WSFA Spring Congress Legislative Packet 2012

 

 

Included in this packet are the selections of the WSFA Congress committee designated for use during the Spring sessions of Congress held between January and March 2012.  The legislation is placed in alphabetical order by authoring school.  Following the legislation for preliminary sessions is legislation designated for Super Congress.  This Super Congress legislation may ONLY be used for Super Congress or at tournaments where there is no Super Congress session.

 

Those schools with legislation introduced in their name have the right of authorship. 

 

An “authorship speech” is the first speech given to introduce a legislative item given by any delegate in the chamber representing the school authoring the legislation. 

 

A “sponsorship speech” is the first speech introducing a legislative item when no delegate from the author school is present, or when such a delegate declines the right to an authorship speech.

Table of Contents

 

PRELIMINARY LEGISLATION
Item	Title	Author School
A	A Bill to Clarify Relations	Auburn-Riverside
B	A Bill for Re-Organization of the United States Postal Service	Bear Creek
C	A Bill to Ban Cross-Company Data Mining	Chiawana
D	A Resolution to Make Ear-Piercing for Children Age 5 or Under Illegal	Coeur d’Alene
E	A Bill Requiring Regular Driving Tests for the Elderly	Central Kitsap
F	A Resolution to Replace Textbooks with E-Readers	Central Valley
G	A Bill to Increase Hydroelectric Power	Eastside Catholic
H	A Bill to Change Foreign Aid Policy	Eisenhower
I	A Bill to Publicly Finance Federal Campaigns	Emerald Ridge
J	A Resolution to Amend the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America	Federal Way
K	A Resolution to Prevent Walkout Tactics	Ferris
L	A Bill to Reduce Transportation Security Administration Security Protocols and Funding	Gig Harbor
M	A Resolution to Legalize Marijuana	Gonzaga Prep
N	A Bill to Regulate the Prescription of Antibiotics	Kingston
O	A Bill to Fund the Keystone Pipeline XL Project	Newport
P	A Bill to Remove “In God We Trust” from National Currency	Republic
Q	A Resolution to Mandate HPV Vaccinations for School-Aged Females	Ridgefield
R	A Bill to Amend the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act	Snohomish
S	A Resolution to Propose Banning Violent Video Games for Children Younger than 10 Years Old	Thomas Jefferson
T	A Bill to Alter the Electoral College	Union
U	A Bill to Abolish the Bush Tax Cuts	University
V	A Resolution to Adopt English as the Official Language of the US	W. F. West
W	A Resolution to Actively Pursue “Anonymous”	WSFA
X	A Resolution to Give Voting Rights to Citizens of the US	WSFA
Y	A Resolution to Advocate the Pursuit of Multilateral Action in Future Humanitarian Military Interventions	WSFA
Z1	A Bill to Disestablish Zoos in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon	WSFA
Z2	A Resolution to Encourage Organ Donation	WSFA

 

SUPER CONGRESS LEGISLATION
Item	Title	Author School
AA	A Resolution to Amend the Constitution to Prohibit Taxation of Disenfranchised Persons	WSFA
BB	A Bill to Limit the Power of Eminent Domain	WSFA
CC	A Bill to Create the State of New Columbia	WSFA
DD	A Bill to Remove Unilateral Sanctions	WSFA
EE	A Bill to Fund Ambien and Zolpidem Research Concerning People in a “Vegetative” State	WSFA
FF	A Resolution to Change the Content of US Public School Government Courses	WSFA
GG	A Resolution to Remove the ETA from the Foreign Terrorist Organizations List	WSFA

 

A

A Bill to Clarify Relations

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         Legal guardians and minors are available to apply for a card which identifies their relationship to each other.

Section 2.         A “legal guardian” is classified as a parent, foster parent, adoptive parent, or parent who may or may not have a different name or ethnicity than the child.

Section 3.         This card will be administered by the individual state’s Departments of Social and Health Services.

Section 4.         This law will take effect within six months of passage.

Section 5.         All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by Auburn-Riverside High School

B

A Bill for Re-Organization of the United States Postal Service

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         In order that the United States Postal Service might continue to exist, the USPS will:

A. Cease Saturday postal delivery.

B. Be given the power to raise or lower stamp prices at their own discretion and need.

C. Transition to a non-union workforce.

D. Give the Postmaster General and his officers the authority to restructure the Postal Service work force as needed.

Section 2.         The restructuring of the Postal Service work force may include

hiring, firing, promoting, or demoting postal service workers in order to promote the smooth running of the postal system.

Section 3.         The United States Postal Service will oversee this process.

Section 4.         This law will take effect within six months of passage.

Section 5.         All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

Introduced by The Bear Creek School.

C

A Bill to Ban Cross-Company Data Mining

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         All data mining software be banned for all cross-company platforms including sister companies, parent companies, and private companies.

Section 2.         All information gathered by a company will exclude the consumer’s identity or personal information.

Section 3.         Companies contracted to mine data must only share the information with the companies they are contracted with and conduct new data mines with separate companies who contract them or the contracted company will receive a fine.

Section 4.         A. Raw information “mined” from data must be removed from all databases every 18 months.

            B. Companies and institutions are allowed to gather raw information once every month.

Section 5.         This law will take effect within eight months of passage.

Section 6.         All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

Introduced by Chiawana High School

D

A Resolution to Make Ear-Piercing for Children Age 5 or Under Illegal

WHEREAS,     children under the age of 5 are unable to make the decision to receive body modifications and yet children under the age of 5 are still receiving ear-piercings without their consent; and

WHEREAS,     body modification should be determined by an individual after reaching the appropriate age to make a fully developed decision; and

WHEREAS,     ear-piercings decide by parents for a child under the age of 5 should be considered child abuse, and forced body modification; and

WHEREAS,     it isn’t acceptable, to inflict a procedure that can inflict pain and harm on children without their consent; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By the Congress here assembled that ear-piercing for anyone under the age of 5 shall be regarded as child abuse and be discontinued.

 

Introduced by Coeur d’Alene High School.

E

A Bill Requiring Regular Driving Tests for the Elderly

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         Every citizen sixty-five years old and over will be required to pass a driver’s test every six months to retain their license.

Section 2.         A. If a citizen fails the test they will have their license revoked, but will have the opportunity to take the test a second time. If they fail the test a second time then they will have their license revoked permanently.

B. If they do not take their bi-annual driver’s test, then they will have their license revoked and will be fined as a secondary offense.

Section 3.         The driver’s tests will be funded by raising the cost of all drivers’ license tests by five dollars.

SECTION 4.    This law will take effect six months following passage.

Section 5.         All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by Central Kitsap High School

F

A Resolution to Replace Textbooks with E-Readers

WHEREAS,     According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission there are nearly 7,500 emergency room visits each year due to injuries related to backpacks or book bags; and

WHEREAS,     children commonly carry backpack loads of 22 percent of their body weight; and

WHEREAS,     concerns about back injuries has caused the American Chiropractic Association to recommend that backpacks weigh no more than 10% of a student’s body weight; and

WHEREAS,     children commonly carry backpack loads of 22 percent of their body weight; and

WHEREAS,     the bulk of this weight is caused by heavy textbooks that are currently available on CD’s and therefore exist in electronic form; and

WHEREAS,     textbooks are both heavy, expensive, easily damaged and hard to replace with an edition compatible to the rest of a classroom set of books; and

WHEREAS,     e-readers are lightweight, capable of holding thousands of books and are less expensive than one semester’s worth of classroom textbooks; and

WHEREAS,     Students are currently held accountable for the loss or damage of textbooks and so could be held just as accountable for the loss or damage to an e-reader – the difference being that it would be cheaper to replace the e-reader than it is to replace the textbooks; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By the Congress here assembled that publishers of school textbooks make these books available for download to e-readers; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that school districts invest in e-readers to be checked out to students instead of textbooks; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that each semester the student will download the appropriate textbooks for the classes scheduled and the prior semester’s textbooks will be removed from service.

