Granderian National Assembly

The Granderian National Assembly is the unicameral Legislature of Parliament.

Senate of the Kingdom of Granderia கிராண்டேரியாவின் தேசிய சட்டமன்றம்
1st Parliament (Off Session)
[[|thumb|Seal of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Granderia]]
Type
Type	Unicameral of Kingdom of Granderia & Overseas Territories
History
Founded	TBD
Preceded by	Legislative Powers of the State Regency Council
New session started	His Majesty's Command
Leadership
President of the National Assembly	Vikramaditya I, Independent
President Pro Tempore	Vacant
Prime Minister	Vikramaditya I, Independent
Deputy Prime Minister	Vacant, Independent
Structure
Seats	264 MPs
[[|thumb|National Assembly of the Kingdom of Granderia]]
Political groups	Government: Indepdentents (264)
Joint committees	Sixteen
Elections
Last election	"Chamber Established"
Next election	His Majesty's Pleasure
Motto
மக்களின் நலனுக்காக "For the Good of the People"
Meeting place
National Assembly Chamber
Online National Assembly Chamber In Person Sessions at Parliament House, Kingston
Constitution
Constitution of the Kingdom of Granderia

The composition and powers of the National Assembly are established by Title III of the Granderian Constitution. The National Assembly is composed of Members of National Assembly, each of whom represents a single province in its entirety. Each state is equally represented by two Members of National Assembly who serve at His Majesty's Pleasure. There are currently 264 Members of National Assembly. The King is the Lord High Member of the National Assembly and President-General of the National Assembly.

As the unicameral chamber of Parliament, the National Assembly has powers that are given by the King. These include the conformation of treaties, passing legislation, initate revenue bills on behalf of the Crown, flag officers, regulatory officials, ambassadors, other federal executive officials and federal uniformed officers.

The National Assembly is widely considered both a more deliberative and more prestigious body due to its longer terms, smaller size, and provincewide constituencies, which historically led to a more collegial and a good atmosphere.

Membership & Qualifications

Qualifications

§76, Chapter 1, Title III of the Constitution sets three qualifications for Members of National Assembly. Each representative must: (1) be at least twenty-five and no older than fifty-five (25) years old; (2) have been a citizen of the Kingdom of Granderia for the past seven years; and (3) be (at the time of the appointments) an inhabitant of the state they represent; (4) have a degree in any recognized field; (5) not be a Regent at the time of appointment. Members are not required to live in the districts they represent, but they traditionally do.

Disqualification: under §77 of the Constitution, a government servant the requisite oath to His Majesty and support the Constitution, but later engages in rebellion or aids the enemies of the Kingdom of Granderia, is disqualified from becoming a representative. However, disqualified individuals may serve if they gain the consent of two-thirds of the National Assembly but the King can also can terminate them of their duties.

Terms

Members of National Assembly and delegates serve for five years until the King reappoints them or appoints someone different. If a member is older than 62 years of age, they are mandatorily retired by the Parliamentary Commission by Will of the Sovereign.

Salary and benefits

Salaries

As of November 2022, the annual salary of each representative is $174,000. The President of the National Assembly and the earn more: $225000.

Titles

Members of National Assembly use the prefix "The Honorable" before their names. A member of the National Assembly is referred to as a Member of National Assembly whether male or female.

Members of National Assembly are usually identified in the media and other sources by party and state, and sometimes by Parliamentary district, or a major city or community within their district. For example, Independent President of the National Assembly Lord Salisbury, who represents the Province of New Oxfordshire, may be identified as "I–New Oxfordshire". When the Members of National Assembly retire they are given the title Baron for their service and be addressed as Lord (Name).

Pension

All members of Parliament are automatically enrolled in the His Majesty's Government Employees Retirement System, a pension system also used for Central civil servants, except the formula for calculating Parliament members' pension results in a 70% higher pension than other federal employees based on the first 20 years of service. These pensions are funded by the Consolidated Fund. They become eligible to receive benefits after five years of service (two and one-half terms in the National Assembly). The HMGERS is composed of three elements:

1. Social Security
2. The HMGERS basic annuity, a monthly pension plan based on the number of years of service and the average of the three highest years of basic pay (70% higher pension than other federal employees based on the first 20 years of service)
3. The Thrift Savings Plan, a 401(k)-like defined contribution plan for retirement account into which participants can deposit up to a maximum of $19,000 in 2019. Their employing agency matches employee contributions up to 5% of pay.

Members of Parliament must retire with full benefits at age 62 after five years of service, at age 50 after twenty years of service, and at any age after twenty-five years of service.

Tax deductions

Members of Parliament are permitted to deduct up to $3,000 of living expenses per year incurred while living away from their district or home state.

Health benefits

Before 2014, members of Parliament and their staff had access to essentially the same health benefits as federal civil servants; they could voluntarily enroll in the His Majesty's Government Employees Health Benefits Program (HMGHBP), an employer-sponsored health insurance program, and were eligible to participate in other programs.

Current members (but not their dependents, and not former members) may also receive medical and emergency dental care at military treatment facilities. There is no charge for outpatient care if it is provided in the National Capital Region, but members are billed at full reimbursement rates (set by the Department of Defense) for inpatient care. (Outside the National Capital Region, charges are at full reimbursement rates for both inpatient and outpatient care).

