Office of Southern Governor LouisvilleThunder

[reagente]

Governor, the following bill has passed and awaits your signature:

Cherokee County Act

Section 1: Renaming Leinad County, GA
1. The Leinad Appreciation Act is hereby repealed.
2. Cherokee County, GA will receive $25,000 from the regional government to replace road signs.

Section 2: Implementation
1. This act is effective immediately upon passage.

[reagente]

Governor, the following bill has passed and is ready for your signature:

AN ACT
To give a right to repair products you own

Be it enacted by the Southern Chamber of Delegates

Section I. Title and Definitions
I. This bill may be known as the Right to Repair Act.
II. "Consumer electronic device" shall be defined as any item that uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification and rectification and is intended for everyday use.

Section II. Substance
I. Any person in the Southern region shall be allowed to repair or modify any electronic device in their ownership.
II. No business that offers repair services shall be barred from accepting a client with a consumer electronic device to be repaired.
III. All current regulations that only permit a means to repair a device or obtain repair parts through one of their authorized vendors or original equipment manufacturers (OEM) shall be considered null and unenforceable under Southern law. This shall not prevent businesses from voiding a warranty should a consumer opt out of using an authorized vendor.
IV. Nothing in this Act shall prevent authorized vendors or OEMs from providing repair services of their own.
V. This Act shall go into effect one week following the signing of this legislation by the Governor.

[reagente]

Governor, the following bill has passed and is ready for your signature:

AN ACT
To ban divisive race theory within local and the Southern Government and its affiliates

Be it enacted by the Southern Chamber of Delegates

Section I. Title

i. This bill may be known as the Southern Discriminatory Training Ban.

Section II. Substance
i. Any Southern regional, state, or local agency, or any entity receiving regional government funding, may not use diversity training which promotes racist concepts during training such as but not limited to that an “individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously” and that “any individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of his or her race or sex.”
ii. Section II-i shall apply to any businesses and corporations that hold contracts to provide goods or services to the Southern regional government. Any contract that remains in affect with a business that does not comply with this Act when it goes into effect will be terminated.
iii. This Act shall also apply to any educational institution which receives funding from any regional, state, or local government.

Section III. Enforcement
i. Any worker who is in a department with one of these trainings can whistleblower to an appropriate department for an official reprimand of whoever ordered said training.
ii. Said whistleblower can be granted a reward of up to $10,000 and any workers who experienced discomfort during the training can be granted compensation of up to $50 per hour of the training.
iii. All fines must come from any diversity sub department funding within the department that has stated racist training.
iv. Any diversity administrator hired by a department of the Southern government or state or local department has a salary cap equivalent to the annual average NPC state legislative salary.
v. This Act shall go into effect one week following the signing of this legislation by the Governor.

[reagente]

Governor, the following bill has passed and is ready for your signature:

AN ACT
To Build a Dam on the Meramec River for Purposes of Generating Hydroelectric Power and Controlling Flooding

Be it enacted by the Southern Chamber of Delegates

1.)  This Act shall be referred to as the Make Every River A Malleable Electricity Creator Act or MERAMEC Act

2.) An earth embankment hydroelectric dam will be created on the Meramec River near the town of Pacific, Missouri, and a smaller earth embankment hydroelectric dam will be created on the Big River near the town of Cedar Hill, Missouri, according to the plan proposed by the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1940s.

3.) All land owned by the Southern Region that borders the newly created reservoirs shall be sold to residential developers.

4.) Ameren Missouri shall be placed in charge of operating the hydroelectric dams upon completion. 50% of net profits from the dams will be dispersed to the Southern Government.

5.) The Southern Government will issue $650,000,000 in regional bonds to fund the construction of the dam over a 10 year period.

[reagente]

Governor the following bill has passed and is ready for your signature:

AN ACT
To Make Automobiles Vroom on Autobahns

Be it enacted by the Southern Chamber of Delegates

1.)  This Act shall be referred to as the Make Automobiles Vroom on Autobahns Act or Southern MAVA Act.

2.) There shall be no maximum speed limit on Interstate Highways and other divided highways with four or more lanes in counties with average population densities of 200 persons or fewer per square mile. A recommended speed shall be posted of 90 Miles per Hour.

3.) The maximum speed limit that may be posted on two lane rural highways shall be 75 Miles per Hour.

4.) Individual States, localities, and the Governor are authorized to place lower speed limits on specific roads it deems necessary to protect public safety.

5.) Any State or Local ban on possessing or operating radar detector technology in private cars is hereby repealed.

6. To obtain a drivers license in the South, one must complete a first aid course.

7. Upon the completion of a regular oil change done on any motor vehicle in the South within the jurisdiction of an officially registered auto repair, maintenance, or service shop, there shall be an inspection of the vehicle to ensure that it is safe for use on the Autobahn.