 

Introduced by Central Valley High School.

G

A Bill to Increase Hydroelectric Power

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         A. A one-time sum of $500,000,000 shall be reallocated from the Department of Defense budget to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to fund the research and construction of 250 new dams inside U.S. borders within the next 10 years.

            B. At least 50% of labor used to construct each of the dams in Section 1 must be drawn from within a 300-mile radius of the construction site.

SECTION 2.    $2,000,000 per year shall be reallocated from the budget of the Department of Defense to the National Dam Safety Program to oversee the safety of newly built dams.

SECTION 3.    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in conjunction with National Dam Safety Program shall carry out this bill.

SECTION 4.    This law will take effect within six months of passage.

SECTION 5.    All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void

 

Introduced by Eastside Catholic High School.

H

A Bill to Change Foreign Aid Policy

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         We will divert foreign aid from economically stable countries such as China and divert the funds to the European Union.

SECTION 2.    Economically stable countries include those that are industrialized such as China, Canada, Russia, Brazil, India, Argentina and Mexico as well as Japan and Australia.

SECTION 3.    The organizations that would oversee the transfer of money would be the US Congress via the House and Senate Foreign Relations committees.

SECTION 4.    This law will take effect on April 10, 2013.

SECTION 5.    All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by Eisenhower High School

I

A Bill to Publicly Finance Federal Campaigns

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         The United States Congress use tax revenues to publicly fund qualified candidates for all federal offices.

Section 2.         To be considered a qualified candidate, he/she must have won the primary for his/her party, meet the qualifications set under the Constitution, have a substantial and established campaign platform, and have the support of a significant number of electors through a collection of petition signatures.

Section 3.         A. The Internal Revenue Service shall be in charge of collection through a mandatory annual filing fee of $5.00 on each federal income tax submission.

B.  Federal Election Commission shall be in charge of the equitable distribution of funds.

C.  Each state’s Secretary of State will certify the candidate’s qualifications to receive funds.

SECTION 4.    This law will take effect within six months of passage.

Section 5.         All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by Emerald Ridge High School

J

A Resolution to Amend the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America

WHEREAS,     illegal immigration is a serious problem in America; and

WHEREAS,     between 12 and 20 million illegal immigrants reside in the United States; and

WHEREAS,     the 14th amendment that defines an American citizen as “all persons born or naturalized in the United States”, provides a loophole for illegal immigrants to give birth to their child on American soil; and

WHEREAS,     this guarantees citizenship for the child and consequently allows illegal parents to stay with their child in the United States; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By two-thirds of the Congress here assembled, that the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states within seven years from the date of its submission by the Congress:
                                                ARTICLE --

SECTION 1:   Section 1 of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America is amended to read, “All persons born to at least one American citizen or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

 

Introduced by Federal Way High School.

K

A Resolution to Prevent Walkout Tactics

WHEREAS,     at this point in time Congress can be stopped by two legislative means the filibuster and the walkout; and

WHEREAS,     there is no defense in Congress at this time to prevent walkout tactics; and

WHEREAS,     these walkouts can stop the passing of other legislation and therefore can severely decrease the effectiveness of Congress; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By the Congress here assembled that representatives who are absent from Congress for a period of more than ten days without an excused leave of absence prior to leaving, will be put before a committee for the possibility of dismissal.

 

Introduced by Ferris High School

L

A Bill to Reduce Transportation Security Administration Security Protocols and Funding

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         The Transportation Security Administration shall significantly reduce the usage of backscatter x-ray devices.

Section 2.         The Transportation Security Administration shall perform full-body pat-downs only if suspicious behavior is exhibited.

Section 3.         The Transportation Security Administration shall eliminate the strict limits imposed upon liquids and gels.

SECTION 4.    As a result of these reductions in security protocol, the Transportation Security Administration shall be required to make expenditure cuts of no less than half of their current funding.

Section 5. This law will take effect within one year of passage.

Section 6.         All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by Gig Harbor High School

M

A Resolution to Legalize Marijuana

WHEREAS,     60% of Americans have tried pot at least once, and have not seen any serious, negative, or long term effects; and

WHEREAS,     More than 22 million pounds of marijuana come from Mexico a year, the sale of which is funding the drug cartels in Mexico, resulting in 35,000 deaths yearly; and

WHEREAS,     The average price on marijuana yearly ranges from $10 billion to $100 billion; and

WHEREAS,     The government could highly tax marijuana and earn over $35 billion dollars a year just on the tax of marijuana alone; and

WHEREAS,     The government has spent at least $15 billion to stop the war on drugs, which could be used for other means; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By the Congress here assembled that marijuana will be made legal in the United States; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that marijuana be sold at any local retailer that sells cigarettes.

 

Introduced by Gonzaga Preparatory School

N

A Bill to Regulate the Prescription of Antibiotics

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         The prescription of antibiotics to patients who lack a test confirming the presence of a bacterial infection is prohibited.

SECTION 2.    Patients with a prescription for antibiotics must present a letter from a lab confirming a positive test for the presence of bacteria to the pharmacologist. Any pharmacologist who gives out antibiotics without said letter shall have their license permanently revoked. The prescriptions and corresponding letters shall be stored and periodic inspections by a supervisor will check for any prescriptions lacking a corresponding letter, and if any violations are found, the disciplinary measures stated above shall be performed.

SECTION 3.    A. The financial requirement of the proposed law will be the salaries of the government supervisors inspecting the pharmacological records. Their wages shall be paid through taxes levied against the pharmaceutical companies. 

B. The supervisors are to be employed by the Food and Drug Administration.

SECTION 4.    This law will take effect within six months of passage.

SECTION 5.    All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by Kingston High School

O

A Bill to Fund the Keystone Pipeline XL Project

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         Additional funding of $7,000,000,000 is allocated to complete the Keystone XL Pipeline Extension Project to extend the pipeline from the US Border with Alberta, Canada to refineries Port Arthur, Texas and Houston, Texas.

SECTION 2. The Keystone XL project is defined by the application filed in 2009 and approved by the National Energy Board of Canada in 2010.

SECTION 3.    A. The US Department of Energy, House Energy and Commerce Board, and House Finance and Appropriations Committee will oversee the implementation of this bill.

B. The Environmental Protection Agency will monitor the project to assure it is built for minimum environmental impact.

SECTION 4.    This law will take effect within six months of passage.

SECTION 5.    All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by Newport High School

P

A Bill to Remove “In God We Trust” from National Currency

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         The motto, “In God We Trust” shall cease to be put on all future prints of national currency.

SECTION 2. National currency applies to all United States currency issued by our central bank or monetary authority.

SECTION 3.    The United States Department of Treasury will oversee the removal of “In God We Trust” on all future prints and coins.

SECTION 4.    This law will come into effect on the next printing of each coin and bill.