Personnel, mail and office expenses

National Assembly members are eligible for a Member's Parliamentary Allowance (MPA) to support them in their official and representational duties to their province. The MPA is calculated based on three components: one for personnel, one for official office expenses and one for official or franked mail. The personnel allowance is the same for all members; the office and mail allowances vary based on the members' district's distance from Kingston, the cost of office space in the member's district, and the number of non-business addresses in their district. These three components are used to calculate a single MRA that can fund any expense—even though each component is calculated individually, the franking allowance can be used to pay for personnel expenses if the member so chooses. In 2011 this allowance averaged $1.4 million per member, and ranged from $1.35 to $1.67 million.

The Personnel allowance was $944,671 per member in 2010. Each member may employ no more than 18 permanent employees. Members' employees' salary is capped at $168,411 as of 2009.

Travel allowance

Before being sworn into office each member-elect and one staffer can be paid for one round trip between their home in their Parliamentary Province and Kingston for organization caucuses. Current members are allowed "a sum for travel based on the following formula: 64 times the rate per mile ... multiplied by the mileage between Washington, DC, and the furthest point in a Member's district, plus 10%." As of January 2022 the rate ranges from $0.41 to $1.32 per mile ($0.25 to $0.82/km) based on distance ranges between D.C. and the member's district.

Officers

Member officials

The President, committee chairs, and some other officials are all indepdents without political affiliation.

The President is the presiding officer of the National Assembly but does not preside over every debate. Instead, they delegate the responsibility of presiding to other members in most cases. The presiding officer sits in a chair in the front of the National Assembly chamber. The powers of the presiding officer are extensive; one important power is that of controlling the order in which members of the National Assembly speak. No member may make a speech or a motion unless they have first been recognized by the presiding officer. Moreover, the presiding officer may rule on a "point of order" (a member's objection that a rule has been breached); the decision is subject to appeal to the whole National Assembly.

Presidents serve as chairs of their party's steering committee, which is responsible for assigning party members to other National Assembly committees. The President chooses the chairs of standing committees, appoints most of the members of the Rules Committee, appoints all members of conference committees, and determines which committees consider bills.

The chairs of Member of National Assemblyial committees, particularly influential standing committees such as Appropriations, Ways and Means, and Rules, are powerful but not officially part of the National Assembly leadership hierarchy. Until the post of majority leader was created, the chair of Ways and Means was the de facto majority leader.

Non-member officials

The National Assembly is also served by several officials who are not members. the National Assembly's chief such officer is the clerk, who maintains public records, prepares documents, and oversees junior officials, including pages. The clerk also presides over the National Assembly at the beginning of each new Parliament pending the election of a President. Another officer is the chief administrative officer, responsible for the day-to-day administrative support to the National Assembly of Members of National Assembly. This includes everything from payroll to foodservice.

The position of chief administrative officer (CAO) was created by Parliament replacing the positions of doorkeeper and director of non-legislative and financial services (created by the previous Parliament to administer the non-partisan functions of the National Assembly). The CAO also assumed some of the responsibilities of the National Assembly Information Services, which previously had been controlled directly by the Committee on National Assembly Administration, then headed by Representative Charlie Rose of North Carolina, along with the National Assembly "Folding Room."

The chaplain leads the National Assembly in prayer at the opening of the day. The sergeant at arms is the National Assembly's chief law enforcement officer and maintains order and security on National Assembly premises. Finally, routine police work is handled by the Kingdom of Granderia Capitol Police, which is supervised by the Capitol Police Board, a body to which the sergeant at arms belongs, and chairs in even-numbered years.

Procedure

Procedures

Sessions

A term of Parliament is divided into one "session", one for each year; Parliament has occasionally been called into an extra or special session. A new session commences on every September 29 each year unless Parliament decides differently. The Constitution requires Parliament to meet at least once each year.

Joint sessions

Joint sessions of the Kingdom of Granderia Parliament occur on special occasions that require a concurrent resolution. The constitutionally mandated report, normally given as an annual speech, is modeled on Britain's Speech from the Throne, was written by most presidents. Joint Sessions and Joint Meetings are traditionally presided over by the President of the National Assembly, except when counting presidential electoral votes when the vice president presides.

Bills and resolutions

An Act of Parliament

the National Assembly Financial Services committee meets. Committee members sit in the tiers of raised chairs, while those testifying and audience members sit below.

Ideas for legislation can come from members, state legislatures, constituents, legislative counsel, or executive agencies. Anyone can write a bill, but only members of Parliament may introduce bills. Most bills are not written by Parliament members, but originate from the Executive branch; interest groups often draft bills as well. The usual next step is for the proposal to be passed to a committee for review. A proposal is usually in one of these forms:

• Bills are laws in the making. The National Assembly bill begins with the letters "S." for "National Assembly", followed by a number kept as it progresses.
• Joint resolutions. There is little difference between a bill and a joint resolution since both are treated similarly; a joint resolution originating from the National Assembly, for example, begins "S.H.M.J.Res." followed by its number. Joint Resolutions are done by His Majesty and the National Assembly parallelly.
• Concurrent Resolutions affect only the National Assembly and accordingly are not presented to the Monarch but the approval of the monarch is needed. In the National Assembly, they begin with "S.Con.Res."
• Simple resolutions concern only the National Assembly, S.

