Rules on defining a Senate Quorum (Nova Roma)

Senate rules on defining a Quorum

I. This Senatus Consultum on Defining a Quorum is hereby enacted to define what constitutes a quorum of the Senate, to ensure that participation in Senatorial decisions is open to its members in a reasonable manner and fashion. In the absence of such a quorum, no official Senate business may take place.

II. When official Senate business is being conducted via electronic mail (as outlined in paragraph IV.A. of the Senatus Consultum De Ratione Senatus), at least two-thirds of the members of the Senate must have access to the email list in question in order to constitute a quorum.

The two-thirds requirement shall be calculated so as to retain fractions; i.e., if 13.33 Senators are required to establish a forum, 13 Senators shall not be adequate to do so, but 14 shall be.

No call for debate or vote may be issued which deliberately excludes some members of the Senate and not others in order to obscure Senate business being conducted. Any magistrate so doing shall be subject to penalties that shall be deemed appropriate by the Senate.

Any Senator subscribed to the officially-designated Senate email list is assumed to have access to said email unless he specifically informs the Senate as a body or the presiding magistrate that such is not the case.

Should a Senator declare himself incommunicado via email, that Senator shall not be counted towards the constitution of a quorum. Such a declaration may be made directly or through an intermediary.

Should a Senator declare himself incommunicado during an official debate, and issue a proxy for his vote at that time, he shall still be counted towards the constitution of a quorum.

The Consuls shall have the authority to designate the official Senate email list, and must make any changes to such designation known to all members of the Senate in a timely fashion.

III. When official Senate business is being conducted via means that allow real-time communication (such as Internet chat, teleconferencing, or live meeting (as outlined in paragraph IV.B. of the Senatus Consultum De Ratione Senatus), two-thirds of the members of the Senate must be present at the same time in said venue in order to constitute a quorum. IV. The Senate may, ahead of time, vote to allow proxies when official Senate business is being conducted via means that allow real-time communication (such as Internet chat, teleconferencing, or live meeting (as outlined in paragraph IV.B. of the Senatus Consultum De Ratione Senatus).

During the course of such a vote, Senators who will not be able to participate may issue their proxies to Senators who will be.

Two-thirds of the Senate must still be represented (by either real presence or proxy) in order for a quorum to be constituted. +ca Votes to allow proxies for real-time meetings must be done on a one-time basis, and for specifically-scheduled real-time meetings. Proxies assigned during such votes are valid only for the real-time meeting in question, and are not automatically held over for future meetings.

Passed, Yes-14; No-0; Abstain-0 a d XV Sex MMDCCLIV