New Legislation Notifications

Oaths Amendments Bill:

1. Chapter 1, Section 1.8, Clause 20 of the Codified Law of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows,

20. "Gross Misconduct" is defined as the violation of an individual's legally mandated sworn oath, either willfully or through negligence.

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2. Chapter 4, Section 4.1, Clause 3 of the Codified Law of The North Pacific is hereby repealed.

3. Clauses 4 - 21 of Chapter 4 of the Codified Law of The North Pacific are hereby renumbered 3 - 20 respectively.

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Security Council (Amendment) Bill:

1. Article 3, Clause 8 of the Constitution of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows,

8. The Vice Delegate will hold the second most endorsements in the region. The Delegate may eject or ban any nation which exceeds any legally mandated endorsement limit.

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2. Chapter 5 of the Codified Law of The North Pacific is hereby renamed to "Regional Security Law"

3. Chapter 5, Section 5.1 of the Codified Law of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows,

Section 5.1: Council Requirements
4. The influence requirement for members of the Council consists of an influence score (Soft Power Disbursement Rating) within The North Pacific greater than or equal to 270, though when a nation's influence score within The North Pacific is unknown as the displayed score may include significant influence within other regions, an influence rank within The North Pacific greater than or equal to Vassal may be substituted.
5. The minimum endorsement count for members of the Council is defined as 200 endorsements, or 50 per cent of the serving Delegate's endorsement count, whichever is lower.
6. The Vice Delegate must maintain an endorsement level of at least 75 per cent of the Delegates endorsement count.
7. Where the computation results in fractions, the count shall be rounded down.
8. The serving Delegate is exempt from endorsement requirements.

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4. The following is hereby inserted after Section 5.3 of the Codified Law of The North Pacific,

Section 5.4: Endorsement Gathering
20. The Delegate may eject or ban for reckless endorsement gathering any nation in The North Pacific which meets all of the following criteria:
21. It is not in the Council or holding the office of Delegate or Vice Delegate.
22. It has been reported to the Delegate as a possible threat to regional security by the Council.
23. It has continued actively gathering endorsements after two warnings against gathering endorsements sent at least two days apart from each other.
24. It has more endorsements than 50 fewer than the Vice Delegate or 75 per cent of the Delegate's endorsement level, whichever is least.
25. The Delegate may eject or ban for reckless endorsement gathering any nation in The North Pacific which exceeds the Vice Delegate's endorsement count.
26. Nations banned for reckless endorsement gathering must remain banned at least until they update outside The North Pacific.

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5. The existing Section 5.4 will be renumbered to 5.5, and the existing clause 20 of Chapter 5 will be renumbered to 27.

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All Your Election Law Are Belong to Us Bill:

The following shall be inserted into the beginning of Section 3, and currently existing clauses shall be renumbered as appropriate:

Section 3.1: Chief Justice Selection
2. Whenever the position is vacant, the Justices shall elect a Chief Justice from among themselves by a majority vote.
3. In the event that a Chief Justice has not been elected by seven days after the conclusion of a Judicial election, including the conclusion of any required run-off votes, the Chief Justice shall be the Justice who received the highest number of votes in said election. In the event of a tie for highest number of votes, the Chief Justice shall be the one among those tied with the longest period of membership in the Regional Assembly.

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Section 4.2, clause 7, shall be amended to read:

7. A "vacancy" in an office occurs when the holder of it resigns, is removed, or abandons it . An office is abandoned when its holder does not log onto the regional forums for two weeks without prior notice, or when an election winner or appointee fails to post the Oath of Office. Pending an election, a vacancy may be temporarily filled as provided by the Constitution, this Legal Code, or a rule adopted by the appropriate body.

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Section 4.3 shall be amended to read:

Section 4.3: Overall Election Law
8. Regional Assembly members shall be provided five days to declare their candidacy.
9. Voting will begin immediately after the candidacy declaration period has closed and last for five days.
10. If a run-off vote is required it will begin within one days of the first vote ending and it shall last for five days.
11. When a vote is cast by private message to an election commissioner, the election commissioner shall promptly post in the voting thread the fact that a vote has been cast privately, and shall inform the Assembly who that vote was cast for.

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Section 4.4 shall be amended to read:

Section 4.4: General and Judicial Elections
12. Election Commissioners will be appointed by the Delegate to oversee the nomination and election processes at least one week before the beginning of the month in which the election is to be held. If an appointment of Election Commissioners has not been made by that time, the Chief Justice shall promptly make the appointment.
13. The election cycle for the terms of the Delegate, the Vice Delegate, and the Speaker will begin on the first day of the months of January, May, and September.
14. The election cycle for the terms of the Justices and the Attorney General will begin on the first days of the months of March, July, and November.

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Section 4.5 shall be struck.