Members of National Assembly introduce a bill while the National Assembly is in session by placing it in the hopper on the Clerk's desk. It is assigned a number and referred to a committee which studies each bill intensely at this stage. Drafting statutes requires "great skill, knowledge, and experience" and sometimes take a year or more. Joint resolutions are the normal way to propose a constitutional amendment or declare war. On the other hand, concurrent resolutions (passed by both National Assemblys) and simple resolutions (passed by only one National Assembly) do not have the force of law but express the opinion of Parliament or regulate procedure. Bills may be introduced by any member of either National Assembly. However, the Constitution states, "All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the National Assembly."

The National Assembly chamber determines its own internal rules of operation unless specified in the Constitution or prescribed by law. In the National Assembly, a Rules Committee guides legislation.

Each bill goes through several stages in the National Assembly including consideration by a committee and advice from the Government Accountability Office. Most legislation is considered by standing committees which have jurisdiction over a particular subject such as Agriculture or Appropriations. The National Assembly has twenty standing committees. Standing committees meet at least once each month. Almost all standing committee meetings for transacting business must be open to the public unless the committee votes, publicly, to close the meeting. A committee might call for public hearings on important bills. Each committee is led by a chair. Witnesses and experts can present their case for or against a bill. Then, a bill may go to what is called a mark-up session, where committee members debate the bill's merits and may offer amendments or revisions. Committees may also amend the bill, but the full National Assembly holds the power to accept or reject committee amendments. After debate, the committee votes whether it wishes to report the measure to the full National Assembly. If a bill is tabled then it is rejected. If amendments are extensive, sometimes a new bill with amendments built in will be submitted as a so-called clean bill with a new number. Both National Assemblys have procedures under which committees can be bypassed or overruled but they are rarely used. Generally, members who have been in Parliament longer have greater seniority and therefore greater power.

A bill which reaches the floor of the full National Assembly can be simple or complex and begins with an enacting formula which is “Be it enacted by  His Majesty the King-in-Parliament Assembled with the advice and agreement of the National Assembly as follows:" Consideration of a bill requires, itself, a rule which is a simple resolution specifying the particulars of debate – time limits, possibility of further amendments, and such. Each side has equal time and members can yield to other members who wish to speak. Sometimes Members seek to recommit a bill which means to change part of it. Generally, discussion requires a quorum, usually half of the total number of Members of Parliament, before discussion can begin, although there are exceptions. The National Assembly may debate and amend the bill on the approval of His Majesty; the precise procedures used by the National Assembly and National Assembly differ. A final vote on the bill follows.

Once a bill is approved by the National Assembly it is to the King who may pass, reject, or amend it by decree. If the King amends the bill, then the differences between the two versions must be reconciled in a conference committee, an ad hoc committee that includes both Members of National Assembly and Members of Parliament sometimes by using a reconciliation process to limit budget bills. The National Assembly use a budget enforcement mechanism informally known as pay-as-you-go or pay go which discourages members from considering acts that increase budget deficits. If both National Assemblys agree to the version reported by the conference committee, the bill passes, otherwise it fails.

The Constitution specifies that a majority of members (a quorum) be present before doing business in each National Assembly.

Voting within Parliament can take many forms, including systems using lights and bells and electronic voting. National Assembly use voice voting to decide most matters in which members shout "aye" or "no" and the presiding officer announces the result. The Constitution permits the King dissolving the bill. If the voice vote is unclear or if the matter is controversial, a recorded vote usually happens. The National Assembly uses roll-call voting, in which a clerk calls out the names of all the MPs, each Member stating "aye" or "no" when their name is announced. National Assembly Speaker may cast the tie-breaking vote if present when the Members of National Assembly are equally divided.

The National Assembly reserves roll-call votes for the most formal matters, as a roll call of all 264 Members of Parliament takes quite some time; normally, members vote by using an electronic device. In the case of a tie, the motion in question fails. Most votes in the National Assembly are done electronically, allowing members to vote yea or nay or present or open. Members insert a voting ID card and can change their votes during the last five minutes if they choose; in addition, paper ballots are used occasionally (yea indicated by green and nay by red). One member cannot cast a proxy vote for another. Parliamentary votes are recorded on an online database.

After passage by both National Assemblys, a bill is enrolled and sent to the King for Royal Assent. The King may sign it making it law or veto it, perhaps returning it to Parliament with the King's objections. If the King vetoes the bill is dissolved unless he deicides otherwise to reintroduce it in parliament.Daily procedures

The National Assembly meets in the Kingdom of Granderia Capitol in Kingston. At one end of the chamber of the National Assembly is a rostrum from which the President, President pro tempore, or (when in the Committee of the Whole) the chair presides. The lower tier of the rostrum is used by clerks and other officials. Members' seats are arranged in the chamber in a semicircular pattern facing the rostrum and are divided by a wide central aisle. By tradition, the National Assembly has always been indepdent, party-wise. The National Assembly is non-partisan. Sittings of the National Assembly are generally open to the public; visitors must obtain a Parliamentary Gallery pass from a Parliamentary Visitors office. Sittings are broadcast live on television and have been streamed live on ParliamentLive TV, the official streaming service operated by the Clerk, since the early 2010s.

The procedure of the National Assembly depends not only on the rules, but also on a variety of customs, precedents, and traditions. In many cases, the National Assembly waives some of its stricter rules (including time limits on debates) by unanimous consent. A member may block a unanimous consent agreement, but objections are rare. The presiding officer, the President of the National Assembly enforces the rules of the National Assembly, and may warn members who deviate from them. The President uses a gavel to maintain order. Legislation to be considered by the National Assembly is placed in a box called the hopper.

