[Passed] Loss of On-Site Access Act

[Comfed]

As the emergency situation that appears to have just passed has shown us, our law is not prepared for the event of prolonged on-site downtime (as opposed to forum downtime). We have had to hold a Regional Assembly vote to declare an emergency in this unprecedented situation. The Legal Code contains many sections devoted to issues which are obviously emergencies and which thus do not require a declaration by the RA. This bill's effect is to add one more section on what happens when NS is inaccessible or unusable (making it something of an opposite to Section 8.4, which deals with forum access).

The following is added to Chapter 8 of the Legal Code:

Section 8.5: On-Site Access
18. Loss of access to the NationStates site, or issues with essential mechanisms relating to nations, regions or the World Assembly which make it functionally unusable, is an actual emergency and does not require a declaration by the Regional Assembly.
19. During such an emergency, government business requiring the use of the NationStates site shall be suspended.
20. Suspended time-sensitive government business shall not count time during the emergency.
21. Such an emergency will end when access to the NationStates site is restored and the site is functional.

No markup is provided because this is an entirely new bit of law and not really an amendment.

 

[Pallaith]

Some might argue the site is not functional even when you can access it…

Your word choice in some places (functions, processing time specific tasks) doesn’t quite sit right with me, but I think it’s still workable.

 

[Comfed]

Your word choice in some places (functions, processing time specific tasks) doesn’t quite sit right with me, but I think it’s still workable.

I agree that the wording in those places is not ideal. I've changed "functions" to "government business" which is used elsewhere in the Legal Code and I rewrote the time clause (it is now more similar to LD's emergency motion).

 

[Comfed]

I motion for a vote.

 

[Sil Dorsett]

I motion for a vote.

Motion recognized. The bill will now be in Formal Debate for five days, after which a vote will be scheduled.

 

[Gorundu]

I also have some doubts about the "issues with core mechanisms which make it functionally unusable" language in clause 18, specifically I feel like "core mechanisms" should be better defined, but it's kind of hard to think of a better way to say it. Perhaps something like "loss of access to essential mechanisms relating to nations, regions and the World Assembly". Admittedly "essential mechanisms relating to nations/regions" is still quite murky, but I'm kind of unsure anyway what mechanisms would cause significant problems for the region if down. Would the RMB going down be a big enough problem? Would national and regional happenings disappearing be a big enough problem?

Another small thing is that "NationStates site" is used in clause 18, but "NationStates website" is used in 19 and 21. I think it's best to keep that consistent, I don't mind which.

 

[Comfed]

I also have some doubts about the "issues with core mechanisms which make it functionally unusable" language in clause 18, specifically I feel like "core mechanisms" should be better defined, but it's kind of hard to think of a better way to say it. Perhaps something like "loss of access to essential mechanisms relating to nations, regions and the World Assembly". Admittedly "essential mechanisms relating to nations/regions" is still quite murky, but I'm kind of unsure anyway what mechanisms would cause significant problems for the region if down. Would the RMB going down be a big enough problem? Would national and regional happenings disappearing be a big enough problem?

Another small thing is that "NationStates site" is used in clause 18, but "NationStates website" is used in 19 and 21. I think it's best to keep that consistent, I don't mind which.

I have changed the wording to reflect your concern and all instances of "website" have been replaced with "site".

 

[Skaraborg]

Formal Debate is over. A vote will begin at (time=1673794800)

 

[Pallaith]

Mr. Speaker, might I inquire why the vote is scheduled so long after the end of formal debate? I understand if your office is unable to facilitate the vote between now and then, but seeing as we have no opportunity to edit this bill further, we are really just waiting arbitrarily if there’s no reason for the delay. @Skaraborg

 

[Skaraborg]

Mr. Speaker, might I inquire why the vote is scheduled so long after the end of formal debate? I understand if your office is unable to facilitate the vote between now and then, but seeing as we have no opportunity to edit this bill further, we are really just waiting arbitrarily if there’s no reason for the delay. @Skaraborg

The first 24 hours have been put in to allow the chance for nations to object the scheduled vote. Scheduling the vote on the Saturday would mean that I have to count the votes on Thursday, a day I will have limited availability. So scheduling the vote on Sunday at 4pm (my time) means the voting will end on Friday at 4pm which is roughly the time I get home on a Friday and can count the votes. I hope this clarifies my decision.

 

[Pallaith]

The first 24 hours have been put in to allow the chance for nations to object the scheduled vote. Scheduling the vote on the Saturday would mean that I have to count the votes on Thursday, a day I will have limited availability. So scheduling the vote on Sunday at 4pm (my time) means the voting will end on Friday at 4pm which is roughly the time I get home on a Friday and can count the votes. I hope this clarifies my decision.

It does indeed, thank you.