Section 4.6 shall be amended to read:

Section 4.5: Special Elections
15. A special election will be held in the event of a vacancy in any elected office or position, unless the election would be unable to conclude prior to the beginning of the scheduled election cycle for that office.
16. The Delegate, or if the Delegate is not available, the Speaker, or if the Delegate and Speaker are not available, any Court Justice, will serve as Election Commissioner for the special election.
17. If there is only one candidate for a vacancy, a vote shall not be held and they will take office immediately upon the end of the candidacy declaration period.

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Section 5.4 shall have the following clause inserted, and all ensuing clauses shall be renumbered as appropriate:

27. Non-incumbent candidates for Delegate or Vice Delegate may not obtain an endorsement level during the election cycle greater than the level authorized for members of the Security Council under this chapter.

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Any other renumberings made necessary by this amendment shall be applied as appropriate.

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A Bill to amend Section 1.2 of the Legal Code:

Section 1.2 of the Legal Code shall be amended to read:

Section 1.2: Espionage

6. "Espionage" is defined as sharing information with a group or region when that act of sharing has not been legitimately sanctioned by the entity the information is gathered from, as limited by this section.

7. The information shared must not be accessible to a person who is not a member of the region or group it is gathered from except by cracking technical security measures.

8. The information must be gathered from The North Pacific or a foreign power the Regional Assembly has agreed to prohibit espionage against.

9. The Regional Assembly has agreed to prohibit espionage against Europeia.

10. The Speaker will update the preceding clause as appropriate.

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Any clauses which require renumbering shall be corrected as appropriate.

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A Bill to amend Section 4.3 of the Legal Code:

Add the following clause to section 4:3, Overall Election Law, and renumber accordingly:

"Reopen Nominations." Ballots for general and special elections shall include the option to reopen nominations. Should this receive a majority of votes, a further 48 hours will be provided for declarations of candidacy. Candidates whose names appeared on the first ballot will retain their candidacy unless they choose to withdraw. During the second round of voting following this period, the option to reopen nominations shall not appear on the ballot.

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Election Provisions Amendment Bill:

1. Article 7, Clause 9 of the Constitution of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows,

9. No person may simultaneously serve in government official positions in more than one of the executive, legislative, or judicial categories. Exceptions to this provision may be established by law.

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2. Clauses 10 to 12 of Article 7 of the Constitution of The North Pacific are hereby renumbered 11 to 13, respectively.

3. The following is inserted in Article 7 of the Constitution of The North Pacific,

10. Candidates in any election must maintain membership in the Regional Assembly for the fifteen days before the opening of candidacy declarations and throughout the election.

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4. Clauses 8 to 18 of Chapter 4 of the Codified Law of The North Pacific are hereby renumbered 9 to 19, respectively.

5. Chapter 4, Section 4.2 of the Codified Law of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows,

Section 4.2: Election Law Definitions
3. "Abstentions" are not votes for or against any candidate, and may not be used to determine the results of any election. They may be used for quorum, activity, or other purposes.
4. "Candidates" are those Regional Assembly members who, during the period of the Election Cycle designated for candidacy declarations, declare themselves or accept a nomination by another Regional Assembly member as a candidate for an office to be chosen at that Election Cycle.
5. Candidates may only stand for one office during a given Election Cycle.
6. "Election Commissioner" is an individual designated to supervise a given election. No Election Commissioner may run in the election they are overseeing.
7. "Election Cycle" is defined as the period of time that begins on the first day on which candidacy declarations can be made and concludes with the final declaration of results for an election.
8. A "vacancy" in an office occurs when the holder of it resigns, is removed, or abandons it. An office is abandoned when its holder does not log onto the regional forums for two weeks without prior notice, or when an election winner or appointee fails to post the Oath of Office. Pending an election, a vacancy may be temporarily filled as provided by the Constitution, this Legal Code, or a rule adopted by the appropriate body.

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6. Chapter 4, Section 4.3, Clause 11 of the Codified Law of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows,

11. If a run-off vote is required it will begin within one day of the first vote ending and it shall last for five days.

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7. Chapter 4, Section 4.4, Clause 14 of the Codified Law of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows,

14. Election Commissioners will be appointed by the Delegate to oversee the candidacy declaration and election processes at least one week before the beginning of the month in which the election is to be held. If an appointment of Election Commissioners has not been made by that time, the Vice Delegate shall promptly make the appointment. Regional Assembly members serving as government officials are not excluded from appointments under this clause.

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8. Chapter 4, Section 4.5, Clause 18 of the Codified Law of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows,

18. The Delegate, or if the Delegate is not available, the Vice Delegate, or if the Delegate and Vice Delegate are not available, the Speaker, will serve as Election Commissioner for the special election.

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9. No part of this bill shall take effect unless all parts take effect.

10. This bill shall take effect no earlier than the conclusion of the Judicial Election Cycle of March 2014

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Attorney General Amendment Bill:

1. Article 4, Section 2 of the Constitution of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows,

2. The Attorney General will have discretion to manage the prosecution of all criminal cases brought before the Court, save those outlined below, and will also act as a legal advisor to the Delegate, and the Executive, of The North Pacific upon request.

