1. État, peuple, authorities » 17. Authorities » 171. Parliament (RP)

1 This regulation details the internal organization of the Parliament, the composition and appointment of its bodies, as well as their functioning.

2 It defines the procedures to be followed for handling matters within the Parliament’s jurisdiction.

The terms used in this regulation to designate persons apply equally to women and men.

1 The constitutive session of Parliament takes place under the presidency of the eldest member of Parliament present.

2 The eldest member of Parliament and the presidents of the parliamentary groups together form the Provisional Bureau of Parliament.

3 The Provisional Bureau is responsible for defining the proceedings of the constitutive session and specifying, if necessary, the procedure to be followed for the elections of the various bodies and authorities.

4 The youngest member of each group acts as the provisional scrutineer.

5 No parliamentary intervention can be submitted during the constitutive session.

1. The Government presents a report on the election of deputies.

2. After deliberation, the Parliament acknowledges the result of its election as well as that of the election of alternates.

3. The deputy whose election is contested by an appeal filed before the Constitutional Court cannot sit, unless the Court lifts the suspensive effect.

Upon verification of the election, the Secretary General of the Parliament (hereinafter referred to as "the Secretary General") proceeds with the roll call.

1 After the solemn oath is read by the Secretary-General, the eldest of the deputies receives it from the other deputies and substitutes.

2 The solemn oath is as follows

"I promise to defend the freedoms and rights of the people and citizens, to respect the Constitution and the laws, and to conscientiously fulfill the duties of my office."

3 Upon the call of his or her name, the deputy, standing, responds

"I promise."

**The Inaugural Speech is Delivered by the Youngest Present Deputy**

1 During the inaugural session, the Parliament first elects, by secret ballot, the President of the Parliament for the upcoming year.

2 The Parliament then, in principle the following day, proceeds to the election of two Vice-Presidents, two Scrutineers, and two Deputy Scrutineers. It then elects the other bodies of Parliament and all cantonal authorities for which it is responsible for the election.

3 The President and the other bodies of Parliament assume their functions from the time of their election during the inaugural session.

1 In December of each year, the Parliament elects, by secret ballot and for a term of one year, the president and the two vice-presidents. It also elects two tellers and two alternate tellers.

2 They assume office on January 1 of the following year.

1 The notice of meeting is generally sent out three weeks before the session. It lists the items to be addressed.

2 The items submitted for parliamentary deliberation are, in principle, made available electronically no later than 10 days before the session.

3 The committee proposals related to the items submitted for deliberation can be submitted up to 5 days before the session.

1 As a general rule, the sessions of Parliament take place on Wednesday.

2 Parliament usually convenes in the meeting room designated for this purpose.

3 The Office of Parliament (hereinafter referred to as "the Office") sets the schedule of the sessions.

4 The President of Parliament (hereinafter referred to as "the President") ensures compliance with the set schedule. He may adjourn or close the sessions as he deems appropriate.

1 Members of Parliament personally register by signing the attendance sheet maintained by the secretariat. Those who, without a valid reason, do not appear on it are not entitled to the attendance token or the travel allowance. The Bureau resolves disputes.

2 The president ensures that a quorum is consistently reached. In case of doubt, he orders a roll call.

3 Members of Parliament who need to leave during the session inform the president.

The Bureau may invite its guests to attend the sessions of Parliament and to express themselves therein.

1 The Bureau may invite observers from the southern Jura or other observers to attend the sessions of the Parliament. The committees may invite them to some of their sessions.

2 During debates, these observers may speak with the approval of the Parliament. They do not have the right to make proposals or submit parliamentary interventions.

3 They are entitled to the same session and travel allowances as the deputies when they attend a plenary session or a committee session.

1 The public must comply with the directives of the president, or respectively, the secretary-general and the officials ensuring the security of Parliament.

2 The president may call to order persons who disrupt the proceedings and may expel those who do not comply with his instructions. He may, if necessary, order the evacuation of the chamber. The session is suspended until this order is executed.

