraph shall be established by evidence that the plaintiff was a participant in such crime by preponderance of the evidence.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

This bill passes 3-0-2 and now awaits Gubernatorial action.

FACEBOOK AND TWITTER SUCK ACT

TITLE I: FINDINGS

The Legislature finds that:

1. Social media platforms represent an extraordinary advance in communication technology for southerners.

2. Users should be afforded control over their personal information related to social media platforms.

3. Southerners increasingly rely on social media platforms to express their opinions.

4. Social media platforms have transformed into the new public town square.

5. Social media platforms have become as important for conveying public opinion as public utilities are for supporting modern society.

6. Social media platforms hold a unique place in preserving free speech protections for all southerners and should be treated similarly to common carriers.

7. Social media platforms that unfairly censor, shadow ban, deplatform, or apply post-prioritization algorithms to southern candidates, users, or residents are not acting in good faith and are likely Marxist sympathizers.

8. Social media platforms should not take any action in bad faith to restrict access or availability to southerners.

9. Social media platforms have unfairly censored, shadow banned, deplatformed, and applied post-prioritization algorithms in the Southern Region.

10. The Region has a substantial interest in protecting its residents from inconsistent and unfair actions by Marxist-influenced social media platforms.

11. The Region must vigorously enforce its laws to protect southerners.

TITLE II: DEFINITIONS

1. As used in this act, the term:

“Algorithm” means a mathematical set of rules that specifies how a group of data behaves and that will assist in ranking search results and maintaining order or that is used in sorting or ranking content or material based on relevancy or other factors instead of using published time or chronological order of such content or material.

“Affiliate” means: 1. A predecessor or successor of a person convicted of or held civilly liable for an antitrust violation; or 2. An entity under the control of any natural person who is active in the management of the entity that has been convicted of or held civilly liable for an antitrust violation. The term includes those officers, directors, executives, partners, shareholders, employees, members, and agents who are active in the management of an affiliate. The term also includes a person who knowingly enters into a joint venture with a person who has violated an antitrust law during the preceding 48 months.

“Antitrust violation” means any failure to comply with a state or federal antitrust law as determined in a civil or criminal proceeding brought by the Attorney General, a state attorney, a similar body or agency of another state, the Federal Commission, or the United States Department of Justice.

“Antitrust violator vendor list” means the list required to be kept by the department pursuant to this act.

“Censor” includes any action taken by a social media platform to delete, regulate, restrict, edit, alter, inhibit the publication or republication of, suspend a right to post, remove, or post an addendum to any content or material posted by a user. The term also includes actions to inhibit the ability of a user to be viewable by or to interact with another user of the social media platform.

“Deplatform” means the action or practice by a social media platform to permanently delete or ban a user or to temporarily delete or ban a user from the social media platform for more than 14 days.

“Journalistic enterprise” means an entity doing business in the Southern Region that: 1. Publishes in excess of 10,000 words available online with at least 500 paid subscribers or 10,000 monthly active users; 2. Publishes 50 hours of audio or video available online with at least 1 million viewers annually; 3. Operates a cable channel that provides more than 40 hours of content per week to more than 10,000 cable television subscribers; or 4. Operates under a broadcast license issued by the Federal Communications Commission.

“Post-prioritization” means action by a social media platform to place, feature, or prioritize certain content or material ahead of, below, or in a more or less prominent position than others in a newsfeed, a feed, a view, or in search results. The term does not include post-prioritization of content and material of a third party, including other users, based on payments by that third party, to the social media platform.

“Shadow ban” means action by a social media platform, through any means, whether the action is determined by a natural person or an algorithm, to limit or eliminate the exposure of a user or content or material posted by a user to other users of the social media platform. This term includes acts of shadow banning by a social media platform which are not readily apparent to a user.

“Social media platform” means any information service, system, Internet search engine, or access software provider that: 1. Provides or enables computer access by multiple users to a computer server, including an Internet platform or a social media site; 2. Operates as a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, association, or other legal entity; 3. Does business in the Region; and 4. Satisfies at least one of the following thresholds: a. Has annual gross revenues in excess of $10 million; or b. Has at least 1 million monthly individual platform participants globally.

“User” means a person who resides or is domiciled in this Region and who has an account on a social media platform, regardless of whether the person posts or has posted content, video, or other material to the social media platform.

TITLE III: POLITICAL CANDIDATES

 
1. A social media platform may not willfully deplatform a candidate for office who is known by the social media platform to be a candidate, beginning on the date of qualification and ending on the day after the election or the date the candidate ceases to be a candidate. A social media platform must provide each user a method by which the user may be identified as a qualified candidate and which provides sufficient information to allow the social media platform to confirm the user’s qualification by reviewing the website of the justice department.

2. Upon a finding of a violation of this act by the Attorney General, in addition to the remedies provided elsewhere in this act, the social media platform may be fined $250,000 per day for a candidate for Regional and Statewide offices and $25,000 per day for a candidate for other offices.

3. A social media platform that willfully provides free advertising for a candidate must inform the candidate of such in-kind contribution. Posts, content, material, and comments by candidates which are shown on the platform in the same or similar way as other users’ posts, content, material, and comments are not considered free advertising.

TITLE IV: ANTI-TRUST

1. A person or an affiliate who has been placed on the antitrust violator vendor list following a conviction or being held civilly liable for an antitrust violation may not submit a bid, proposal, or reply for any new contract to provide any goods or services to a public entity; may not submit a bid, proposal, or reply for a new contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work; may not submit a bid, proposal, or reply on new leases of real property to a public entity; may not be awarded or perform work as a contractor, supplier, subcontractor, or consultant under a new contract with a public entity; and may not transact new business with a public entity.

2. A public entity may not accept a bid, proposal, or reply from, award a new contract to, or transact new business with any person or affiliate on the antitrust violator vendor list unless that person or affiliate has been removed from the list pursuant to this act.

3. Beginning July 1, 2022, all invitations to bid, requests for proposals, and invitations to negotiate must contain a statement informing applicants of the provisions of this act. The justice department shall maintain an antitrust violator vendor list of the names and addresses of the persons or affiliates who have been disqualified from the public contracting and purchasing process under this section.

4. After receiving notice of a judgment, sentence, or order from any source that a person was convicted or held civilly liable for an antitrust violation and after the justice department has investigated the information and verified both the judgment, sentence, or order and the identity of the person named in the documentation, the department must immediately notify the person or affiliate in writing of its intent to place the name of that person or affiliate on the antitrust violator vendor list and of the person’s or affiliate’s right to a hearing and to offer evidence and have assistance of counsel, the procedure that must be followed, and the applicable time requirements as set by the justice department to provide due process. If the person or affiliate does not request a hearing, the department shall enter a final order placing the name of the person or affiliate on the antitrust violator vendor list. A person or affiliate may be placed on the antitrust violator vendor list only after the department has provided the person or affiliate with a notice of intent.

