RA Rules of Procedure

1. Agenda

The Leader of the Representative Assembly (LRA) will determine the proposed agenda for each meeting, and publish it on a notecard and on the forum at least 24 hours before each meeting. It is expected that all members will suggest agenda items, but the LRA will prepare the final draft. If the RA membership feels that the LRA has not brought an agenda item to the meeting that they want, a petition agreed to by a majority of all members can insert an agenda item into the list for the next meeting.

Every agenda for the RA shall be based on a schedule of a maximum of two hours, with no less than a ten minute open discussion time allowed at the end and no less than ten minutes of administrative time set at the beginning.

2. Meeting Procedures

i. Administrative time first

During the administrative time, the LRA shall perform administrative business on the RA agenda (such as electing and swearing in a Chancellor and swearing in new members) and shall entertain procedural motions from the RA (such as motions to adjust the order of the agenda, to extend or adjust time for debate, or to move an item designated as “noncontroversial” to a “consent agenda” in the next session; or to move an item on the “consent agenda” to the end of the agenda for debate) and shall ask the RA to pass the “consent agenda” without debate.

ii. Time limits for each agenda item

Each item on the agenda shall be allocated a time for debate by the LRA. If the LRA believes that a proposed piece of legislation shall not be controversial, it shall be allocated no less than ten minutes for debate. If the LRA believes that a proposed piece of legislation may be controversial, it shall be allocated no less than 15 minutes for debate. All members of the RA and all citizens in attendance at the RA shall indicate to the LRA, before the start of the RA session or during the first ten minutes of the session, whether they wish to speak on an item on the agenda, and which side they wish to speak on.

iii. RA decision on an action item after debate closes

Following the allocated time for debate, the RA shall either move to vote on the issue, move for further debate, or move to allow amendments and further debate. If the RA wishes further debate or amendments, no vote shall be held, and the matter shall be tabled until the next session of the RA, at which time the matter shall be considered as a “prior matter of the RA” on the agenda, and shall be considered to be controversial for the purpose of setting time for debate. If the RA has voted to allow amendments, the matter shall be tabled and amendments shall be drafted and submitted to the LRA and posted on the forums at least one day prior to the date on which the LRA is to publish the RA agenda.

3. Citizen Input

Any citizen may propose legislation to the RA by: emailing the proposal to the LRA; giving the LRA a proposal inworld on notecard; or posting specifically proposed text in the “legislative discussion” forum, in a post that specifically requests that the LRA add the proposal to the agenda.

It is suggested that that member be chosen by the submitter as a supporter of the substance of the bill. Posting the content of the bill on the forum is also strongly suggested, so that public opinion can be gathered. It is highly suggested that the bill contain two parts; a summary of what is proposed, and a detailed statement of the proposed action and its implications.

The members and the public need to know the issues on what will be a wide variety of matters, and those persons must not be assumed to have a complete understanding of the issues — i.e. the bill should be an educational document. Please!

4. Public Proceedings

All meetings of the RA will be public, and all citizens of CDS are welcome to attend and participate. During the meeting, any citizen can talk in any point of the agenda after having asked the LRA. Non-citizens are welcome too, but they should listen only, and not speak. If non-member residents disrupt proceedings, they should be subject to actions which may end in being teleported home and banned from CDS. RA may, by simple majority vote, enter into a closed session to discuss legal or personnel matters. Although no transcript is kept in closed session, journal entries are kept normally unless the secrecy provision is invoked per Article I of the constitution.

A closed session may be one of four types, to be determined by the RA when the vote to enter closed session:

• Members only
• Citizens only
• Members + invited guests (the LRA determines who is to be invited)
• Citizens + invited guests (the LRA determines who is to be invited).

5. Committees

The LRA can create (or propose for creation) committees of members for the purpose of study and information gathering on proposed topics (bills, agenda items of all sorts). Committees will be formed of volunteers, and the LRA will make efforts to ensure that committees contain a balanced range of faction members and positions. Committee members can be non-members of the RA. Each topic that a committee receives for attention must be brought back to the RA for action, even if the recommendation is to drop it.

6. Public Access to Proposed Bills

A notecard dispensor, or even just an object containing notecards, will be placed in a convenient place in the meeting premises (and elsewhere, if people wish), for the purpose of disseminating the information needed for the meeting. This dispensor will contain the Agenda, a copy of each proposed Bill, and supporting materials which members may wish to offer for the efficient discussion of a topic.

7. Published Proceedings

All proceedings will be recorded and published in the forum.

8. Recording Approved Bills

The RA Archivist shall publish copies of all approved bills on the portal at portal.slcds.info.

9. Quorum

A quorum for all RA business is equal to a minimum of 50%+ 1 members in attendance. In the absence of a quorum, discussion may be held, but no action can be taken.

10. 7-Day Vote

Any member who is absent from a meeting can request a 7-day vote if they tell the LRA before the meeting.

Revision Date: March 21, 2010