8. Vehicles driving on Southern roads with speed limits above 100 mph are required to keep first aid kits in their vehicle.

9. It shall be illegal to talk on the phone while operating a vehicle on roads with speed limits above 100 mph

10. During a declared state of emergency, the Southern, state, local law enforcement and the Governor may authorize Southern roads to:

A) open the shoulders of the road to evacuating vehicles, as well as

B) reverse traffic patterns to create contraflow lanes for evacuating vehicles.

11. This Act shall take effect on June 1, 2021.

[reagente]

Governor the following bill has passed and is ready for your signature:

Universal Broadband Access Act

1.) Authorizes $32 Billion ($7 Billion each year from FY 2022 - FY 2025 and $4 Billion in FY 2026) to be spent in five years that shall be used to deploy secure and resilient broadband infrastructure for communities of all types (rural, suburban, or urban) throughout the Southern region which currently are underserved in terms of infrastructure, focusing on areas with poverty rates above the regional average. The funds are to be used efficiently and effectively and will be directed to the Governor's office. There the governor shall establish a commission that shall work in tandem with and coordinate with other regional agencies in order to ensure efficient usage of funds.

2.) Requires internet service providers whose networks are built with the new financial support appropriated in the bill to offer an affordable (to be defined by algorithms) service plan to every consumer.

3.) Guarantees the right of local governments, public-private partnerships, and cooperatives to deliver broadband service, which has lowered prices in many communities by providing competition to traditional broadband providers.

4.) Directs the Federal Communications Commission to collect data on prices charged for broadband service throughout the country and make that data widely available to other Federal agencies, researchers, and public interest groups, with appropriate privacy protections.

5.) Gives preference in the funds provided under the bill to certain broadband projects that will provide open access for additional providers to use taxpayer-funded infrastructure on fair terms to provide more options to consumers.

6.) Creates a new “dig once” provision to ensure better coordination of transportation and broadband infrastructure projects, while ensuring State flexibility and preventing unfunded mandates.

7.) Authorizes $500 Million to be spent in FY 2022 establish two new grant programs: the State Digital Equity Capacity Program, an annual grant program for states to create and implement comprehensive digital equity plans to help close gaps in broadband adoption and digital skills, and the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program, which will further support these efforts through digital inclusion projects undertaken by individual organizations and local communities.

8.) Authorizes an additional $1 Billion to be spent over five years for the recently enacted Emergency Connectivity Fund through E-Rate to promote student connectivity, including funding for Wi-Fi on school buses so that students can be connected, which emphasis on rural areas.

9.) This bill is effective June 01, 2021

[reagente]

Governor, the following bills have passed and are ready for your signature:

Banning Discriminatory Hiring Act

Section I. Title
i. This bill may be known as the “Banning Discriminatory Hiring Act.”

Section II. Enforcement
i. This act applies to any corporate entity that conducts business in the Southern Region or is incorporated in the Southern Region
ii. Any corporate entity that conducts business in the Southern Region or is incorporated in the Southern region may not use race, ethnicity, religion, income, sex, gender, or political ideology as a factor in hiring.
iii. This bill shall not apply to non-profits or charities

Section III. Enforcement
i. Corporate entities found to violate this act by the Southern Attorney General shall be fined the larger of $1,000,000 or 1% of yearly revenues.
ii. Residents of the Southern Region shall retain a private right of action against corporate entities that violate this statute

Banning Racist Curriculum Act

Section I. Title
i. This bill may be known as the “Banning Racist Curriculum Act”

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, or oppressive, 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 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.

It is okay to use Plastic Utensils and Styrofoam Containers Act

Section I. Title
i. This bill may be known as the “It is okay to use Plastic Utensils and Styrofoam Containers Act”

Section II. Substance
i. Article III of the The Southern Environmental Act (S.19.4-3) is repealed, effective immediately.

[reagente]

Governor, the following bill has passed and awaits your signature

Defending Homeownership Act

Section I. Title
i. This bill may be known as the “Defending Homeownership Act”

Section II. Substance
i. All minimum lot size limits for new homes in the Southern Region are henceforth outlawed. This should not be construed as undercutting any other housing regulations on local or state level.
ii. Investment companies and non-permanent resident non-citizen buyers face a special tax of fourty-five percent on all transations involving the purchase and sale of a home, except for multi-family housing units with at least 4 floors, and within the borders of a county with a population of over 400,000.
iii. All residents who can prove they own a residential property and whose annual income is 150% or less of the poverty line gets a deduction of ten percent off their overall tax bill.

Section III. Implementation

i. Article II in the previous section takes effect immediately upon this bill being signed into law, and the rest of this law takes effect on July 1, 2021.