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2. Article 4, Section 3 of the Constitution of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows,

3. The Attorney General shall not be involved in the prosecution of any criminal case in which they are a defendant, a defense attorney, or a witness.

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3. Chapter 6, Section 6.7 of the Codified Law of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows,

Section 6.7: The Attorney General
33. The election for the office of Attorney General shall be held during the Judicial Cycle.
34. Any deputy appointed by the Attorney General may not serve concurrently as either a Justice or a Temporary Hearing Officer.
35. The Attorney General shall have standing in all cases of judicial review brought before the Court.
36. Any person ("the complainant") may submit a criminal complaint to the office of the Attorney General, requesting that a criminal case be brought before the Court.
37. The Attorney General may, at their discretion, manage the prosecution of any criminal case requested.
38. In the event that the Attorney General is a defendant, the defence attorney, or a witness in a criminal case, the Delegate shall appoint an existing deputy Attorney General who is not similarly party to that case. The appointed deputy Attorney General may, at their discretion, manage the prosecution of the case.
39. Failing the existence of a deputy Attorney General who is able to manage the prosecution of a case, the Delegate may act as such a deputy Attorney General for the duration of the case. If the Delegate is a defendant, the defence attorney, or a witness in the case, then the Vice Delegate may act as such a deputy Attorney General for the duration of the case.
40. It is the duty of the Attorney General, and their deputies, to see to completion of any case the management of which they have undertaken.
41. If the original Attorney General, and their deputies, are unable to see to completion a pending case before the end of their term, the successor Attorney General will take over the managing of the prosecution.
42. If the Attorney General, and their deputies, decline to manage the prosecution of a requested criminal case, then the complainant may, at their discretion, manage themselves the prosecution of the criminal case. Otherwise, they may withdraw the complaint.
43. If the complainant has not stated their intent to either manage the prosecution of the case or withdraw the complaint within 30 days of the Attorney General and their deputies declining the case, the complaint will be considered withdrawn.
44. For the purposes of this section, "managing the prosecution of a case" includes but is not limited to: submitting an indictment to the Court for the relevant charges; arguing on the acceptance or rejection of the indictment; acting as the prosecutor for the duration of all stages of the criminal trial heard for the case; representing the prosecution in any separate judicial review hearings arising from the criminal trial; and appointing, directing, and removing an attorney to act in the above capacity in their place.

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4. No part of this bill shall take effect unless all parts take effect

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Reopen Nominations Fix Bill:

1. The clause in Chapter 4.3 of the Legal Code that describes the process of reopening nominations shall be replaced by the following four clauses, which shall be numbered separately:

• The option to reopen nominations shall appear on the ballot as a separate question for each race.
• Should a majority vote to reopen nominations for a given race, a further 48 hours will be provided for declarations of candidacy.
• Candidates whose names appeared on the first ballot will retain their candidacy unless they choose to withdraw.
• A second round of voting shall follow, and the option to reopen nominations will not appear on the new ballot.

2. The following clause shall be struck:

• If there is only one candidate for a vacancy, a vote shall not be held and they will take office immediately upon the end of the candidacy declaration period.

3. The restriction on running for multiple offices in a single election cycle shall be struck.
4. The rest of the chapter shall be renumbered appropriately.

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A Bill to amend Section 6.1 of the Legal Code:

To Amend Clause 5 of the Chapter 6.1 of the legal code to read as follows:

5. Forum administration will have 14 days to evaluate Regional Assembly applicants and verify that they are not using a proxy or evading a judicially-imposed penalty.The Vice Delegate will have 3 days to perform a security assessment of the applicant. All security assessments will be performed in consultation with the Security Council, and in accordance with all laws of The North Pacific.

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All existing clauses starting with clause 8 shall be re-numbered to Clauses 9 thru 15 respectfully and accordingly.

A new Clause 8 shall be placed between clause 7 and the re-numbered clauses and read as follows:

8. The Regional Assembly may overturn a previous decision to uphold the rejection of an applicant by majority vote.

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All applicable clauses in chapter 6 shall also be renumbered accordingly and approprately to reflect the changes.

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A Bill to amend Section 7.2 of the Legal Code:

Section 7.2 of the Legal code concerning holidays is numbered incorrectly. Renumerate the clauses in Section 7.2 accurately to 6-12 respectively.

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Let's Stop Worrying About Numbers Bill:

The Preamble of the Legal Code shall be amended to read as follows:

In order to present a clearer and more comprehensible legal system, the Regional Assembly undertakes to keep the law of the North Pacific organized and clear. If a minor error is found in this Legal Code, the Speaker will update it on the published instructions of the Court, unless a Regional Assembly member objects within five days. This Code will be divided into several Chapters, which may contain Sections. Every operative sentence must be a numbered clause, Clauses must be numbered consecutively within a Chapter beginning with the number 1. Clauses may be referenced by chapter and clause number, but clause numbers will not be considered part of the law, nor will they have any legal effects. The Speaker will manage the numbering of clauses in accordance with the above requirements.

