ASSEMBLY RULES

                                                                UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

                                                                 CITIZENS UNITY ASSEMBLY

                                                        ARTICLES OF ORGANIZATION & RULES

Article I

Name

The Name of the organization is The Citizen’s Unity Assembly (short form, the “Assembly”).

Article II

Purpose

The purpose of the Assembly is to enhance the quality of American democracy and generally improve democratic governance through a direct participation by citizens who shall deliberate and debate legislative and other issues that impact citizens of the United States. 

Article III

Activities & Powers

(a) Activities. The Assembly shall review proposed legislation, advice and inform government agencies and branches of the federal government to improve the policy-making process, conduct oversight of government functions and inform the public about their decisions.

(b) Powers. As a representative sample of the citizenry, the Assembly has a legitimate role in governance. Until a constitutional amendment establishes a permanent formal role, Its role is informal. Government agencies and branches may accept or disregard Assembly decisions and voters will ultimately determine the extent to which elected representatives should abide by Assembly decisions.

Article IV

Composition

The Assembly is composed of a deliberative body whose delegates are selected as described herein (see “Delegates”) and administrative body whose staff are available to assist the Delegates.

(a) General Assembly. All Delegates meet in General Assembly for final debate and vote on matters that properly come before the general assembly.

(b) Committees. Delegates shall be assigned to committees at random and no Delegate ids to serve on more than four Committees. A Delegate’s committee assignment may be changed if there is a conflict of interest or upon request by the Delegate. Assembly Chairman shall have sole right to decide on changing the assignment, absent a conflict. 

There shall be permanent committees and special committees. Permanent committees, and the subcommittees stated below, are a part of this Charter and they shall continue to meet unless this charter is amended to dissolve them. Special committees and special subcommittees are created by the general assembly or committee, respectively, for up to 6 years at which time they must be renewed by an affirmative vote of sixty percent of all Delegates present provided a quorum has been certified. The following permanent committees are established:

     · Administration (sub-committees: Rules, Ethics, Governance)

     · Agriculture

     · Armed Services (sub-committees: Defense, Veteran’s Affairs, Intelligence)

     · Commerce 

         (sub-committees: Energy, Financial Services, Labor, Healthcare, Small Business)

     · Education

     · Foreign Relations (subcommittees: Europe, Asia, Africa, South America)

     · Homeland Affairs 

          (subcommittees: Aging, Substance Abuse, Natural Resources, Security, 

           Transportation, Infrastructure, Science & Space)

     · Law (Judiciary, Law Enforcement, Incarceration and Parole)

     · Ways & Means (subcommittee includes: Appropriation, Budget)

(c) Transparancy.  All briefing materials available to Delegates will be made public. This includes all information provided by third-parties that are permitted to address Delegates on matters being debated.  In some cases, a party may request confidential treatment and the Rules Committee shall determine if such treatment is to be granted.  Assembly staff shall address any questions regarding the transcript and the process leading to a vote.

(d) Confidentiality of Deliberation. It is essential to the unhindered interaction of Delegates that all debate, deliberation and votes by Delegates be confidential. No Committee transcripts that identify specific Delegates or their votes shall be released publicly. An anonymous transcript of debate shall be made public thirty 30 days after the General Assembly deliberation that precedes a vote unless the Rules Committee decides to release sooner or later at its discretion. No Delegate shall be identified in the transcript. No Delegate may state how they voted, state or speculate upon how any other Delegate voted or attribute any portion of a transcript to themselves or to another Delegate. If the Chairman finds grounds for such a violation, The Administration Committee shall promptly investigate any allegation of violation of this rule and if a majority of Delegates on the Administration Committee vote in favor of expulsion the subject Delegate shall immediately be expelled.

Article V

Meetings

(a) Regular Meetings. The Assembly shall meet according to a schedule adopted by the Assembly by December 15 of each year and applicable to the following year. 