5. A person or an affiliate may be removed from the antitrust violator vendor list subject to such terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the justice department upon a determination that removal is in the public interest. In determining whether removal is in the public interest, Attorney General must consider any relevant factors. Upon proof that a person was found not guilty or not civilly liable, the antitrust violation case was dismissed, the court entered a finding in the person’s favor, the person’s conviction or determination of liability has been reversed on appeal, or the person has been pardoned, the Attorney General shall determine that removal of the person or an affiliate of that person from the antitrust violator vendor list is in the public interest. A person or an affiliate on the antitrust violator vendor list may petition for removal from the list no sooner than 6 months after the date a final order is entered pursuant to this act but may petition for removal at any time if the petition is based upon a reversal of the conviction or liability on appellate review or pardon.

6. If the petition for removal is denied, the person or affiliate may not petition for another hearing on removal for a period of 9 months after the date of denial unless the petition is based upon a reversal of the conviction on appellate review or a pardon.

7. A person who has been placed on the antitrust violator vendor list is not a qualified applicant for public economic incentives.

TITLE V: SOCIAL MEDIA PRACTICES

1. A social media platform that fails to comply with any of the provisions of this act commits an unfair or deceptive act or practice under antitrust law.

2. A social media platform must publish the standards, including detailed definitions, it uses or has used for determining how to censor, deplatform, and shadow ban.

3. A social media platform must apply censorship, deplatforming, and shadow banning standards in a consistent manner among its users on the platform.

4. A social media platform must inform each user about any changes to its user rules, terms, and agreements before implementing the changes and may not make changes more than once every 30 days.

5. A social media platform may not censor or shadow ban a user’s content or material or deplatform a user from the social media platform:

A. Without notifying the user who posted or attempted to post the content or material; or

B. In a way that violates this part.

6. A social media platform must:

A. Provide a mechanism that allows a user to request the number of other individual platform participants who were provided or shown the user’s content or posts.

B. Provide, upon request, a user with the number of other individual platform participants who were provided or shown content or posts.

7. A social media platform must:

A. Categorize algorithms used for post-prioritization and shadow banning.

B. Allow a user to opt out of post-prioritization and shadow banning algorithm categories to allow sequential or chronological posts and content.

8. A social media platform must provide users with an annual notice on the use of algorithms for post-prioritization and shadow banning and reoffer annually the opt-out opportunity above.

9. A social media platform may not apply or use post prioritization or shadow banning algorithms for content and material posted by or about a user who is known by the social media platform to be a candidate as defined above, beginning on the date of qualification and ending on the day after the election or the date the candidate ceases to be a candidate. Post-prioritization of certain content or material from or about a candidate for office based on payments to the social media platform by such candidate for office or a third party is not a violation of this paragraph. A social media platform must provide each user a method by which the user may be identified as a qualified candidate and which provides sufficient information to allow the social media platform to confirm the user’s qualification by reviewing the website of the justice department.

10. A social media platform must allow a user who has been deplatformed to access or retrieve all of the user’s information, content, material, and data for at least 60 days after the user receives the required notice.

11. A social media platform may not take any action to censor, deplatform, or shadow ban a journalistic enterprise based on the content of its publication or broadcast. Post prioritization of certain journalistic enterprise content based on payments to the social media platform by such journalistic enterprise is not a violation of this paragraph. This paragraph does not apply if the content or material is obscene.

12. For purposes of this act a notification must:

A. Be delivered in writing via mail, electronic mail, or direct electronic notification to the user within 7 days after the censoring action.

B. Include a thorough rationale explaining the reason that the social media platform censored the user.

C. Include a precise and thorough explanation of how the social media platform became aware of the censored content or material, including a thorough explanation of the algorithms used, if any, to identify or flag the user’s content or material objectionable.

D. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section, a social media platform is not required to notify a user if the censored content or material is obscene.

13. If the justice department, by its own inquiry or as a result of a complaint, suspects that a violation of this section is imminent, occurring, or has occurred, the department may investigate the suspected violation in accordance with this part. Based on its investigation, the department may bring a civil or administrative action under this part.

14. A user may bring a private cause of action for violations of this act, and if successful the court may award the following remedies to the user:

A. Up to $100,000 in statutory damages per proven claim.

B. Actual damages.

C. If aggravating factors are present, punitive damages.

D. An apology

E. Other forms of equitable relief, including injunctive relief.

F. Costs and reasonable attorney fees.

15. In an investigation by the justice department into alleged violations of this section, the department’s investigative powers include, but are not limited to, the ability to subpoena any algorithm used by a social media platform related to any alleged violation.

TITLE VI: TRUMAN SAYS NO CENSORING MY POSTS

Whereas, the region of Fremont passed the Plain Packaging Act which directly contradicts, violates, and nullifies a lawful statute of the government of Atlasia, and;

Whereas, the Plain Packaging Act, a regional law, was drafted and carried into execution by the sitting Attorney General, Harry Truman, and;

Whereas, despite the obvious conflict of interest the Atlasian Attorney General has opined that the Plain Packaging Act, a regional law, supersedes contradictory Atlasian statutory law regardless of the Supremacy Clause of the Atlasian Constitution on the grounds that we “demonstrate … genuine attachment to the principle of regional rights. If … not, we shall know that all this talk of federalism is a humbug and merely a flimsy disguise for their putative devotion to the monied interest. We call on all the friends of labor to stand firm against the combination of the communists and fascists in their war on regionalism. This war we must and shall win for the liberty of all Atlasians under the constitution.”, and;

Whereas, the sitting Attorney General, Harry Truman, has determined that regional nullification of an Atlasian statute is appropriate when regional rights and the liberty of the people are threatened, that failure to engage in such regional nullification benefits communists and fascists, and that the Atlasian Department of Justice would not enforce a nullified Atlasian law;

Now, therefore, we the Chamber of Delegates of the Southern Region, under the principles of comity and regional equality, do hereby ordain and resolve the following:

1. That it is position of the Chamber of Delegates of the Southern Region that portions of Section 230 the Communications Decency Act (47 U.S.C. 230), an Atlasian statute violates regional rights and the liberty of the people.

2. That accordingly, Section 230 the Communications Decency Act  is hereby nullified within the legal jurisdiction of the Southern Region to the extent it is contradicted herein. No local, State, or Regional money or resources shall be expended in the enforcement of this statute, nor shall any local, State, Regional, or Atlasian employees or agents shall enforce, or attempt to enforce, this statute within the Southern Region.