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A Bill to amend Section 7.2 of the Legal Code:

The following changes be made to section 7.2 of the legal code.

Section 7.2: Holidays
6. The first of January shall be known as Remembrance Day, and shall provide an occasion for Nations to remember those players who have left the region and the game of Nationstates.
7. The twenty-sixth of April shall be Flag Day, and shall commemorate and celebrate the adoption of the Flag of The North Pacific.
8 The twenty-sixth of May shall be Manumission Day, and shall commemorate the end of the delegacy of Pixiedance, and celebrate the return of a democratic government to the region.
9. The eleventh of June shall be Delegates' Day, and will acknowledge the hard work of Delegates past and present and celebrate their great contributions to the region.
9. 10. The seventh of July shall be Constitution Day, and shall commemorate the ratification of the Constitution of the North Pacific.
10. 11. The twenty-eighth of July shall be Liberation Day, and shall commemorate and celebrate the overthrow of Great Bight and return of a native government to the region.
11.12. The thirteenth of November shall be Creation Day, and shall commemorate and celebrate the establishment of Nationstates; and provide an opportunity to extend fellowship throughout the NationStates communities.
12. 13. The twenty-third of November shall be Founders' Day, and shall commemorate and celebrate the establishment of the first official forum of The North Pacific, and through it the community which has kept The North Pacific as the preeminent region in Nationstates.

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Ministry Standardization Act:

1) Chapter 8, Section 2 of the Codified Law of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows,

The NPA is always permitted, consistent with adopted regional defense and diplomatic policies, to deploy under the following circumstances:

• a. To counter or preemptively stop:
  • i) A direct threat to The North Pacific;
  • ii) A direct threat to an ally of The North Pacific;
• b. To assist a region or organization as permitted by the delegate, an existing treaty, or the Executive Officer charged with military affairs;
• c. Upon the orders of the appointed Executive Officer charged with military affairs or a person thus delegated to act in their name; and
• d. The Regional Assembly may mandate that the NPA follow through on a declaration of war or a policy approved by the Regional Assembly.

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2) Chapter 8, Section 4 of the Codified Law of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows:

The NPA must operate so that:

• a. The Delegate can issue a blanket approval for the NPA to work with a given organisation. The Executive Officer charged with military affairs or the Delegate must still authorize individual missions.
• b. Any NPA member may refuse to take part in any mission which does not directly impact TNP security for any reason that the Executive Officer charged with military affairs or the Delegate determines is reasonable.
• c. The Regional Assembly may override by simple majority vote any NPA deployment not previously approved by the Regional Assembly. The Speaker shall accept motions to override for voting on an expedited basis.

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Zyvetskistaahn:

Mr. Delegate,

A Bill to amend Section 7.2 of the Legal Code has passed the Regional Assembly, and is presented for your signature or veto. Without comment from your office, it will become law on the 9th of June, 2014. The text of the bill is as follows:

A Bill to amend Section 7.2 of the Legal Code:

The following changes be made to section 7.2 of the legal code.

Section 7.2: Holidays
6. The first of January shall be known as Remembrance Day, and shall provide an occasion for Nations to remember those players who have left the region and the game of Nationstates.
7. The twenty-sixth of April shall be Flag Day, and shall commemorate and celebrate the adoption of the Flag of The North Pacific.
8 The twenty-sixth of May shall be Manumission Day, and shall commemorate the end of the delegacy of Pixiedance, and celebrate the return of a democratic government to the region.
9. The eleventh of June shall be Delegates' Day, and will acknowledge the hard work of Delegates past and present and celebrate their great contributions to the region.
9. 10. The seventh of July shall be Constitution Day, and shall commemorate the ratification of the Constitution of the North Pacific.
10. 11. The twenty-eighth of July shall be Liberation Day, and shall commemorate and celebrate the overthrow of Great Bight and return of a native government to the region.
11.12. The thirteenth of November shall be Creation Day, and shall commemorate and celebrate the establishment of Nationstates; and provide an opportunity to extend fellowship throughout the NationStates communities.
12. 13. The twenty-third of November shall be Founders' Day, and shall commemorate and celebrate the establishment of the first official forum of The North Pacific, and through it the community which has kept The North Pacific as the preeminent region in Nationstates.

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Thank you for your time. Your attention in this matter is greatly appreciated.

