An Act to hold the Government accountable and give the Citizens of Scone clarity when proposing bills in Parliament and to dissolve and to replace the 2015 act of the same name.
BE IT ENACTED by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords and Burgesses in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
1. SHORT TITLE This Act may be cited for all purposes as “Legislative Committee Act 2023”
2. REPEAL OF THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE ACT 2015
The Legislative Committee Act 2015 is repealed in its entirety.
3. FORMATION OF A LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
A. The Chancery shall maintain a Legislative Committee group, in which all Lords and Burgesses of Parliament shall be entitled to be added.
B. The Lord Chancellor may, at his discretion, add individuals to the legislative committee group who do not have a seat in Parliament for a time period to be determined by the Lord Chancellor.
4. PURPOSE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
A. The Legislative Committee shall be a mandatory process for the Government to present draft Legislation to the members of Parliament for their comments and suggestions, and to assist the Authors of Legislation in perfecting and refining draft legislation before it is officially presented to Parliament.
B. The Legislative Committee will remain optional for Private Members' Bills.
5. LORDS AND BURGESSES TO SIT JOINTLY
The Lords and Burgesses of Parliament shall sit together on the Legislative Committee and not divide, even if they shall sit in separate Houses in Parliament.
6. USE OF LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
A. This act shall prohibit the Government from introducing Legislation before Parliament without first having introduced it before the legislative committee. It will in no way prohibit Private Members' Bills in this way.
B. Draft legislation presented before the committee may only be edited with the consent of the primary author of the legislation, even if a majority of the members of the committee believe that a change should be made.
C. The length of time that draft Legislation may remain in the Committee for consideration is left to the discretion of the primary Author of the Legislation.
D. In cases of an emergency where a bill needs to be presented as a matter of urgency to parliament, this process can be overturned with a 2/3 vote of the House.
7. LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE DURING PROROGATION AND DISSOLUTION
A. The Legislative Committee may meet during periods of prorogation or dissolution of Parliament, but no bill from the committee may be introduced before Parliament until Parliament has been lawfully assembled.
B. Draft legislation that is still in the consideration of the legislative committee when Parliament is prorogued or dissolved is not affected by prorogation or dissolution, and may still be considered in the legislative committee while Parliament is not in session.
8. COMMENCEMENT This legislation and all the provisions therein shall come into force upon receiving the Royal Assent