3. That any provision herein found to be unconstitutional by a court of proper jurisdiction shall be severable from the remainder of this act.

TITLE VII: ENACTMENT

1. Unless otherwise specified herein, this act shall take effect July 1, 2022.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

This bill passes 4-0-1 and now awaits Gubernatorial action.

BESTIALITY IS A SIN ACT

1. The Stopping Animal Sexual Abuse Act shall be amended as follows:

Section 1 (Title and purpose)

i. The title of this Act shall be, the "Stopping Animal Sexual Abuse (SASA) Act."

ii. Whereas, the Bible, our ultimate moral arbiter on Earth refers to bestiality as perversion and asserts those who engage in it are cursed, now therefore, the Southern Chamber of Delegates does hereby pass this act to protect the public health and morals of the Southern Region.

Section 2 (Uniformity of laws on bestiality)

i. Bestiality shall be classified as a misdemeanor felony punishable with up to one years' imprisonment and no more than $25,000 in fines in all States and external territories of the Southern Region. Any person convicted of bestiality may be ordered to attend an appropriate treatment program or obtain psychiatric or psychological counseling.

ii. Bestiality is defined as knowingly:
 
(a) engaging in sexual contact with an animal;

(b) causing another person by force, threat, or intimidation to engage in sexual contact with an animal;

(c) advertising, soliciting, offering, selling, purchasing, or possessing an animal with the intent that the animal be subject to sexual contact with a human;

(d) permitting sexual contact with an animal to be conducted on any premises under your ownership or control;

(e) producing, distributing, publishing, selling, transmitting, financing, possessing with the intent to distribute, publish, sell, or transmit, or making any attempt to produce, distribute, publish, sell, transmit, or finance an obscene item depicting a person engaged in sexual contact with an animal.

iii. Section 7 of the Sex Crimes Amendments Act is hereby repealed.

iv. Each State in the Southern Region shall be free to decide if, following a conviction for bestiality, the victim animal shall be euthanized in accordance with Leviticus 20:15-16.

Section 3 (Animal abuse registry)

i. A Southern Animal Abuser Registry (SAAR) is hereby established as a compendium of persons convicted of the abuse, neglect, or maltreatment of animals, including but not limited to acts of bestiality.

ii. All persons so convicted, as well as all persons convicted of the maltreatment of animals under the laws of the Republic or another region, state, territory, or local jurisdiction thereof who shall reside in the South, shall be required to register with the SAAR.

iii. Registrants shall be prohibited from owning an animal, sharing the same place of residence with an animal, or performing paid or unpaid labor related to the care of animals.
iv. The above two clauses shall be in effect for a person registered in the SAAR for up to ten years. After this ten year period has lapsed, their registration will be removed from the SAAR.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Bill passes 3-0-2 and awaits action by the Governor.

FOOD DELIVERY REFORM ACT

1. No food delivery platform shall submit an order on behalf of a consumer to a restaurant or arrange for the delivery of an order from a restaurant without first obtaining an agreement with the restaurant expressly authorizing the food delivery platform to submit orders to and deliver food prepared by the restaurant. Such agreement shall require disclosure of all fees charged by the food delivery platform, including commissions, delivery fees, promotional fees, and the baseline cost of the food order, to the restaurant.

2. Prior to the confirmation of any online order by a food delivery platform, the food delivery platform shall clearly display through its online ordering system the baseline cost of the food order and any additional fees associated with the order, including the amounts and purposes of such fees.

3. If a restaurant uses an independent online ordering system to facilitate orders of food for sale to consumers that includes with the order the option of delivery by a specific food delivery platform, then the restaurant may elect to display a single total cost of the order rather than clearly listing each fee associated with the order.

4. No food delivery platform shall give any restaurant preferential advertising on its platform, rate, or delivery priority on the basis of the race, color, or ethnicity of the owner of the restaurant.

5. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2022.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Bill passes 3-0-2 and awaits action by the Governor.

NO C.R.A.P. IN SCHOOLS ACT

TITLE I: NAME AND ENACTMENT

1. This act shall be referred to as the No Critical Race Applied Principles In Schools Act or No C.R.A.P. In Schools Act.

2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.

TITLE II: PARENT ACCESS TO SCHOOL CURRICULUM

1. The parent of any student enrolled in a public elementary or secondary school in the Southern Region has the right to obtain and review any educational material and curriculum utilized in any class or course in which the student is enrolled.

2. The parent of any student enrolled in a public elementary or secondary school in the Southern Region has the right to opt his child out of any class or course activity, lesson, or reading assignment or the use of any audiovisual material or library book to which the parent objects.

3. The parent of any student enrolled in a public elementary or secondary school in the Southern Region has the right to easily access a list of the title and author of each book in each classroom and each library in the school in which the student is enrolled.

4. The parent of any student enrolled in a public elementary or secondary school in the Southern Region has the right to receive notice of and attend any public meeting of the school board governing the local school division in which the student is enrolled.

5. The parent of any student enrolled in a public elementary or secondary school in the Southern Region has the right to review the annual school division budget and expenditures.  

6. The Equality in Sexual Education Act is hereby repealed.

TITLE III: CURRICULUM

1. The Banning Racist Curriculum Act shall be amended as follows:

Section II. Substance

i. No teacher, administrator, or other employee in any state agency, school district, open-enrollment charter school, or public school administration in the Southern Region shall require, or make part of a course the following concepts:
     1. one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex;
     2. an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist, biased, or oppressive, or responsible whether consciously or unconsciously;
     3. an individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of his or her race or sex;
     4. members of one race or sex cannot and should not attempt to treat others without respect to race or sex;
     5. an individual's moral character is necessarily determined by his or her race or sex;
     6. an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex;
     7. any individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of his or her race or sex;
     8. meritocracy, market-based economics. or traits such as a hard work ethic are racist or sexist, or were created by a members of a particular race to oppress members of another race;
    9. the Southern Region, its constitution and bill of rights, its government, or its history is fundamentally racist or sexist;
    10. Atlasia, its constitution and bill of rights, its government, or its history is fundamentally racist or sexist.

TITLE IV: OBSCENITY

1. Each public elementary and secondary school in the Southern Region shall:

A. Notify the parent of any student whose teacher reasonably expects to provide instructional material that includes sexually explicit content. Such notification shall (i) directly identify the specific instructional material and sexually explicit content contained in such material and (ii) set forth the parent's options under this Title;

B. Permit the parent of any student to review instructional material that includes sexually explicit content upon request; and

C. Provide, as an alternative to instructional material and related academic activities that include sexually explicit content, nonexplicit instructional material and related academic activities to any student whose parent so requests.

