SB 118-58: Homeless Bill of Rights - Passed

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Slightly modified from FT 30.4

Homeless Bill of Rights

Section 1, TITLE AND DEFINITIONS.
i. The title of this Act shall be, the "Homeless Bill of Rights Amendment," or simply the “Homeless Bill of Rights” or “Homeless Amendment.”

Section 2, THE RIGHT TO SLEEP.
i. Unless the vehicle is trespassing on private property, the right of an individual to sleep in their vehicle or that of a consenting party shall not be infringed.
ii. Unless threatening public safety and/or trespassing on private property, the right of an individual to sleep on a public bench between the hours of 10pm and 6am local time shall not be infringed.
iii. Any public benches erected after the twenty-ninth (29th) day of February in the year of our Lord two-thousand-and-twenty-four (2024) shall not contain any armrests or protrusions anywhere on the bench, other than the extreme sides, that would cause the seat of the bench to be anything other than completely smooth and flat.

Section 3, THE RIGHT TO USE THE RESTROOM.
i. The right to use a public restroom inside of a commercial facility with public access shall not be restricted by any requirement to purchase something or be a paying customer.
ii. Unless banned from the physical location for reasons completely unrelated to the individual’s homeless status, no commercial facility with public access shall restrict an individual from using an unoccupied public restroom.
iii. Public urination, within the borders of the Commonwealth, shall be punished with no more than five (5) months of jail time, and shall not be charged as a felony or cause for sex offender status unless it is clear that the offense was committed to elicit sexual arousal.

Section 4, MISCELLANEOUS RIGHTS.
i. No person's rights, privileges, or access to public services may be denied or abridged solely because he or she is homeless. Such a person shall be granted the same rights and privileges as any other citizen of this region. A person experiencing homelessness has the following rights:
   1. the right to use and move freely in public spaces, including but not limited to public sidewalks, public parks, public transportation, and public buildings, in the same manner as any other person and without discrimination on the basis of his or her housing status;
   2. the right to equal treatment by all national agencies, without discrimination on the basis of housing status;
   3. the right not to face discrimination while seeking or maintaining employment due to his or her lack of permanent mailing address, or his or her mailing address being that of a shelter or social service provider;
   4. the right to emergency medical care free from discrimination based on his or her housing status;
   5. the right to vote, register to vote, and receive documentation necessary to prove identity for voting without discrimination due to his or her housing status;
   6. the right to protection from disclosure of his or her records and information provided to homeless shelters and service providers to national entities without appropriate legal authority; and the right to confidentiality of personal records and information in accordance with all limitations on disclosure established by the federal law; and
   7. the right to a reasonable expectation of privacy in his or her personal property to the same extent as personal property in a permanent residence.

Sponsor: Christian Man
Occupying: Slot 17

[Vice President Christian Man]

Thank you PPT Dwarven,

Few people struggle to live than homeless people. While not rewarding homelessness, this at least gives them a degree of humility and gives them the right to use essential services which is essential for their well-being and to avoid discrimination.

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

motion for a final vote

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

A final vote is beginning.

Aye

[LAKISYLVANIA]

Aye

[Dr. MB]

Aye

[Vice President Christian Man]

Aye

[thumb21]

Aye

[Pyro]

Aye

[nerd73]

Aye

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Aye

[P. Clodius Pulcher did nothing wrong]

Aye

[Coastal Elitist]

Nay

[fhtagn]

Nay

[FT-02 Senator A.F.E. 🇵🇸🤝🇺🇸🤝🇺🇦]

Aye

[reagente]

Nay

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

PASSES 10-3-0-5

Slightly modified from FT 30.4

Homeless Bill of Rights

Section 1, TITLE AND DEFINITIONS.
i. The title of this Act shall be, the "Homeless Bill of Rights Amendment," or simply the “Homeless Bill of Rights” or “Homeless Amendment.”

Section 2, THE RIGHT TO SLEEP.
i. Unless the vehicle is trespassing on private property, the right of an individual to sleep in their vehicle or that of a consenting party shall not be infringed.
ii. Unless threatening public safety and/or trespassing on private property, the right of an individual to sleep on a public bench between the hours of 10pm and 6am local time shall not be infringed.
iii. Any public benches erected after the twenty-ninth (29th) day of February in the year of our Lord two-thousand-and-twenty-four (2024) shall not contain any armrests or protrusions anywhere on the bench, other than the extreme sides, that would cause the seat of the bench to be anything other than completely smooth and flat.

Section 3, THE RIGHT TO USE THE RESTROOM.
i. The right to use a public restroom inside of a commercial facility with public access shall not be restricted by any requirement to purchase something or be a paying customer.
ii. Unless banned from the physical location for reasons completely unrelated to the individual’s homeless status, no commercial facility with public access shall restrict an individual from using an unoccupied public restroom.
iii. Public urination, within the borders of the Commonwealth, shall be punished with no more than five (5) months of jail time, and shall not be charged as a felony or cause for sex offender status unless it is clear that the offense was committed to elicit sexual arousal.

Section 4, MISCELLANEOUS RIGHTS.
i. No person's rights, privileges, or access to public services may be denied or abridged solely because he or she is homeless. Such a person shall be granted the same rights and privileges as any other citizen of this region. A person experiencing homelessness has the following rights:
   1. the right to use and move freely in public spaces, including but not limited to public sidewalks, public parks, public transportation, and public buildings, in the same manner as any other person and without discrimination on the basis of his or her housing status;
   2. the right to equal treatment by all national agencies, without discrimination on the basis of housing status;
   3. the right not to face discrimination while seeking or maintaining employment due to his or her lack of permanent mailing address, or his or her mailing address being that of a shelter or social service provider;
   4. the right to emergency medical care free from discrimination based on his or her housing status;
   5. the right to vote, register to vote, and receive documentation necessary to prove identity for voting without discrimination due to his or her housing status;
   6. the right to protection from disclosure of his or her records and information provided to homeless shelters and service providers to national entities without appropriate legal authority; and the right to confidentiality of personal records and information in accordance with all limitations on disclosure established by the federal law; and
   7. the right to a reasonable expectation of privacy in his or her personal property to the same extent as personal property in a permanent residence.