Rules Committee

Suggested Duties

Dear Rules Committee Member,

Congratulations on being selected to the position of Rules Committee Member. This is one of the most important positions in the legislative semester and is involved in every major event. The Rule Committees chief role is to complete the preparation for each event so that business can be conducted smoothly. In short, your organizational skills and ability to assume the responsibility to fully understand and complete the necessary tasks will determine the success of the semester. However, with great responsibility comes the power to make some of the most important decisions and be movers and shakers in each event.

Below are the specific duties and responsibilities for each of the major events during the legislative semester. Make this your guide to shape the major events.

The Rules Committee is created to make sure that the student legislature adheres to the policies and procedures established in the House Rules (see Section 4 in the RAM)
- These House Rules have been directly modeled after the House Rules used in the Illinois General Assembly.
Created by voting-in one person from each class, with the exception of the Speaker of the House and two Floor Leaders automatically becoming members after elections.
Should be more concerned with making sure Legislative Semester is a successful experience for all students rather than maintaining strong political party ties.
Expected to possess leadership skills, and must be willing to accept criticism from those who are in opposition to decisions that the committee makes.
Must meet often (almost every Advisory) and is frequently required to interpret the meaning and application of the House Rules and to settle any disputes that arise between representatives. See Section 2-9 of the House Rules in the RAM for specific duties granted to the Rules Committee

Meetings - Starting Week 4 the Rules Committee will meet during each Advisory time. Provided is a list of tasks to be discussed at various meetings during the semester.

1) Select a Rules Committee Chairman. This individual should create a committee agenda before each meeting based on the suggestions provided. Create a rotation where each RC can visit each committee classroom through the course of the semester.

2) Create a Rules Committee Google Doc folder and share with teachers. Also, come up with a way to communicate electronically with each other during the week. We suggest Google or Google Classroom.

3) Interpret role and responsibilities in the classroom.

4) Discuss House Rules interpretation and classroom issues.

5) Discuss main events and prepare announcement of events procedures to say in class.

6) Discuss distribution and collection of all official documents. You will have access to a classroom binder which will have the necessary documents.

7) Discuss Representative misconduct and the appropriate remediation.

Calendar – Dates and time to be determined early in the semester and are subject to change.

Week 5 Preliminary Issues Selection Day 6:00am to 7:45am

Week 6 Election Committee Selection

Week 8 Election Day - Rules Committee meets 5th hour to certify election

Week 10 Chairman Selection and Bill assignment to Committee

Week 11 Populate Committees

Week 12 Committee Hearing 1-5 excused from class

Week 15 Decorate Auditorium 5-7 excused from class

Week 15 Full Session - excused 5th thru 8th

Week 16 Full Session - excused 1st thru 4th

Duties in the Classroom

Within 3 days of being chosen the rules committee should meet on its own to discuss Classroom duties and who will become the Rules Committee Chairman. This position is held until the Speaker of the House is elected. At that time the Speaker and the two Floor Leaders become members of the Rules Committee with the Speaker as the new Committee Chairman.

Procedures

1) The Rules Committee Members are responsible for ensuring that the student legislature adheres to the policies and procedures established in the house rules. Rules committee members need to have the leadership skills to interrupt proceedings when rules are violated and accept criticism for decisions of the committee.

2) Rules Committee members are responsible for interpreting the meaning and application of the house rules and to settle any disputes that arise between participants.

3) Rules Committee Members are responsible for explaining the procedures and tasks associated with each of the major events of the legislative semester.

4) The Rules Committee meets often and classroom members should discuss the results of these meetings.

5) Rules Committee Members approve bills and amendments for clarity, quality, and format. Poorly written bills should be returned for revising.

6) Rules Committee Members are the final say in matters regarding election disputes.

7) Rules Committee Members will discuss and enforce discipline for misconduct by Representatives.

Party Declaration Day

The first defining day of the legislative semester is the party declaration day where students announce what political party they will be a member of for the rest of the semester. The official ‘Party Declaration Day’ occurs week five in the semester. The party declaration procedures are as follows:

Tasks

1) Create a political spectrum poster using colored butcher paper from Student Services. Poster should be 12 feet long. Draw the political spectrum including liberal, conservative, libertarian, and authoritarian. This should be hung in the media center.

Procedures

1) The Caucus leaders are each given 3 minutes at the start of class to present reasons why students should select their party. Do not allow points of information or requests to yield.

2) Then, a 20 minute debate begins during which representatives may advocate for one of the parties. Allot one minute increments for student to speak instead of the usual three minutes.

3) At the end of the debate give each representative a 3X5 note card and 15 minutes to write their name and 3 reasons for joining the party they did. Representatives should be encouraged to participate in informal discussion before choosing.

