GOVERNMENT BILL 77

 

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

An act to Provide Revised Processes for Execution of the Financial Responsibilities of the Student Body Government

 

 

BE IT ENACTED by the North Carolina State University Student Senate that:

 

Section 1.            Student Body Statutes §2-1.2(d) shall be amended by striking:

 

Any Senator sponsoring an Appropriations Request who fails to attend the Finance Committee meeting at the time slot for which he/she is scheduled shall be assessed one-half (1/2) of a Senate absence per time slot missed.

 

Section 2.            Student Body Statutes §2-1.9(a) shall be amended by striking:

                       

                        4. Finance

 

And Inserting:

 

                        4. Financial Services.

 

Section 3.            Student Body Statutes §2-1.9(b) shall be amended by striking:

                       

                        Finance Committee

 

            And Inserting:

 

                        Financial Services Committee.

 

Section 4.            Student Body Statutes §2-1.10(d) shall be amended by striking:

 

(d) Committee on Finance. The Committee on Finance shall insure the fair distribution of Student Body Funds. The committee shall be chaired by the Student Body Treasurer, and be composed of at least one-seventh (1/7) of all qualified Senators, including a vice-chair. The committee shall prepare annually an appropriations bill for the Student Government Budget as detailed elsewhere in these Statutes, oversee the appropriation of all Student Body Funds, and consider all finance, program, and appropriations bills.

 

And Inserting:

 

(d) Committee on Financial Services.  The Committee on Financial Services shall insure responsible expenditure of Student Body Funds.  The committee shall review all program and finance bill, advise the Treasurer and other officials on spending practices, regularly review the current balance sheet, and inspect budgets and expenses of agencies and departments.  The committee shall be chaired by the Student Body Treasurer, and be composed of at least five (5) members, inclusive of the Treasurer.  The committee shall discharged all duties assigned to the Finance Committee by statute or law.

 

Section 5.            Student Body Statutes §2-1 shall be amended by inserting:

 

Rule 11.  Permanent Committee on Appropriations

 

(a) Membership of Committee on Appropriations.  The Committee on Appropriations shall be comprised of at least seven (7) senators,  and the Student Body Treasurer, non-voting ex-officio.  All members of the Committee on Appropriations shall be Senators representing one of the several colleges, schools, or recognized programs and at no time shall be comprised of, excluding the Chair, more than two (2) members of any given college, school, or recognized program Senate delegation.  No member of the Committee on Appropriations shall serve on the Committee on the Budget, save the Treasurer.  The chair and all members shall be appointed by the Student Senate President.

 

(b) Meetings of the Committee on Appropriations.  Quorum of the Committee on Appropriations shall be a majority of the members, including the chair, but excluding the Student Body Treasurer.

 

(c) Duties of the Committee on Appropriations.  The Committee on Appropriations shall ensure a fair distribution of Student Body Funds to registered student organizations.  The committee shall execute the process of student organization appropriations as defined by statute.

 

Section 6.            Student body Statutes §2-1 shall be amended by inserting:

 

Rule 12.  Permanent Committee on the Budget

 

(a) Membership of Committee on the Budget.  The committee on the Budget shall be comprised of the Student Senate President Pro Tempore, ex-officio at least four (4) additional senators, and the Student Body Treasurer, non-voting ex-officio.   The President Pro Tempore shall serve as chair of the committee.  No member of the Committee on the Budget shall serve on the Committee on Appropriations, save the Treasurer.  Members of the committee shall be appointed by the Student Senate President.

 

(b) Meetings of the Committee on the Budget.  Quorum of the Committee on the Budget shall be a majority of the members, including the chair, but excluding the Student Body Treasurer.

 

(c) Duties of the Committee on the Budget. The Committee on the Budget shall review the Student Body Budget (SBS §§5-1.2 et seq.), and consider legislation adopting or amending the budget.

 

Section 7.            Student Body Statutes §5-1.3 shall be amended by striking:

 

§5-1.3. Budget recommendation by Finance Committee.