SECTION 5.    All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by Republic High School

Q

A Resolution to Mandate HPV Vaccinations for School-Aged Females

WHEREAS,     there is no treatment for HPV (Human Papillomavirus), and it is the most common sexually transmitted infection; and

WHEREAS,     HPV is linked to cervical cancer, and a high-risk strain of HPV is present in 99% of cases of cervical cancer; and

WHEREAS,     there are 11,000 new cases of cervical cancer and 3,700 deaths from cervical cancer in the United States annually; and

WHEREAS,     26% of females age 14 – 24 and 48% of females age 20 – 24 are infected with HPV; and

WHEREAS,     Gardasil is FDA-approved and vaccinates against four strains of HPV including the more virulent ones; and

WHEREAS,     on August 1, 2008, the HPV vaccine became a required vaccination for young immigrant females; and

WHEREAS,     in 2007 the District of Columbia passed a law mandating HPV requirement to attend school; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By the Congress here assembled that the HPV vaccine Gardasil be required of all females entering school for the first time.

 

Introduced by Ridgefield High School

R

A Bill to Amend the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         The Native American Repatriation Act be amended to allow qualified federally funded research facilities, museums, and individual scientists to gain access to the respectful study of Native American cultural items.

SECTION 2. For clarification purposes the following definitions apply to terms:

A. “Cultural items” are defined by the current law as human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony to Native American Tribes.

B  “Qualified federally funded facilities, museums, and individual scientists” are to be determined by the Secretary of the Interior.

C. “Scientific necessity” refers to a need for historical or paleontological significance which can be only be determined by direct scientific study.

D.  The ultimate determination as to the “scientific necessity” and worthiness of this study shall rest with the Secretary of the Interior.

E.  Since these cultural items are often considered sacred by Native American Tribes, all “respectful study” methods must involve practices which do not destroy, mutilate, or significantly alter items,

F.  No study period shall exceed one year, nor shall any object be studied more than once.

G.  All “cultural items” shall be returned to the Native American Tribe claiming them at the end of the study period, and that tribe shall then have control of them in perpetuity.

SECTION 3.    The office of the Secretary of the Interior will be responsible for enforcement of all provisions of this bill as funded by Congress.

SECTION 4.    This law will take effect one year after passage.

SECTION 5.    All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by Snohomish High School

S

A Resolution to Propose Banning Violent Video Games for Children Younger than 10 Years Old

WHEREAS,     rates of violent crime have been increasing since 1985; and

WHEREAS,     human beings are most impressionable up until the age of 10, after which the majority of synapse links between the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex have already been formed; and

WHEREAS,     combating violent crime should not only be focused on treating the symptoms of its development in society, but the root causes as well; and

WHEREAS,     video games are prevalent in contemporary American society and are even highly addictive for many; and

WHEREAS,     numerous cases of violent crime in recent times were influenced by fantasies from violent videogames in the perpetrators childhood; and

WHEREAS,     a 2009 study conducted by researchers in Texas working with the Centre for European Economic Research confirmed that violence in video games has been increasing since 1975; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By the Congress here assembled that the use of violent videogames with a rating other than E should be banned for children younger than 10 years old.

Introduced by Thomas Jefferson High School

T

A Bill to Alter the Electoral College

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         The U.S. Electoral College be altered from its current method in which the winner of each state receives all of said state’s votes to the system currently used in Nebraska and Maine, where one vote is allocated to each voting district within the state, and is thusly determined by the winner in each district, not state.

Section 2.         Voting districts will be the same districts used for electing Representatives for the House of Representatives and each state will receive the same amount of electoral votes that they do currently, based on the most recent census.

Section 3.         These changes will be overseen by the U.S. Federal Election Commission.

Section 4.         This legislation will become effective after its passage, beginning with the first election in 2013 or later.

Section 5.         All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by Union High School

U

A Bill to Abolish the Bush Tax Cuts

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         The $1.6 trillion package of tax cuts signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2001 shall be revoked and shall be terminated effective December 31, 2012.

Section 2.         This transition will be carried out by the Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service.

Section 3.         This law will take effect December 31, 2012

Section 4.         All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by University High School

V

A Resolution to Adopt English as the Official Language of the United States

WHEREAS,     According to the 2000 US Census, 82.1 percent of Americans speak English; and

WHEREAS,     The primary language used in public schools is English; and

WHEREAS,     Communication between the majority of students in the US is through the English language; and

WHEREAS,     the government will save money on publication fees, printing, and document translations; and

WHEREAS,     adopting the English language will promote the learning of English by non English speakers; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By the Congress here assembled that the Government of the United States shall preserve and enhance the role of English as the official language of the United States of America; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that, unless specifically stated in applicable law, no person            has a right, entitlement, or claim to have the Government of the United States or any of its officials or representatives act, communicate, perform or provide services, or provide materials in any language other than English; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that if exceptions are made, they do not create a legal entitlement to additional services in that language or any language other than English.

 

Introduced by W. F. West High School

W

A Resolution to Actively Pursue “Anonymous”

WHEREAS,     the Internet group known as “Anonymous” has, since 2003, engaged active civil disobedience, existing as an anarchic Internet entity; and

WHEREAS,     “Anonymous” has launched Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS) attacks against such prominent sites as Habbo, Facebook, CNN, and Amazon; and

WHEREAS,     such attacks on the Sony Playstation network cost roughly $171 million; and

WHEREAS,     on several occasions, “Anonymous” has hacked the databases of  companies like Bank of America, HB Gary, and Sony in order to obtain private user information with the intent to disseminate it to the public; and

WHEREAS,     these attacks constitute a significant threat to the privacy, safety, and security of the American public; and

WHEREAS,     attacks are damaging an already unstable American economy; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By the Congress here assembled that the United States officially declare the group known as “Anonymous” to be a terrorist organization; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the FBI be tasked to investigate all activities by “Anonymous” and explore counter-terrorism actions against them with the intent to capture and prosecute prominent members of the group.

 

Introduced by WSFA

 

X

A Resolution to Give Voting Rights to Citizens of the US Territories

WHEREAS,     American citizens living in territories and commonwealths of the United States of America do not have voting representatives in Congress or representation in the electoral college; and

WHEREAS,     between the same citizens receive federal funding for social security, education, and public projects; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By two-thirds of the Congress here assembled, that the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states within seven years from the date of its submission by the Congress:
                                                ARTICLE --

SECTION 1:   The Territories and Commonwealths of the United States of America shall receive an apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives and Electoral College based on their population. Territories and Commonwealths will receive no representation in the Senate until such time as they enter the Union as a State.

 

SECTION 2:   The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

 

Introduced by WSFA

 

 

Y

A Resolution to Advocate the Pursuit of Multilateral Action in Future Humanitarian Military Interventions

WHEREAS,     the recent NATO-led military operation to maintain a no-fly zone over Libya to support Libyan rebels oust Muhammar Gaddafi displayed the effectiveness of a united coalition of multiple nations (NATO in this case) in achieving military objectives; and

WHEREAS,     the United States chose to “lead from behind” resulting in military success with zero casualties sustained and with considerably less effort in coordinating and executing a military operation in comparison to a unilateral approach to the intervention in Libya; and

WHEREAS,     our NATO allies proved themselves as capable and competent military forces capable of winning wars without the United States having to do all the heavy lifting; and

WHEREAS,     with NATO handling Libya, the United States has the freedom to disengage from the intervention after major hostilities have ceased; and

WHEREAS,     poor state of America's economy and our stifling trillions of dollars in debt makes it fiscally irresponsible to launch a costly war that a unilateral approach would incur; and

WHEREAS,     having our allies contribute their own forces would significantly reduce the required expenses of waging war in comparison to fighting alone; and

WHEREAS,     engaging in wars not directly crucial to our national security should not overtly drain our “blood and treasure”; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By the Congress here assembled that in the case of future humanitarian military interventions, the United States should seek to take a multilateral approach and operate cooperatively with our allies and take more of a supporting role than an executive role in wars such as the  NATO operation in Libya that is not directly crucial to the defense of our nation.