[reagente]

Governor, the following bill has passed and awaits your siganture:

End Rotten Boroughs Act

Section I. Title and Definitions
i. This bill may be known as the “End Rotten Boroughs Act”
ii. Voter Eligible Population” (VEP) is defined as the citizen population and permanent resident population, as well as all those with a currently valid immigrant visa as defined by the Atlasian Department of State on this website (https://fam.state.gov/FAM/09FAM/09FAM050201.html), that is not barred from voting on account of incarceration or mental incompetence.

Section II. Substance
i. All legislative districts in the Southern Region shall be drawn to have equal Voter Eligible Populations – allowing for up to a ten percent total deviation.
ii. The Southern Attorney General’s Office shall compile VEP data utilizing federal census data and Southern administrative records. This VEP data shall be compiled at least yearly and produced at the census block level.
iii.  Upon the production of the first set of VEP data, all governments within the Southern regional shall immediately redraw legislative boundaries to comply with this act. Thereafter, legislative boundaries must be redrawn at least once every decade.

[reagente]

Governor, the following bills have passed and await your signature:

Combatting Prostitution Act

Section I. Title
i. This bill may be known as the “Combatting Prostitution Act”

Section II. Substance
i. The Ho's Gotta Grind Act (S.19.1-26) is repealed, effective immediately.

DamN it! Act

1. Planning for construction then construction are to begin immediately on the following three projects listed:
  1A. Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 3 - Somervell County, TX - 1700 MW - Price estimate $7.5 Billion
  1B. Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 4 - Somervell County, TX - 1700 MW - Price estimate $7.5 Billion
  1C. Clinch River Four Units of SMR - Oak Ridge, TN - Price estimate $900 Million each ($3.6 Billion total) - 180 MW each (720 total)
  1D. Expanded Wolf Creek Dam and Reservoir - Russell County, KY - Ohio River - Price estimate $20 Billion - 4800 MW
  1E. TimTurner Gravity Dam and Reservoir - Wichita County, TX - Red River - Price estimate $24 Billion - 4800 MW
2. Funds Allocated will be $1 Billion in FY 2021. After FY 2021, 20% of the remaining budget surplus (if there is a budget surplus, if there is no budget surplus nothing goes) will be allocated for these projects above every year indefinitely.
3. The governor's office shall create and sustain a "Dam funding commission" which shall ensure efficient usage of funds.

[reagente]

Governor, the follow legislation has passed* and awaits your signature:

Fairness in Academic Admissions Act

Section I. Title
i. This bill may be known as the “Fairness in Academic Admissions Act.”

Section II. Substance
i. This act applies to any University, College, Graduate School, or other post-secondary institution (hereafter “post-secondary institutions”) (with the exception of historically black institutions) that accepts money from the Southern Regional Government or any local government in the South
ii. Post-Secondary Institutions that accept money from the Southern Regional Government or any local government in the South may not use race, ethnicity, religion, income, sex, gender, political ideology, or “legacy status” as a factor in admissions.

Section III. Enforcement
i. Post-Secondary Institutions found to violate this act by the Southern Attorney General shall be required to forfeit all government funds received in years where the institution violated this statute and shall additionally be fined the larger of $1,000,000 or 1% of the institution’s endowment.
ii. Residents of the Southern Region shall retain a private right of action against post-secondary institutions that violate this statute

*so does a vote with 1 yes, and 1 present count? I'm not sure if that violates quorum or anything

[reagente]

Governor, the following bills have passed, awaiting signature:

Fairness in Academic Admissions Act

Section I. Title
i. This bill may be known as the “Fairness in Academic Admissions Act.”

Section II. Substance
i. This act applies to any University, College, Graduate School, or other post-secondary institution (hereafter “post-secondary institutions”) that accepts money from the Southern Regional Government or any local government in the South
ii. Post-Secondary Institutions that accept money from the Southern Regional Government or any local government in the South may not use race, ethnicity, religion, income, sex, gender, political ideology, or “legacy status” as a factor in admissions.
iii. This act shall not apply to historically black colleges, historically same-sex colleges, or seminaries or other theological schools.

Section III. Enforcement
i. Post-Secondary Institutions found to violate this act by the Southern Attorney General shall be required to forfeit all government funds received in years where the institution violated this statute and shall additionally be fined the larger of $1,000,000 or 1% of the institution’s endowment.
ii. Residents of the Southern Region shall retain a private right of action against post-secondary institutions that violate this statute

This bill passed last session, but the governor did not sign it or veto. I want to send it to his desk quickly to give him that opportunity, so with consent of the chamber, I motion to put this to a vote.