Respectfully submitted,
Zyvetskistaahn​

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Zyvetskistaahn:

Mr. Delegate,

The Ministry Standardization Act has passed the Regional Assembly, and is presented for your signature or veto. Without comment from your office, it will become law on the 11th of June, 2014. The text of the bill is as follows:

Ministry Standardization Act:

1) Chapter 8, Section 2 of the Codified Law of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows,

The NPA is always permitted, consistent with adopted regional defense and diplomatic policies, to deploy under the following circumstances:

• a. To counter or preemptively stop:
  • i) A direct threat to The North Pacific;
  • ii) A direct threat to an ally of The North Pacific;
• b. To assist a region or organization as permitted by the delegate, an existing treaty, or the Executive Officer charged with military affairs;
• c. Upon the orders of the appointed Executive Officer charged with military affairs or a person thus delegated to act in their name; and
• d. The Regional Assembly may mandate that the NPA follow through on a declaration of war or a policy approved by the Regional Assembly.

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2) Chapter 8, Section 4 of the Codified Law of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows:

The NPA must operate so that:

• a. The Delegate can issue a blanket approval for the NPA to work with a given organisation. The Executive Officer charged with military affairs or the Delegate must still authorize individual missions.
• b. Any NPA member may refuse to take part in any mission which does not directly impact TNP security for any reason that the Executive Officer charged with military affairs or the Delegate determines is reasonable.
• c. The Regional Assembly may override by simple majority vote any NPA deployment not previously approved by the Regional Assembly. The Speaker shall accept motions to override for voting on an expedited basis.

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Thank you for your time. Your attention in this matter is greatly appreciated.

Respectfully submitted,
Zyvetskistaahn​

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A Bill to amend Chapter 7 of the Legal Code:

1. The following clauses shall be appended to Chapter 7 of the Legal Code as a new section, entitled Section 7.3:

Religious Observance:
Flemingovianism shall be adopted as the religion and church of The North Pacific.

All nations are guaranteed freedom of expression of all, any, or no religious belief, and that freedom shall not be curtailed.

The Flemingovian religion shall receive no financial or tax advantages through being the religion of The North Pacific.

Holidays of the Flemingovian religion shall be observed regionally, and all nations shall have the right to take a day off work, unpaid, on those holidays. Government officials are excluded from the effects of this clause.

No nation shall serve on the cabinet or any other appointed government position by virtue of their status in the Flemingovian religion.

Flemingovian officials may participate, as invited by the delegate, at all state functions.

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A Bill to amend Chapter 8 of the Legal Code:

The North Pacific Army Doctrine is hereby amended to read:

1. The North Pacific Armed Forces (the NPAF) has five primary purposes:
a. To protect and defend the region of The North Pacific;
b. To protect and defend the allies of The North Pacific;
c. To assist the allies and friends of The North Pacific in whatever capacity is available;
d. To maintain a well trained military;
e. To implement regional defense and diplomatic policies as adopted under the laws of The North Pacific.

2. The NPAF is always permitted, consistent with adopted regional defense and diplomatic policies, to deploy under the following circumstances:
a. To counter or preemptively stop:
i) A direct threat to The North Pacific;
ii) A direct threat to an ally of The North Pacific;

b. To assist a region or organization as permitted by the delegate, an existing treaty, or the Executive Officer charged with military affairs;
c. Upon the orders of the appointed Executive Officer charged with military affairs or a person thus delegated to act in their name; and
d. The Regional Assembly may mandate that the NPAF follow through on a declaration of war or a policy approved by the Regional Assembly.

3. The NPAF must follow all of the following criteria on every mission in foreign regions, except against designated enemy regions:
a. Minimize collateral damage;
b. Respect the culture of the region and the wishes of the natives;
c. Minimize threat to The North Pacific and allies;
d. Restore region to its original state before leaving;
e. Contact the most recent native delegate when acting proactively;

4. The NPAF must operate so that:
a. The Delegate can issue a blanket approval for the NPAF to work with a given organisation. The Executive Officer charged with military affairs or the Delegate must still authorize individual missions.
b. Any NPAF member may refuse to take part in any mission which does not directly impact TNP security for any reason that the Executive Officer charged with military affairs or the Delegate determines is reasonable.
c. The Regional Assembly may override by simple majority vote any NPAF deployment not previously approved by the Regional Assembly. The Speaker shall accept motions to override for voting on an expedited basis.

5. The NPAF must not do the following except following: (a) a regional consensus toward a region at war with TNP or (b) a request from a recognized government in exile of that region:
a. Remove any residents from an invaded region that resided in the region prior to said invasion;
b. Act with any degree of disrespect;
c. Alter the region's chosen embassy list against the wishes of the region's natives

6. The NPAF leadership is empowered with the ability to determine the cosmetic details of military, including name, ranks and insignia, pending the outcome of a poll of active NPAF members.