3 The president, or respectively the secretary-general, may call upon agents of the Cantonal Police to carry out expulsions or evacuate the chamber.

1 During show-of-hands votes, the tellers count the votes under the supervision of the president, who announces the results.

2 They make the necessary arrangements for elections and secret ballot votes.

3 If necessary, the president appoints extraordinary tellers.

1 The minutes shall include, notably

a) the name of the president and the number of members of parliament present;

b) the items submitted for deliberation, the content of the proposals, and the results of the votes and elections, with the vote count.

2 The minutes shall be signed by the president and the secretary-general.

3 They shall be electronically disseminated to the members of parliament and the press. They shall be published in the Official Journal and on the State's website.

4 The drafts that served as the basis for the deliberations, as well as all acts of Parliament, shall be annexed to the minutes.

5 The minutes are only valid after having been approved.

6 They are considered approved if no rectification is requested before the close of the next session.

7 If the secretary-general is unable to fulfill their duties, the president shall appoint a person, with the agreement of the Bureau, to take the minutes.

8 Requests for rectifications must be submitted to the president, who shall have them approved by Parliament.

9 The minutes may only be rectified for drafting purposes or in the case of transcription errors. Rectification shall not alter a decision rendered by Parliament.

1 The debates are recorded.

2 They are published in the Journal of Debates, in principle, within four months following the session under the responsibility of the Secretary-General. Debates concerning appeals for clemency are not reproduced.

3 All bills, decrees, and orders approving treaties, concordats, and public law conventions are notably published, as well as all related messages and reports that the Government and the commissions send to the Parliament.

1 The Secretariat of Parliament is responsible, in principle, for the production of a full audiovisual recording of the debates of Parliament.

2 It provides the public with the ability to watch the deliberations of Parliament either live or as a replay.

3 The Bureau of Parliament grants the right to use the audiovisual recording to broadcasting and television companies.

4 It issues, if necessary, guidelines regarding the rules for broadcasting and using these recordings.

The matters to be addressed by Parliament are introduced

a) by a bill or proposal from a parliamentary committee;

b) by a proposal from one or more members of Parliament;

c) by a bill or proposal from the Government.

1 The discussion initially concerns the decision to consider the matter. If this is not contested or is accepted, a detailed discussion of the text in the first reading takes place. The decision to consider the matter is then automatically accepted for the second reading.

2 If the decision to consider the matter is rejected, the item is again placed on the agenda for the next session. If the rejection of the decision to consider the matter is confirmed, the draft is eliminated. If the decision is accepted, a detailed discussion of the text in the first reading then proceeds.

3 Upon completion of the detailed discussion in the first reading, the draft legislative act is subject to a final indicative vote. This may be preceded by a debate.

4 At least one week after the first reading, the draft legislative act is subject to a second detailed discussion (second reading). Upon completion of the second reading, the Parliament proceeds to the final vote on the legislative act. It may be preceded by a debate.

5 When no proposal is made and no discussion is requested during the second reading, the Parliament proceeds immediately to the final vote.

1 Draft ordinances are subject to only one reading.

2 Consideration is automatically granted for draft legislative acts aimed at implementing a popular initiative accepted by the people or Parliament.

**1 At any stage of the examination of the bill, Parliament may decide to refer a bill back to a committee or to the Government, respectively, by way of a motion for order.**

2 Upon a request for referral, the author of the motion for order must specify the reasons for the referral.

3 When the bill returns to Parliament, the procedure recommences from the beginning.

1 Debate on the subject, detailed discussion, or final debate is generally initiated by a presentation from the majority rapporteur of the committee. Following this, the floor is given to the minority rapporteurs of the committee, then to the representatives of the groups and other committee members. Subsequently, the general discussion is opened. Once this discussion is closed, the Government representative speaks, followed by the committee rapporteur(s).