TITLE V: RACIST CLUBS

1. No student club, team, affinity group, or other organized assembly receiving public funding or meeting on public school property may exclude persons on the basis of race.

TITLE VI: SCHOOL BUSES

1. The School is Cool Act shall be amended to include the following:

Section 4: Transportation

...

4. Within one (1) year of the passage of this amendment, all public school systems receiving Regional funds shall permanently affix to all of its public school buses the following:

A. On both exterior sides decals stating “One Region Under God” of a size and font so as to be visible by motorists passing the school bus.

B. On the exterior back a decal stating “In God We Trust” of a size and font so as to be visible by motorists directly behind the school bus,

C. Any public school system failing to mark all of their public school buses as such shall have their Regional funding cut by 5% per year until such time as all public school buses comply with the law. Public School systems may use currently appropriated regional funding to offset any costs incurred in marking school buses pursuant to this act.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Bill passes 3-0-2 and awaits action by the Governor.

SPECIFIC LEGAL PROTECTIONS ACT

TITLE I: SPECIAL MOTION TO DISMISS SLAPP SUITS.

a. SLAPP
1. “In this act, the term ‘strategic lawsuit against public participation’ or ‘SLAPP suit’ means a claim that arises from an oral or written statement or other expression, or conduct in furtherance of such expression, by the person against whom the claim is asserted that was made in connection with an official proceeding or about a matter of public concern. The term ‘matter of public concern’ means an issue related to (A) health or safety;(B) environmental, economic, or community well-being; (C) the government; (D) a public official or public figure; or (E) a good, product, or service in the marketplace.

2. Except as provided in subsection (b), a person against whom a SLAPP suit is asserted may file a special motion to dismiss. If the party filing a special motion to dismiss a SLAPP suit makes a prima facie showing that the claim at issue arises from an oral or written statement or other expression by the defendant that was made in connection with an official proceeding or about a matter of public concern, then the motion shall be granted and the claim dismissed with prejudice, unless the responding party demonstrates that the claim is likely to succeed on the merits, in which case the motion shall be denied.

   b. Exceptions:
     1. The court shall not grant a special motion to dismiss under this section if the claim is an enforcement action brought by an agency or entity of the Federal Government or a Regional, State or local government.

     2. Except as provided in subsection (c), the court shall not grant a special motion to dismiss under this section if the claim is brought against a person primarily engaged in the business of selling or leasing goods or services where such claim arises from the statement or conduct of such person and such statement or conduct—
       A. consists of representations of fact about such person’s or a business competitor’s goods or services, that is made for the purpose of obtaining approval for, promoting, or securing sales or leases of, or commercial transactions in, the person’s goods or services, or the statement or conduct was made in the course of delivering the person’s goods or services; and
       B. arises out of the sale or lease of goods, services, or an insurance product, insurance services, or a commercial transaction in which the intended audience is an actual or potential buyer or customer.

     3. Except as provided in subsection (c), the court shall not grant a special motion to dismiss under this section if the claim is a public interest claim.

   c. Paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection (b) shall not apply as to:

     1. any claim against a person or entity engaged in the dissemination of ideas or expression in any book or academic journal, while engaged in the gathering, receiving, or processing of information for communication to the public;

     2. any claim against any person or entity based upon statements or conduct concerning the creation, dissemination, exhibition, advertisement, or other similar promotion of journalistic, consumer commentary, dramatic, literary, musical, political, or artistic works, including motion pictures, television programs, or articles published online or in a newspaper or magazine of general circulation; or

     3. any claim against a nonprofit organization that receives more than 50 percent of annual revenue grants or awards from, programs of, or reimbursements for services rendered to the Federal, State, or local government.

   d. Except as provided in this act, the court shall set a hearing on a special motion to dismiss a SLAPP suit on a date not later than 30 days after the date of service of the special motion to dismiss a SLAPP suit. If the court allows specified discovery the court may extend the hearing date to allow specified discovery under that subsection, but the court shall set the hearing on a date not later than 120 days after the date of service of the special motion to dismiss a SLAPP suit.

   e. The court must rule on a special motion to dismiss a SLAPP suit not later than 30 days after the date on which the final paper is required to be filed or the date argument is heard, whichever is later.

   f. Except as provided in this paragraph a civil action in a State court that raises a claim described in this act may be removed to the judicial district and division embracing the place where the civil action is pending. Removal may not be requested under this paragraph on the basis of a third-party claim or a cross claim asserted by a defendant.

  g. The court shall award a person that files and prevails on a motion to dismiss under this act, litigation costs, expert witness fees, and reasonable attorneys fees. A party shall be a prevailing party as to a special motion to dismiss or to quash if a claim or discovery request is voluntarily dismissed or withdrawn after the filing of a special motion to dismiss. If a court finds that a motion to dismiss, a motion to quash, or a notice of removal is frivolous or is solely intended to cause unnecessary delay, the court shall award litigation costs, expert witness fees, and reasonable attorneys fees to the party that responded to the motion or notice of a government, may not recover litigation costs, expert witness fees, or attorneys fees under this section.

TITLE II: CONSENT DECREES

1. No court in the Southern Region may approve a consent decree lasting more than ten (10) years from the date the decree is signed by a judge.
2. The full text of any proposed consent decree negotiated by any government or any department or agency thereof shall be published online in English no later than thirty (30) days prior to being approved by a court.

TITLE III: PRESS IMMUNITY

1. Conditions for Compelled Disclosure - In any proceeding or in connection with any issue arising in court in the Southern Region, such court may not compel a covered person to comply with a subpoena, court order, or other compulsory legal process seeking to compel the disclosure of protected information, unless a court in the jurisdiction where the subpoena, court order, or other compulsory legal process has been or would be issued determines, after providing notice and an opportunity to be heard to such covered person--
   a that the party seeking to compel disclosure of the protected information has exhausted all reasonable alternative sources (other than a covered person) of the protected information; and
   b that--
     (A) in a criminal investigation or prosecution--
     (i) if the party seeking to compel disclosure is the government, based on public information or information obtained from a source other than the covered person, there are reasonable grounds to believe that a crime has occurred;
     (ii) based on public information or information obtained from a source other than the covered person, there are reasonable grounds to believe that the protected information sought is essential to the investigation or prosecution or to the defense against the prosecution; and
     (iii) the covered person has not established by clear and convincing evidence that disclosure of the protected information would be contrary to the public interest, taking into account both the public interest in gathering and disseminating the information or news at issue and maintaining the free flow of information and the public interest in compelling disclosure (including the extent of any harm to regional security); or
     (B) in a matter other than a criminal investigation or prosecution, based on public information or information obtained from a source other than the covered person--
     (i) the protected information sought is essential to the resolution of the matter; and
     (ii) the party seeking to compel disclosure of the protected information has established that the interest in compelling disclosure clearly outweighs the public interest in gathering and disseminating the information or news at issue and maintaining the free flow of information.
2. Limitations on Content of Information- A subpoena, court order, or other compulsory legal process seeking to compel the disclosure of protected information under subsection (a) shall, to the extent possible, be narrowly tailored in purpose, subject matter, and period of time covered so as to avoid compelling disclosure of peripheral, nonessential, or speculative information.