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Electoral Corrections Bill:

1. Chapter 4, Section 4.3 of the Codified Law of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows,

• Regional Assembly members shall be provided five days to declare their candidacy.
• Voting will begin immediately after the candidacy declaration period has closed and last for five days.
• If a run-off vote is required it will begin within one day of the first vote ending and it shall last for five days.
• Private votes may be sent by private message to a forum account designated for that purpose by the Election Commissioners. In such an event, the Election Commissioners shall promptly announce that a vote has been cast privately and who that vote was cast for. The Election Commissioners may not announce any other details about the vote.
• The option to reopen nominations shall appear on the ballot as a separate question for each race.
• Should a majority vote to reopen nominations for a given race, a further two days will be provided for candidacy declarations.
• Candidates for that race whose names appeared on the first ballot will retain their candidacy unless they choose to withdraw during the period for candidacy declarations.
• A second round of voting for that race will begin immediately after the candidacy declaration period has closed and last for five days. The option to reopen nominations will not appear on the new ballot.
• If during any voting round for a given race a candidacy becomes invalid, then the voting round for that race will be immediately restarted with any invalid candidacies excluded from the new ballot.

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2. Chapter 4, Section 4.4, Clause 16 of the Codified Law of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows,

A minimum of two Election Commissioners will be appointed by the Delegate to oversee the candidacy declaration and election processes at least one week before the beginning of the month in which the election is to be held. If an appointment of Election Commissioners has not been made by that time, the Vice Delegate shall promptly make the appointment. Regional Assembly members serving as government officials are not excluded from appointments under this clause.

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3. Chapter 4, Section 4.5, Clause 20 of the Codified Law of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows,

The Delegate and the Vice Delegate will serve as Election Commissioners for the special election. If any of the Delegate and the Vice Delegate are not available, the Speaker and, if necessary, the Attorney General will serve as Election Commissioners.

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4. Chapter 6, Section 6.1, Clause 11 of the Codified Law of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows,

A Regional Assembly member's vote will not be valid unless they maintain Regional Assembly membership for the entire duration of the vote.

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Pre-Trial Ejections Bill:

Chapter 3, Section 3.3 of the Legal Code is amended in its entirety to read as follows:

• A standard procedure for all criminal trials will be established by majority agreement of the Court.
• The Delegate may eject and/or ban a particular nation from the region pending criminal charges against them, or prior to the conclusion of an ongoing criminal trial in which they are the defendant, only when that nation poses a clear security threat and their removal is necessary for the protection of the region.
• The Delegate must seek the approval of the Court for any such ejection or ban. Where possible, this approval must be sought prior to the nation's removal from the region. Otherwise, it must be sought within one day of the action.
• If the ejection or ban is performed during a criminal trial against that nation, approval will be at the discretion of the justice moderating the trial. Otherwise, any single justice may approve or deny the Delegate's request.
• Any nation ejected or banned under this section may file an appeal of the decision. These appeals may not be denied, and must be decided by the full court.
• The Delegate must immediately provide any nation ejected or banned under this section with a link to the Courtroom and inform them of their right to file an appeal.
• If criminal charges are not brought against a nation ejected or banned under this section, or if the criminal charges are rejected by the Court, or if the nation is not found Guilty at the conclusion of the trial, any ban against that nation which was imposed under this section must be revoked.

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The Preamble of the Legal Code is amended to read as follows:

In order to present a clearer and more comprehensible legal system, the Regional Assembly undertakes to keep the law of the North Pacific organized and clear. This Code will be divided into several Chapters, which may contain Sections. Clauses must be numbered consecutively within a Chapter beginning with the number 1. Clauses may be referenced by chapter and clause number, but clause numbers will not be considered part of the law, nor will they have any legal effects. The Speaker will manage the numbering of clauses in accordance with the above requirements.

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Zombie Preparedness Act:

1. A new section shall be appended to Chapter 6 of the Legal Code entitled Section 6.8: Disease Control
2. The new section shall have seven clauses, reading as follows:

• A NationStates event involving an outbreak of an infectious disease shall be considered an actual emergency under clause 11 of the Bill of Rights for all nations of The North Pacific.
• In advance of an outbreak, or promptly after an outbreak begins, the government shall present a poll to the public regarding how the government should respond. The poll must contain at least three substantially different options. The government will respond according to the will of the public expressed through that poll.
• During an outbreak, the delegate is authorized to act in any reasonable manner to pursue the adopted plan. This includes, but is not limited to, ejecting or banning nations from the region who have entered the region during the crisis and imposing restrictions on national movement into the region.
• Nations ejected or banned because of the outbreak must be promptly unbanned and invited to return once the emergency is over.
• During an outbreak, no nation may have their status as a citizen or Regional Assembly member removed solely for leaving the region, so long as they return within three days of the end of the emergency.
• Following an outbreak, the Speaker must promptly contact any citizen or Regional Assembly member who remains outside the region, and inform them that they are at risk of losing their status if they do not return within three days.

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Vacancies Absences and Succession Bill:

1. Article 3, Section 11 of the Constitution of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows:

11. In the case of a vacancy or absence in the office of Delegate or Vice Delegate, the first available person in the line of succession will assume the duties of the vacated position. If a member of the line of succession assumes the duties of either position while serving in, or having assumed the duties of, any other constitutionally-mandated elected office, they will be considered absent from that office.