Promoting Domestic Minds Act

Section I. Title and Definitions
i. This bill may be known as the “Promoting Domestic Minds Act”
ii. “Non-permanent resident” refers to all individuals who are not citizens or permanent residents of Atlasia

Section II. Substance
i.  This act applies to any University, College, Graduate School, or other post-secondary institution (hereafter “post-secondary institutions”) that accepts money from the Southern Regional Government or any local government in the South
ii. Post-Secondary Institutions that accept money from the Southern Regional Government or any local government in the South are prohibited from charging non-permanent residents “in-state” or otherwise reduced or preferential tuition rates. 
iii. Post-Secondary Institutions that accept money from the Southern Regional Government or any local government in the South are prohibited from offering any financial aid or scholarships to individuals who are not citizens or permanent residents of Atlasia.
iv. The Southern Attorney General can grant waivers from this law provided Post-Secondary Institutions make a showing that admitting a foreign or out-of-state student would accrue appreciable soft power gains to the Southern Region

Like with S.21-3.1, this bill passed last session, but the governor did not sign it or veto. I want to send it to his desk quickly to give him that opportunity, so with consent of the chamber, I motion to put this to a vote

[reagente]

The Southern Open Shop Act

Section I. Title
i. This bill may be known as the “Southern Open Shot Act.”

Section II. Substance
i. The LABORER Act (S.19.4-2) is repealed, effective immediately.

Governor, the following bill has passed and awaits your signature.

[reagente]

Governor, the following bill has passed, and awaits your signature:

Vaccination Lottery Act

Section I. Title

i. This bill shall be known as the “Vaccination Lottery Act.”

Section II. Eligibility

i. Atlasians who have established residency in the Southern Region are eligible to benefit from the lottery system.
ii. The minimum age of eligible recipients is 18 years.
iii. Only upon administration of a second vaccination dosage can the willing member become a participant.

Section III. Substance

i. The Southern Region shall set aside $2,500,000 available for distribution.
ii. Facilities such as well known pharmacy stores already distributing Southern-recognized vaccines shall be identified for the lottery system. They shall notify the regional government if they wish to participate in distributing forms for registration in the program.
iii. Upon administration of a second vaccination dosage at participating facilities, a form shall be given to vaccine recipients who wish to enter. This form shall ask for participants’ names and other relevant pieces of identification. This information will be submitted through mail by these facilities.
iv. Four months following the initialization of this program, 10 of the vaccine recipients shall be randomly selected to receive $250,000 each.

[reagente]

Governor,

the following bills have passed and await your signature:

Official Language of the South Act

Section I. Title
i. This bill may be known as the “Official Language of the South Act”

Section II. Substance
i. English shall be the official language of the Southern Region
ii. Nothing in this act shall be construed to infringe upon the right of states and domestic dependent nations to adopt additional official languages beyond English.
iii. A total of $500,000,000 annually shall be block granted to the states in the Southern Region to fund English as a second or foreign language (hereafter "ESL") education programs
iv. The funds provided in this act shall be apportioned according to a state's share of ESL speakers as a total of the total number of ESL speakers in the South

Uniform Corporate Law Act

Section 1. Definitions
i. This law shall be known as the “Uniform Corporate Law Act”
Section 2. Provisions
i. The Southern Region adopts the “Uniform Commercial Code”, except for the provisions that conflict with prior Southern legislation
ii. The Southern Region adopts Title 8 of the Delaware Code.
iii. To enforce the previous clauses, the Southern Region shall establish a “Court of Chancery” modeled after the Delaware Court of Chancery.
Section 3. Enactment
This Law shall come into force on January 1, 2022

Southern Marriage Act:

Section 1. Definitions
i. To be valid and recognized in this region, a civil marriage shall exist only between two adults.
ii. Individuals who have a coefficient of relationship of 10% or higher with each other are prohibited from marrying.
iii. Nothing in this act shall be construed to compel religious institutions to recognize, endorse, or provide civil marriages.

Section 2. Validity and Parameters
i. To be valid and recognized in this region, a civil marriage shall exist only between two adults.
ii. Nothing in this act shall be construed to compel religious institutions to recognize, endorse, or provide civil marriages.

Section 3. Civil Marriage Incentives
i. Section 2(i) of the Family Opportunity Fund Act (S.20.3-16) is replaced with the following section:
“Each Married person with a dependent child shall be eligible for an annual child tax credit of $6,000 per dependent, up to four. The credit shall be divided and dispersed at the beginning of each month ($500 per month). Each Unmarried person with a dependent child shall be eligible for an annual child tax credit of $3,600 per dependent, up to four. The credit shall be divided and dispersed at the beginning of each month ($300 per month).

Section 4. At-Fault Civil Divorce
i. To obtain an at-fault civil divorce in the South, one spouse must show that the other spouse has committed a fault.
ii. Faults shall include adultery, abandonment, capital felony, and crimes against children. State governments may augment this list.
iii. A spouse accused of a fault can utilize recrimination as a defense.
iv. If only one spouse is shown to have acted without fault in the civil marriage, that spouse shall be awarded primary custody of non-adult children and two-thirds of commonly held real property.
v. No alimony payments are owed to a spouse who has committed a fault.

Section 5. No-Fault Civil Divorce.
i. A spouse can obtain a civil divorce in the South without a showing of fault. However, the initiating spouse forgoes any right to alimony payments, and cannot receive more than 50% of commonly held real property or primary custody in the divorce settlement.

