SimDemocracy Independent Oversight Authority Act (SDIOA) Amendment 2025
Preamble
Whereas the current SDIOA Act is more vague than necessary and requires more clarity in order to operate soundly and effectively,
SimDemocracy Independent Oversight Authority Act (SDIOA) Amendment 2025
Article I: Amendments
§1. Article I Section 1 §1 shall be stricken and shall now read: “The SimDem Independent Oversight Authority (SDIOA) is hereby established as an independent agency of SimDemocracy. It consists of the Independent Ombudsman and personnel hired by them to execute the tasks of the Oversight Authority.”
§2. Article I Section 2 §1.3 shall be stricken and shall now read: “The execution of discretionary laws through the Executive or its agencies.”
§3. A new section, called “§1.4” shall be created under Article I Section 2 and shall read: “Any other matters referred to it by the Attorney General or by a joint resolution of the Senate.”
§4. Article I Section 3 §1.2 shall be stricken and shall now read: “The Senate or the relevant committee for legislative action.”
§5. A new section, called “§2.1” shall be created under Article I Section 3 and shall read: “The SDIOA may request the declassification of any document used or unearthed in their investigation by the President.”
§6. Article II Section 1 §1 shall be stricken and shall now read: “The head of the SDIOA, known as the Chief Ombudsman, shall be nominated by senators and elected through a supermajority vote (two-thirds) of the Senate.”
§7. Article II Section 2 §1 shall be stricken and shall now read: “The Chief Ombudsman shall serve a term of five Senate cycles.”
§8. Article II Section 2 §2 shall be stricken and shall now read: “The Ombudsman may seek another term if they submit a formal request to continue serving as Ombudsman at least one Senate cycle prior to the end of their term.”
§9. Article II Section 2 §4 shall be stricken and shall now read: “If the Ombudsman does not seek renewal or fails to secure Senate approval for another term, the process to appoint a new Ombudsman shall commence as outlined in Section 1.”
§10. Article II Section 3 §1 shall be stricken and shall now read: “The SDIOA shall have the authority to hire staff, including investigators, legal experts, and administrative personnel, as needed to fulfill its mandate. The scope of tasks assigned to each shall be determined by the Ombudsman.”
§11. Article II Section 3 §2 shall be stricken and shall now read: “The agency’s budget shall be determined by the Ombudsman and protected from reductions intended to undermine its independence. The budget may not be reduced in such a manner that the Ombudsman becomes incapable of fulfilling the SDIOA’s tasks.”
§12. A new section, called “§3” shall be created under Article II Section 3 and shall read: “The SDIOA may create the necessary channels and roles to ensure its operation.”
§13. A new section, called “§1.3” shall be created under Article III Section 1 and shall read: “Other Committees and Officers of the State as established by Law or the Constitution.”
§14. Article III Section 2 §1 shall be stricken and shall now read: “The SDIOA shall have the authority to access government channels and documents, regardless of their classification level, to ensure comprehensive investigations. This authority cannot be overridden by executive orders or decisions to classify materials.”
§15. A new section, called “§1.1” shall be created under Article III Section 2 and shall read: “This authority shall be exercised and delegated by the Ombudsman within SDIOA as they wish.”
§16. Article III Section 3 §1 shall be stricken and shall now read: “The SDIOA shall produce public reports every four weeks summarizing its activities, findings, and recommendations.”
§17. Article III Section 3 §2 shall be stricken and shall now read: “The SDIOA shall also produce reports at the conclusions of investigations, public notices at the beginnings of investigations, and may provide updates during them.”
§18. A new section, called “§3” shall be created under Article III Section 3 and shall read: “Classified information shall be handled in accordance with national security protocols and disclosed only to authorized officials.”
§19. Article IV Section 1 §1 shall be stricken and shall now read: “The SDIOA’s budget shall be allocated as requested by the Ombudsman to ensure operational independence.”
§20. Article IV Section 2 §2 shall be stricken and shall now read: “ The panel shall have no authority to interfere with ongoing investigations, but may recommend procedural improvements. The Panel shall have the full cooperation of the SDIOA to conduct its work.”
§21. Article IV Section 3 §1 shall be stricken and shall now read: “All non-classified hearings and findings of the SDIOA shall be made publicly available through a dedicated official channel.”
§22. Article IV Section 3 §2 shall be stricken and shall now read: “Citizens shall have the right to submit complaints to the SDIOA, which must be reviewed impartially. Every report must be answered either through a report or through a notice of procedural closure.”
§23. Article V Section 1 §1 shall be stricken and shall now read: “Any party named in an SDIOA referral may appeal its findings to the judiciary to ensure due process.”
§24. Article V Section 2 §1 shall be stricken and shall now read: “In cases of overlapping jurisdiction with other agencies (e.g., the SDBI), the Ombudsman shall determine which agency leads the investigation to avoid duplication of effort.”
§25. A new section, called “Section 3. Limitations and Clarifications:” shall be created under Article V.
§26. A new section, called “§1” shall be created under Article V Section 3 and shall read: “The SDIOA shall not conduct undercover operations.”
Article II: Implementations
§1. This Act shall become effective immediately upon passage into law.
§2. The SDIOA Act shall now be named and referred to as the Government Oversight Act (GOA).