The Senate Finance Committee shall file for introduction its Budget recommendation no later than the second Senate meeting in March. The committee shall conduct whatever public hearings it deems necessary for a thorough investigation of all budgetary options.

 

            And Inserting:

 

§5-1.3. Budget Consideration.

The Student Body Treasurer shall file for introduction, in consultation with the Committee on the Budget, a budget recommendation for the next fiscal year no later than the first Senate meeting in March.  The bill shall be referred on first reading to the Committee on the Budget.  The Committee on the Budget shall conduct whatever public hearings it deems necessary for a thorough investigation of all budgetary options.                               

 

Section 8.            Student Body Statutes §5-1.5 shall be amended by striking:

 

Checks issued for an external expenditure must be signed by the Treasurer and the Comptroller. Checks issued for an internal expenditure must be signed by the Treasurer or Comptroller and the authorized executive officer responsible for the administration of that line item.

 

Section 9.            Student Body Statutes §5-1.6 shall amended by striking:

 

(c) A receipt submission shall consist of a completed online form and a hard copy receipt

 

Section 10.            Student Body Statutes §5-1.7 Salaried Positions Work Log shall be struck.

 

Section 11.      Student Body Statutes shall be amended by striking “Finance Committee” and replacing it with “Appropriations Committee” in §5-2.4, §5-2.5, §5-2.8, §5-2.10, §5-2.11, and §5-2.12.

 

Section 12.            Student Body Statutes §5-2.5(b)(i) shall be amended by striking:

 

and their sponsoring senators jointly

 

Section 13.            Student Body Statutes §5-2.6 Sponsoring Senator shall be struck.

 

Section 14.            Student Body Statutes §5-2.7 shall be amended by striking:

 

with the assistance of the sponsoring Senator.

 

Section 15.            Student Body Statutes §5-2.17 shall be amended by striking

 

Amendments to the Appropriations Bill can only be amended by two-thirds of the Senate.

 

                And Inserting:

 

Amendments to the Appropriations Bill shall require a two thirds vote to be adopted.

 

Section 16.            Student Body Statutes §5-2.18 shall be amended by striking:

 

(a) The Student Government Appropriations Packet shall be included in these Statutes as an appendix to this Article, and shall hold the same force of law as these Statutes. In such circumstances where a conflict may arise between the Appropriations Packet and these Statutes, the Statutes shall govern.

(b) The Student Body Treasurer shall be authorized to release the Appropriations Packet after the first Senate meeting of each semester. The Treasurer shall be authorized to append additional informative, non-binding, documents to the Finance Packet. This includes, but is not limited too, a cover letter, appropriations time table, sample Appropriations Request per §5-2.9, and sample answers to Appropriations Packet questions.

(c)The Senate shall not amend the Appropriations Packet appendix for the current semester after it has been released by the Student Body Treasurer.

(d) The Finance Committee shall be authorized to include and set the lists of questions for the Appropriations Packet, provided that the questions include at a minimum a Statement of Fact, a Statement of Principle, and a proposed itemized budget adhering to §5-2.9.

 

            And Inserting:

 

(a) The Student Body Treasurer shall release the appropriations packet once approved by the Committee on Appropriations.  The appropriations packet shall include at minimum a cover letter, appropriations timetable, a detailed explanation of all appropriations procedures, a sample Appropriations Request,  sample answers to Appropriations Packet Questions,  and a historical breakdown of the past years appropriations.

(b) The appropriations packet cannot be amended for the current semester after its release. 

(c) The Treasurer shall be authorized to include and set the lists of questions for the Appropriations Packet, provided that the questions include at a minimum a Statement of Fact, a Statement of Principle, and a proposed itemized budget adhering to §5-2.9.

 

Section 17.             Student Body Statutes §5-3.7 shall be amended by striking “or ACC 280”.

 

Section 18.      Student Body Statutes §5-3.17 shall be amended by striking “Committee on Finance” and inserting “Committee on Financial Services”. 

 

Section 19.            This act shall be effective upon its enrollment.