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2. Article 6, Section 4 of the Constitution of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows:

4. The Regional Assembly may establish a line of succession by a majority vote. The line of succession must always include the Vice Delegate and all current Security Council members, and must always place the Vice Delegate first. If a new member is admitted to the Security Council, they will be automatically added at the end of the current line of succession. If a member is removed from the Security Council, they will be automatically removed from the line of succession.

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3. Article 7, Section 12 of the Constitution of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows:

12. Procedures to fill vacancies and absences in constitutionally-mandated elected offices may be established by law.

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4. Chapter 3, Section 3.2 of the Codified Law of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows:

- If one or more Justice positions are vacant, or any Justice is absent or has a conflict of interest, the remaining Justices will promptly appoint the needed hearing officers from among available Regional Assembly members to participate as temporary Justices.
- If all Justices are either vacant or absent or have have a conflict of interest, the Delegate will promptly appoint the needed hearing officers from among available Regional Assembly members with the agreement of the Speaker.
- In implementing the previous clause, any person who has a conflict of interest will be treated as unavailable.
- Any hearing officer appointed under this Section will be automatically removed if they have a conflict of interest and or hold any other office or assume the duties of any other office while serving as a hearing officer.

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5. The following is inserted in Chapter 4, Section 4.2, of the Codified Law of The North Pacific after Clause 7:

An "absence" in an office means that the holder of the office is by law temporarily prevented from exercising the duties of their office. An absent officer may be replaced for the duration of their absence as provided by the Constitution, this Legal Code, or a rule adopted by the appropriate body.

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6. Chapter 5, Clause 3 of the Codified Law of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows:

In this Chapter, the serving Delegate means the person holding the constitutionally-mandated elected office of the Delegate or, in the case of a vacancy in that office, the person that has assumed the duties of that office.

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7. Chapter 5, Section 5.3, Clause 17 of the Codified Law of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows:

The Council may task a member with taking actions required under this chapter when the Vice Delegate is not available.

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8. Chapter 6, Section 6.1, Clause 15 of the Codified Law of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows:

Regional Assembly members that have submitted a notice of unavailabilty, in accordance with any regulations set by the Speaker, shall be exempt from the provisions of the above clause for the stated duration of the period they are unavailable.

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9. No part of this bill shall take effect unless all parts take effect.

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Voting Rights Act:

1. All occurences of "citizen" and "citizens" in the Constitution of The North Pacific and the Codified Law of The North Pacific are hereby replaced by "resident" and "residents", respectively.

2. All occurences of "membership in the Regional Assembly" in the Constitution of The North Pacific and the Codified Law of The North Pacific are hereby replaced by "citizenship".

3. All occurences of "Regional Assembly member" and "Regional Assembly members" in the Constitution of The North Pacific and the Codified Law of The North Pacific are hereby replaced by "citizen" and "citizens", respectively.

4. Article 2 of the Constitution of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows,

Article 2. Citizenship and The Regional Assembly

1. Resident means any person with a nation in the region of The North Pacific.
2. The Regional Assembly will consist of all citizens.
3. Requirements for citizenship will be determined by law.
4. The Regional Assembly may enact, amend or repeal laws by a majority vote.
5. The Regional Assembly may remove a government official from office by a two-thirds majority vote.
6. The number of votes required to achieve quorum for any vote of the Regional Assembly except elections will be determined by law.
7. The Regional Assembly will elect a Speaker every four months by a plurality vote.
8. The Speaker will administer the rules of the Regional Assembly. Where no rules exist, the Speaker may use their discretion.
9. Abstentions cast in the Regional Assembly will not be used to determine the result of any vote, but may be used for quorum and all other purposes.
10. The Speaker may appoint deputies to assist them in the execution of any of their powers and duties. Appointment of deputies may be regulated by law and the rules of the Regional Assembly.

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5. Chapter 6, Section 6.1 of the Codified Law of The North Pacific is hereby amended to read as follows,

Section 6.1: Citizenship

• Any resident may apply for citizenship using their regional forum account, by providing the name of their nation in The North Pacific, and swearing an oath as follows:

I, the leader of The North Pacific nation of [INSERT YOUR TNP NATION], pledge loyalty to The North Pacific, obedience to her laws, and responsible action as a member of her society. I pledge to only register one nation to vote in The North Pacific. I pledge that no nation under my control will wage war against the North Pacific. I understand that if I break this oath I may permanently lose my voting privileges. In this manner, I petition the Speaker for citizenship in The North Pacific.