Section 6: Enactment
Sections 2 and 3 of this act are valid immediately upon passage. Sections 4 and 5 will enter effect on January 1, 2023.

[reagente]

Governor, the following bill has passed and awaits your signature:

Supporting Southern Families Act

Section I. Title

i. This bill shall be known as the “Supporting Southern Families Act.”

Section II. Definitions

i. “Household” shall refer to the primary residence occupied by at least one parent or legal guardian of any child or children of 17 years of age or younger.

Section III. Family Bonuses

i. A direct cash deposit shall be enacted every year for the next five years and shall begin within 90 days following the passing of this bill. Households will receive a direct deposit of the following amounts based on the following formula:

For Households earning less than $300,000.00 per year: {[$1500 - ($Household income / 200) ] + $500} per child

For Households earning more than $300,000.00 per year: $500 per child

Section IV. Ultrasound Availability

i. Pregnancy centers or any other reproductive health centers in the South shall be required to offer ultrasounds as an option at least once.

[reagente]

Governor, the following bill has passed and awaits your signature:

Working Experience for Students Act

Section I. Title
i. This bill may be known as the “Working Experience for Students Act” or "WESA Act" for short.

Section II. Substance
i. All accredited universities in the South shall require students to be in the state of being in an internship or job throughout their time studying.
ii. It is required that students be given some class credit for interns under this law.
iii. Second, they should have the option to be employed over the Summer term instead of the school year.
iv. Institutions can make exceptions for those with disabilities from being impacted by this bill.
v. A total of $20,000,000 is to be given to the relevant authorities in question to aid with enforcement of this law.

---

Also, providing notice that the following proposed amendment has been passed by the legislature, and there shall be a referendum to ratify the proposed amendment:

Southern Electoral Districts Amendment

Section I: Names and Definitions

This law shall be officially referred as the Southern Electoral Districts Amendment

Section II: Amendment

1. Article IV, Section 1 shall be amended as the following: “The legislative power of The South shall be vested to the Southern Legislature, which shall be composed of five representatives. Three of these representatives shall be elected by a region-wide vote, while one representative will be elected by voters from the Deep South (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, and Texas), and one representative will be elected by voters from the Upper South (Arkansas, Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia).

2. Article IV, Section 2 shall be amended as the following: “Representatives are to be elected by all citizens registered to vote in The South. Representatives must be registered to vote in The South. The representative for the Deep South must be registered in the Deep South, and the representative for the Upper South must be registered in the Upper South.”

3. Article IV, Section 4 shall be amended as the following: “Candidates for the Southern Legislature will be given until the Wednesday at 11:59:59 pm EDT preceding the first date of polling in the election they wish to contest to announce their candidacy and appear on the ballot. This is to be done by officially declaring their candidacy in the Candidate Declaration Thread and specifying if they are running region-wide, in the Deep South, or in the Upper South.

Section III: Approval

Per the Southern Constitution, this amendment shall be voted on by the members of the Chamber of Delegates. If approved by two-thirds or more of the Chamber, the citizens of the Southern Region are to vote on this amendment. If approved by a majority of Southern Citizens, it shall go immediately into effect.

[reagente]

Governor, the following bill has passed and awaits your signature:

The Second Southern Referendum Act

1. The Southern Referendum Act (S.21.2-5) shall be amended to read:

1. In the case of any bill there is taken a vote on in the Southern Chamber of Delegates in which no majority of total votes is reached (either "Yes" votes or "No" votes do not reach a majority due to abstentions) and a majority of members voted on that bill, that the bill is passed or denied instead as a part of a referendum. If an absolute majority of participating voters in that referendum votes either in favor or against that bill, then it gets sent directly to the governor's office.
2. Legislation filed as Amendments will be exempted from all provisions of the Southern Referendum Act
3. When legislation is presented to the governor (either by majority vote or by popular referendum) and the governor vetoes that legislation, the Southern Referendum Act will no longer apply to the legislation and the regular veto-override process rules will govern.
4. The referendum would take place at the same time as the regional elections directly following the original vote inside the chamber, and sponsors and supporters, or opponents of the bill are encouraged to share their arguments as to why they think the bill is a good or bad idea.
    4A. The format of the referendum is as follows. After all previous questions regarding ballots for elected office, a section of the ballot is dedicated to referendums. In these sections, all bills eligible to be placed as referendums will be titled "[INSERT BILL NAME HERE]" + "Referendum". After this, a link to the bill inside the Southern Chamber is presented along with one paragraph describing what the bill does, one paragraph arguing for the bill, and one paragraph arguing against the bill. The writers of the paragraphs are the first paragraph is written by the person who introduced the bill and/or sponsored it. The second paragraph is written by the first person who voted "Aye!" (if someone did vote Aye, if nobody voted Aye then that paragraph isn't written) and the third paragraph is written by the first person who voted "Nay!" (if someone did vote Nay, if nobody voted Nay then that paragraph isn't written). Also, details about the vote of the bill which came to pass are given. An example is given below in section 2B, for better understanding. Maximum word counts for each paragraph are 200 words, no minimum word count. If nobody writes a paragraph, then that paragraph will not be written. The referendum will carry on though.
   4B.