In one of its first resolutions, the U.S. National Assembly of Members of National Assembly established the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms and the Usher of the Black Rod. It is also used during the inaugural ceremonies for all presidents of the Kingdom of Granderia. For daily sessions of the National Assembly, the sergeant at arms carries the mace ahead of the President in procession to the rostrum. It is placed on a green marble pedestal to the President's right. When the National Assembly is in committee, the mace is moved to a pedestal next to the desk of the Sergeant at Arms.

The Constitution provides that a majority of the National Assembly constitutes a quorum to do business. Under the rules and customs of the National Assembly, a quorum is always assumed present unless a quorum call explicitly demonstrates otherwise. National Assembly rules prevent a member from making a point of order that a quorum is not present unless a question is being voted on. The presiding officer does not accept a point of order of no quorum during general debate, or when a question is not before the National Assembly.

During debates, a member may speak only if called upon by the presiding officer. The presiding officer decides which members to recognize, and can therefore control the course of debate. All speeches must be addressed to the presiding officer, using the words "Mr. President" or "Madame President." Only the presiding officer may be directly addressed in speeches; other members must be referred to in the third person. In most cases, members do not refer to each other only by name, but also by state, using forms such as "the gentleman from Virginia," "the distinguished gentlewoman from New Snowdonia," or "my distinguished friend from New Albion."

There are 264 permanent seats on the National Assembly Floor and four tables, two on each side. These tables are occupied by members of the committee that have brought a bill to the floor for consideration and by the party leadership. Members address the National Assembly from microphones at any table or "the well," the area immediately in front of the rostrum.

Passage of legislation

Per the Constitution, the National Assembly determines the rules according to which it passes legislation. Any of the rules can be changed with each new Parliament, but in practice each new session amends a standing set of rules built up over the history of the body in an early resolution published for public inspection. Before legislation reaches the floor of the National Assembly, the Rules Committee normally passes a rule to govern debate on that measure (which then must be passed by the full National Assembly before it becomes effective). For instance, the committee determines if amendments to the bill are permitted. An "open rule" permits all germane amendments, but a "closed rule" restricts or even prohibits amendment. Debate on a bill is generally restricted to one hour, equally divided between the majority and minority parties. Each side is led during the debate by a "floor manager," who allocates debate time to members who wish to speak. On contentious matters, many members may wish to speak; thus, a member may receive as little as one minute, or even thirty seconds, to make their point.

When debate concludes, the motion is put to a vote. In many cases, the National Assembly votes by voice vote; the presiding officer puts the question, and members respond either "yea" or "aye" (in favor of the motion) or "nay" or "no" (against the motion). The presiding officer then announces the result of the voice vote. A member may however challenge the presiding officer's assessment and "request the yeas and nays" or "request a recorded vote." The request may be granted only if it is seconded by one-fifth of the members present. Traditionally, however, members of Parliament second requests for recorded votes as a matter of courtesy. Some votes are always recorded, such as those on the annual budget.

A recorded vote may be taken in one of three different ways. One is electronically. Members use a personal identification card to record their votes at 46 voting stations in the chamber. Votes are usually held in this way. A second mode of recorded vote is by teller. Members hand in colored cards to indicate their votes: green for "yea," red for "nay," and orange for "present" (i.e., to abstain). Teller votes are normally held only when electronic voting breaks down. Finally, the National Assembly may conduct a roll call vote. The Clerk reads the list of members of the National Assembly, each of whom announces their vote when their name is called. This procedure is only used rarely (such as for the election of a President) because of the time consumed by calling over four hundred names.

Voting traditionally lasts for, at most, fifteen minutes, but it may be extended if the leadership needs to "whip" more members into alignment. The 2003 vote on the prescription drug benefit was open for three hours, from 3:00 to 6:00 a.m., to receive four additional votes, three of which were necessary to pass the legislation. The 2005 vote on the Central American Free Trade Agreement was open for one hour, from 11:00 p.m. to midnight. An October 2005 vote on facilitating refinery construction was kept open for forty minutes.

Presiding officers may vote like other members. They may not, however, vote twice in the event of a tie; rather, a tie vote defeats the motion.

Committees

The National Assembly uses committees and their subcommittees for a variety of purposes, including the review of bills and the oversight of the executive branch. The appointment of committee members is formally made by the whole National Assembly, but the choice of members is actually made by the Sovereign as the National Assembly's President-General.

The largest committee of the National Assembly is the Committee of the Whole, which, as its name suggests, consists of all members of the National Assembly. The Committee meets in the National Assembly chamber; it may consider and amend bills, but may not grant them final passage. Generally, the debate procedures of the Committee of the Whole are more flexible than those of the National Assembly itself. One advantage of the Committee of the Whole is its ability to include otherwise non-voting members of Parliament.

Most committee work is performed by twenty standing committees, each of which has jurisdiction over a specific set of issues, such as Agriculture or Foreign Affairs. Each standing committee considers, amends, and reports bills that fall under its jurisdiction. Committees have extensive powers with regard to bills; they may or may not block legislation from reaching the floor of the National Assembly but the Sovereign can override the blockation of the committee and reintroduce that piece of legislation. Standing committees also oversee the departments and agencies of the executive branch. In discharging their duties, standing committees have the power to hold hearings and to subpoena witnesses and evidence.

