PRE-PROCEDURE- December
Find a topic on an important issue that might be considered by the U.S. Congress.  Research  this topic and write a two-three page persuasive essay that provides background information, facts, statistics, testimony, etc. to persuade support for the bill you will submit to Congress.  Include  in-text citation and a works cited page for all sources used.  This will accompany your bill as it travels through Congress.  Prepare your bill in accordance with the instructions in class and the Bill templates on the web page. 

PROCEDURE
1.  Each class will become either the House of Representatives or the Senate based on the preferences of the student who is elected President.  The winning Vice-President and the next place Presidential candidate will serve either as Majority leader of the Senate or Speaker of the House.  All other students will be members of the House or the Senate.

2. Student Bills will be about foreign or domestic issues in any area where the federal government has constitutional  responsibilities.  Bills will be written in the appropriate format with the details of the bill.  While no one is expected to have all of the details (exact funding, timetable,etc.)of a real bill, your submission should be specific enough  to make it clear what the bill is about, the major details and exactly what will happen or change if the bill is passed.  The bill will be accompanied by supporting documentaion in the form of a  Decision Brief that provides information about the issue or problem and a clear cogent evidence based argument as to why this bill is the solution .  This paper will be typed, double spaced, in MLA style, in text citations and works cited page. Two to three pages.

3.  When student bills have been submitted , the Speaker and the President of the Senate will establish four or five committees in their respective chambers representing broad areas of national concern  reflecting the topics of the student bills.  Based on their interests, students will apply to be members of a committee.  Selection will be made by the leadership, based on the interests of the student but also based on seniority (age) and ideological affiliation with the leadership.  Committees will be balanced in numbers and chaired by the student selected by the leadership.  Committees might be about defense, environment, criminal justice, foreign policy, etc.  For our purposes the exact committee topic assignments will be determined by the range of topics of the bills submitted.

3.    When a bill is up for consideration in a committee or on the floor of the House or Senate, the sponsoring student will present his/her bill to the respective body in a brief authorship speech.  Students are expected to advocate and lobby for their bills as the bills move through both houses of Congress.

4.  The Speaker and the Senate Majority leader will receive the bills from individuals in their respective bodies, number them, determine which committee should examine each bill and send it to that committee chair.  The leadership will insure that committees will each have a similar number of bills to consider with committee topic areas adjusted as needed to do this.   Committee chairs will determine the order of the bills the committee will consider and the amount of time to be spent on each .  The committee will hear the presentation by the bills’ author, consider points of view, both pro and con, and may decide to pass the bill as is, change it (markup), combine it with another, defeat it or table it until later.  Bills that are eventually passed by the committee will be signed, dated and sent back to that chamber’s leadership.  Any bill reported out of a committee is assumed to have that committees endorsement.

5.   Upon receiving bills completed from committees, the Speaker and the Majority leader will schedule them for discussion and deliberation in their chambers and preside over their respective chambers.  The Speaker may set rules for the discussion of House bills (max amount of speaking time, allowing amendments etc.), but the Majority leader must allow unrestricted debate in the Senate (rules to limit filibusters may be imposed if needed).  The student sponsoring the bill will introduce the bill in an authorship speech, in the other chamber; this will be done either by a designee of the student, a co-sponsor, or the committee chair who reported the bill out of committee.  Others who wish to speak will follow.  In both Houses, bills may be passed, amended or defeated.  Committees may not meet while bills are being considered on the floor.

6.  Each legislative body will use a modified and common sense version of Roberts Rules of order.  After the authoring speech is given, presiding officers will moderate debate and discussion.  Amendments to a bill can be proposed and seconded at any time (in the House, according to rule) and that amendmant must then be the first order of business.  Motions to vote on an amendment to a bill or to the bill itself can be made and seconded at any time then must be approved by the majority present.  In the House a speakers time, or the time spent on discussion may be limited by rule but not in the Senate.  Once recognized by the chair a Senator only yields the floor when he is finished or he may yield the floor to another Senator.  There is no limit on debate. If a Senator refuses to yield cloture may be invoked.

7.  If approved, a bill with changes and amendments, if any, will be sent to the leadership of the other chamber and begin this process again. 

8.  If a bill is approved by both Houses with minor or no changes between each version, it is sent to the President for his/her consideration.  If there are variations between the House and Senate versions, the leadership will appoint members to meet as a Joint Conference committee to work out differences.  The final version, if approved by both the House and Senate on an up or down (no amendments) vote, is sent to the President.

Role of the president- The student who is elected president has three roles.  First, s/he is a member of the legislature who must submit a bill and is assigned to a committee.   However, s/he can leave this committee when needed and assume his/her second role as the President’s Special Assistant for Congressional Relations.  In this role s/he is free to discuss bills being considered in different committees and advise Congressmen what the President thinks of the bill and what the President might or might not veto.  His/her third role is as president.  When any bill passes both Houses of Congress it will be sent to him/her for approval.  If s/he vetoes the bill, s/he must explain to Congress why it was vetoed.  Congress will then have the opportunity, if it wishes, to override the veto.

Role of the Speaker and the Majority leader- These students have two roles.  First, each must submit a bill and each will Chair one of the committees in his/her chamber.  They then assign bills to the appropriate committees.  When bills have passed committees they must plan meetings of their whole chamber to consider bills and preside over those meetings.  See handout materials for details about presiding over meetings.

Roles of Committee Chairpersons- Committee chairpersons run the committees which do the major analysis of bills that are submitted by members.  Chairpersons schedule the order of bills considered by their committee, recognize speakers and lead the analysis and discussion of the legislation.  If bills are approved the chairperson sends them on to the leadership.

Roles of members of the House and Senate- Each member must  submit a bill for consideration.    This bill  will be presented by the member to a committee and the entire chamber in whichever Chamber it is being considered.  Students are expected to answer questions, lobby for, and support their bills throughout the process, and be active, involved members of their committee and legislative body when considering other bills.

Support for bills- Students are expected to support their bills through the strength of their  logic and quality of their authorship speech and through political means such as (but not limited to) convincing individual members, changing sections of their proposals, forming coalitions etc. Students whose bills become law will receive extra credit.

Evaluation- Evaluation for this project (out of 60 points) 
Bill and Decision brief- 40, 
Effective, consistent and convincing role playing and involvement in committee and floor debates, including support for your bill - 20
Extra credit if bill becomes law- 3