2015 FGCCFL Grand Finals
Student Congress Materials
Florida Gulf Coast CFL
2015 Grand Finals
March 20-21, 2015
Student Congress Materials
RULE CLARIFICATIONS AND ERRATA
1. [Legislation Packet] B/R 314 and 315 should be renumbered 214 and 215 respectively.
2. [§ I.B.2] In a Senate, including the Super Congress, members address and refer to each other
as “Mr./Ms./Senator [last name],” and the PO is addressed as “Madam/Mister President.”
3. [§ I.D.1] Smart watches (Samsung Gear, Moto 360, etc.) may be used for timekeeping only
if unpaired or placed in airplane mode. This must be demonstrated upon request.
4. [§ II.A.3] It is the joint responsibility of the PO and legislators to ensure that the appropriate
side is called for and that speakers speak accordingly. If the PO calls for the wrong side and
is not corrected, the Scorers and Parliamentarian should penalize the PO, but they should not
reduce the speaker’s score if he speaks on the side which was called.
5. [§ II.B.3] The rules regarding point penalties for improper speeches and recognition of the
next speech apply only if the speaker was gaveled down. Otherwise, the speech is treated as
a normal speech, with any point reductions at the discretion of the Scorers. See Note 4 above
for cases where the PO called for the wrong side; if the PO is uncertain as to which side was
called, the speaker should be given the benefit of the doubt.
PROCEDURES IN THE PRELIMINARY SESSIONS
6. Chambers. There are two preliminary chambers, designated the Senate and the House per
NCFL rules. Legislators have been assigned to chambers and seats randomly. (For purposes
of debate, all revenue-raising bills shall be deemed to have originated in the House.)
7. Sessions. There will two sessions—one on Friday night and one on Saturday morning. Each
session will have 3 hours of session time plus a 30-45 minute midsession recess. Session time
includes roll call and the PO election (conducted by the Parliamentarian), floor debate, any
additional recesses, and special orders (adjournment to Saturday morning or sine die).
8. Presiding Officers. All legislators are eligible to serve as Presiding Officer. The PO will be
scored on the standard 12 point ballot, to be converted to an 18-point scale by the Tab Room.
9. Speaker recognition. The usual rules apply. Each session begins with a clean slate, but
priority does not reset during recesses.
10. Calendar. Each chamber’s calendar has been preset and may not be modified. Legislation
may be tabled or postponed in Session 1 and considered in Session 2.
11. Debate time limit. The debate time limit in both chambers is 40 minutes per B/R.
Debate time on a B/R may be extended, but not beyond 60 minutes.
2015 FGCCFL Grand Finals
Student Congress Materials
SELECTION FOR SUPER CONGRESS
12. Officials. Each chamber will have two Scorers per session and one Parliamentarian for both
sessions. The Scorers will score and nominate as usual. The Parliamentarian will score only
the Presiding Officers and will rank all legislators based on their overall performance.
13. Scorers’ preference. The Tab Room will rank legislators as described in the FGCCFL
Student Congress Manual using the Scorers’ nominations/points (PO = 3 speeches). The
Parliamentarian’s preference is the tiebreaker of last resort.
14. Advancing by Scorers’ preference. The six legislators in each chamber with the best
Scorers’ preference will advance to the Super Congress.
15. Advancing by Parliamentarian’s ranking. The two legislators in each chamber with the
best Parliamentarian’s rank (and who have not advanced by Scorers’ preference) will also
advance to the Super Congress.
SUPER CONGRESS PROCEDURES
16. Structure. The Super Congress shall be considered a Senate. (For purposes of debate, all
revenue-raising bills shall be deemed to have originated in the House.) There will be 3 hours
of debate time divided evenly into two parts, with a 10 minute recess between the parts.
17. Presiding Officers. All qualifiers are eligible to serve as Presiding Officer. Both POs shall
be elected at the start of the session, with the winner of the first election choosing the part
over which she will preside. Service as PO counts as the first speech of the PO’s tenure.
18. Speaker recognition. The usual rules apply, except that a randomized priority list will be
substituted for the PO’s discretion. This is not a fixed speaking order. It is a tiebreaker.
19. Legislation and calendar. The legislation for Super Congress is included in this packet. The
chamber shall choose one of the three calendar options included in this packet by majority
vote. These options are not subject to modification.
