Repealed Legislative Service Commission Act

[Anthony_Org]

House Vote: 10-0-0
Senate Vote: 4-0-0

A
BILL
To

Establish the Legislative Service Commission to provide legal drafting and research support to the Congress of the Commonwealth of Redmont.​

The people of the Commonwealth of Redmont, through their elected Representatives in the Congress and by the force of law ordained to that Congress by the people through the Constitution, do hereby enact the following provisions into law:

1 – Short Title and Enactment

(1) This Act may be cited as the Legislative Service Commission Act.

(2) This Act shall be enacted immediately upon its signing into law.

(3) This Act has been authored by Representative Anthony_org.

(4) This Act has been cosponsored by Representative Scassany.

2 – Reasons

(1) Congress requires a permanent and impartial body to support its lawmaking and oversight duties.

(2) A Legislative Service Commission (LSC) will enhance the efficiency and professionalism of Congress.

(3) Many Members of Congress lack formal legal training; the LSC will provide essential expertise to ensure bills are constitutional and enforceable.

3 – Establishment of the Commission

(1) There shall be established an independent, non-partisan body known as the Legislative Service Commission (LSC).

(a) The LSC shall operate as the principal legal and drafting service of Congress.

(b) The LSC shall be accountable to Congress collectively, not to any single party, chamber, or member.

4 – Composition

(1) The LSC shall be composed of the following:
(a) A Director of Legislative Services, who shall be the head of the Commission;
(b) Professional staff, including attorneys, researchers, and clerks, as authorized by law and funded through appropriations.

(2) The Director of Legislative Services shall be:
(a) Appointed by joint motion of Congress;
(b) Required to be a qualified attorney;
(c) Prohibited from holding elected office or a leadership role in a political party during their tenure.

(3) Staff of the LSC:
(a) Shall be hired on the basis of merit, expertise, and professional qualifications;
(b) Shall serve in a neutral capacity to support the work of all Members of Congress equally.

5 – Powers and Duties

(1) The LSC shall provide the following services:
(a) Legal research and drafting support for bills and resolutions;
(b) Impartial research on law and policy to aid legislators.

(2) The LSC may employ staff, researchers, and clerks as authorized by congressional appropriations.

(3) The LSC shall maintain neutrality and may not engage in political campaigning or advocacy.

6 – Leadership and Officers

(1) The Director of Legislative Services shall oversee the day-to-day operations of the Commission.

(2) The Director shall report directly to Congress on all activities, finances, and services provided.

7 – Oversight and Accountability

(1) The LSC shall maintain accurate records of its activities, including staff appointments, research provided, and expenditures.

(2) A full report of the LSC’s operations shall be presented to Congress once every month and shall be made publicly available.

8 – Funding

(1) The LSC shall be funded through appropriations made by Congress.

(2) Funds shall be used exclusively for the purposes of staffing, research, and legal drafting.


9 – Transition

Upon enactment of this Act, a thirty (30) day transition period shall begin to establish the Commission, appoint its Director, and allocate its budget.

 

[Julia_]

Record for revote

 

[Smami]

Aye, especially considering our very new and fresh congress with little experience, this will assist congress and help streamline the lawmaking process as a whole.

 

[Sofia2750]

Aye - As Smami stated this will help make better bills, but I have to note my worry that this will be largely empty, as most people (who are interested in this sort of stuff) are in some way politically active, and therefore also most likely in some way partisan, limiting the pool of candidates by a large amount.

 

[juniperfig]

Presidential Assent

This would be a huge boon to the Commonwealth, but I share similar concerns with Senator Sofia2750. Hoping my skepticism is proven wrong!

This bill has been granted assent and is hereby signed into law.

 

[Budgiebud]

House Vote: 8-0-0
Senate Vote: 4-0-0

A
BILL
To

Establish the Legislative Service Commission to provide legal drafting and research support to the Congress of the Commonwealth of Redmont.​

The people of the Commonwealth of Redmont, through their elected Representatives in the Congress and by the force of law ordained to that Congress by the people through the Constitution, do hereby enact the following provisions into law:

1 – Short Title and Enactment

(1) This Act may be cited as the LSC Fix Act.

(2) This Act shall be enacted immediately upon its signing into law.

(3) This Act has been authored by Senator Anthony_org.

(4) This Act has been cosponsored by Senator Anthony_org.

2 – Reasons

(1) Congress requires a permanent and impartial body to support its lawmaking and oversight duties.

(2) A Legislative Service Commission (LSC) will enhance the efficiency and professionalism of Congress.

(3) Many Members of Congress lack formal legal training; the LSC will provide essential expertise to ensure bills are constitutional and enforceable.

(4) This Act modernizes and softens overly strict requirements in the current LSC framework.

3 – Amendments

Section 4 of the Legislative Service Commission Act shall be amended as follows:

(1) The LSC shall be composed of the following:
(a) A Director of Legislative Services, who shall be the head of the Commission;
(b) Professional staff, including attorneys, researchers, analysts, and clerks, as authorized by law and funded through appropriations.

(2) The Director of Legislative Services shall be:
(a) Appointed by joint motion of Congress;
(b) Required to be a qualified attorney;
(c) Prohibited from holding elected office or a leadership role in a political party during their tenure.

(3) Staff of the LSC:
(a) Shall be hired on the basis of merit, expertise, and professional qualifications;
(b) Shall not engage in partisan political activity while serving the Commission;
(b) Shall serve in a neutral capacity to support the work of all Members of Congress equally.