 

Introduced by WSFA

Z1

A Bill to Disestablish Zoos in Washington, Idaho and Oregon.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         All zoos in the States of Washington, Idaho and Oregon are banned.

Section 2.         Owners will be compensated for loss of property at a rate of $20,000 per animal released back into its natural habitat or into a animal rehabilitation institution intended to set the animal up to be released.  The staff of these zoos will be inserted into the public sector working at an animal rehabilitation institution built upon the ground of the former zoo.

Section 3.         The institution’s transition will be funded up to $4 million dollars at the State level based on the size of the community served by the zoo.  Up to an additional $5 million may be provided by the community.  $1 million will be made available for occupational training in animal rehabilitation or re-training for a new occupation in vocational schools.

Section 4.         The state funding would be covered by an increase of five dollars for all vehicle tab registrations and an additional 10% increase on emissions checks.

Section 5.         Those not in compliance by January 1, 2014 will have their zoological property confiscated and dissolved in the manner described above but without compensation.

Section 6.         After December 31, 2014 all rehab institutions will be funded by a continuation of the increase to car tabs and emission checks.

Section 7.         All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by WSFA

 

Z2

A Resolution to Encourage Organ Donation

WHEREAS,     the number of people needing an organ transplant continues to rise faster that the number of donors; and

WHEREAS,     the 18 people die each day waiting for transplants that can’t take place because of the shortage of donated organs; and

WHEREAS,     there are now more than 100,000 people on the organ transplant waiting list; and

WHEREAS,     an organ donation greatly upgrades the quality of life of the recipient; and

WHEREAS,     it is, and should be, illegal to buy and sell human organs; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By the Congress here assembled that a $10,000 tax exemption shall be granted to the person having power of attorney who signs the form allowing the harvesting and donation of all viable organs from a body that meets medical standards.

 

Introduced by WSFA

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                   

 

 

 

 

 

Super Congress

 

 The following legislation is designated Super Congress legislation.  It may be used ONLY in Super Congress sessions or at tournaments where there will be no Super Congress Session.
AA

A Resolution to Amend the Constitution to Prohibit Taxation of Disenfranchised Persons

BE IT RESOLVED,  By two-thirds of the Congress here assembled, that the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states within seven years from the date of its submission by the Congress:

                                                ARTICLE –

 

SECTION 1:   The implementation of taxes by any governing body within the United States, including but not limited to, the U.S. Congress, on any person residing in the United States who is disenfranchised for any reason shall be prohibited. 

 

SECTION 2:   The term “person(s)” for purposes of this amendment and any implementing legislation shall refer to natural born human persons and shall specifically exclude corporations and other business or political entities.

 

SECTION 3:   The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Introduced by WSFA

BB

A Bill to Limit the Power of Eminent Domain

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         The power of Eminent Domain be limited solely to State or Local governmental takings of private property strictly for the purpose of public works projects.  The power of Eminent Domain shall no longer be used to take private property for economic development of privately-owned businesses.

Section 2.         “Public works projects” are projects such as transportation, waste management, and dams financed by public funds and constructed by a government for the benefit or use of the general public.

Section 3.         This legislation will be overseen by local and state courts.

Section 4.         This law will take effect within six months of passage.

Section 5.         All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by WSFA

CC

A Bill to Create the State of New Columbia

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         The District of Columbia was created on July 16, 1790 to ensure that the federal government would always have a neutral place to meet.

Section 2.         The 600000 residents of the District of Columbia have no voice in Congress even they have a larger population than some states. They have had limited representation since 1973, but they have no representatives or senators. After passed the State of New Columbia will have no more control over the District of Columbia than any other state.

Section 3.         A. The newly formed state will adopt its white flag with two red horizontal bars and three red stars above that as their state flag.

B. The newly formed state will adopt its motto Justitia Omnibus, justice for all, as its state motto.

C. The newly formed state will take on its poetic name New Colombia as not to cause confusion with other states.

D. A portion of the District of Columbia will remain as the national capital. This portion shall include the principal Federal monuments, the National Mall, the White House, the Capital Building, the United States Supreme Court Building, all of the Federal executive, legislative and judicial office buildings near the National Mall and the Capital Building, and all other federally owned buildings. This District will not be governed or taxed by the State of New Columbia, but will comply with Article 1, Section 8 of the US Constitution.

Section 4.         This law will take effect within six months of passage.

Section 5.         All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by WSFA

DD

A Bill to Remove Unilateral Sanctions

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         All unilateral sanctions currently in use by the United States government will be hereby declared null and void.

SECTION 2.    “Unilateral sanctions” are defined as diplomatic, military, economic, or sports sanctions have not been bilaterally ratified by another country, international organization or non-governmental corporation.

SECTION 3.    The U.S. Department of State will implement and carry out enforcement of the bill.

SECTION 4.    This law will take effect within six months of passage.

SECTION 5.    All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by WSFA

EE

A Bill to Fund Ambien and Zolpidem Research Concerning People in a “Vegetative” State

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         The United States Government shall reallocate 25 billion dollars out of the Department of Defense budget to be allocated to various medical institutions for the specific purpose of researching the affects of Ambien and Zolpidem on human beings in a “vegetative” state. A further 25 billion dollars shall be allocated from the Congressional Budget Office.

SECTION 2.    A. Human beings in a vegetative state shall be defined as someone in a coma; a coma is a state in which the cortex or higher brain areas of a person are damaged resulting in loss of consciousness, inability to be roused, and unresponsiveness to pain, sound, touch and light.

            B. Medical Institutions shall be selected as follows: Mayo Clinic, University of Washington, John Hopkins, Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University and Columbia University.

SECTION 3.    The Congressional Budget Office shall oversee the implementation of this bill.

SECTION 4.    This bill shall be implemented July 1st, 2012.

SECTION 5.    All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by WSFA

FF

Resolution to Change the Content of US Public School Government Courses

WHEREAS,     most students as they become adults are ignorant of the world outside their own town, let alone outside the United States; and

WHEREAS,     in order to make effective change in the government of the United States, adults must be aware of other options as implemented around the world; and

WHEREAS,     a lack of knowledge about International politics causes US citizens to become isolated from world events; and

WHEREAS,     the current Government courses as taught in US Public Schools repeat the information presented in US History courses; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By the Congress here assembled that the content of current Government courses taught in United States’ Public Schools be changed from an introspective approach which repeats the information presented in US History classes to an international approach that encourages students to see themselves as citizens of the world.

 

Introduced by WSFA

 

GG

A Resolution to Remove the ETA from the Foreign Terrorist Organizations List

WHEREAS,     the ETA (Basque Fatherland and Liberty) has vowed to end armed activity as a means of achieving independence; and

WHEREAS,     a terrorist organization is defined as such only if it is violent; and

WHEREAS,     since the ETA is no longer violent, it no longer falls under the definition of a Foreign Terrorist Organization; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By the Congress here assembled that the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) be removed from the U.S. Foreign Terrorist Organizations List; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the European Union and other European Governments be urged to remove the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) from their Terrorist Organizations List or equivalent lists.