20. Debate time limit. In Super Congress, the limit will be 30 minutes per item, which may
be extended to 40 minutes on a per-item basis using appropriate procedure.
NATIONAL QUALIFYING
21. Officials. There will be two Scorers and one Parliamentarian in the Super Congress. All three
officials will rank the 16 legislators based on their overall performance.
22. Selection for final ballot. The eight legislators with the best (lowest) total ranks will appear
on the final ballot. Ties will be broken if necessary by preference (simple ties) or reciprocals
(triple ties). The Parliamentarian’s preference is the tiebreaker of last resort.
23. Preferential voting. The order of names on the final ballots will be determined by random
draw. Legislators will rank the candidates from 1 to 8, where 1 is best. An improperly
marked ballot will not be counted. The Tab Room will determine the preferential vote by
adding the total ranks, with ties broken by reciprocals, then by the officials’ ranking.
24. Qualifiers and alternates. The legislators ranked 1-4 by the officials shall be national
qualifiers. The two remaining legislators with the best preferential ranks (and who have not
yet qualified) shall also be national qualifiers, and the others shall be the alternates.
2015 FGCCFL Grand Finals
Super Congress Materials
Senate
Senate
MEMBERS
Sen. Ryan Borzoie (Hillsborough)
Sen. Dennis Callaghan (Palm Harbor)
Sen. Rohit Chari (King)
Sen. David Cortese (Plant)
Sen. Jack Fahey (Jesuit)
Sen. Samuel Goetz (Wharton)
Sen. Gabriella Gonzalez (Wharton)
Sen. Jeffrey Jacobs (Jesuit)
Sen. Charles Karcher (Sarasota)
Sen. Reco Knight (East Bay)
Sen. Salah Komrokji (King)
Sen. Alexis Longley (Palm Harbor)
Sen. Anay Patel (Southeast)
Sen. Alexander Pillai (Hillsborough)
Sen. Dylan Renfro (Newsome)
Sen. Harriet Thompson (Southeast)
Sen. Dale Van Vugt (Strawberry Crest)
Sen. Hannah Wang (Pine View)
LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
B: Mandate Immunization (S. 317 – Callaghan/Palm Harbor)
B: Performance Requirement on Federal Student Aid Grants (S. 111 – Karcher/Sarasota)
R: Establish International Zone in Jerusalem (S. Res. 421 – Komrokji/King)
B: Improve Safety of Crude Oil Transportation (S. 628 – Gonzalez/Wharton)
B: Lower Estate Tax and GST Tax Exclusions (S. 525 – Cortese/Plant)
B: Improve Cybersecurity in Vehicles (S. 214 – Pillai/Hillsborough)
B: Make Community College Free (S. 112 – Wang/Pine View)
B: Mandate Immunization for School Attendance (S. 316 – Knight/East Bay)
R: Reduce Taxes on Corporations/Employ Domestically (S. Res. 524 – Goetz/Wharton)
10. B: Increase Taxes on Oil from OPEC Countries (H.R. 627 – unsponsored)
11. R: Recognize Palestine as an Independent State (H. Res. 422 – unsponsored)
12. B: Support Technical Schools & Education (H.R. 113 – unsponsored)
13. R: Encourage Practical Epidemic Response (H. Res. 318 – unsponsored)
14. R: CA – Digital Right to Be Forgotten (H. Res. 215 – unsponsored)
15. B: Create Adoptive Carbon Tax Program (H.R. 523 – unsponsored)
Senate
2015 FGCCFL Grand Finals
Super Congress Materials
Front of Chamber è
Seating Chart for Senate
David Cortese
Rohit Chari
Reco Knight
Dylan Renfro
Charles Karcher
Samuel Goetz
Ryan Borzoie
Alexis Longley
Alexander Pillai
Harriet Thompson
Salah Komrokji
Anay Patel
Gabriella Gonzalez
Dennis Callaghan
Jack Fahey
Jeffrey Jacobs
Dale Van Vugt
Hannah Wang
2015 FGCCFL Grand Finals
Super Congress Materials
House
House
MEMBERS
Rep. Poorvi Dinesh (Hillsborough)
Rep. Alexander Fiore (Jesuit)
Rep. James Ford (Dixie Hollins)
Rep. Ali Gardezi (Wharton)
Rep. Jake Hood (Newsome)
Rep. Jennifer Hu (Palm Harbor)
Rep. Esther Jaffee (Sarasota)
Rep. Peter Kreutzer (Palm Harbor)
Rep. Bailey Macejak (Pine View)
Rep. Zackary Newman (Newsome)
Rep. Jack Henry Nouss (Jesuit)
Rep. Pankti Parikh (Southeast)
Rep. Hemal Prasad (King)
Rep. Raaghib Riazudeen (King)
Rep. Tyler Smith (Hillsborough)
Rep. Konrad Strzalkowski (Southeast)
Rep. Ethan Tassinari (Wharton)
LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
B: Increase Taxes on Oil from OPEC Countries (H.R. 627 – Smith/Hillsborough)
B: Reduce Corporate Income Tax (H.R. 526 – Fiore/Jesuit)
R: Recognize Palestine as an Independent State (H. Res. 422 – Tassinari/Wharton)
B: Vaccines Compulsory for Public School Attendance (H.R. 319 – Macejak/Pine View)
B: Support Technical Schools & Education (H.R. 113 – Prasad/King)
R: Encourage Practical Epidemic Response (H. Res. 318 – Jaffee/Sarasota)
R: CA – Digital Right to Be Forgotten (H. Res. 215 – Hu/Palm Harbor)
B: Create Adoptive Carbon Tax Program (H.R. 523 – Gardezi/Wharton)
9. B: Performance Requirement on Federal Student Aid Grants (S. 111 – unsponsored)
10. R: Establish International Zone in Jerusalem (S. Res. 421 – unsponsored)
11. B: Improve Safety of Crude Oil Transportation (S. 628 – unsponsored)
12. B: Lower Estate Tax and GST Tax Exclusions (S. 525 – unsponsored)
13. B: Improve Cybersecurity in Vehicles (S. 214 – unsponsored)
14. B: Make Community College Free (S. 112 – unsponsored)
15. B: Mandate Immunization (S. 317 – unsponsored)
House
2015 FGCCFL Grand Finals
Super Congress Materials
Front of Chamber è
Seating Chart for House
Ethan Tassinari
Tyler Smith
Alexander Fiore
Poorvi Dinesh
Zackary Newman
Bailey Macejak
Pankti Parich
Ali Gardezi
Peter Kreutzer
Jack Henry Nouss
Hemal Prasad
Jake Hood
Esther Jaffee
Konrad Strzalkowski
Jennifer Hu
Raaghib Riazudeen
James Ford
2015 FGCCFL Grand Finals
Super Congress Legislation
B/R #901
A RESOLUTION TO CONSTITUTIONALIZE THE WAR POWERS RESOLUTION
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3
WHEREAS, Since the adoption of the War Powers Resolution, Presidents have routinely
committed American troops in defiance of the will of the Congress; and
WHEREAS, The Congress was given the power to declare war, to raise armies, and to maintain
4
a navy in order to ensure that the American people, through their Representatives
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and Senators, have adequate input into the military actions undertaken in their
6
name; and
7
WHEREAS, The only way to ensure that Presidents exercise their power as Commander in
8
Chief consistently with the will of the people is to constrain that power within the
9
Constitution; now, therefore, be it
10
RESOLVED, By two-thirds of the Congress here assembled, that the following article is
11
proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be
12
valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the
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legislatures of three-fourths of the several states within seven years from the date
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of its submission by the Congress:
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ARTICLE --
16
SECTION 1: The President shall inform the Congress of any commitment of the
17
armed forces of the United States to military action within forty-
18
eight hours of the start of such commitment.
19
SECTION 2: The armed forces shall not be committed abroad for more than
20
sixty days, with thirty days’ additional allowance for troop
21
withdrawal, without a Congressional declaration of war or
22
authorization for the use of military force.
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SECTION 3: This article shall not apply to any military action in progress at the
time of its ratification.
SECTION 4: The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by
appropriate legislation.
Respectfully submitted,
Florida Gulf Coast CFL
2015 FGCCFL Grand Finals
Super Congress Legislation
B/R #902
A BILL TO ESTABLISH A NATIONAL CONSUMPTION TAX
1
BE IT ENACTED BY THE STUDENT CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:
2
SECTION 1. All existing federal income taxes, payroll taxes, and gift and estate taxes shall be
3
replaced with a consumption tax, and every household shall receive a monthly tax
4
rebate based on the federal poverty level.