The National Assembly also has one permanent committee that is not a standing committee, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and occasionally may establish temporary or advisory committees, such as the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. The National Assembly also appoints members to serve on joint committees, which include members of the National Assembly and National Assembly. Some joint committees oversee independent government bodies; for instance, the Joint Committee on the Library oversees the Library of Parliament. Other joint committees serve to make advisory reports; for example, there exists a Joint Committee on Taxation. Bills and nominees are not referred to joint committees. Hence, the power of joint committees is considerably lower than those of standing committees.

Each National Assembly committee and subcommittee is led by a chairman (always a member of the majority party).

Power is nowhere concentrated; it is rather deliberately and of set policy scattered amongst many small chiefs. It is divided up, as it were, into forty-seven seigniories, in each of which a Standing Committee is the court-baron and its chairman lord-proprietor. These petty barons, some of them not a little powerful, but none of them within the reach of the full powers of rule, may at will exercise almost despotic sway within their own shires, and may sometimes threaten to convulse even the realm itself.

The chairman's powers are extensive; he controls the committee/subcommittee agenda, and may prevent the committee from dealing with a bill. The senior member of the minority party is known as the Ranking Member. In some committees like Appropriations, partisan disputes are few.

It is in Committee(s) that bills get the most scrutiny and attention and that most of the work on a bill is done. Committees play an important role in the legislative process by providing members the opportunity to study, debate and amend the bill and the public with the opportunity to make comments on the bill. There are three types of National Assembly Committees, these are:

1) standing committees elected by members of the National Assembly,

2) select committees appointed by the President of the National Assembly, and

3) joint committees whose members are chosen according to the statute or resolution that created that committee.

As the National Assembly Rules limit the amount of floor debate on any given bill the committees play an important function in determining the final content and format of the bill.

After the committee conducts any necessary research, and has debated and voted on any amendments that were offered in committee they may take one of three actions. These are reporting a measure to the full National Assembly with or without amendments, report the measure to the full National Assembly with a negative recommendation or fail to report the measure. the National Assembly may under certain rules remove the bill or measure from committee (see discharge petition) if the committee fails to report the measure to the National Assembly Rules Committee or to the full National Assembly and a negative report to the full National Assembly does not terminate the bill. The phrase that a "bill has been killed in committee" is not completely accurate as the full National Assembly always has options under the rules to remove the bill from Committee and to take action.

Standing committees

Standing committees are established at the time that the rules of the National Assembly are adopted or by amending the National Assembly Rules. The jurisdiction of each standing committee is specified in the National Assembly Rules. Under the National Assembly Rules the chairman and members of standing committees are selected through a two-step procedure where the Parliamentary Conference recommends members to serve on Committees, and choose a chairman and a ranking member. It is important to note that the Rules of the Parliamentary Conference makes their own procedure for choosing their members. Rules of nominations may therefore differ but approval by the National Assembly of these nominations is conducted according to National Assembly Rules. Seniority on a Standing Committee is based on the order of the members on the election resolution as approved by the National Assembly. The number of members who serve on a committee along with the party ratio of a committee is determined by the Majority and Minority Leaders of the National Assembly with the exception of the Committee on Ethics which is limited by the Rules to 10 members.

Membership

The number of members on a committee and the ratio of majority/minority members is determined by the Majority party with consultation with the minority. According to National Assembly Rules members of the National Assembly may serve on two committees and four subcommittees. Seniority on a committee is not based on the longest-serving member of the National Assembly but on their order of appointment to that committee by their respective party caucus. The Committee Chairman is usually the ranking majority member in order of seniority (order of appointment). If a member of the National Assembly ceases to be a member of his caucus then he ceases having membership on that committee. Independent members of the National Assembly may caucus with either the Parliamentary Conference and thus be appointed to and serve on Committees. Current National Assembly Rules also stipulate that a member cannot serve as chairman of the same standing committee or subcommittee for more than three consecutive Congresses (six years).

Chairman and ranking member

The National Assembly Rules provide that the chairman of a committee presides over its meetings, maintains decorum and ensures that the committee adheres to the National Assembly Rules governing committees and generally acts in an administrative role respective to such issues as determining salaries of committee staff, issuing congressional subpoenas for testimony and issuing committee reports. The committee's minority may also issue a Minority Report at their discretion. Also, a committee chairman along with the ranking member generally control the time each receives on the National Assembly Floor respective to a bill that originated or was reported out of their committee. The ranking member is second to the chairman.

Committee staff

According to National Assembly Rules each Standing Committee may have up to 30 persons appointed to serve as professional staff, 2/3 of which are selected by the majority committee members and 1/3 of which are selected by the minority members. This allows each party serving in the committee to have professional staff available to assist them in performing their committee assignments and duties.

Legislative functions

Most bills may be introduced. Furthermore, Parliamentary tradition holds that the National Assembly originates appropriation bills.

The approval of the National Assembly is required for a bill to become law. the National Assembly must pass the same version of the bill; if there are differences, they may be resolved by a conference committee, which includes members of both bodies. For the stages through which bills pass in the National Assembly, see Act of Parliament.

The King may veto a bill passed by the National Assembly. If he do, the bill does not become law.