2 If a bill or proposal originates from the Government, paragraph 1 applies by analogy.

3 Any proposal may be withdrawn by its author until the related vote takes place.

4 Amendments aim to introduce a modification to the text of the main proposal from the Government or the committee, respectively. They cannot address provisions other than those targeted by the text of the main proposal, unless they pertain directly to a parliamentary intervention whose deadline has been exceeded.

1 Every speaker must announce themselves to the president and may only speak after having obtained the floor.

2 No one is permitted to speak more than twice on the same subject. The president may make an exception in favor of the representatives of groups. The floor cannot be denied to the rapporteurs of the committee who have corrections to present.

3 Deputies facing personal attacks have the right to respond briefly, but they must limit themselves to the subject of these attacks. By analogy, the same right is granted to groups and ministers.

1 The president grants the floor to the deputies in the order in which they have announced themselves.

2 Requests can only be made once the discussion has been declared open.

3 A speaker may not obtain the floor a second time as long as a deputy who has announced themselves has not yet spoken.

1 The duration of presentations is limited to 10 minutes for committee rapporteurs, authors during the development of an address, Government representatives, and group representatives, and to 5 minutes for other speakers.

2 As an exception and upon prior request by the speaker, the Parliament may decide to waive the speaking time limit provided in the preceding paragraph.

When the president wishes to participate in the debates, they yield their seat to their substitute and speak from the podium.

1 Every motion must be clearly formulated and, if the president requests, presented in writing.

2 Proposals that are not directly related to the subject under discussion are eliminated.

1 By a point of order, any member of parliament may request that the plenary decide on the procedure for debates, votes, and elections, the agenda of the session, the referral of an item, the closure of the discussion, or the adjournment of a session. A point of order may not concern the substance of the debates.

2 Any point of order is disposed of immediately. The general discussion is suspended until a decision on the point of order is made.

1 When no further requests to speak are made, the discussion is declared closed.

2 If a motion to close the discussion is proposed, it must be put to a vote immediately. If it is accepted, only the registered speakers will still be allowed to speak.

The President may decide to adjourn a session upon the proposal of a Member of Parliament or on his own initiative.

1 Each Member of Parliament may request, after the discussion of the articles, that one or more of them be revisited.

2 Parliament shall decide on this request without debate.

Debates regarding the government legislative program and the implementation of said program take place without opening remarks. They are not concluded by a vote.

1 The debates concerning the adoption of the economic development program constitute the preamble to the decree approving the same, which follows the standard procedure for debates.

2 The debates relating to the implementation of the economic development program take place without a preamble. They are not concluded with a vote.

1 The debates regarding the annual reports submitted, in accordance with the Constitution or the law, for approval by the Parliament take place without entering the subject matter. They are concluded by a vote.

2 Article 24 applies by analogy.

3 When a report originates from the Government, its representative speaks first to present it.

1 The Government presents a report to Parliament each year on inter-Jurassian relations.

2 The report is submitted to Parliament fifteen days before the discussion of this item in a plenary session.

3 The report is debated but not subject to a vote.

The Bureau establishes the procedure applicable to other reports submitted to Parliament.

1 The discussion first focuses on whether to proceed with the matter.

2 If the decision is in favor, the discussion then covers the details of the budget headings.

3 Article 24 applies analogously to the organization of the discussion.

4 Upon completion of the detailed examination of the budget, Parliament is informed about the adherence to the debt brake, as defined in Article 123a of the Cantonal Constitution.

5 Each member of Parliament then has the opportunity to request a reconsideration of any of the budget headings. The Parliament decides on this request without debate.

6 The Parliament then proceeds to the detailed examination of the decree approving the budget, followed by its vote.

7 If the adopted budget does not comply with the debt brake, the Parliament, if authorized according to Article 123a, paragraph 3, of the Cantonal Constitution, decides in a second decree on the exemption from the debt brake.