TITLE IV. EXCEPTION RELATING TO CRIMINAL CONDUCT

1. In General- Title III shall not apply to any information, record, document, or item obtained as the result of the eyewitness observations of, or obtained during the course of, alleged criminal conduct by the covered person, including any physical evidence or visual or audio recording of the conduct.
2. Exception- This section shall not apply, and, subject to Title V and VI, section III shall apply, if the alleged criminal conduct is the act of communicating the documents or information at issue.

TITLE V. EXCEPTION TO PREVENT CERTAIN CRIMES

1. Title III shall not apply to any protected information that is reasonably necessary to stop, prevent, or mitigate a specific case of--
   a. death;
   b. kidnapping;
   c. substantial bodily harm;
   d. conduct that constitutes a criminal offense that is a specified offense against a minor; or
   e. incapacitation or destruction of critical infrastructure.

TITLE VI. EXCEPTION TO PREVENT TERRORIST ACTIVITY OR HARM TO THE REGIONAL SECURITY

1. In General- Title III shall not apply to any protected information if--
   a. the party seeking to compel disclosure is the Government; and
   b. (A) in a criminal investigation or prosecution of the allegedly unlawful disclosure of properly classified information, the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the protected information for which compelled disclosure is sought would materially assist the Government in preventing or mitigating--
     (i) an act of terrorism; or
     (ii) other acts that are reasonably likely to cause significant and articulable harm to national security; or
     (B) in any other criminal investigation or prosecution, the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the protected information for which compelled disclosure is sought would materially assist the Government in preventing, mitigating, or identifying the perpetrator of--
     (i) an act of terrorism; or
     (ii) other acts that have caused or are reasonably likely to cause significant and articulable harm to regional security.
2. Deference- In assessing the existence or extent of the harm described in subsection (a), a court shall give appropriate deference to a specific factual showing submitted to the court by the head of any executive branch agency or department concerned.
3. Relationship to Title III- Subsection (a) shall not apply, and, subject to Title IV and V, Title III shall apply, to any criminal investigation or prosecution of the allegedly unlawful disclosure of properly classified information other than one in which the protected information is sought by the Government to prevent or mitigate the harm specified in subsection (a)(2)(A). In considering the extent of any harm to national security when applying section II to such cases, a court shall give appropriate deference to any specific factual showing submitted to the court by the head of any executive branch agency or department concerned.
4. Subsequent Unlawful Disclosure- The potential for a subsequent unlawful disclosure of information by the source sought to be identified shall not, by itself and without any showing of additional facts beyond such potential disclosure, be sufficient to establish that compelled disclosure of the protected information would materially assist the Government in preventing or mitigating--
     a. an act of terrorism; or
     b. other acts that are reasonably likely to cause significant and articulable harm to regional security.

TITLE VII. COMPELLED DISCLOSURE FROM COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE PROVIDERS

1. Conditions for Compelled Disclosure-
   a. IN GENERAL- Except as provided in paragraph (2), if any document or other information from the account of a person who is known to be, or reasonably likely to be, a covered person is sought from a communications service provider, Titles III through VI shall apply in the same manner that such sections apply to any document or other information sought from a covered person.
   b. EXCEPTION- If any document or other information from the account of a person who is known to be, or reasonably likely to be, a covered person is sought from a communications service provider under section 2709 of title 18, USC, the provisions of Titles III  through VI governing criminal investigations and prosecutions shall apply in the same manner that such sections apply to any document or other information sought from a covered person in the course of a criminal investigation or prosecution, except that clauses (i) and (iii) of section 2(a)(2)(A) and the phrase ‘particularly with reference to directly establishing guilt or innocence’ in section 2(a)(2)(A)(ii) shall not apply.
2. Notice and Opportunity Provided to Covered Persons- A court may compel the disclosure of a document or other information described in this section only after the covered person from whose account the document or other information is sought has been given--
   a. notice from the party seeking the document or other information through a subpoena or other compulsory request, not later than the time at which such subpoena or request is issued to the communications service provider; and
   b. an opportunity to be heard before the court before compelling testimony or the disclosure of a document.
3. Exception to Notice Requirement- Notice under subsection (b)(1) may be delayed for not more than 45 days if the court involved determines by clear and convincing evidence that such notice would pose a substantial threat to the integrity of a criminal investigation, a national security investigation, or intelligence gathering, or that exigent circumstances exist. This period may be extended by the court for an additional period of not more than 45 days each time the court makes such a determination.
4. Notice to Communications Service Provider- In all cases in whichnotice is required to be provided to the covered person under this section, a copy of such notice shall be provided simultaneously to the communications service provider from whom disclosure is sought. Once it has received such notice, the communications service provider shall not comply with the request for disclosure unless and until disclosure is either ordered by the court or authorized in writing by the covered person.

TITLE VIII. SOURCES AND WORK PRODUCT PRODUCED WITHOUT PROMISE OR AGREEMENT OF CONFIDENTIALITY

1. Nothing in this Act shall supersede, dilute, or preclude any law or court decision compelling or not compelling disclosure by a covered person or communications service provider of--
   a. information identifying a source who provided information without a promise or agreement of confidentiality made by the covered person as part of engaging in journalism; or
   b. records, other information, or contents of a communication obtained without a promise or agreement that such records, other information, or contents of a communication would be confidential.

Title IX. PROCEDURES FOR REVIEW AND APPEAL

1. Conditions for Ex Parte Review or Submissions Under Seal- With regard to any determination made by a court under this Act, upon a showing of good cause, that court may receive and consider submissions from the parties in camera or under seal, and if the court determines it is necessary, ex parte.
2. Contempt of Court- With regard to any determination made by a court under this Act, a court may find a covered person to be in civil or criminal contempt if the covered person fails to comply with an order of a court compelling disclosure of protected information.
3. To Provide for Timely Determination- With regard to any determination to be made by a court under this Act, that court, to the extent practicable, shall make that determination not later than 30 days after the date of receiving a motion requesting the court make that determination.