      WSFA Spring Congress Legislative Packet 2012

 

 

Included in this packet are the selections of the WSFA Congress committee designated for use during the Spring sessions of Congress held between January and March 2012.  The legislation is placed in alphabetical order by authoring school.  Following the legislation for preliminary sessions is legislation designated for Super Congress.  This Super Congress legislation may ONLY be used for Super Congress or at tournaments where there is no Super Congress session.

 

Those schools with legislation introduced in their name have the right of authorship. 

 

An “authorship speech” is the first speech given to introduce a legislative item given by any delegate in the chamber representing the school authoring the legislation. 

 

A “sponsorship speech” is the first speech introducing a legislative item when no delegate from the author school is present, or when such a delegate declines the right to an authorship speech.

Table of Contents

 

PRELIMINARY LEGISLATION
Item	Title	Author School
A	A Bill to Clarify Relations	Auburn-Riverside
B	A Bill for Re-Organization of the United States Postal Service	Bear Creek
C	A Bill to Ban Cross-Company Data Mining	Chiawana
D	A Resolution to Make Ear-Piercing for Children Age 5 or Under Illegal	Coeur d’Alene
E	A Bill Requiring Regular Driving Tests for the Elderly	Central Kitsap
F	A Resolution to Replace Textbooks with E-Readers	Central Valley
G	A Bill to Increase Hydroelectric Power	Eastside Catholic
H	A Bill to Change Foreign Aid Policy	Eisenhower
I	A Bill to Publicly Finance Federal Campaigns	Emerald Ridge
J	A Resolution to Amend the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America	Federal Way
K	A Resolution to Prevent Walkout Tactics	Ferris
L	A Bill to Reduce Transportation Security Administration Security Protocols and Funding	Gig Harbor
M	A Resolution to Legalize Marijuana	Gonzaga Prep
N	A Bill to Regulate the Prescription of Antibiotics	Kingston
O	A Bill to Fund the Keystone Pipeline XL Project	Newport
P	A Bill to Remove “In God We Trust” from National Currency	Republic
Q	A Resolution to Mandate HPV Vaccinations for School-Aged Females	Ridgefield
R	A Bill to Amend the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act	Snohomish
S	A Resolution to Propose Banning Violent Video Games for Children Younger than 10 Years Old	Thomas Jefferson
T	A Bill to Alter the Electoral College	Union
U	A Bill to Abolish the Bush Tax Cuts	University
V	A Resolution to Adopt English as the Official Language of the US	W. F. West
W	A Resolution to Actively Pursue “Anonymous”	WSFA
X	A Resolution to Give Voting Rights to Citizens of the US	WSFA
Y	A Resolution to Advocate the Pursuit of Multilateral Action in Future Humanitarian Military Interventions	WSFA
Z1	A Bill to Disestablish Zoos in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon	WSFA
Z2	A Resolution to Encourage Organ Donation	WSFA

 

SUPER CONGRESS LEGISLATION
Item	Title	Author School
AA	A Resolution to Amend the Constitution to Prohibit Taxation of Disenfranchised Persons	WSFA
BB	A Bill to Limit the Power of Eminent Domain	WSFA
CC	A Bill to Create the State of New Columbia	WSFA
DD	A Bill to Remove Unilateral Sanctions	WSFA
EE	A Bill to Fund Ambien and Zolpidem Research Concerning People in a “Vegetative” State	WSFA
FF	A Resolution to Change the Content of US Public School Government Courses	WSFA
GG	A Resolution to Remove the ETA from the Foreign Terrorist Organizations List	WSFA

 

A

A Bill to Clarify Relations

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         Legal guardians and minors are available to apply for a card which identifies their relationship to each other.

Section 2.         A “legal guardian” is classified as a parent, foster parent, adoptive parent, or parent who may or may not have a different name or ethnicity than the child.

Section 3.         This card will be administered by the individual state’s Departments of Social and Health Services.

Section 4.         This law will take effect within six months of passage.

Section 5.         All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by Auburn-Riverside High School

B

A Bill for Re-Organization of the United States Postal Service

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         In order that the United States Postal Service might continue to exist, the USPS will:

A. Cease Saturday postal delivery.

B. Be given the power to raise or lower stamp prices at their own discretion and need.

C. Transition to a non-union workforce.

D. Give the Postmaster General and his officers the authority to restructure the Postal Service work force as needed.

Section 2.         The restructuring of the Postal Service work force may include

hiring, firing, promoting, or demoting postal service workers in order to promote the smooth running of the postal system.

Section 3.         The United States Postal Service will oversee this process.

Section 4.         This law will take effect within six months of passage.

Section 5.         All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

Introduced by The Bear Creek School.

C

A Bill to Ban Cross-Company Data Mining

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         All data mining software be banned for all cross-company platforms including sister companies, parent companies, and private companies.

Section 2.         All information gathered by a company will exclude the consumer’s identity or personal information.

Section 3.         Companies contracted to mine data must only share the information with the companies they are contracted with and conduct new data mines with separate companies who contract them or the contracted company will receive a fine.

Section 4.         A. Raw information “mined” from data must be removed from all databases every 18 months.

            B. Companies and institutions are allowed to gather raw information once every month.

Section 5.         This law will take effect within eight months of passage.

Section 6.         All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

Introduced by Chiawana High School

D

A Resolution to Make Ear-Piercing for Children Age 5 or Under Illegal

WHEREAS,     children under the age of 5 are unable to make the decision to receive body modifications and yet children under the age of 5 are still receiving ear-piercings without their consent; and

WHEREAS,     body modification should be determined by an individual after reaching the appropriate age to make a fully developed decision; and

WHEREAS,     ear-piercings decide by parents for a child under the age of 5 should be considered child abuse, and forced body modification; and

WHEREAS,     it isn’t acceptable, to inflict a procedure that can inflict pain and harm on children without their consent; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By the Congress here assembled that ear-piercing for anyone under the age of 5 shall be regarded as child abuse and be discontinued.

 

Introduced by Coeur d’Alene High School.

E

A Bill Requiring Regular Driving Tests for the Elderly

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         Every citizen sixty-five years old and over will be required to pass a driver’s test every six months to retain their license.

Section 2.         A. If a citizen fails the test they will have their license revoked, but will have the opportunity to take the test a second time. If they fail the test a second time then they will have their license revoked permanently.

B. If they do not take their bi-annual driver’s test, then they will have their license revoked and will be fined as a secondary offense.

Section 3.         The driver’s tests will be funded by raising the cost of all drivers’ license tests by five dollars.

SECTION 4.    This law will take effect six months following passage.

Section 5.         All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by Central Kitsap High School

F

A Resolution to Replace Textbooks with E-Readers

WHEREAS,     According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission there are nearly 7,500 emergency room visits each year due to injuries related to backpacks or book bags; and

WHEREAS,     children commonly carry backpack loads of 22 percent of their body weight; and

WHEREAS,     concerns about back injuries has caused the American Chiropractic Association to recommend that backpacks weigh no more than 10% of a student’s body weight; and

WHEREAS,     children commonly carry backpack loads of 22 percent of their body weight; and

WHEREAS,     the bulk of this weight is caused by heavy textbooks that are currently available on CD’s and therefore exist in electronic form; and

WHEREAS,     textbooks are both heavy, expensive, easily damaged and hard to replace with an edition compatible to the rest of a classroom set of books; and

WHEREAS,     e-readers are lightweight, capable of holding thousands of books and are less expensive than one semester’s worth of classroom textbooks; and

WHEREAS,     Students are currently held accountable for the loss or damage of textbooks and so could be held just as accountable for the loss or damage to an e-reader – the difference being that it would be cheaper to replace the e-reader than it is to replace the textbooks; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By the Congress here assembled that publishers of school textbooks make these books available for download to e-readers; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that school districts invest in e-readers to be checked out to students instead of textbooks; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that each semester the student will download the appropriate textbooks for the classes scheduled and the prior semester’s textbooks will be removed from service.