1 The Parliament deliberates on the Government's response to federal consultations concerning matters deemed important by the majority of the Bureau members.

2 The discussion is initiated by a presentation from the Government's rapporteur. Subsequently, representatives of the groups speak, followed by the other deputies. Once the discussion is closed, the minister speaks.

3 The Parliament votes on the Government's response, which it cannot amend.

4 The deputies are informed of the Government's responses to the federal consultations.

1 The Bureau ordinarily meets before each plenary session, upon the decision of the president or if requested by two of its members.

2 It sets the date, place, time, and agenda of the sessions, which is immediately sent to the deputies. Generally, only items handled by a committee are included on the agenda.

3 It determines the number of group sessions that qualify for remuneration.

4 It sets the duration of parliamentary recesses.

5 It determines the cases in which political groups without access to special committees can each delegate a representative with an advisory vote.

6 The president of Parliament promptly communicates the decisions and proposals of the Bureau to the deputies.

1. The chairperson of the committee convenes the latter and ensures that it fulfills its duties in a timely manner.

2. As a general rule, once the committee is constituted, the chairperson sets the date for coordination meetings with the members of the committee and the relevant minister(s).

3. For certain matters, especially the planning of sessions and the composition of delegations, a committee may, with the agreement of the Bureau, convene all its members and substitutes at the beginning of the legislature. Only the full members have the right to vote.

1. The proportional system of the highest quotient is applied to the distribution of seats in the committees, according to the following rules

a) The total number of deputies of all the groups is divided by the number of seats to be allocated, increased by one; the result, rounded up to the nearest whole number, is the quotient;

b) Each group receives as many seats as the number of its deputies contains the quotient;

c) If not all the seats are distributed, the number of deputies of each group is divided by the number of seats it has already received, increased by one; a seat is allocated to the group with the highest quotient; the process is repeated until all seats are distributed;

d) If, in the case provided under letter c, several groups have the same quotient, the seat is allocated to the group with the largest remainder in the operation described under letter b;

e) If several groups have an equal number of deputies, the vacant seat is allocated to the group whose political formation obtained, during the parliamentary election and for the entire Canton, the greatest number of equivalent-voters; the equivalent-voters result from the division, for each district, of the number of votes for each list by the number of deputies allocated to the district, with the results obtained then being added together.

2. The distribution of seats is established at the beginning of the legislature and remains valid for its entire duration.

1 Political formations that, at the beginning of the legislature, do not have access to the committees may, by mutual agreement, appoint a single representative in each committee with consultative voice.

2 In the event of disagreement among them, the Bureau shall decide. Article 41, paragraph 5, is reserved.

3 The representative of these formations may make proposals in the committee but cannot report to the plenary on the committee's work and decisions.

1. The committees receive, upon request, an excerpt of the minutes and acts of the Government and departments that pertain to the matters they are to examine. They may, in agreement with the relevant minister, consult with State employees. At their request, the minister informs them about the files of his department.

2. With the consent of the Bureau, the committees may seek the opinion of experts or any person whose advice may be useful. Upon the unanimous decision of the committee, hearings that are of major public interest may be held publicly.

3. The standing committees may request to be informed by the Government on matters within their sphere of activity. However, they cannot be consulted on a future legislative project.

4. Ministers are invited, with advisory capacity, to committee meetings. They may be represented by someone else. The committee may meet in the absence of a Government representative.

5. When a committee wishes to refer a file back to the Government to obtain additional information, it submits it to the Bureau. Before transmitting the file to the Government, the Bureau must ensure that the referral cannot be equated to a refusal to consider the matter. If this is not the case, it returns the file to the committee.