(b) Special Meetings. A special meeting may be called by the Chairman or by a vote of 100 Delegates.

(c) Language. All meetings of the Assembly will be conducted utilizing the English language and all transcripts and reports are to be in English.

Article VI

Voting

The Assembly Delegates shall vote on matters that properly come before the Assembly. A matter is properly submitted when the Secretary General has so certified. The matter is eligible for certification by the Secretary General when the matter is in writing and either: (1) has been approved by a majority vote of a committee; or, (2) submitted by the Chairman with approval of seven other Delegates.

Matters may be voted upon by the Assembly Delegates only when a quorum is certified by the Secretary General.

A matter is adopted by the Assembly upon an affirmative vote of at least 55% of then present Delegates.

A Delegate may be removed from the Assembly upon an affirmative vote of 60% of Delegates.

Article VII

Delegates

(1) Number. The number of Delegates shall be 600 and the Governance Committee shall decide if that number is to be increased or decreased. The decision on number will be guided by the goal of having 99% confidence level within a five percent margin of error. without regard to state boundary and shall include districts and territories governed by the United State. 

(2) Frequency of Selection. Delegates are to be selected every year .  Ten percent of the delegates who served for one year will be selected to continue for one more year. These experienced delegates will assist the new delegates in understanding theoperations of the  Assembly.

(3) Manner of Selection. Delegates are chosen by statistical process from a list of citizens who meet eligibility requirements as stated herein. Selection shall include backup Delegates in case a chosen Delegate is unable to serve the full term. Selection of State Delegates shall be conducted within each state based on the state’s representation within the Senate and House of Representatives. Selection of National Delegates shall be conducted nationwide. At least three delegates shall be selected from each State and from each district or territory with a population of at least 500,000.

(4) Eligibility. To be eligible for selection, a person must be:

(a) a natural living person; and,

(b) at least eighteen (18) years old; and,

(c) a citizen of the United States for at least the last ten (10) years and with a primary residence in a state, district or territory for at least two of the prior five years; and,

(d) recipient of a high school diploma, from an accredited school, or its equivalent; and,

(e) not incarcerated, or on parole for any felony nor identified on any state’s sex offender list; and,

(f) not a political partisan as indicated by registration with any political party, donation of at least $1,000 to a political party within the last four years, holding elective office or appoint to office to office by an elected official; and,

(g) physically and mentally fit to serve and be so certified by a qualified physician or other medical expert; and,

(h) fluent in the English language, able to read and write English; and,

(i) present the following documents: birth certificate, naturalization certification, medical certification; Delegate Questionnaire; Delegate Service Agreement.

(5) Responsibilities.

(a) Oath. All Delegates must take an oath “to protect and defend the United States of America from all enemies foreign and domestic”. 

(b) Service. Delegates must serve the Assembly to the best of their ability.

(c) Enrichment. In accordance with the Assembly’s objective of removing third-party influences from Delegate decisions, including potential, financial gain from this unique and honorable service to country, Delegates must forego all third-party compensation during their Term. In addition, all work papers and documents, media, intellectual property and any thing of value created by any Delegate that relies upon the Delegate’s service to the Assembly of any kind or nature are the property of the Assembly. the Assembly may assign such rights to a non-profit entity that provides budgetary funding. Delegates must therefore agree to a Delegate Service Agreement under which assign any and all advances, royalties, payments or any other value derived as a result of Delegate’s service as a part of the Assembly. 

(6) Conflicts of Interest. All Delegates must disclose any material conflicts of interest that may sway their vote on any matter. The Chairman and Secretary, in consultation with the Assembly counsel, shall decide if such conflict may be waived or if the Delegate must be dismissed or recused and, if recused, the extent of such recusal either limited to the single committee, the single issue or a period of time.

Article VIII

Meeting Rules

Deliberations will be conducted using Roberts Rules of Order, as modified by the above and or by the Assembly or any Committee thereof.