 

Introduced by Central Valley High School.

G

A Bill to Increase Hydroelectric Power

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         A. A one-time sum of $500,000,000 shall be reallocated from the Department of Defense budget to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to fund the research and construction of 250 new dams inside U.S. borders within the next 10 years.

            B. At least 50% of labor used to construct each of the dams in Section 1 must be drawn from within a 300-mile radius of the construction site.

SECTION 2.    $2,000,000 per year shall be reallocated from the budget of the Department of Defense to the National Dam Safety Program to oversee the safety of newly built dams.

SECTION 3.    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in conjunction with National Dam Safety Program shall carry out this bill.

SECTION 4.    This law will take effect within six months of passage.

SECTION 5.    All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void

 

Introduced by Eastside Catholic High School.

H

A Bill to Change Foreign Aid Policy

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         We will divert foreign aid from economically stable countries such as China and divert the funds to the European Union.

SECTION 2.    Economically stable countries include those that are industrialized such as China, Canada, Russia, Brazil, India, Argentina and Mexico as well as Japan and Australia.

SECTION 3.    The organizations that would oversee the transfer of money would be the US Congress via the House and Senate Foreign Relations committees.

SECTION 4.    This law will take effect on April 10, 2013.

SECTION 5.    All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by Eisenhower High School

I

A Bill to Publicly Finance Federal Campaigns

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         The United States Congress use tax revenues to publicly fund qualified candidates for all federal offices.

Section 2.         To be considered a qualified candidate, he/she must have won the primary for his/her party, meet the qualifications set under the Constitution, have a substantial and established campaign platform, and have the support of a significant number of electors through a collection of petition signatures.

Section 3.         A. The Internal Revenue Service shall be in charge of collection through a mandatory annual filing fee of $5.00 on each federal income tax submission.

B.  Federal Election Commission shall be in charge of the equitable distribution of funds.

C.  Each state’s Secretary of State will certify the candidate’s qualifications to receive funds.

SECTION 4.    This law will take effect within six months of passage.

Section 5.         All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by Emerald Ridge High School

J

A Resolution to Amend the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America

WHEREAS,     illegal immigration is a serious problem in America; and

WHEREAS,     between 12 and 20 million illegal immigrants reside in the United States; and

WHEREAS,     the 14th amendment that defines an American citizen as “all persons born or naturalized in the United States”, provides a loophole for illegal immigrants to give birth to their child on American soil; and

WHEREAS,     this guarantees citizenship for the child and consequently allows illegal parents to stay with their child in the United States; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By two-thirds of the Congress here assembled, that the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states within seven years from the date of its submission by the Congress:
                                                ARTICLE --

SECTION 1:   Section 1 of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America is amended to read, “All persons born to at least one American citizen or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

 

Introduced by Federal Way High School.

K

A Resolution to Prevent Walkout Tactics

WHEREAS,     at this point in time Congress can be stopped by two legislative means the filibuster and the walkout; and

WHEREAS,     there is no defense in Congress at this time to prevent walkout tactics; and

WHEREAS,     these walkouts can stop the passing of other legislation and therefore can severely decrease the effectiveness of Congress; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By the Congress here assembled that representatives who are absent from Congress for a period of more than ten days without an excused leave of absence prior to leaving, will be put before a committee for the possibility of dismissal.

 

Introduced by Ferris High School

L

A Bill to Reduce Transportation Security Administration Security Protocols and Funding

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         The Transportation Security Administration shall significantly reduce the usage of backscatter x-ray devices.

Section 2.         The Transportation Security Administration shall perform full-body pat-downs only if suspicious behavior is exhibited.

Section 3.         The Transportation Security Administration shall eliminate the strict limits imposed upon liquids and gels.

SECTION 4.    As a result of these reductions in security protocol, the Transportation Security Administration shall be required to make expenditure cuts of no less than half of their current funding.

Section 5. This law will take effect within one year of passage.

Section 6.         All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by Gig Harbor High School

M

A Resolution to Legalize Marijuana

WHEREAS,     60% of Americans have tried pot at least once, and have not seen any serious, negative, or long term effects; and

WHEREAS,     More than 22 million pounds of marijuana come from Mexico a year, the sale of which is funding the drug cartels in Mexico, resulting in 35,000 deaths yearly; and

WHEREAS,     The average price on marijuana yearly ranges from $10 billion to $100 billion; and

WHEREAS,     The government could highly tax marijuana and earn over $35 billion dollars a year just on the tax of marijuana alone; and

WHEREAS,     The government has spent at least $15 billion to stop the war on drugs, which could be used for other means; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By the Congress here assembled that marijuana will be made legal in the United States; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that marijuana be sold at any local retailer that sells cigarettes.

 

Introduced by Gonzaga Preparatory School

N

A Bill to Regulate the Prescription of Antibiotics

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         The prescription of antibiotics to patients who lack a test confirming the presence of a bacterial infection is prohibited.

SECTION 2.    Patients with a prescription for antibiotics must present a letter from a lab confirming a positive test for the presence of bacteria to the pharmacologist. Any pharmacologist who gives out antibiotics without said letter shall have their license permanently revoked. The prescriptions and corresponding letters shall be stored and periodic inspections by a supervisor will check for any prescriptions lacking a corresponding letter, and if any violations are found, the disciplinary measures stated above shall be performed.

SECTION 3.    A. The financial requirement of the proposed law will be the salaries of the government supervisors inspecting the pharmacological records. Their wages shall be paid through taxes levied against the pharmaceutical companies. 

B. The supervisors are to be employed by the Food and Drug Administration.

SECTION 4.    This law will take effect within six months of passage.

SECTION 5.    All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by Kingston High School

O

A Bill to Fund the Keystone Pipeline XL Project

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         Additional funding of $7,000,000,000 is allocated to complete the Keystone XL Pipeline Extension Project to extend the pipeline from the US Border with Alberta, Canada to refineries Port Arthur, Texas and Houston, Texas.

SECTION 2. The Keystone XL project is defined by the application filed in 2009 and approved by the National Energy Board of Canada in 2010.

SECTION 3.    A. The US Department of Energy, House Energy and Commerce Board, and House Finance and Appropriations Committee will oversee the implementation of this bill.

B. The Environmental Protection Agency will monitor the project to assure it is built for minimum environmental impact.

SECTION 4.    This law will take effect within six months of passage.

SECTION 5.    All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by Newport High School

P

A Bill to Remove “In God We Trust” from National Currency

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         The motto, “In God We Trust” shall cease to be put on all future prints of national currency.

SECTION 2. National currency applies to all United States currency issued by our central bank or monetary authority.

SECTION 3.    The United States Department of Treasury will oversee the removal of “In God We Trust” on all future prints and coins.

SECTION 4.    This law will come into effect on the next printing of each coin and bill.

