Writing Your Bill

AG Writing Your Bill Eugster FA10

Preliminary Research

The most important component to writing your bill is first selecting a topic that interests you. Of course, you must choose a topic that is within the jurisdiction of congress, but having a serious interest in a particular public policy issue will go a long way towards strengthening both the content of the bill itself, as well as your ultimate presentation and defense of the bill during debate. Conducting preliminary research into the current activity of your topic is extremely helpful and should be cited in your bill.

Preamble

Drafting a bill is not difficult, although methodically organizing your thoughts into a coherent legislative template requires some planning and diligence. Let’s come back to the title a bit later and start with the preamble. A preamble, from the Medieval Latin word, praeambulum, meaning to walk in front, represents the introduction to, or prologue of your bill. Typically the preamble reads like a short narrative as it should present a general overview of the situation, or problem, that you address later in the body of your bill. Make sure to state the problem and explain why and how it needs to be resolved. If you are writing about nuclear proliferation, for example, a statement explaining the dangers of the spread of nuclear weapons, and the role and responsibilities of the U.S. Congress on the issue would be appropriate.

Body Clauses

The body represents the core of your bill and is comprised of a series of clauses that constitute a plan of action. With each body clause, you must specify an action to be taken. Whether this action is the implementation of a tax, a foreign policy initiative such as an economic sanction, or the creation of a new governmental agency, the action should be stated clearly in the clause format. If you need to elaborate, or provide details to a statement, then a sub-clause could be added. Sub-clauses are typically used to provide definitions of terms, or to more thoroughly explain a potentially vague proposed action in the main clause.

Enactment Clause

The enactment clause marks the end of your bill and states when your bill will take effect. Enactment clauses usually read, “If passed this bill will take effect in (insert number) days.” Delegates should know that any bill to be enacted in 90 days or less is considered emergency legislation, which requires a 2/3 majority to pass in committee. Any bill enacted after 90 days, however, merely needs the ½, or simple majority vote to pass. 

Title

I recommend titling your bill last. This way you can ensure that your title accurately reflects the content of your bill. Delegates often have a general idea of what they hope to address in a bill and are quick to formulate a title. Only after the bill has taken on a life of its own, and has veered away from the original intent of the title, do delegates realize that a title change is necessary. The preamble should provide a good foundation for a title.  

Template

Attached is a template to follow when writing your bill, you can find this template online if you want to type directly on the template on the below link.

Sample Bill

Also attached is a sample bill to be used as a guide in writing your own bill.

Links

The following are websites/links that may be helpful to you in writing your bill:

www.pennmc.org
http://pmc.princeton.edu/writeabill.php
To type directly into the bill template go to the above Princeton link, click on “How to write a bill” and then click on the words “bill template”. Remember to save and print your work on your own word document when you are finished.

Princeton Model Congress

Committee:	Principal Author:
Bill No:	Topic:

Title of Bill: Freedom of Marriage Act

Be It Enacted By The Princeton Model Congress

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Preamble: Whereas same-sex civil unions are legal only in California, Hawaii and Vermont, and since same-sex marriage is only legal in Massachusetts, and since marriage is currently defined as a union between a man and woman, and since the Defense of Marriage Act prevents same-sex couples from receiving family health coverage, medical and bereavement leave, child custody, tax benefits and pension plans, and since the Supreme Court declared marriage as a fundamental right under the Constitution, SECTION 1: Let the definition of marriage be only a legal union between one man and one woman, one man and one man and one woman and one woman. SECTION 2: Let married couples, as defined in SECTION 1, and persons in a civil union receive all rights and benefits reserved for married couples under the definition of marriage in the Defense of Marriage Act. SECTION 3: Let same-sex couples receive equal opportunity, privilege and right to adopt a child. SECTION 4: Let states receive increased federal funding. Sub-SECTION A: 15% increase in highway funding and 10% increase in discretionary funding when adopting SECTION 1 Sub-SECTION A: 15% increase in highway funding and 15% increase in discretionary funding when adopting SECTION 2 Sub-SECTION A: 5% increase in highway funding and 2% increase in discretionary funding when adopting SECTION 3 SECTION 5: This bill shall go into effect 91 days after passage.

Irvington High School Model Congress 2010

Committee:	Principal Author:
Bill No:	Topic:

Title of Bill:

Be It Enacted By The IHS Model Congress

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