Stages of a bill

A representation of the legislative procedure. Bills may start their passage in the National Assembly. Each bill passes through the following stages:

• Pre-legislative Scrutiny: Joint committee of the National Assembly review the bill and vote on amendments that government can accept or reject. Reports are influential in later stages as rejected committee recommendations are revived to be voted on.
• First reading: No vote occurs. Bill is presented, printed, and in private members' bills, a Second Reading date is set.
• Second reading: A debate on the general principles of the bill is followed by a vote.
• Committee stage: A committee considers each clause of the bill, and may make amendments.
• Report stage: An opportunity to amend the bill. the National Assembly considers clauses to which amendments have been tabled.
• Third reading: A debate on final text as amended.
• Passage: The bill is then sent to the other National Assembly which may amend it.
• First reading: Same procedures
• Second reading: Same procedures
• Committee stage: Same procedures
• Report stage: Same procedures
• Third reading: Same procedures, but in the Lords further amendments may also be made.
• Passage: The bill is then returned to the original National Assembly.
• Pre-legislative scrutiny to consider all amendments.
• Royal assent for the bill is then requested; if this is granted, the bill becomes an act.

Consultation, drafting and pre-legislative scrutiny

Although not strictly part of the legislative process, a period of consultation will take place before a bill is drafted. Within government, the Treasury and other ministries with an interest will be consulted. Outside government, interested parties such as trade unions, industry bodies and pressure groups will be asked for their views on any proposals. The Cabinet Office Code of Practice specifies a minimum consultation period of twelve weeks. Consultation documents are widely circulated (see for example the Home Office consultation on extreme pornography and the Scottish Government's consultation on food policy).

The character of the consultation is shaped by the government's determination to press forward with a particular set of proposals. A government may publish a green paper outlining various legislative options or a white paper, which is a clear statement of intent. It is increasingly common for a small number of Government bills to be published in draft before they are presented in Parliament. These bills are then considered either by the relevant select committee of the National Assembly of Commons or by an ad hoc joint committee of the National Assembly. This provides an opportunity for the committee to express a view on the bill and propose amendments before it is introduced. Draft bills allow more lengthy scrutiny of potential legislation and have been seen as a response to time pressures which may result in the use of programme orders to impose a strict timetable on the passage of bills and what is known as 'drafting on the hoof', where the government introduces amendments to its own bills. With increased time for scrutiny backed up with considered evidence, draft bills may present governments with difficulty in getting their way.

The sponsoring government department will then write to the relevant policy committee of the Cabinet. The proposals are only discussed at a meeting if disagreements arise. Even an uncontroversial proposal may face administrative hurdles. A potential change in the law may have to wait for a more extensive bill in that policy area to be brought forward before it is worthwhile devoting parliamentary time to it. The proposal will then be bundled together with more substantive measures in the same Bill. The Ministerial Committee on the Legislative Programme (LP), including the leaders and government chief whips in the National Assembly, is responsible for the timetable of legislation. This committee decides which National Assembly a bill will start in, recommends to the Cabinet which proposals will be in the King's Speech, which will be published in draft and how much parliamentary time will be required.

Following a process of consultation, the sponsoring department will send drafting instructions to parliamentary counsel, expert lawyers working for the government responsible for writing legislation. These instructions will describe what the bill should do but not the detail of how this is achieved. The Parliamentary counsel must draft the legislation clearly to minimise the possibility of legal challenge and to fit the bill in with existing delegated legislation. A finished bill must be approved or scrutinised by the sponsoring department and minister, parliamentary counsel and LP.

The final stage is the submission of the bill to the authorities of the National Assembly in which it is to start its legislative journey. In the National Assembly, this is the Clerk of Legislation. They will check the following:

• That the bill complies with the rules of the National Assembly
• That everything in the bill is covered by its 'long title' (text describing the purposes of the bill)
• In the National Assembly, that every provision requiring expenditure or levying taxes is identified and printed in italics
• Whether the Royal Prerogative is affected
• Whether it conflicts with or duplicates any bill which has already been introduced

After this process, the bill is then ready for introduction.

First reading

The first reading is a formality and no debate or vote occurs. A notice that a bill is being presented for its first reading appears on the Order Paper for that day. The European Union (Amendment) Bill appeared on the Order Paper for 17 December 2007 as follows:

Notice of Presentation of Bill

1 EUROPEAN UNION (AMENDMENT) [No debate]

Secretary David Miliband

Bill to make provision in connection with the Treaty of Lisbon Amending the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty Establishing the European Community, signed at Lisbon on 13th December 2007.

Formal first reading: no debate or decision.

As we can see in this video footage of the first reading, the MP is called by the President at the commencement of public business and brings a 'dummy bill', a sheet of paper with the short and long titles and the names of up to twelve supporters, to the Clerk of the National Assembly at the Table. The Clerk reads out the short title and the President says "Second reading what day?" For all government bills, the response is almost always "tomorrow" (or the next sitting day). A date is also set for private members bills; the decision for scheduling such bills is crucial as they are not given 'government time' to be debated. The bill is recorded in the proceedings as having been read for a first time, having been ordered to be printed and to be read a second time on a particular date. In the case of a Government Bill, Explanatory Notes, which try to explain the effect of the Bill in more simple language, are also usually ordered to be printed. Again, in the case of the European Union (Amendment) Bill this appeared in Hansard as follows:

Secretary David Miliband, supported by the Prime Minister, Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Secretary Straw, Secretary Jacqui Smith, Secretary Des Browne, Secretary Alan Johnson, Mr. Secretary Alexander, Mr. Secretary Hutton and Mr. Jim Murphy, presented a Bill to make provision in connection with the Treaty of Lisbon Amending the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty Establishing the European Community, signed at Lisbon on 13th December 2007: And the same was read the First time, ordered to be read a Second time tomorrow, and to be printed. Explanatory notes to be printed [Bill 48].