SECTION X. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION

1. Nothing in this Act may be construed to--
   a. preempt any law or claim relating to defamation, slander, or libel;
   b. modify the requirements of laws or rules relating to grand jury; or
   c. preclude voluntary disclosure of information to a government entity in a situation that is not governed by this Act.

SECTION XI. DEFINITIONS

In this Act:
1. COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER- The term ‘communications service provider’--
   (A) means any person that transmits information of the customer’s choosing by electronic means; and
   (B) includes a telecommunications carrier, an information service provider, an interactive computer service provider, and an information content provider (as such terms are defined in section 3 or 230 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 153 and 230)).
2. COVERED PERSON- The term ‘covered person’--
   (A) means a person who--
     (i) with the primary intent to investigate events and procure material in order to disseminate to the public news or information concerning local, national, or international events or other matters of public interest, regularly gathers, prepares, collects, photographs, records, writes, edits, reports or publishes on such matters by--
       (I) conducting interviews;
       (II) making direct observation of events; or
       (III) collecting, reviewing, or analyzing original writings, statements, communications, reports, memoranda, records, transcripts, documents, photographs, recordings, tapes, materials, data, or other information whether in paper, electronic, or other form;
     (ii) has such intent at the inception of the process of gathering the news or information sought; and
     (iii) obtains the news or information sought in order to disseminate the news or information by means of print (including newspapers, books, wire services, news agencies, or magazines), broadcasting (including dissemination through networks, cable, satellite carriers, broadcast stations, or a channel or programming service for any such media), mechanical, photographic, electronic, or other means;
   (B) includes a supervisor, employer, parent company, subsidiary, or affiliate of a person described in subparagraph (A); and
   (C) does not include any person who is or is reasonably likely to be--
     (i) a foreign power or an agent of a foreign power, as those terms are defined in section 101 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (50 U.S.C. 1801);
     (ii) a member or affiliate of a foreign terrorist organization designated under section 219(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189(a));
     (iii) designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the Department of the Treasury under Executive Order No. 13224 (50 U.S.C. 1701);
     (iv) a specially designated terrorist, as that term is defined in section 595.311 of title 31, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor thereto);
     (v) a terrorist organization, as that term is defined in section 212(a)(3)(B)(vi)(II) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)(B)(vi)(II));
     (vi) committing or attempting to commit the crime of terrorism, as that offense is defined in section 2331(5) or 2332b(g)(5) of title 18, USC;
     (vii) committing or attempting the crime of providing material support, as that term is defined in section 2339A(b)(1) of title 18, USC, to a terrorist organization; or
     (viii) aiding, abetting, or conspiring in illegal activity with a person or organization defined in clauses (i) through (vii).
3. DOCUMENT- The term ‘document’ means writings, recordings, and photographs, as those terms are defined by rule 1001 of the Federal Rules of Evidence (28 U.S.C. App.).
4. PROPERLY CLASSIFIED INFORMATION- The term ‘properly classified information’ means information that is classified in accordance with any applicable Executive orders, statutes, or regulations regarding classification of information.
5. PROTECTED INFORMATION- The term ‘protected information’ means--
   (A) information identifying a source who provided information under a promise or agreement of confidentiality made by a covered person as part of engaging in journalism; or
   (B) any records, contents of a communication, documents, or information that a covered person obtained or created--
     (i) as part of engaging in journalism; and
     (ii) upon a promise or agreement that such records, contents of a communication, documents, or information would be confidential.

SECTION XII: ENACTMENT

1. All provisions of this act which have not otherwise been assigned an enactment date within this act shall take effect 90 days from the date this law is enacted.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Bill passes 3-0-2 and awaits action by the Governor.

NO RACIST GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS ACT

1. None of the following government documents issued by the Southern Region or any State or local government in the Southern Region shall require the recordation of the race, color, or ethnicity on either the application for or the document itself:

A. Driver's Licenses
B. Hunting Licenses
C. Fishing Licenses
D. Library Cards
E. Marriage Licenses
F. Occupational Licenses
G. Business Licenses
H. Building Permits
I. Zoning and Land Use Documents
J. Parade Permits
K. Concealed Carry Licenses
L. Plat Maps
M. Deeds and Land Records
N. Environmental Permits
O. Incorporation documents
P. Tax documents

2. This act shall take effect 30 days after passage.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Bill passes 3-0-2 and awaits action by the Governor.

A CHAMBER RESOLUTION
referring to one of our states' awesome flag

BE IT ENACTED BY THE SOUTHERN CHAMBER RESOLVED.

Section 1, TITLE AND DEFINITIONS.
1. The title of this Resolution shall be, the "Vexillology On My Mind Resolution."

Section 2, RESOLUTION TEXT.

WHEREAS, the flag of the Confederate States of America’s government from November 28, 1861 to May 1, 1863, nicknamed the “Stars and Bars”, displays a blue canton with 13 stars alongside three horizontal stripes alternating red and white;

WHEREAS, the current flag of the state of Georgia is this exact design unchanged, with the exception of the state seal being charged in the middle of the canton;

WHEREAS, this is a really cool flag design that pays tribute to the history of our Region

BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE CHAMBER OF DELEGATES:

1) Praises the current state flag of Georgia for its striking colors and historic character.

2) Urges the state of Georgia to protect its current flag design with a Constitutional Amendment.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Bill passes 3-0-2 and awaits action by the Governor.

TOO MUCH BUTT STUFF ACT

1. The Butt Stuff Act shall be amended as follows:

BUTT STUFF ACT

1. Whereas, prostate cancer afflicts many Southrons, and

Whereas, prostate cancer can be detected early increasing survival rates,

The Southern Chamber hereby declares June 201922, Get Fingered Month and encourages all adult males to schedule an appointment with their physician for a prostate exam.

2. No later than January 1, 2020, each local Board of Education that offers a non abstinence only sex education curriculum shall publish proposed curriculum for safe analingus techniques. Such curriculum shall also warn students that penetrative anal sex ultimately leads to permanent rectal damage that will result in the recipient having to wear adult diapers like a big, incontinent baby.

Sponsor: Mr. Reactionary

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Bill passes 3-0-2 and awaits action by the Governor.

HANDS OFF MY DATA ACT

A. A consumer may invoke the consumer rights authorized pursuant to this act at any time by submitting a request to a controller specifying the consumer rights the consumer wishes to invoke. A known child's parent or legal guardian may invoke such consumer rights on behalf of the child regarding processing personal data belonging to the known child. A controller shall comply with an authenticated consumer request to exercise the right:

1. To confirm whether or not a controller is processing the consumer's personal data and to access such personal data;

2. To correct inaccuracies in the consumer's personal data, taking into account the nature of the personal data and the purposes of the processing of the consumer's personal data;

3. To delete personal data provided by or obtained about the consumer;

4. To obtain a copy of the consumer's personal data that the consumer previously provided to the controller in a portable and, to the extent technically feasible, readily usable format that allows the consumer to transmit the data to another controller without hindrance, where the processing is carried out by automated means; and

5. To opt out of the processing of the personal data for purposes of (i) targeted advertising, (ii) the sale of personal data, or (iii) profiling in furtherance of decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects concerning the consumer.