4) Begin the official party declaration procedure by having the class clerk call off each representative’s name. Each student should stand and go to the podium to announce their party selection. The clerk will record the response of the official google doc roster.

5) After party declarations have been recorded take the class to the political spectrum display and allow the students to place their 3X5 card on the political spectrum where they feel they best fit.

6) Rules committee should then create a master list every representative, their class, and party affiliation. This should be done on google docs, shared with the teachers, and a copy hung in each classroom.

Issue Group Formation

An issue group consists of four students who share an interest in a particular topic that is relevant to current politics. Each issue group will write a bill and introduce it into the legislature later in the semester during the committee hearings. The bills and ideas students create in these issue groups will determine what will be discussed and talked about for the entire semester.

Tasks

1) Create the Preliminary Issue Group Board in computer lab 2403 the same time you create the political spectrum poster. (week 4)

2) Week five, two days before Preliminary Issue Signup, distribute copies of the Preliminary Issue Group Form to each student. Have each issue group pair fill out their first and second topic choice.

3) Create a spreadsheet for Preliminary Issue Signup on Google Docs.

4) Distribute Final Issue Group Form to each group of 3 to 4 representatives after Final Issue Group formation. Collect completed forms after Chairman has signed them and place in Issue Group Binder in lab 2403.

Procedures

1) Week 4 introduce the Issue Group formation process. Explain that the process begins in pairs and that a topic may only be used once per semester, first come first served will be used to determine who gets each topic.

2) Preliminary Issue Group pairs should be finalized by the end of week 5. On Preliminary Issue Group day all Rules Committee Members will arrive at school to open the doors at 6:00 am and accept Preliminary Issue Group requests at 6:30am. The rules committee members should establish a process for accepting, analyzing and recording issue groups.

3) Rules Committee should check for any duplicate topics.

4) Accepted Preliminary Issue Group Forms should be hung up on the Preliminary Issue Group Board by class until Final Issue Group Formation Day.

Final Issue Group Formation Procedures

5) Week 6 issue groups should be given back their Preliminary Issue Group Forms on Final Issue Group Formation Day.

6) On a 2X3 foot piece of butcher paper, Representatives should write a brief statement describing their issue.

7) Issue Groups should then attach the Preliminary Issue Group Form to the butcher paper and attach to the wall in their classroom.

8) Each Preliminary Issue Group should prepare a 1 minute statement explaining the group’s topic and why it is relevant and should be chosen.

9) After speeches put 20 minutes on the clock. Preliminary Issue Group members circulate around the room trying to persuade members of their class section to join their group.

10) Representatives select the issue group of their choice by standing next to the issue groups display sheet.

11) A finalized issue group must have exactly four members (Less than four will only be allowed with teacher permission). All the members of an issue group must be from the same class section. When more than four students are interested in forming an issue group, the group must collectively resolve the problem. Those students who signed the preliminary issue group form are guaranteed a spot on the issue group.

12) Those issue groups containing four students are provided with the Final Issue Group Declaration Form. Once it’s filled out it needs to be approved and signed by the Chairman and the Caucus leaders. The forms are then placed on the bulletin board.

Elections and Leadership

Week five begins the process heading up to leadership elections. Representatives from each of the parties elect a floor leader and the entire legislature elects the Speaker of the House. The rules committee is responsible for selecting Election Committee Members (6), explaining the election process to Representatives, teaching the procedures to the Election Committee, and validating the authenticity of the vote.

Tasks

1) Early week five announce to the Representatives that the Rules Committee will be selecting six Election Committee Members (one for each classroom) to set up and run the elections on Election Day. Explain the duties of the position. Individuals interested may write a letter of intent or present to the Rules Committee in person at the week six Rules Committee meeting before selections are made. Once the Election Committee has been selected they should be provided with Election Setup Form, blank Ballot Affidavit Forms, and Representative Voting Sheets in an elections binder.

2) At the beginning of week six announce that candidates interested in running for office in the election need to write a Declaration of Intent and post it on Google Classroom. The Declaration of Intent should describe their reasons for running for office, their past experiences, personal characteristics that make them well suited for the position, and reference to their voting record. A ‘Discussion Board’ will be established for the placement. Rules Committee should establish a deadline for declarations. This announcement should coincide with discussion of elected positions.

3) Before or early into week seven all Representatives who have declared their intent should receive a Signature Petition Form and be encouraged to gather signatures from fellow representatives. The purpose of the petition signatures is to limit the number of candidates in the election to no more than three for each elected position. Inform Representatives of the signature process. Representatives may only sign one candidate’s petition per elected position. Any duplicates will result in the removal of the signature from both petitions. For example a republican representative may sign one petition for Republican Floor Leader and one petition for Speaker of the House. See Petition Procedures in House Rules Section 6-13 and 6-14.