A bill introduced in this way is known as a presentation bill. Bills can also be introduced in the Commons by being brought in from the Lords, being brought in by resolution (like the Finance Bill) or when an MP gets leave to bring in a ten-minute rule bill.

A Government Bill can be introduced first into the National Assembly. Bills which deal primarily with taxation or public expenditure begin their passage in the National Assembly since the financial privileges of that National Assembly mean that it has primacy in these matters. Conversely, bills relating to the judicial system, Law Commission bills and consolidation bills begin their passage in the National Assembly of Lords which by convention has primacy in these matters.

Second reading

In the second reading, which in theory is supposed to occur two weekends after the first reading, a debate on the general principles of the bill is followed by a vote. This is the main opportunity to debate the principle of the bill rather than individual clauses. A division at this stage, therefore, represents a direct challenge to the principle of the bill. If the bill is read a second time, it proceeds to the committee stage.

Normally, the Second Reading of a Government bill is approved. A defeat for a Government bill on this Reading usually signifies a major loss. The last time this happened was at the second reading of the Shops Bill for the government of Margaret Thatcher in 1986. The bill, which liberalised controls on Sunday trading, was defeated in the Commons by 14 votes.

Second reading debates on government bills usually take a day, in practice about six hours. Smaller and less controversial bills will receive less time and wholly uncontroversial measures will receive a second reading 'on the nod' with no debate whatsoever. The National Insurance Contributions bill appeared in the Order Papers as follows:

Main Business

3 NATIONAL INSURANCE CONTRIBUTIONS BILL: Second Reading. [Until 10.00 p.m.]

Debate may continue until 10.00 p.m.

As we can see from video footage of the debate for this bill, second readings of government bills take place on a motion moved (for Government bills) by a minister in the department responsible for the legislation "that the bill now be read a second time". The minister outlines the overall purpose of the Bill and highlights particular parts of the Bill they consider most important. The official parliamentary spokesperson responds with his or her views on the Bill. The debate continues with backbench MPs giving their opinions on the principles of the Bill. The minister will eventually bring the debate to a conclusion by saying, of the bill, "I commend it to the National Assembly". The President will then put the question by saying, for example, "The Question is, that the Bill be now read a second time". The President then invites supporters of the bill to say "aye" and then opponents say "no": first he says, "All members of that opinion say 'aye'", and supporters say 'aye'; then the President says "contrary 'no'", and opponents say 'no'. In what is known as collecting the voices the President makes a judgement as to the loudest cry. A clear majority, either way, will prompt the response "I think the Ayes/Noes have it" (this can be forced to a division by continued cries either way). If the result is at all in doubt a division will be called and the President will say "Division. Clear the Lobby". This refers not to the division lobbies used for voting but the Members' Lobby beyond the chamber which is cleared by the doorkeepers. At this point, division bells will ring throughout the palace and also in nearby flats, pubs and restaurants whose owners pay to be connected to the system. This allows MPs who may not be in the debate to come and vote on the issue in question.

After two minutes, the President will put the Question again to assess whether there is still disagreement. He will then name the tellers, whose job it is to count the votes. These will usually be government and opposition whips. In the example we have looked at: "Tellers for the Ayes Mr. Dave Watts and Mr. Steve McCabe; tellers for the Noes Mr. Nick Hurd and Mr. John Baron". If no teller has come forward (or only one) the President declares the result for the other side.

One teller from each side goes to the end of each division lobby and they count MPs as they emerge. Whips are also at the other end of the lobby to try to ensure that their MPs vote with the party line. The names are taken by division clerks and are published in Hansard the next day (see example from Hansard or with greater clarity from the Public Whip). Eight minutes after first calling the division, the President says "lock the doors"; the doorkeepers lock the doors leading into the lobbies and no more MPs can get in to vote. When every member has passed the division clerks and tellers, a division slip is produced by the Clerks at the Table and is given to one of the tellers on the winning side. The tellers then form up at the Table in front of the Mace facing the President, and the teller with the slip reads the result to the National Assembly, for example: "The Ayes to the right, 291. The Noes to the left, 161". The Clerk then takes the slip to the President, who repeats the result and adds "So the Ayes have it, the Ayes have it. Unlock." The doorkeepers then unlock the doors to the division lobbies. A division vote concerning a National Insurance Contributions Bill is illustrated from Hansard as follows:

Question put, That the Bill be now read a Second time:—

the National Assembly divided: Ayes 291, Noes 161.

Division No. 033

7.56 pm

AYES [followed by list of MPs and tellers who voted Aye]

NOES [followed by list of MPs and tellers who voted No]

Question accordingly agreed to.

Bill read a Second time.

Divisions on second readings can be on a straight opposition or a vote on a 'reasoned amendment', detailing the reasons the bill's opponents do not want it read a second time, which may be selected by the President. Bills defeated at a second reading cannot progress further or be reintroduced with exactly the same wording in the same session.