5
SECTION 2. A. The consumption tax shall be collected on all goods and services at the point
6
of purchase and shall be remitted to the government by the seller. The tax rate
7
shall be equal to 23% of the total amount spent, including the tax collected.
8
Sellers shall display or quote prices inclusive of the tax.
9
B. The monthly tax rebate shall be equal to 23% of the federal poverty level,
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12
adjusted for inflation and family size.
SECTION 3. The Department of the Treasury shall be responsible for enforcing the provisions
of this bill.
13
SECTION 4. The provisions of this bill shall take effect on January 1, 2016.
14
SECTION 5. All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.
Respectfully submitted,
Florida Gulf Coast CFL
2015 FGCCFL Grand Finals
Super Congress Legislation
B/R #903
A BILL TO IMPOSE AN EXCISE TAX ON TAR SANDS OIL
1
BE IT ENACTED BY THE STUDENT CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:
2
SECTION 1. All tar sands oil shall be subject to an excise tax of two dollars per barrel if
3
originating domestically or five dollars per barrel if imported, regardless of its
4
destination or manner of transport.
5
SECTION 2. A. As used herein, “tar sands oil” shall be defined as tar sands, or bitumen or oil
6
derived therefrom.
7
B. As used herein, tar sands oil “originates domestically” if and only if the tar
8
sands are mined in the United States. Domestic processing or refining shall not
9
confer domestic origin.
10
C. The provisions of this bill shall supersede any free trade agreements.
11
D. One-half of the proceeds of this tax, not to exceed $500,000,000, shall be set
12
aside as a fund for mitigation of environmental contamination caused by spilled
13
tar sands oil.
14
SECTION 3. The Department of the Treasury shall be responsible for enforcing the provisions
15
of this bill. The Department may seize any tar sands oil on which tax is not paid,
16
and the United States shall retain all proceeds from such oil.
17
SECTION 4. The provisions of this bill shall take effect six months after passage.
18
SECTION 5. All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.
Respectfully submitted,
Florida Gulf Coast CFL
2015 FGCCFL Grand Finals
Super Congress Legislation
B/R #904
A RESOLUTION TO CENSURE THE SIGNERS OF THE “OPEN LETTER TO IRAN”
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2
3
WHEREAS, The United States and other countries are negotiating an agreement to curb the
nuclear ambitions of the Islamic Republic of Iran; and
WHEREAS, While these negotiations proceed, forty-seven senators signed an “open letter” to
4
the leaders of Iran, declaring that any agreement reached could be altered by the
5
Congress or rescinded by the next President; and
6
WHEREAS, The “open letter” implies that the United States, at least under its current
7
leadership, is an untrustworthy negotiating partner, jeopardizing both this
8
agreement and future agreements; and
9
10
11
WHEREAS, The “open letter” may be seen as an attempt to usurp the President’s power to
conduct foreign policy; and
WHEREAS, A decent respect for the constitutional separation of powers requires that this
12
Congress distance itself from these members; now, therefore, be it
13
RESOLVED, That the Student Congress here assembled call for the censure of the forty-seven
14
senators who signed the “open letter” to the leaders of Iran.
Respectfully submitted,
Florida Gulf Coast CFL
2015 FGCCFL Grand Finals
Super Congress Legislation
B/R #905
A BILL TO LIMIT PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS
1
BE IT ENACTED BY THE STUDENT CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:
2
SECTION 1. A student loan borrower, other than a medical practitioner, who participates in
3
and completes the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program may have no more
4
than $57,500 in federal student loan debt forgiven under that program.
5
SECTION 2. A. As used herein, a “medical practitioner” is a student loan borrower who
6
(i) completed his or her public service obligation as a physician, osteopath,
7
optometrist, podiatrist, chiropractor, physician assistant, nurse, or physical or
8
occupational therapist, and (ii) incurred federal student loan debt obtaining his or
9
her degree in any of the above fields.
10
B. The provisions of this bill shall not apply to any person with outstanding
11
student loan obligations on the bill’s effective date, for whom there is no limit.