4) The end of week seven Rules Committee Members should distribute Voter Registration Forms to all representatives. These should then be collected and placed in the Election Committees binder for the election.

5) Week 8 the Election Committee should meet 2 days before the elections for set up prep. On Election Day the Election Committee will be excused 2nd thru 5th hour to setup, run, and clean up. Rules Committee will be excused 5th Hour to certify results and prepare announcements for the following day.

Committee Hearings

Week nine begins preparation for Committee Hearings. By this time Issue Groups are in the final stages of developing their bill. During Committee Hearings these bills will be presented, discussed and voted on much the same way as resolutions have been discussed in classroom Committees. The Rules Committee plays a very important role during this period assigning bills and representatives to committees, choosing chairman for the committees, and preparing the committee binders with all necessary paperwork.

Tasks

1) At the beginning of week nine the Committee Hearings should be explained as well as the process for choosing Committee Chairman. Tell your class that Committee Hearings are run similar to class committees. However, the rules committee will: assign all representatives and bills to new committees. Majority and minority chairman will be assigned to run the committees.

2) Set a date when the Rules Committee will hear speeches from those interested in becoming Committee Chairman or their advocates. Then select individuals that will make each committee successful.

3) Rules Committee Members should begin to report daily on the bills that have been completed and approved for committee hearings. Rules committee members should set and announce the deadline for bills being submitted. Set the date so you have time to review bills and have Representatives make corrections.

4) Rules Committee should meet to assign bills and Representatives to committees.

a. Interesting bills should be distributed equally.

b. Representatives should be distributed so that each committee is equal to the percentage of democrats and

republicans in the legislative semester.

c. Divide up the good debaters equally so each committee has individuals to stimulate debate.

5) Create the House Calendar on google doc. These sheets should be posted in each classroom and around the school.

6) At the beginning of week ten Rules Committee members should explain to Representatives the secondary sponsor sheet. Issue Groups should actively seek fellow representatives who would support their position and bill. Secondary sponsors should read the position papers carefully before signing.

7) At the end of week ten Rules Committee Members should meet once more to finalize Committee Binders. Committee Binders should include:

a. All bills assigned to the committee

b. Green voting sheets created by rules committee

c. Bill Status forms

d. Discussion record sheets

e. Placards for each representative in the committee and committee leadership.

f. 2 pencils

8) Rules Committee Members should inform Committee Chairs of how committee paperwork should be handled. Provide committee Chairman with Chairman Assistance manuals.

Full Session

The two Full Session Legislatures are the capstone events of the Legislative Semester. Representatives gather in the auditorium set up to resemble a legislative chamber. The Speaker of the House sets the agenda for consideration of the bills that have passed the committee process. During this process the Rules Committee is responsible for the creation of the Clerks Binder, Executive Officers Binder, and Assistant Whips Binders. Rules Committee members are also responsible for assisting setup and breakdown of full session.

Tasks

1) Rules Committee should meet twice Week 14 to finalize the Clerks Binder, the Executive Officers Binder, and Assistant Whips Binders.

Head Clerks Binder - Should have all parts of each bill in order.

Executive Binder - Bills that pass full session should be placed here.

Assistant Whips Binders

a. 2 name tags for each representative.

b. Enough committee voting sheets for each bill.

c. Full session speech request forms.

d. 2 pencils

2) A rules committee member is also responsible for creating a House Calendar on Google Docs. This should be taken to the copy room and 200 copies made on Card Stock. A preview copy should be hung in each class and posted on Google Classroom.

3) Week 15 the Rules Committee should be actively assisting the full session Clerk, Secretary and Assistant Whips in voting procedures and how bills that pass and fail should be handled (See Mr. Price).

4) The day before the first full session the Rules Committee will help set up the auditorium. You will be excused 5-7th hours to do so. Use the following guidelines to prepare.

Legislative Decoration Directions

a. Colored paper is located in student services on the cart. Tape, scissors, and markers can be found in your Government teacher’s classroom.

b. Decorations must look professional.

c. Signs that have to be made (make them look nice by printing or good handwriting) and placed in appropriate spots.

-Speaker of the House

-Parliamentarian

-Clerk

-Secretary

-Minority Floor Leader

-Majority Floor Leader

-Committee 1-4 (2 each, one for each side of the isle)

d. All other decorations can be at your discretion.

5) After each full session the Rules Committee should prepare the Executive Officers binder and deliver it to the Executive Officer.

6) After both full sessions the Rules Committee should break down and clean auditorium.

7) After both full sessions the Rules Committee should collaborate to write a letter of advice to the next Rules Committee.

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