The Student Association Senate Bill Number 09-10-XX

Introduced by:
Co-sponsored by:

Georgetown University Student Association

In the school year 2009-2010

AN ACT TO Modify the by-laws concerning Funding Board member voting rights

Be it hereby enacted by the Georgetown University Senate as follows:

1. Section 4.04 (b) of the Senate by-laws shall be amended to read (additions in bold,
deletions struck-through):

This committee shall be the only Committee which may produce bills to allocate
funding among the various boards and to appropriate expenditures for the Student
Association; all bills which are passed requiring funding shall be required to pass an
appropriations bill through the Committee. Appropriation bills of the Student
Association operating budget may not be amended once sent out of Committee, only
passed, voted down or returned to Committee for emendation. The Chair must be a
Senator, and shall be elected by a majority concurrence of the Senate. The Chair of
the Committee shall have the power to require expert witnesses to testify on
appropriation requests; administrators and representatives of the different advisory
boards and GPB must advise this Committee as it meets to apportion funds. The
Chair shall also have the power to break any and all ties. In addition to the Chair,
there shall be six Senators who shall be elected by majority concurrence by the
Senate to serve on the Committee; no more than three Senators of the Finance &
Appropriations Committee shall serve concurrently on another Committee. One
representative from each advisory board shall have a vote on any and all allocations
of the Student Activities Fee (excepting allocations of those funds contained within
the annual Operating Budget of the Student Association), provided that the number
of voting representatives from each of the advisory boards does not exceed the
number of Senators on the Committee.”

The seven Senators of the Finance & Appropriations Committee shall be the
sole voting members at the annual Budget Summit and on any and all actions
regarding the Student Activities Fee and Student Activities Endowment. One
representative from each of the six advisory boards shall maintain an advisory
role at the Budget Summit and on the allocation and control of the Student
Activities Fee and Student Activities Endowment.

The Finance & Appropriations Committee shall convene at least one annual
budget summit, at which each head member of each advisory board must
jointly present its annual budgetary requests. These requests must include,
but are not limited to, their expenditures over the last fiscal year, any requests
for additional funding with justification behind such requests, and any other
information the Committee so deems.

The final student activities budget produced at the Budget Summit by the
Finance & Appropriations Committee must be approved by a two-thirds vote
of the full Senate. The Senate may not amend the proposed student activities
budget and must vote either up or down. If a proposed budget fails to pass it
is recommitted to the Finance & Appropriations Committee for emendation.

All bills requiring the allocation of the Student Activities fee (except bills which
allocate funds contained within the annual Operating Budget of the Student
Association, which shall be passed out of Committee only by a simple majority of
Senators on the Committee voting in the affirmative) must receive a consensus
opinion in the affirmative simple majority in the affirmative.

If a consensus opinion in the affirmative cannot be reached within ten days (Sundays
excepted) of the introduction of a bill involving allocations of the Student Activities
Fee, then the bill will be subject to approval and passage out of Committee only by a
simple majority vote.

At every meeting of an advisory board at which funding is either discussed or

allocated, at least one Senator from the Finance & Appropriations Committee shall
have the duty to attend.

The Committee shall convene at least one annual budget summit, at which each and
every head member of each advisory boards, as defined in the by-laws, must present
their annual budgetary requests jointly. These requests must include, but are not
limited to, their expenditures over the last fiscal year, any requests for additional
funding with justification behind such requests, and any other information the
Committee so deems.

For discussions and votes on the allocation of funds contained within the annual
Operating Budget of the Student Association, only Senators on the Committee shall
have a vote to determine how such funds are to be allocated. Any bills pertaining to
funds contained within the annual Operating Budget of the Student Association shall
be subject to passage out of Committee by a majority vote in the affirmative by
Senators on the Committee, and no others. In the event of a tie, the Chair shall have
the power to cast the deciding vote.
 A Senator on the Committee shall be designated to be responsible for keeping and
publishing timely records of all appropriations of the Student Activities Fee and
actions regarding the Student Activities Endowment.

Certification

We hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was duly considered by the Senate at a
meeting at which quorum was present and that the same was approved by a vote of ____ in
favor and ____ opposed, this ____ day of ________, ______, and signed into law this ____
day of _______, _____ or otherwise passed into law over veto.

__________________ _________________
Speaker President
__________________
Vice-Speaker