B. Except as otherwise provided in this act, a controller shall comply with a request by a consumer to exercise the consumer rights authorized pursuant to section A as follows:

1. A controller shall respond to the consumer without undue delay, but in all cases within 45 days of receipt of the request submitted pursuant to the methods described in section A. The response period may be extended once by 45 additional days when reasonably necessary, taking into account the complexity and number of the consumer's requests, so long as the controller informs the consumer of any such extension within the initial 45-day response period, together with the reason for the extension.

2. If a controller declines to take action regarding the consumer's request, the controller shall inform the consumer without undue delay, but in all cases and at the latest within 45 days of receipt of the request, of the justification for declining to take action and instructions for how to appeal the decision pursuant to section C.

3. Information provided in response to a consumer request shall be provided by a controller free of charge, up to twice annually per consumer. If requests from a consumer are manifestly unfounded, excessive, or repetitive, the controller may charge the consumer a reasonable fee to cover the administrative costs of complying with the request or decline to act on the request. The controller bears the burden of demonstrating the manifestly unfounded, excessive, or repetitive nature of the request.

4. If a controller is unable to authenticate the request using commercially reasonable efforts, the controller shall not be required to comply with a request to initiate an action under subsection A and may request that the consumer provide additional information reasonably necessary to authenticate the consumer and the consumer's request.

5. A controller that has obtained personal data about a consumer from a source other than the consumer shall be deemed in compliance with a consumer's request to delete such data pursuant to subsection A 3 by opting the consumer out of the processing of that data for targeted advertising, sale, or profiling pursuant to subsection A 5.

C. A controller shall establish a process for a consumer to appeal the controller's refusal to take action on a request within a reasonable period of time after the consumer's receipt of the decision pursuant to subsection B 2. The appeal process shall be conspicuously available and similar to the process for submitting requests to initiate action pursuant to section A. Within 60 days of receipt of an appeal, a controller shall inform the consumer in writing of any action taken or not taken in response to the appeal, including a written explanation of the reasons for the decisions. If the appeal is denied, the controller shall also provide the consumer with an online mechanism, if available, or other method through which the consumer may contact the Attorney General to submit a complaint.

D. As used in this act:

1. "Consumer" means a natural person who is a resident of the Southern Region acting only in an individual or household context. It does not include a natural person acting in a commercial or employment context.

2. "Controller" means the natural or legal person that, alone or jointly with others, determines the purpose and means of processing personal data.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Bill passes 3-0-2 and awaits action by the Governor.

UNIFORM DIGITAL CODES ADOPTION ACT

1. The 2015 Edition of the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (RUFADAA) is hereby adopted by reference with the following exception:

A. Anything which conflicts with principles of equity.

2. The 1999 Edition of the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) is hereby adopted by reference with the following exception:

A. Anything which conflicts with principles of equity.

3. The 2019 Edition of the Uniform Fiduciary Income and Principal Act (UFIPA) is hereby adopted by reference with the following exception:

A. Anything which conflicts with principles of equity.

4. This act shall take effect immediately.

Text available at:  https://www.uniformlaws.org/HigherLogic/System/DownloadDocumentFile.ashx?DocumentFileKey=112ab648-b257-97f2-48c2-61fe109a0b33&forceDialog=0

https://www.uniformlaws.org/HigherLogic/System/DownloadDocumentFile.ashx?DocumentFileKey=21c366b3-b11c-d774-f34d-7901ab76e9a5&forceDialog=0

https://www.uniformlaws.org/HigherLogic/System/DownloadDocumentFile.ashx?DocumentFileKey=0f589496-fd89-29b5-7306-f9d0292e58d9&forceDialog=0

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Bill passes 3-0-2 and awaits action by the Governor.

ATTACKING THE TOWER ACT

1. Beginning in fiscal year 2023 there shall be levied a 2% tax on the investment earnings of any private college or university in the Southern Region that has at least 500 tuition-paying students and net endowment assets of at least $1,000,000 per student.

2. No postsecondary student in the Southern Region shall be eligible for any publicly funded scholarship program within the Southern Region nor to receive any public money awarded therefrom if the student is actively pursuing or intends to actively pursue a degree in:
A. Diversity
B. puppetry
C. Ethnic studies
D. civilization studies
E. black or africana studies
F. hispanic studies
G. indigenous studies
H. Asian studies
I. white or european studies
J. women's studies
K. men's studies
L. gender studies
M. queer studies or queer theory
N. marxist theory
O. critical theory
P. Sexuality studies
Q. Underwater basket-weaving

Nothing in this act shall be interpreted as authorizing the censorship of professors, lectures, or classes.

3. No postsecondary student in the Southern Region shall be required to pay any general activity fee used to fund clubs, organizations, or other groups to attend or reside at any college or university in the Southern Region. Nothing in this act shall prohibit clubs, organizations, or other groups affiliated with such colleges or universities from requiring the payment of an activity fee in order for a student to actually participate in such clubs, organizations, or groups.

4. No college or university in the Southern Region shall withhold degrees or transcripts from any current or former student based on the current or former student owing money to such college or university.

5. This law shall take effect July 1, 2022.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Bill passes 3-0-2 and awaits action by the Governor.

RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF HOBBY LOBBY

Whereas Hobby Lobby is a proud southern business providing wonderful products, and;

Whereas Hobby Lobby is culturally associated with Southern Region, and serves as an excellent symbol of Southern love, hospitality, and charm, and;

Whereas Hobby Lobby has donated lots of money to worthwhile charities and organizations, cares deeply about its employees, and is an exemplary corporate citizen;

Now therefore, the first week of June 2022 shall be proclaimed Hobby Lobby Pride Week. It shall be the official policy of the Southern Region to encourage all Atlasians to visit Hobby Lobby at least once during Hobby Lobby Pride Week.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Bill passes 3-0-2 and awaits action by the Governor.

PROTECTING YOUTH ACTIVITIES ACT

BE IT ENACTED BY THE SOUTHERN CHAMBER OF DELEGATES:

TITLE I: YOUTH SPORTS

SECTION 1.  FINDINGS

The legislature finds that:

(1)  historically, boys participate in interscholastic athletics at a higher rate than girls, and a noticeable disparity continues between the athletic participation rates of students who are girls and students who are boys in Southern schools.