The [INSERT BILL NAME HERE] Referendum

Link to Bill in Southern Chamber

If this referendum passes with a majority of participating voters choose "Aye" then the above bill passes and will be presented to the governor for signature. If a majority of participating voters choose "Nay" then the above bill is rejected and will not be presented to the governor for signature, and will not be signed into law.

This bill was sponsored by [Person A].

The vote in the Southern Chamber went as follows:

Aye!

Person A
Person B

Nay!

Person C
Person D

Abstain

Person E

Description of bill contents (written by Person A)

The bill will do [things].

Advocation for bill (written by Person B)

You should vote for this bill because [reasons].

Advocation against bill (written by Person C)

You should vote against this bill because [reasons].

3. This bill is effective August 01, 2021.

2. This bill shall be effective immediately.

[reagente]

Governor, the following bill has passed and awaits your signature:

AN ACT relating to abortion, including abortions after detection of an unborn child's heartbeat; authorizing a private civil right of action.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE SOUTHERN CHAMBER OF DELEGATES

SECTION 1: TITLE
(1) This Act shall be known as the Southern Heartbeat Act.

SECTION 2.  DEFINITIONS:
(1)  "Fetal heartbeat" means cardiac activity or the steady and repetitive rhythmic contraction of the fetal heart within the gestational sac.
(2)  "Gestational age" means the amount of time that has elapsed from the first day of a woman's last menstrual period.
(3)  "Gestational sac" means the structure comprising the extraembryonic membranes that envelop the unborn child and that is typically visible by ultrasound after the fourth week of pregnancy.
(4)  "Physician" means an individual licensed to practice medicine in this region, including a medical doctor and a doctor of osteopathic medicine.
(5)  "Pregnancy" means the human female reproductive condition that:

• (A) begins with fertilization;
• (B) occurs when the woman is carrying the developing human offspring; and
• (C) is calculated from the first day of the woman's last menstrual period.

(6)  "Standard medical practice" means the degree of skill, care, and diligence that an obstetrician of ordinary judgment, learning, and skill would employ in like circumstances.
(7)  "Unborn child" means a human fetus or embryo in any stage of gestation from fertilization until birth.

SECTION 3:  LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.
The legislature finds, according to contemporary medical research, that:
(1)  fetal heartbeat has become a key medical predictor that an unborn child will reach live birth;
(2)  cardiac activity begins at a biologically identifiable moment in time, normally when the fetal heart is formed in the gestational sac;
(3)  The South has compelling interests from the outset of a woman's pregnancy in protecting the health of the woman and the life of the unborn child; and
(4)  to make an informed choice about whether to continue her pregnancy, the pregnant woman has a compelling interest in knowing the likelihood of her unborn child surviving to full-term birth based on the presence of cardiac activity.

SECTION 4:  PROHIBITED ABORTION OF UNBORN CHILD WITH DETECTABLE FETAL HEARTBEAT;
(1) a physician may not knowingly perform or induce an abortion on a pregnant woman if the physician detected a fetal heartbeat for the unborn child or failed to perform a test to detect a fetal heartbeat.
(2)  A physician does not violate this section if the physician performed a test for a fetal heartbeat as required by Section 5

SECTION 5:  DETERMINATION OF PRESENCE OF FETAL HEARTBEAT
(1)  For the purposes of determining the presence of a fetal heartbeat under this section, "standard medical practice" includes employing the appropriate means of detecting the heartbeat based on the estimated gestational age of the unborn child and the condition of the woman and her pregnancy.
(2)  In making a determination under this section, the physician must use a test that is:

• (A)  consistent with the physician's good faith and reasonable understanding of standard medical practice; and
• (B)  appropriate for the estimated gestational age of the unborn child and the condition of the pregnant woman and her pregnancy.

(3)  A physician making a determination shall record in the pregnant woman's medical record:

• (A)  the estimated gestational age of the unborn child;
• (B)  the method used to estimate the gestational age; and
• (C)  the test used for detecting a fetal heartbeat, including the date, time, and results of the test.