**1 The Secretariat of the Parliament shall prepare the minutes of committee meetings within ten days. The minutes shall indicate the persons present, the names of the speakers, reproduce the essential points of their remarks, and report the proposals and decisions.**

**2 The minutes are accessible to the members and substitutes of the relevant committee, to members of the Bureau, to ministers, to the State Chancellor, and to their secretaries.**

**3 Minutes of confidential committee debates are only accessible to the members and substitutes of the relevant committee, to the President of Parliament, and to the ministers.**

**4 Third parties participating in a committee meeting have the right to review the extract of the minutes related to the subjects for which they were present.**

**5 After the decision of the Parliament, the minutes are accessible to the persons or authorities who require them for the application of the law or for scientific research. Article 12 of the law on the organization of the Parliament is reserved.**

**6 The minutes of the last meeting of a committee are tacitly accepted by the commissioners, subject to corrections agreed upon by them, which are recorded in the following minutes.**

**7 The minutes of the committees may not be made public, even partially.**

In case of necessity, the President of the Parliament may delegate the preparation of a matter to a standing committee, an already established special committee, or the Bureau.

1 At the beginning of each legislature and for its duration, the Parliament, after constituting its Bureau, immediately appoints from among its members the following standing committees

a) the Committee on Management and Finance;

b) the Committee on Environment and Infrastructure;

c) the Committee on Justice;

d) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Education;

e) the Committee on Economy;

f) the Committee on Health and Social Affairs.

2 The Parliament may delegate to the committees other matters that fall outside the responsibilities provided for by the present regulations.

3 The chairpersons of the standing committees are elected by the Parliament for a legislature or for the remainder of it if the election occurs during the legislature. Each committee appoints its vice-president.

4 Article 43 applies by analogy to the distribution of the committee chairmanships among the parliamentary groups.

1 The Management and Finance Committee is composed of eleven members.

2 The Committee has the following responsibilities

a) It examines the management of the Government and the departments and reports to Parliament on this matter;

b) It proposes to Parliament the means to remedy the shortcomings and abuses it identifies within the administration;

c) It examines the State account, the budget, the financial plans, requests for additional credits, borrowing proposals, and expenditures unless another committee has been designated for this purpose;

d) It ensures that the appropriations voted upon are used for their intended purpose and are not exceeded;

e) It authorizes the advance use of all or part of an urgent supplemental credit within the meaning of Article 57, paragraph 3, of the Cantonal Finance Act;

f) It examines the annual report of the Cantonal Bank of Jura.

5 In agreement with the Office, the Government may assign other tasks to the Committee.

6 The Committee has the right to conduct all inquiries it deems useful, both in the departments and in services or institutions administered by the State. To this end, it can call upon the services of the Finance Control. When its investigations concern an important matter, the Committee hears the concerned minister.

7 If necessary, the Committee can form sub-committees within it, composed of at least three members, tasked with specific investigations, controls, or tracking certain files.

1 The Environment and Equipment Committee consists of seven members.

2 It reviews matters that the Parliament must be informed of, related to the environment, public works, construction, transportation, and energy, from the perspective of overall design, legislation, planning, urgency, cost, and the use of appropriated funds. It makes its proposals to the plenary session of the Parliament.

3 Matters that concern only funding measures are handled by the Management and Finance Committee, which makes its proposals to the Parliament.

1 The Justice Commission is composed of seven members.

2 It has the following responsibilities

a) it examines matters that the Parliament must be informed of, which relate to justice, public security, the organization of local authorities, or political rights under the competence of the Parliament. It presents its proposals to the plenary of the Parliament;

b) it oversees the management of the courts and reports to the Parliament on all matters concerning the high supervision of judicial authorities; it especially advises the plenary on the report from the judicial authorities;

c) it makes proposals to the plenary regarding appeals for clemency, requests for amnesty, impeachments, complaints, and requests for the lifting of parliamentary immunity addressed to the Parliament;

d) it makes proposals to the plenary regarding decisions relating to jurisdictional conflicts in which the Constitutional Court is a party;

e) it examines the detention conditions in the prisons of Jura and penal institutions subject to an agreement on the enforcement of sentences and measures concerning adults and minors sentenced by the courts of Jura. For this purpose, it may visit these establishments. At their request, it may hear detainees sentenced by the courts of Jura.