SECTION 5.    All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by Republic High School

Q

A Resolution to Mandate HPV Vaccinations for School-Aged Females

WHEREAS,     there is no treatment for HPV (Human Papillomavirus), and it is the most common sexually transmitted infection; and

WHEREAS,     HPV is linked to cervical cancer, and a high-risk strain of HPV is present in 99% of cases of cervical cancer; and

WHEREAS,     there are 11,000 new cases of cervical cancer and 3,700 deaths from cervical cancer in the United States annually; and

WHEREAS,     26% of females age 14 – 24 and 48% of females age 20 – 24 are infected with HPV; and

WHEREAS,     Gardasil is FDA-approved and vaccinates against four strains of HPV including the more virulent ones; and

WHEREAS,     on August 1, 2008, the HPV vaccine became a required vaccination for young immigrant females; and

WHEREAS,     in 2007 the District of Columbia passed a law mandating HPV requirement to attend school; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By the Congress here assembled that the HPV vaccine Gardasil be required of all females entering school for the first time.

 

Introduced by Ridgefield High School

R

A Bill to Amend the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         The Native American Repatriation Act be amended to allow qualified federally funded research facilities, museums, and individual scientists to gain access to the respectful study of Native American cultural items.

SECTION 2. For clarification purposes the following definitions apply to terms:

A. “Cultural items” are defined by the current law as human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony to Native American Tribes.

B  “Qualified federally funded facilities, museums, and individual scientists” are to be determined by the Secretary of the Interior.

C. “Scientific necessity” refers to a need for historical or paleontological significance which can be only be determined by direct scientific study.

D.  The ultimate determination as to the “scientific necessity” and worthiness of this study shall rest with the Secretary of the Interior.

E.  Since these cultural items are often considered sacred by Native American Tribes, all “respectful study” methods must involve practices which do not destroy, mutilate, or significantly alter items,

F.  No study period shall exceed one year, nor shall any object be studied more than once.

G.  All “cultural items” shall be returned to the Native American Tribe claiming them at the end of the study period, and that tribe shall then have control of them in perpetuity.

SECTION 3.    The office of the Secretary of the Interior will be responsible for enforcement of all provisions of this bill as funded by Congress.

SECTION 4.    This law will take effect one year after passage.

SECTION 5.    All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by Snohomish High School

S

A Resolution to Propose Banning Violent Video Games for Children Younger than 10 Years Old

WHEREAS,     rates of violent crime have been increasing since 1985; and

WHEREAS,     human beings are most impressionable up until the age of 10, after which the majority of synapse links between the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex have already been formed; and

WHEREAS,     combating violent crime should not only be focused on treating the symptoms of its development in society, but the root causes as well; and

WHEREAS,     video games are prevalent in contemporary American society and are even highly addictive for many; and

WHEREAS,     numerous cases of violent crime in recent times were influenced by fantasies from violent videogames in the perpetrators childhood; and

WHEREAS,     a 2009 study conducted by researchers in Texas working with the Centre for European Economic Research confirmed that violence in video games has been increasing since 1975; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By the Congress here assembled that the use of violent videogames with a rating other than E should be banned for children younger than 10 years old.

Introduced by Thomas Jefferson High School

T

A Bill to Alter the Electoral College

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         The U.S. Electoral College be altered from its current method in which the winner of each state receives all of said state’s votes to the system currently used in Nebraska and Maine, where one vote is allocated to each voting district within the state, and is thusly determined by the winner in each district, not state.

Section 2.         Voting districts will be the same districts used for electing Representatives for the House of Representatives and each state will receive the same amount of electoral votes that they do currently, based on the most recent census.

Section 3.         These changes will be overseen by the U.S. Federal Election Commission.

Section 4.         This legislation will become effective after its passage, beginning with the first election in 2013 or later.

Section 5.         All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by Union High School

U

A Bill to Abolish the Bush Tax Cuts

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         The $1.6 trillion package of tax cuts signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2001 shall be revoked and shall be terminated effective December 31, 2012.

Section 2.         This transition will be carried out by the Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service.

Section 3.         This law will take effect December 31, 2012

Section 4.         All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by University High School

V

A Resolution to Adopt English as the Official Language of the United States

WHEREAS,     According to the 2000 US Census, 82.1 percent of Americans speak English; and

WHEREAS,     The primary language used in public schools is English; and

WHEREAS,     Communication between the majority of students in the US is through the English language; and

WHEREAS,     the government will save money on publication fees, printing, and document translations; and

WHEREAS,     adopting the English language will promote the learning of English by non English speakers; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By the Congress here assembled that the Government of the United States shall preserve and enhance the role of English as the official language of the United States of America; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that, unless specifically stated in applicable law, no person            has a right, entitlement, or claim to have the Government of the United States or any of its officials or representatives act, communicate, perform or provide services, or provide materials in any language other than English; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that if exceptions are made, they do not create a legal entitlement to additional services in that language or any language other than English.

 

Introduced by W. F. West High School

W

A Resolution to Actively Pursue “Anonymous”

WHEREAS,     the Internet group known as “Anonymous” has, since 2003, engaged active civil disobedience, existing as an anarchic Internet entity; and

WHEREAS,     “Anonymous” has launched Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS) attacks against such prominent sites as Habbo, Facebook, CNN, and Amazon; and

WHEREAS,     such attacks on the Sony Playstation network cost roughly $171 million; and

WHEREAS,     on several occasions, “Anonymous” has hacked the databases of  companies like Bank of America, HB Gary, and Sony in order to obtain private user information with the intent to disseminate it to the public; and

WHEREAS,     these attacks constitute a significant threat to the privacy, safety, and security of the American public; and

WHEREAS,     attacks are damaging an already unstable American economy; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By the Congress here assembled that the United States officially declare the group known as “Anonymous” to be a terrorist organization; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the FBI be tasked to investigate all activities by “Anonymous” and explore counter-terrorism actions against them with the intent to capture and prosecute prominent members of the group.

 

Introduced by WSFA

 

X

A Resolution to Give Voting Rights to Citizens of the US Territories

WHEREAS,     American citizens living in territories and commonwealths of the United States of America do not have voting representatives in Congress or representation in the electoral college; and

WHEREAS,     between the same citizens receive federal funding for social security, education, and public projects; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By two-thirds of the Congress here assembled, that the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states within seven years from the date of its submission by the Congress:
                                                ARTICLE --

SECTION 1:   The Territories and Commonwealths of the United States of America shall receive an apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives and Electoral College based on their population. Territories and Commonwealths will receive no representation in the Senate until such time as they enter the Union as a State.

 

SECTION 2:   The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

 

Introduced by WSFA

 

 

Y

A Resolution to Advocate the Pursuit of Multilateral Action in Future Humanitarian Military Interventions

WHEREAS,     the recent NATO-led military operation to maintain a no-fly zone over Libya to support Libyan rebels oust Muhammar Gaddafi displayed the effectiveness of a united coalition of multiple nations (NATO in this case) in achieving military objectives; and

WHEREAS,     the United States chose to “lead from behind” resulting in military success with zero casualties sustained and with considerably less effort in coordinating and executing a military operation in comparison to a unilateral approach to the intervention in Libya; and

WHEREAS,     our NATO allies proved themselves as capable and competent military forces capable of winning wars without the United States having to do all the heavy lifting; and

WHEREAS,     with NATO handling Libya, the United States has the freedom to disengage from the intervention after major hostilities have ceased; and

WHEREAS,     poor state of America's economy and our stifling trillions of dollars in debt makes it fiscally irresponsible to launch a costly war that a unilateral approach would incur; and

WHEREAS,     having our allies contribute their own forces would significantly reduce the required expenses of waging war in comparison to fighting alone; and

WHEREAS,     engaging in wars not directly crucial to our national security should not overtly drain our “blood and treasure”; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By the Congress here assembled that in the case of future humanitarian military interventions, the United States should seek to take a multilateral approach and operate cooperatively with our allies and take more of a supporting role than an executive role in wars such as the  NATO operation in Libya that is not directly crucial to the defense of our nation.

