To ensure student groups a fair chance at funding
Senate Bill 1-CA-5

Submitted for previous notice: 28 May 1996
Action requested: Placement on Ballot; requires two-thirds majority

WHEREAS
the special fee system was intended for one-time large expenses by student organziations, not yearly funding, and

WHEREAS
budgeting by referendum is ridiculous, and

WHEREAS
the general fee system was intended for continuous funding of groups, and

WHEREAS
the general fee boards are less capricious than students, and

WHEREAS
the general fee boards are well equipped to help student groups use the proper means to request funding, and

WHEREAS
the Senate maintains final authority over all general-fee expenditures, and

WHEREAS
the students generally have no idea what groups do, so they often vote down groups that do great things for the student body, and

WHEREAS
voter turnout is on the decline, and

WHEREAS
the current special-fee process subjects special fee groups to less intense review than the general fee process does even though the special fee process gives out much much more money, and

WHEREAS
the special fee process encourages refunds, and

WHEREAS
the special fee process is basically just one giant loophole, and

WHEREAS
one primary goal of the Association is to fund student groups, and

WHEREAS
that's why Denis Hayes called them "SPECIAL" fees when he wrote the 1969 constitution,

THEREFORE
be it enacted by the Senate of this Association

THAT
1. The following text shall be added to the Constitution as Article 5, Section 2 F:

F. Multi-year requests

1. If student group wishes to put a request for Special Fee funds on the ballot and, in the past five years, a student group with the same name or substantively the same membership or substantively the same purpose received special-fee funds, then the student group's request shall be considered a multi-year request.

2. In order for a multi-year request to be put on the ballot in the Spring Quarter general election, the group requesting the funds must: Prepare a detailed budget for the student organization for the next fiscal year, including the amount sought from the Special Fee, and submit this, along with the current budget and a summary of actual expenditures, to the Association in the form of a petition and to the Senate. Such petitions bearing the signatures of 20 per cent of the members of the Association requesting to place the Special Fee on the ballot for Association consideration shall be presented to the Elections Commissioner, who must examine for authenticity the signatures on the petitions within seven days after receiving it. Upon verifying the petition, the Elections Commissioner shall then authorize the placement of the Special Fee on the ballot for Association consideration, provided that this request has also been approved by four-fifths of the members of the Senate.

3. The Constitutional Council shall be empowered to decide whether a group is substantively the same as one which applied in the past five years.

and

THAT
The following text be inserted as a preamble to Article 5, Section 2:

The intent of the Special Fee system is to allow a student group to request large blocks of funds above the funds ordinarily expended in one particular year to make large purchases necessary to the group's mission.

and

THAT
Pursuant to Article V, Section 1, C. of the Constitution, the base amounts of the General fees be altered to become:

Program Board: $750,000

Publications Board: $400,000

Community Service Board: $200,000

and

THAT
the above be placed on the ballot for the 1997 Spring Quarter general election.

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