(2)  courts have recognized that classification by sex is the only feasible classification to promote the governmental interest of providing for interscholastic athletic opportunities for girls.

SECTION 2. PURPOSE

The purpose of this Act is to further the governmental interest of ensuring that sufficient interscholastic athletic opportunities remain available for girls to remedy past discrimination on the basis of sex.

SECTION 3.  INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC COMPETITION BASED ON BIOLOGICAL SEX.

(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), an interscholastic athletic team sponsored or authorized by a school district or open-enrollment charter school may not allow a student to compete in an interscholastic athletic competition sponsored or authorized by the district or school that is designated for the biological sex opposite to the student's biological sex as
correctly stated on:
(1)  the student's official birth certificate, as described by Subsection (c); or
(2)  if the student's official birth certificate described by Subdivision (1) is unobtainable, another government record.

(b)  An interscholastic athletic team described by Subsection (a) may allow a female student to compete in an interscholastic athletic competition that is designated for male students if a corresponding interscholastic athletic competition designated for female students is not offered or available.

(c)  For purposes of this section, a statement of a student's
 biological sex on the student's official birth certificate is
 considered to have correctly stated the student's biological sex only if the statement was:
(1)  entered at or near the time of the student's birth; or
(2)  modified to correct any type of scrivener or clerical error in the student's biological sex.

(d) Nothing in this Title shall interfere with the right of local school districts to determine their own bathroom policies
          

SECTION 4. APPLICATION

This Act applies to any interscholastic athletic competition sponsored or authorized by a school district or
open-enrollment charter school that occurs on or after the
effective date of this Act.

SECTION 5. ENACTMENT

This Title shall take effect immediately.

TITLE II: MISCELLANEOUS

SECTION 1. CLUB ACCESS

Beginning in FY 2023, any public school that recieves funding from the Southern Region must allow reasonable access to its facilities, classrooms, and student lists to the Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of America, and 4-H Club. School districts are encouaged to allow participation in 4-H activities to qualify as an accredited class.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Bill passes 3-0-2 and awaits action by the Governor.

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP ACT

TITLE I: ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

1. The importation or sale of Chinese drywall is hereby prohibited in the Southern Region. For purposes of this section, Chinese drywall shall be defined as any drywall containing hydrogen sulfide.
 
2. The End of Session Omnibus Regulatory Reform Act shall be amended as follows:

21.) No locality in the Southern Region shall require any person who owns real property which they use as a non-commercial domicile, to obtain a permit in order to construct, replace, or install a fence, outdoor staircase or ramp, driveway, carport or garage, porch or deck, outhouse, chicken coop, Lean-to, animal pen, swimming pool, solar panel and related equipment, or firepit, upon that real property.

22.) No locality in the Southern Region shall require any person who owns real property to remove naturally deposited snow from adjacent public right of ways.

23.) No locality in the Southern Region shall limit the number of persons who may live in an individual dwelling on a parcel of land zoned for single-family residential housing. No locality in the Southern Region shall generally prohibit solar panels on a parcel of land zoned for single-family residential housing provided such parcel of land is not located in a designated historic district or contains a designated historic landmark.

24.) No locality in the Southern Region shall require a special use permit to engage in farming or agricultural activities or to operate commercial solar panels, provided the activities occur in an area zoned for agricultural or industrial use.

3. Neither the Southern Region nor any State or locality therein shall be permitted to tax or levy an assessment on rainfall or the impervious surface on a property that impacts stormwater discharge.

4. The Regional Fuel Tax Act is hereby reduced to 25 cents per gallon. For purposes of PayGo this provision shall only go into effect upon the adoption of a tax on college endowment investment income in a separate act.

5. The Southern Environmental Act of 2020 is hereby repealed.

TITLE II: WILDLIFE

1. No regional, State, or local law, regulation, or ordinance shall make it a criminal offense to feed animals.

2. The Southern Regional government shall purchase 50,000 troy ounces of silver bullion and commission the minting of 50,000 non legal tender, silver, 1 troy oz commemorative tokens, to be sold to the public at $35 per token. Each token shall include on the obverse, "Southern Region 2022" as well as a sculpting to be approved by the governor, of Delegate Ulmer Fudd accompanied by a rabbit and a duck. Each token shall include on the reverse, a sculpting to be approved by the governor, of deer in the forest. All proceeds from the sale of these tokens shall be dedicated to the promotion of wilderness and wildlife conservation and hunting activities.

TITLE III: TRUMAN SAYS IMPORT GOOD LUMBER

1. Whereas, the region of Fremont passed the Plain Packaging Act which directly contradicts, violates, and nullifies a lawful statute of the government of Atlasia, and;

Whereas, the Plain Packaging Act, a regional law, was drafted and carried into execution by the sitting Attorney General, Harry Truman, and;

Whereas, despite the obvious conflict of interest the Atlasian Attorney General has opined that the Plain Packaging Act, a regional law, supersedes contradictory Atlasian statutory law regardless of the Supremacy Clause of the Atlasian Constitution on the grounds that we “demonstrate … genuine attachment to the principle of regional rights. If … not, we shall know that all this talk of federalism is a humbug and merely a flimsy disguise for their putative devotion to the monied interest. We call on all the friends of labor to stand firm against the combination of the communists and fascists in their war on regionalism. This war we must and shall win for the liberty of all Atlasians under the constitution.”, and;

Whereas, the sitting Attorney General, Harry Truman, has determined that regional nullification of an Atlasian statute is appropriate when regional rights and the liberty of the people are threatened, that failure to engage in such regional nullification benefits communists and fascists, and that the Atlasian Department of Justice would not enforce a nullified Atlasian law;

Now, therefore, we the Chamber of Delegates of the Southern Region, under the principles of comity and regional equality, do hereby ordain and resolve the following:

1. That it is position of the Chamber of Delegates of the Southern Region that the 2008 amendment to the Lacey Act of 1900 (Lacey Act) affecting the commercial importation or sale of plants and plant products, 16 USC §3371 – 3378 and an Atlasian statute, violates regional rights and the liberty of the people.

2. That accordingly, the portion of the Lacey Act affecting the commercial importation or sale of plants and plant products is hereby nullified within the legal jurisdiction of the Southern Region. No local, State, or Regional money or resources shall be expended in the enforcement of this statute, nor shall any local, State, Regional, or Atlasian employees or agents enforce, or attempt to enforce, this statute within the Southern Region.

3. That any provision herein found to be unconstitutional by a court of proper jurisdiction shall be severable from the remainder of this act.

TITLE IV: ENACTMENT

1. This act shall take effect six (6) months after passage.