SECTION 6: EXCEPTION FOR MEDICAL EMERGENCY
(1) Sections 4 and 5 do not apply if a physician believes a medical emergency exists that threatens the life of the pregnant woman
(2)  A physician who performs or induces an abortion under such circumstances shall make written notations in the pregnant woman's medical record of:

• (A)  the physician's belief that a medical emergency necessitated the abortion; and
• (B)  the medical condition of the pregnant woman that prevented compliance with this section

(3)  A physician performing or inducing an abortion under this section shall maintain in the physician's practice records a copy of the notations made under Section 5

SECTION 7:  SCOPE OF STATUTE.
(1)  This statute does not create or recognize a right to abortion before a fetal heartbeat is detected.
(2)  This statute may not be construed to:

• (a)  authorize the initiation of a cause of action against or the prosecution of a woman on whom an abortion is performed or induced or attempted to be performed or induced in violation of this statute;
• (b)  wholly or partly repeal, either expressly or by implication, any other statute that regulates or prohibits abortion
• (c)  restrict a political subdivision from regulating or prohibiting abortion in a manner that is at least as stringent as the laws of this region.

SECTION 8:  LIMITATIONS ON PUBLIC ENFORCEMENT.
(1)  The requirements of this statute shall be enforced exclusively through the private civil actions described in Section 9.  No enforcement of this statute may be taken or threatened by this region, a political subdivision, a district or county attorney, or an executive or administrative officer or employee of this region or a political subdivision against any person, except as provided in Section 9.

SECTION 9:  CIVIL LIABILITY FOR VIOLATION OR AIDING OR ABETTING VIOLATION.
(1)  Any person, other than an officer or employee of a state or local governmental entity in this region, may bring a civil action against any person who:

• (A)  performs or induces an abortion in violation of this statute;
• (B)  knowingly engages in conduct that aids or abets the performance or inducement of an abortion, including paying for or reimbursing the costs of an abortion through insurance or otherwise, if the abortion is performed or induced in violation of this statute, regardless of whether the person knew or should have known that the abortion would be performed or induced in violation of this statute; or
• (C)  intends to engage in the conduct described in the prior two subsections

(2)  If a claimant prevails in an action brought under this section, the court shall award:

• (A)  injunctive relief sufficient to prevent the defendant from violating this statute or engaging in acts that aid or abet violations of this statute;
• (B)  statutory damages in an amount of not less than $10,000 for each abortion that the defendant performed or induced in violation of this statute, and for each abortion performed or induced in violation of this statute that the defendant aided or abetted

(3)  a court may not award relief under this section if the defendant demonstrates that the defendant previously paid the full amount of statutory damages under a previous action for that particular abortion preformed or induced in violation of this statute, or for the particular conduct that aided or abetted an abortion performed or induced in violation of this statute.
(4)  A person may bring an action under this section not later than the fourth anniversary of the date the cause of action accrues.
(5)  Notwithstanding any other law, the following are not a defense to an action brought under this section:

• (A)  ignorance or mistake of law;
• (B)  a defendant's belief that the requirements of this statute are unconstitutional or were unconstitutional;
• (C)  a defendant's reliance on any court decision that has been overruled on appeal or by a subsequent court, even if that court decision had not been overruled when the defendant engaged in conduct that violates this statute;
• (D)  a defendant's reliance on any regional or federal court decision that is not binding on the court in which the action has been brought;
• (E)  non-mutual issue preclusion or non-mutual claim preclusion;
• (F)  the consent of the unborn child's mother to the abortion; or
• (G)  any claim that the enforcement of this section or the imposition of civil liability against the defendant will violate the constitutional rights of third parties

(6)  This section may not be construed to impose liability on any speech or conduct protected by the Article I, Section Two of the Atlasian Constitution, nor Article II, Section one of the Southern Constitution
(7)  Notwithstanding any other law, this region, a regional official, or a district or county attorney may not intervene in an action brought under this section.  This subsection does not prohibit a person described by this subsection from filing an amicus curiae brief in the action.
( 8 )  A court may not award costs or attorney's fees to a defendant in an action brought under this section.
(9)  Notwithstanding any other law, a civil action under this section may not be brought by a person who impregnated the abortion patient through an act of rape, sexual assault, or incest

SECTION 10: CIVIL LIABILITY: UNDUE BURDEN DEFENSE LIMITATIONS.
(1)  A defendant against whom an action is brought under Section 9 does not have standing to assert the rights of women seeking an abortion as a defense to liability under that section unless:

• (A)  the Atlasian Supreme Court holds that the courts of this region must confer standing on that defendant to assert the third-party rights of women seeking an abortion in the regional court as a matter of federal constitutional law; or
• (B)  the defendant has standing to assert the rights of women seeking an abortion under the tests for third-party standing established by the Atlasian Supreme Court

Section 11:  CIVIL LIABILITY:  VENUE.  
(1)  Notwithstanding any other law a civil action brought under Section 9 shall be brought in:

• (A)  the state in which all or a substantial part of the events or omissions giving rise to the claim occurred;
• (B)  the state of residence for any one of the natural person defendants at the time the cause of action accrued;
• (C)  the state of the principal office in this region of any one of the defendants that is not a natural person; or
• (D)  the state of residence for the claimant if the claimant is a natural person residing in this region.