 

[Smami]

Aye, this is a fairly minor change but I don't see any point in arbitrarily restricting members of the LSC from involving themselves outside of their official capacity.

 

[Pepecuu]

Presidential Assent

This bill has been granted assent and is hereby signed into law.

 

[End]

CONGRESS OF THE
COMMONWEALTH OF REDMONT
​

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A BILL TO

REUNITE THE OCA AND LSC




​

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The people of the Commonwealth of Redmont, through their elected Representatives in the Congress and the force of law ordained to that Congress by the people through the constitution, do hereby enact the following provisions into law:


​

PART I — PRELIMINARIES

1. Short Title and Enactment

(1) This Act may be cited as the ‘Congressional Support Reform Act’

(2) This Act shall be enacted immediately upon its signage.

(3) This Act has been authored by End

(4) This Act has been co-sponsored by malka

(5) This Act amends the following acts:

(a) LSA

(6) This Act repeals the following acts:

(a) Legislative Service Commission Act

2. Reasons and Intent

(1) The LSC and OCA duties are duplicated.

(2) It has become apparent that there is a desire for the role of draftsman to be re-raised.

(3) The LSC’s functions should be integrated into the Legislative Standards Act with the OCA.

(4) Impartiality requirements for congressional administrative staff must be strengthened.

PART II — AMENDMENTS

3. Standing Orders

(1) All references to the LSC are removed from the Standing Orders and the LSA becomes the primary source of truth.

4. Amendments to the Legislative Standards Act

6 - The Office of Congressional Affairs

(1) The Office of Congressional Affairs is a statutory body which provides both chambers of congress with impartial administrative support.

(2) The Office of Congressional Affairs is responsible to congress, but reports to and is tasked by the Presiding Officers through the Director of Legislative Affairs.

(3) The Office of Congressional Affairs is charged with:

(a) Making the following changes to documents of law:

(i) correcting administrative errors in sequential numbering

(ii) implementing congressional amendments.

(b) Assisting the Speaker with the administration of the House

(c) Assisting the President of the Senate with the administration of the Senate

(d) Communicating with the Press

(e) Assisting in the formatting and drafting of Bills

(f) Managing and publishing congressional transparency reports.

(g) Regularly informing the public of motions of significant public interest via government-announcements. Motions of significant public interest include but are not limited to:

(i) Nominations/Confirmations

(ii) Impeachments/Removals

(iii) Censures

(iv) New committees or changes to committees

(v) Veto overrides

(h) Legislative research and drafting support for bills and resolutions.

(i) Impartial research on law and policy to aid legislators.
.
(4) The OCA shall maintain neutrality and may not engage in political campaigning or advocacy.

(5) The members of the Office will be referred to as 'Congressional Staff':

(a) Director of Legislative Affairs - Presiding Officer's delegate in the management and coordination of the Office. This position is limited to one qualified attorney.

(b) Clerks - Responsible for OCA administrative functions and the facilitation of the Congressional Process under the guidance of the Presiding Officers.

(c) Draftsman - Responsible for legislative procedure, research, providing impartial advice to Members of Congress upon request, and drafting legislation upon request.

(5) The Office of Congressional Affairs will comprise at least two clerks.

(6) Hiring

(a) The Presiding Officers must obtain approval of Congress to appoint the Director of Legislative Affairs.

(b) The Director of Legislative Affairs may hire or contract Congressional Staff.

(c) Congressional Staff may receive salaries as determined by law.

(b) A Congressional Staff position will carry over each term until a Presiding Officer actions §6(7)(a).

(7) Tenure and Dismissal Process

(a) Congressional Staff are not tied to congressional terms and remain in office until dismissed.

(b) Congressional Staff serve at the pleasure of the Director of Legislative Affairs and the Presiding Officers.

(c) The Director of Legislative Affairs is prohibited from holding any leadership role in a political party or elected congressional office during their tenure.

(d) Congressional Staff must serve in a strictly neutral capacity in support of all Members of Congress.

(8) In the Presiding Officer’s absence, or if otherwise delegated, the Deputy Presiding Officer will assume the Presiding Officer's authority over Congressional Staff.

(8) The OCA is authorised to correct section and subsection numbering within Acts, provided such corrections do not alter the substantive meaning of any provision and are limited solely to administrative numbering errors.

(9) The Presiding Officers fund the OCA's activities through provisions in the Legislative budget.

5. Amendments to the Congressional Discord

(a) All existing channels and categories previously used by the Legislative Service Commission (LSC) shall be merged, restructured, and renamed to represent the Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA).

6. Transition

(a) Existing Clerks, Draftsman, and Directors will be transitioned to equivalent roles within the OCA.

(b) Existing channels will be renamed and integrated into the OCA to prevent the loss of work.

 

[Technofied]

Presidential Assent

This bill has received Presidential assent and is hereby signed into law.

Reason: This Bill merges the Legislative Services Commission (LSC) into the Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA), due to overlap in duties between both offices.

Additionally, the Draftsman role is reintroduced with the intent to provide legislative research, drafting, and impartial advice to Congress. Congressional Staff also persist between Congressional Terms until dismissed.

A Director of Legislative Affairs is now responsible for hiring Staff independently, with the Director's appointment needing congressional approval. The Office also gains new powers to fix numbering errors where it does not change meaning substantively, and implementing congressional amendments.

Technofied