12
13
SECTION 3. The Department of Education shall be responsible for enforcing the provisions of
this bill.
14
SECTION 4. The provisions of this bill shall take effect on October 1, 2015.
15
SECTION 5. All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.
Respectfully submitted,
Florida Gulf Coast CFL
2015 FGCCFL Grand Finals
Super Congress Legislation
B/R #906
A RESOLUTION TO ENCOURAGE REMOVAL OF ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
WHEREAS, The State of Israel continues to permit, and refuses to remove, settlements well
outside its pre-1967 borders; and
WHEREAS, The intent of these settlements is to justify Israel’s retention of additional land in
any future negotiations with Palestinian authorities; and
WHEREAS, The construction of settlements in places that could not reasonably be part of
negotiated land swaps is a threat to a two-state solution; and
WHEREAS, The United States is committed to a Middle East peace process culminating in
two safe, secure, and free states; and
WHEREAS, Only the United States is capable of putting adequate pressure on Israel not to
derail the peace process; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Student Congress here assembled call for the state of Israel to halt
12
expansion of settlements and to abandon settlements well beyond its pre-1967
13
borders; and be it
14
15
FURTHER RESOLVED, That the United States refuse to support, directly or indirectly, the
expansion of such settlements or the defense thereof.
Respectfully submitted,
Florida Gulf Coast CFL
2015 FGCCFL Grand Finals
Super Congress Legislation
B/R #907
A RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH A QUARANTINE POLICY AT U.S. BORDERS
1
2
3
WHEREAS, American medical personnel assisted with the 2014 fight against Ebola in Africa,
exposing them to patients with a particularly deadly disease; and
WHEREAS, Those personnel, and possibly others from the region, traveled to the United
4
States and may have presented a public health hazard; and
5
WHEREAS, The United States’ role in world affairs makes it highly likely that future
6
7
8
epidemics abroad will increase the risk of infection at home; and
WHEREAS, Various state authorities imposed different quarantines on some returning medical
personnel, creating legal and political uncertainties; and
9
WHEREAS, The Constitution gives the federal government the ability to require a uniform
10
quarantine policy at the nation’s borders; now, therefore, be it
11
RESOLVED, That the Student Congress here assembled call for the establishment of a uniform
12
quarantine policy for individuals who may have been exposed to infectious
13
diseases abroad.
Respectfully submitted,
Florida Gulf Coast CFL
2015 FGCCFL Grand Finals
Super Congress Legislation
B/R #908
A BILL TO REFORM FEDERAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM LAWS
1
BE IT ENACTED BY THE STUDENT CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:
2
SECTION 1. A. The “least restrictive means test” shall be eliminated from the Religious
3
Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and the Religious Land Use and
4
Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).
5
B. The protection of children shall always be considered a compelling
6
government interest when applying RFRA and RLUIPA.
7
SECTION 2. A. As used herein, the “least restrictive means test” is the requirement under
8
RFRA and RLUIPA that government actions are no more burdensome to religious
9
exercise than necessary to uphold a compelling government interest.
10
B. As used herein, “protection of children” refers to the protection of persons
11
under the age of 18 from physical or psychological harm.
12
C. Nothing in this bill shall affect the protections afforded by the First
13
Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause.
14
SECTION 3. The federal courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction over cases and controversies
affected by the provisions of this bill.
15
16
SECTION 4. The provisions of this bill shall take effect immediately upon passage.
17
SECTION 5. All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.
Respectfully submitted,
Florida Gulf Coast CFL
LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR OPTIONS FOR SUPER CONGRESS
Egmont
Longboat
Siesta
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
War Powers (901)
Consumption Tax (902)
Tar Sands Oil (903)
Open Letter to Iran (904)
Loan Forgiveness (905)
Israeli Settlements (906)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Open Letter to Iran (904)
Israeli Settlements (906)
Consumption Tax (902)
Loan Forgiveness (905)
War Powers (901)
Tar Sands Oil (903)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Loan Forgiveness (905)
Tar Sands Oil (903)
War Powers (901)
Israeli Settlements (906)
Consumption Tax (902)
Open Letter to Iran (904)
7.
8.
Quarantine (907)
Religious Freedom (908)
7.
8.
Quarantine (907)
Religious Freedom (908)
7.
8.
Quarantine (907)
Religious Freedom (908)