1 The Committee on External Affairs and Education consists of seven members.

2 It examines matters that the Parliament must consider, which relate to cooperation, education and vocational training, culture and sports, as well as conventions and inter-cantonal agreements under the competence of the Parliament. It makes its proposals to the plenary session of the Parliament.

3 It represents the Jura Parliament in interparliamentary bodies responsible for reviewing draft agreements and in those responsible for ensuring compliance with inter-cantonal conventions and for monitoring the functioning of inter-cantonal implementing institutions, subject to Article 51, paragraph 2, letter e.

4 To complete Jura delegations in interparliamentary oversight committees, the Bureau, upon request from the Committee on External Affairs and Education, may appoint deputies or substitutes who are neither members nor alternates of said committee.

1 The Economic Committee is composed of seven members.

2 It examines matters that the Parliament must be informed of, which pertain to the public economy, agriculture, and taxation. It makes its proposals to the plenary of the Parliament.

1 The Committee on Health and Social Affairs is composed of seven members.

2 It examines matters that the Parliament must be informed of, relating to public health, social insurance, and social action, including the accounts and activity report of the Hospital of Jura as well as health planning. It makes its proposals to the plenary session of the Parliament.

1 The Parliament may refer any matter to be addressed by it to a special committee.

2 The Bureau determines the mandate and sets the number of members of the committee.

3 The functions of the committee expire at the end of the mandate for which it was established.

4 If its mandate is not completed by the end of the legislature, the newly elected Parliament must confirm it. The Bureau then proceeds to reconstitute the committee.

1 The parliamentary initiative shall be submitted in writing, signed, and accompanied by a statement of reasons. The date of the following Parliamentary session after the submission of the initiative is considered the date of deposit of the parliamentary initiative.

2 It shall be addressed at the latest during the session following a period of four months after its deposit, subject to Article 71 of these regulations.

1 The committee responsible for examining the initiative may, with the consent of the author, amend the text or propose an alternative. It may, with the consent of the Government, be assisted by employees of the cantonal administration.

2 When examining a parliamentary initiative, the author shall sit on the committee with advisory capacity if they are not already a member in another capacity.

The Government is allotted a timeframe established by the commission to submit its opinion to the latter.

If the Government presents a counter-proposal, the preliminary debate is preceded by a debate on the choice between the initiative and the counter-proposal. This debate culminates in a vote.

1 Every written intervention must have a title that summarizes the subject matter. All the signatories of the intervention must be identifiable. An electronic transmission system for interventions can replace the handwritten signature.

2 Except for resolutions, all written interventions may be submitted at any time to the Secretariat of Parliament and co-signed until the next sitting of Parliament. Unless otherwise provided, the date of the next sitting of Parliament following the submission of the intervention is considered as the date of filing of the intervention.

3 Only one of the signatories of an intervention may present it to the plenary session.

4 If necessary, the Bureau may extend the deadlines applicable to interventions.

5 During parliamentary recesses, the processing deadlines for parliamentary interventions are suspended.

6 The text of a motion, postulate, interpellation, internal motion, or intervention concerning federal matters may not be modified after the intervention has been filed.

7 A parliamentary intervention may be withdrawn until the related vote. The author's decision is not subject to debate.

8 Motions, postulates, interpellations, written questions, interventions on federal matters, and internal motions shall be eliminated if the author and all co-signatories no longer belong to Parliament.

9 An intervention may only be postponed by its author twice. After that, it must be addressed; failing that, it is eliminated.

1. The Secretary-General oversees the formal compliance of interventions.

2. After discussion with the author and upon the recommendation of the Secretary-General, the Bureau may refuse the submission of an intervention that does not meet the required format.

1 Motions and proposals must be submitted in writing and signed. They shall be communicated to the deputies within eight days following their submission.