(2)  If a civil action is brought under Section 9 in any one of the venues described in this section, the action may not be transferred to a different venue without the written consent of all parties.
        
SECTION 12:  SOVEREIGN, GOVERNMENTAL, AND OFFICIAL IMMUNITY PRESERVED.  
(1)  This region has sovereign immunity, a political subdivision has governmental immunity, and each officer and employee of this region or a political subdivision has official immunity in any action, claim, or counterclaim or any type of legal or equitable action that challenges the validity of any provision or application of this chapter, on constitutional grounds or otherwise.

SECTION 13:  SEVERABILITY.
(1) It is the intent of the Southern Chamber of delegates that every provision, section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or word in this chapter, and every application of the provisions in this chapter, are severable from each other
(2)  If any application of any provision in this chapter to any person, group of persons, or circumstances is found by a court to be invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining applications of that provision to all other persons and circumstances shall be severed and may not be affected.  All constitutionally valid applications of this chapter shall be severed from any applications that a court finds to be invalid, leaving the valid applications in force, because it is the legislature's intent and priority that the valid applications be allowed to stand alone.  Even if a reviewing court finds a provision of this chapter to impose an undue burden in a large or substantial fraction of relevant cases, the applications that do not present an undue burden shall be severed from the remaining applications and shall remain in force, and shall be treated as if the legislature had enacted a statute limited to the persons, group of persons, or circumstances for which the statute's application does not present an undue burden.
(3)  If any court declares or finds a provision of this statute facially unconstitutional, when discrete applications of that provision can be enforced against a person, group of persons, or circumstances without violating the Atlasian Constitution and Southern  Constitution, those applications shall be severed from all remaining applications of the provision, and the provision shall be interpreted as if the legislature had enacted a provision limited to the persons, group of persons, or circumstances for which the provision's application will not violate Atlasian Constitution or Southern Constitution.
(4)  The legislature further declares that it would have enacted this chapter, and each provision, section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or word, and all constitutional applications of this chapter, irrespective of the fact that any provision, section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or word, or applications of this chapter, were to be declared unconstitutional or to represent an undue burden.
(5)  If any provision of this chapter is found by any court to be unconstitutionally vague, then the applications of that provision that do not present constitutional vagueness problems shall be severed and remain in force.
(6)  No court may decline to enforce the severability requirements of the preceding subsections on the ground that severance would rewrite the statute or involve the court in legislative or lawmaking activity.  (7) A court that declines to enforce or enjoins a state official from enforcing a statutory provision does not rewrite a statute, as the statute continues to contain the same words as before the court's decision.  A judicial injunction or declaration of unconstitutionality:

• (A)  is nothing more than an edict prohibiting enforcement that may subsequently be vacated by a later court if that court has a different understanding of the requirements of the Southern or Atlasian Constitutions
• (B)  is not a formal amendment of the language in a statute; and
• (C)  no more rewrites a statute than a decision by the executive not to enforce a duly enacted statute in a limited and defined set of circumstances.

Section 14: CONSTRUCTION OF ABORTION STATUTES.
(1) A Southern statute that regulates or prohibits abortion may not be construed to repeal any other statute that regulates or prohibits abortion, either wholly or partly, unless the repealing statute explicitly states that it is repealing the other statute.
(2) A statute may not be construed to restrict a political subdivision from regulating or prohibiting abortion in a manner that is at least as stringent as the laws of this region unless the statute explicitly states that political subdivisions are prohibited from regulating or prohibiting abortion in the manner described by the statute.
(3)  Every Southern statute that regulates or prohibits abortion is severable in each of its applications to every person and circumstance.  If any statute that regulates or prohibits abortion is found by any court to be unconstitutional, either on its face or as applied, then all applications of that statute that do not violate the Atlasian Constitution and Southern Constitution shall be severed from the unconstitutional applications and shall remain enforceable, notwithstanding any other law, and the statute shall be interpreted as if containing language limiting the statute's application to the persons, group of persons, or circumstances for which the statute's application will not violate the Atlasian Constitution and Southern Constitution
    
SECTION 14: APPLICABILITY
(1)  The change in law made by this Act applies only to an abortion performed or induced on or after the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 15: EFFECTIVE DATE
(1) This Act takes effect November 11, 2021.

[reagente]

Governor, the following resolution has passed:

Constitutional Convention Resolution:

Pursuant to Article VII, Section 4 of the Southern Constitution, this chamber considers it desirable to comprehensively improve this constitution, and we ask the governor to call a Constitutional Convention.

Per the aforementioned article, this resolution shall not be considered operative without the assent of four-fifths of the chamber.

[reagente]

Governor LouisvilleThunder,

On behalf of the Southern Constitutional Committee, I am transmitting notice that we have finished drafting a proposed Constitution that is ready for the Southern electorate to approve or deny by popular vote in this upcoming election.