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• A copy of the laws applicants are pledging to obey must be available to them at all times.
• An application for citizenship ceases to be valid if at any time the applicant's declared nation in The North Pacific is not located in The North Pacific.
• Forum administration will have 14 days to evaluate citizenship applicants and verify that they are not using a proxy or evading a judicially-imposed penalty. The Vice Delegate will have 3 days to perform a security assessment of the applicant. All security assessments will be performed in consultation with the Security Council, and in accordance with all laws of The North Pacific.
• The Speaker will reject applicants who fail an evaluation by either forum administration or the Vice Delegate.
• If an applicant is rejected for failing an evaluation by the Vice Delegate, the Regional Assembly will immediately hold a majority vote on whether to uphold the rejection.
• The Regional Assembly may overturn a previous decision to uphold the rejection of an applicant by majority vote.
• The Speaker will accept all other applicants with valid applications.
• The Speaker will process applications within 14 days. If an applicant has not been approved or rejected within that time, they will be automatically granted citizenship.
• A citizen's vote will not be valid unless they maintain citizenship for the entire duration of the vote.
• The Speaker will maintain a publicly viewable roster of citizens.
• The Speaker will promptly remove any citizens whose removal is ordered by the Court, or whose nation in The North Pacific leaves or ceases to exist.
• The Speaker's office will promptly remove any citizens who fail to post in The North Pacific forum for over 30 consecutive days.
• Citizens that have submitted a notice of absence, in accordance with any regulations set by the Speaker, shall be exempt from the provisions of the above clause for the stated duration of their absence.
• The number of votes required to achieve quorum for any legislative vote is equal to one third the number of those citizens who have voted in a legislative vote at least once in the last 20 consecutive days or have not missed more than three consecutive legislative votes, as determined by the time the votes closed. A legislative vote is a vote of the Regional Assembly to enact, amend or repeal laws.

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6. Everyone who immediately before this bill takes effect was a Regional Assembly member will be considered a citizen once the bill takes efect.

7. Everyone who immediately before this bill takes effect had had an application for Regional Assembly membership rejected for failing an evaluation by the Vice Delegate and had had the rejection upheld by the Regional Assembly, will be considered once the bill takes efect to have had an application for citizenship rejected for failing an evaluation by the Vice Delegate and have had the rejection upheld by the Regional Assembly.

8. No part of this bill shall take effect unless all parts take effect.

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A Bill to Celebrate the Bill of Rights/Democracy Day Bill:

The Legal Code Section 7.2.10 shall be amended to read: "The seventh of July, the day the constitution was ratified, shall be known as Democracy Day, and shall commemorate the Constitution, Bill of Rights and Legal Code of the North Pacific."

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Regional Assembly Rules Amendment:

1. The Rules of the Regional Assembly of The North Pacific are hereby amended to read as follows:

Rules of the Regional Assembly of The North Pacific

Section 1. Proposals

1. Any citizen may bring a proposal for discussion before the Regional Assembly.

2. The Speaker may schedule a vote on any proposal being discussed by the Regional Assembly as permitted by law.

3. If, before a vote on a proposal begins, at least three citizens object to the decision of the Speaker to schedule it, the Speaker must cancel the scheduled vote.

4. If a number of citizens equal to or exceeding one third of the number of votes required to achieve quorum for any legislative vote, including the citizen that introduced the proposal to the Regional Assembly, motion that a vote should be held on a proposal before the Regional Assembly, then the Speaker must schedule a vote on that proposal to begin as soon as permitted by law.

Section 2. Voting

1. No more than two legislative votes may take place simultaneously at any time.

2. Unless otherwise required by law, votes of the Regional Assembly will last for a minimum of three and a maximum of seven days.

3. The Speaker will, at the beginning of a vote of the Regional Assembly, decide its duration as permitted by law.

4. If a number of citizens equal to or exceeding one third of the number of votes required to achieve quorum for any legislative vote object to the duration of a vote of the Regional Assembly decided by the Speaker before the conclusion of the vote, then that vote will last for the maximum duration permitted by law.

5. If at the conclusion of a vote quorum has not been achieved, then the Speaker may extend the duration of the vote to the maximum permitted by law.

Section 3. Deputy Speaker and Vacancies

1. The Speaker may, at their discretion, appoint a citizen as Deputy Speaker. The Speaker may, at their discretion, remove an existing Deputy Speaker.

2. Unless otherwise specified by law, the Speaker may delegate any of their powers and duties to the Deputy Speaker. Delegation under this section does not relieve the Speaker of any of their powers and duties. Any provisions of law related to the powers and duties of the Speaker, when exercised by the Deputy Speaker under the provisions of this clause, shall apply to the Deputy Speaker.

3. When there is a vacancy or absence in the position of Speaker, the Deputy Speaker will assume the powers and duties of the office of the Speaker for the duration of the vacancy or absence, respectively. When there is simultaneously a vacancy or absence in the positions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker is simultaneously vacant, the citizen who is available, has the longest period of citizenship, does not decline the position, and is not otherwise prohibited by law will assume the powers and duties of the office of the Speaker for the duration of the simultaneous vacancy or absence.

4. A citizen's period of citizenship is defined as the amount of elapsed time since that citizen's most recent approved citizenship application without an interruption.

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