 

Introduced by WSFA

Z1

A Bill to Disestablish Zoos in Washington, Idaho and Oregon.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         All zoos in the States of Washington, Idaho and Oregon are banned.

Section 2.         Owners will be compensated for loss of property at a rate of $20,000 per animal released back into its natural habitat or into a animal rehabilitation institution intended to set the animal up to be released.  The staff of these zoos will be inserted into the public sector working at an animal rehabilitation institution built upon the ground of the former zoo.

Section 3.         The institution’s transition will be funded up to $4 million dollars at the State level based on the size of the community served by the zoo.  Up to an additional $5 million may be provided by the community.  $1 million will be made available for occupational training in animal rehabilitation or re-training for a new occupation in vocational schools.

Section 4.         The state funding would be covered by an increase of five dollars for all vehicle tab registrations and an additional 10% increase on emissions checks.

Section 5.         Those not in compliance by January 1, 2014 will have their zoological property confiscated and dissolved in the manner described above but without compensation.

Section 6.         After December 31, 2014 all rehab institutions will be funded by a continuation of the increase to car tabs and emission checks.

Section 7.         All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by WSFA

 

Z2

A Resolution to Encourage Organ Donation

WHEREAS,     the number of people needing an organ transplant continues to rise faster that the number of donors; and

WHEREAS,     the 18 people die each day waiting for transplants that can’t take place because of the shortage of donated organs; and

WHEREAS,     there are now more than 100,000 people on the organ transplant waiting list; and

WHEREAS,     an organ donation greatly upgrades the quality of life of the recipient; and

WHEREAS,     it is, and should be, illegal to buy and sell human organs; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By the Congress here assembled that a $10,000 tax exemption shall be granted to the person having power of attorney who signs the form allowing the harvesting and donation of all viable organs from a body that meets medical standards.

 

Introduced by WSFA

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                   

 

 

 

 

 

Super Congress

 

 The following legislation is designated Super Congress legislation.  It may be used ONLY in Super Congress sessions or at tournaments where there will be no Super Congress Session.
AA

A Resolution to Amend the Constitution to Prohibit Taxation of Disenfranchised Persons

BE IT RESOLVED,  By two-thirds of the Congress here assembled, that the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states within seven years from the date of its submission by the Congress:

                                                ARTICLE –

 

SECTION 1:   The implementation of taxes by any governing body within the United States, including but not limited to, the U.S. Congress, on any person residing in the United States who is disenfranchised for any reason shall be prohibited. 

 

SECTION 2:   The term “person(s)” for purposes of this amendment and any implementing legislation shall refer to natural born human persons and shall specifically exclude corporations and other business or political entities.

 

SECTION 3:   The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Introduced by WSFA

BB

A Bill to Limit the Power of Eminent Domain

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         The power of Eminent Domain be limited solely to State or Local governmental takings of private property strictly for the purpose of public works projects.  The power of Eminent Domain shall no longer be used to take private property for economic development of privately-owned businesses.

Section 2.         “Public works projects” are projects such as transportation, waste management, and dams financed by public funds and constructed by a government for the benefit or use of the general public.

Section 3.         This legislation will be overseen by local and state courts.

Section 4.         This law will take effect within six months of passage.

Section 5.         All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by WSFA

CC

A Bill to Create the State of New Columbia

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         The District of Columbia was created on July 16, 1790 to ensure that the federal government would always have a neutral place to meet.

Section 2.         The 600000 residents of the District of Columbia have no voice in Congress even they have a larger population than some states. They have had limited representation since 1973, but they have no representatives or senators. After passed the State of New Columbia will have no more control over the District of Columbia than any other state.

Section 3.         A. The newly formed state will adopt its white flag with two red horizontal bars and three red stars above that as their state flag.

B. The newly formed state will adopt its motto Justitia Omnibus, justice for all, as its state motto.

C. The newly formed state will take on its poetic name New Colombia as not to cause confusion with other states.

D. A portion of the District of Columbia will remain as the national capital. This portion shall include the principal Federal monuments, the National Mall, the White House, the Capital Building, the United States Supreme Court Building, all of the Federal executive, legislative and judicial office buildings near the National Mall and the Capital Building, and all other federally owned buildings. This District will not be governed or taxed by the State of New Columbia, but will comply with Article 1, Section 8 of the US Constitution.

Section 4.         This law will take effect within six months of passage.

Section 5.         All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by WSFA

DD

A Bill to Remove Unilateral Sanctions

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         All unilateral sanctions currently in use by the United States government will be hereby declared null and void.

SECTION 2.    “Unilateral sanctions” are defined as diplomatic, military, economic, or sports sanctions have not been bilaterally ratified by another country, international organization or non-governmental corporation.

SECTION 3.    The U.S. Department of State will implement and carry out enforcement of the bill.

SECTION 4.    This law will take effect within six months of passage.

SECTION 5.    All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by WSFA

EE

A Bill to Fund Ambien and Zolpidem Research Concerning People in a “Vegetative” State

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:

Section 1.         The United States Government shall reallocate 25 billion dollars out of the Department of Defense budget to be allocated to various medical institutions for the specific purpose of researching the affects of Ambien and Zolpidem on human beings in a “vegetative” state. A further 25 billion dollars shall be allocated from the Congressional Budget Office.

SECTION 2.    A. Human beings in a vegetative state shall be defined as someone in a coma; a coma is a state in which the cortex or higher brain areas of a person are damaged resulting in loss of consciousness, inability to be roused, and unresponsiveness to pain, sound, touch and light.

            B. Medical Institutions shall be selected as follows: Mayo Clinic, University of Washington, John Hopkins, Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University and Columbia University.

SECTION 3.    The Congressional Budget Office shall oversee the implementation of this bill.

SECTION 4.    This bill shall be implemented July 1st, 2012.

SECTION 5.    All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.

 

Introduced by WSFA

FF

Resolution to Change the Content of US Public School Government Courses

WHEREAS,     most students as they become adults are ignorant of the world outside their own town, let alone outside the United States; and

WHEREAS,     in order to make effective change in the government of the United States, adults must be aware of other options as implemented around the world; and

WHEREAS,     a lack of knowledge about International politics causes US citizens to become isolated from world events; and

WHEREAS,     the current Government courses as taught in US Public Schools repeat the information presented in US History courses; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By the Congress here assembled that the content of current Government courses taught in United States’ Public Schools be changed from an introspective approach which repeats the information presented in US History classes to an international approach that encourages students to see themselves as citizens of the world.

 

Introduced by WSFA

 

GG

A Resolution to Remove the ETA from the Foreign Terrorist Organizations List

WHEREAS,     the ETA (Basque Fatherland and Liberty) has vowed to end armed activity as a means of achieving independence; and

WHEREAS,     a terrorist organization is defined as such only if it is violent; and

WHEREAS,     since the ETA is no longer violent, it no longer falls under the definition of a Foreign Terrorist Organization; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED,   By the Congress here assembled that the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) be removed from the U.S. Foreign Terrorist Organizations List; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the European Union and other European Governments be urged to remove the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) from their Terrorist Organizations List or equivalent lists.