View source for The Government Pay and and Budget Reform Act

[[Category:Legislation]][[Category:Economic Law]]
= Government Pay and and Budget Reform Act =
== Preamble ==
Whereas; a more efficient and accurate pay system is required for SimDemocracy.<br> Whereas; there is confusion about where salary is supposed to come from.<br> Whereas; a standardized budget process is necessary to fund government bodies and to pay their employees.<br>

== Article 1: Salary Payment Standardization ==
§1. All government employees shall receive their respective salaries from the Taubot Account that is linked with their department of employment.

:§1.1.If there is not an account linked with a department or other government body, then one will be created upon the implementation of this act.

§2. Each government body must keep a record of employees and their pay rates to be maintained by the department head, a department’s financial officer, and/or the Treasury Liaison assigned to the department.

§3. The Treasury Department will oversee and perform a monthly transfer of funds from the Government Reserve to all government body accounts so that they are able to meet their payroll obligations.

§4. Any discrepancies or delays in salary disbursement must be reported to the Treasury Secretary for an immediate solution.
== Article 2: Formalized Budget Process ==
§1. The government shall operate on a bi-weekly budget process to match with presidential elections.

§2. The budget shall be negotiated by the Treasury Secretary, the Economy Secretary, the President, and the Senate.

§3. Each department head must submit a funding request to the Secretary of Treasury and Economy no less than seventy-two (72) hours before the beginning of the next budget cycle.

§4. The aforementioned Secretaries shall review government bodies budget requests and draft a preliminary budget to submit to the President.

§5. The President may then review the preliminary budget and, if they deem necessary, may request adjustments before a formal submission to the Senate.

§6. The Senate shall deliberate and vote on the finalized budget submission, which must receive a simple majority to be approved.

§7. If a budget is not approved by the first day of a new budget cycle, emergency spending measures will allow all essential government functions to remain funded at the previous budgets funding level for a period of seventy-two (72) hours.

§8. Mid-cycle funding adjustments may be proposed by anyone involved in the negotiation process but must be approved by a simple majority in the Senate.
== Article 3: Enforcement and Compliance ==
§1. The Treasury Department shall conduct audits to ensure compliance with salary disbursement and budget procedures.

§2. Any government body found mismanaging funds may be subject to budgetary restrictions or corrective oversight from the Department of Treasury.

§3. Government officials found to be engaging in illegal or fraudulent activity regarding payroll or budgetary practices shall be subject to disciplinary action, including removal from office, investigation, and/or criminal charges – if deemed necessary by the Senate.
== Article 4: Implementation ==
§1. This Act shall come into effect seven (7) days after passage in the Senate to ensure enough time to start the budget process.

§2. The first budget cycle shall begin upon the conclusion and certification of the 136th Presidential Election.

§3. The Treasury and Economy Secretary are responsible for drafting necessary guidelines to ensure a smooth transition into these new processes.