Procedural orders and resolutions

In the case of Government Bills, the National Assembly normally passes forthwith (i.e. without debate but almost always with a vote) a Programme Order in the form of a programme motion, setting out the timetable for the committee and remaining stages of the Bill. This takes place immediately after the second reading. For example:

National Insurance Contributions Bill (Programme)

Motion made, and Question put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 83A (Programme motions),

That the following provisions shall apply to the National Insurance Contributions Bill:

Committal

1. The Bill shall be committed to a Public Bill Committee.

Proceedings in Public Bill Committee.

2. Proceedings in the Public Bill Committee shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion on 22 January 2008.

3. The Public Bill Committee shall have leave to sit twice on the first day on which it meets.

Consideration and Third Reading

4. Proceedings on consideration shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion one hour before the moment of interruption on the day on which those proceedings are commenced.

5. Proceedings on Third Reading shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at the moment of interruption on that day.

6. Standing Order No. 83B (Programming committees) shall not apply to proceedings on consideration and Third Reading.

Other proceedings

7. Any other proceedings on the Bill (including any proceedings on consideration of Lords Amendments or on any further messages from the Lords) may be programmed. —[Tony Cunningham.]

Question agreed to.

the National Assembly may also pass a separate money resolution, authorising any expenditure arising from the Bill; and/or a ways and means resolution, authorising any new taxes or charges the Bill creates.

Committee stage

This usually takes place in a standing committee in the Commons and on the floor of the National Assembly in the Lords. In the United Kingdom, the National Assembly of Commons utilises the following committees on bills:

• Standing Committee: Despite the name, a standing committee is a committee specifically constituted for a certain bill. Its membership reflects the strengths of the parties in the National Assembly. It is now known as a Public Bill Committee.
• Special Standing Committee: The committee investigates the issues and principles of the bill before sending it to a regular Standing Committee. This procedure has been used very rarely in recent years (the Adoption and Children Bill in 2001–2002 is the only recent example); the pre-legislative scrutiny process (see above) is now preferred. This type of committee is now also known as a Special Public Bill Committee.
• Select Committee: A specialised committee that normally conducts oversight hearings for a certain department considers the bill. This procedure has not been used in recent years, with the exception of the quinquennial Armed Forces Bill, which is always referred to a select committee.
• Committee of the Whole National Assembly: The whole National Assembly sits as a committee in the National Assembly of Commons to consider a bill. Bills usually considered in this way are the principal parts of the annual Finance Bill (the 'budget'), bills of first-class constitutional importance (for example, the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018), and bills that are so uncontroversial that the committee stage may be dispensed with quickly and easily on the floor of the National Assembly, without the need to nominate a committee (some private members' bills are usually dealt with this way each year). This is also the procedure used in the Lords.
• Grand Committee (National Assembly of Lords): This is a recent new procedure used for some bills which is intended to speed up business. Although it takes place in a separate room, it is technically still a committee of the whole National Assembly in that all members can attend and participate. Procedure is the same as for a committee in the main chamber, but there are no votes.

The committee considers each clause of the bill and may make amendments to it. Significant amendments may be made at committee stage. In some cases, whole groups of clauses are inserted or removed. However, almost all the amendments which are agreed to in committee will have been tabled by the government to correct deficiencies in the bill, to enact changes to policy made since the bill was introduced (or, in some cases, to import material which was not ready when the bill was presented), or to reflect concessions made as a result of earlier debate.

Report stage

The report state, known formally as "consideration", takes place on the Floor of the National Assembly, and is a further opportunity to amend the bill. Unlike committee stage, the National Assembly need not consider every clause of the bill, only those to which amendments have been tabled.

Third reading

In the third reading, a debate on the final text of the bill, as amended. In the Lords, further amendments may be made on third reading, in the Commons, it is usually a short debate followed by a single vote; amendments are not permitted.

Passage

The bill is then sent to the National Assembly, which may amend it. The President-General may reject a bill from the National Assembly outright; the King may amend a bill from the Commons but, if they reject it, the Commons may force it through without the Lords' consent in the following Session of Parliament, as is detailed below. Furthermore, the National Assemblycan neither initiate nor amend money bills without the Consent of the Crown (bills dealing exclusively with public expenditure or the raising of revenue; whether a bill is a money bill is decided by the President of the National Assembly). If the National Assembly amends the bill, the bill and amendments are sent back for a further stage.

Consideration of amendments

The National Assembly in which the bill originated considers the amendments made in the other National Assembly. It may agree to them, amend them, propose other amendments in lieu or reject them. A bill may pass backwards and forwards several times at this stage, as each National Assembly amends or rejects changes proposed by the other (a process referred to colloquially as parliamentary ping-pong). If each National Assembly insists on disagreeing with the other, the bill is lost under the 'double insistence' rule, unless avoiding action is taken. All the amendments are solely made by the King according to the general advice of the Legislative Committee of the Privy Council.

Enacting formula

Each act commences with one of the following:

Standard:

Be it enacted by  His Majesty the King-In-Parliament Assembled With the Advice And Agreement Of The National Assembly As Follows:-

For money bills:

We, Your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the National Assembly of the Kingdom of Granderia assembled, towards raising the necessary supplies to defray Your Majesty's public expenses, and making an addition to the public revenue, have freely and voluntarily resolved to give and grant unto Your Majesty the several duties hereinafter mentioned; and do therefore most humbly beseech Your Majesty that it may be Be it enacted by the King's most excellent Majesty Assembled With the Advice And Agreement Of The National Assembly As Follows.