2 They shall be placed on the agenda no later than during the session following a four-month period after their submission, subject to Article 71 of these regulations.

3 Subject to Article 71, paragraph 4, the Government must disclose its position and briefly state its reasons regarding the motions and proposals placed on the agenda at least ten days before the session in which they appear. The Government must mention in its position statement when it considers that a motion will have the value of a recommendation due to its relevance within its sphere of competence.

4 If the Government considers that an action has already been taken, it may propose to accept and immediately file the action. The Parliament then makes separate decisions on these two proposals.

5 Motions and proposals related to an item under deliberation shall be placed simultaneously with that item on the session's agenda.

6 Upon the proposal of a deputy or the Government, Parliament may accept a motion in the form of a proposal or a proposal in the form of a motion, provided that the author or the deputy who developed the action has given their consent, which is final.

1 Motions and postulates are presented orally by the author or one of the signatories. The floor is then given to the Government representative, followed by representatives of the groups, and finally, the general discussion is opened. Once the general discussion is closed, the Government representative, as well as the author of the motion or postulate, or the member of parliament who presented this intervention, may speak again, with the opportunity to respond and counter-reply, with each being limited to two minutes.

2 The author of the motion or postulate, or the member of parliament who presented the intervention, must determine their stance on the Government's or the groups' proposal to amend the intervention before the opening of the general discussion.

3 When a motion or postulate is uncontested by either the Government, a parliamentary group, or a member of parliament, it is put to a vote without debate.

4 When a motion or postulate is subject to division, the various points can be voted on separately, with the consent or decision of the author or the member of parliament who presented this intervention.

5 The Parliament votes after the closure of the discussion.

1 The motions and postulats that are accepted are forwarded to the Government for implementation. The Government has a period of two years for a motion and one year for a postulat to submit a report or proposals to the Parliament.

2 The Parliamentary Secretariat maintains an up-to-date list of motions and postulats to be implemented, which is reviewed every six months by the Parliamentary Bureau. Postulats are considered implemented when the Government's report is delivered to the deputies.

3 If, at the end of the deadline, the Government has not submitted its proposals or report to the Parliament, the Bureau, after questioning the Government

a) grants an additional period of up to twelve months for implementation;

b) mandates a committee to propose to the Parliament the means and methods to achieve the objective of the motion or the postulat; or

c) proposes to the Parliament to classify the motion or the postulat.

4 If the additional period granted to the Government is exceeded, the Bureau mandates a committee to propose to the Parliament the means and methods to achieve the objective of the motion or the postulat or proposes to the Parliament to classify them.

1 The interpellation must be submitted in writing and signed. It is communicated to the deputies within eight days following its submission.

2 The deputy presents their interpellation at the next session.

3 The Government usually responds immediately. If deemed necessary, it may respond at the following session. If applicable, it informs the interpellator in advance, who may request to postpone the presentation of their interpellation to the same session.

4 The interpellator then declares whether they are satisfied, partially satisfied, or dissatisfied with the response.

5 The discussion is opened if twelve deputies request it by a show of hands.

6 The interpellation does not result in any vote.

1 The written question may be submitted at any time. It is immediately transmitted to the Government and communicated to the members of Parliament within ten days following its submission.

2 The Government shall communicate its response in writing to all members of Parliament within two months following its submission.

3 The written question is, in principle, placed on the agenda of the Parliament's session following this two-month period.

4 The author of a written question shall declare whether they are satisfied, partially satisfied, or not satisfied with the response.

5 The author or a co-signatory has one minute of speaking time to, if necessary, justify their position if they are not satisfied with the Government's response.

6 The written question does not give rise to any vote.

1 Forty-five minutes are allocated to oral questions at each session. Members who wish to participate register personally, indicating the subject of the question, no earlier than half an hour before the session begins. The same member may pose a new oral question after all other registered members have spoken.

2 The order of oral questions is defined by the Bureau according to an alternation between parliamentary groups. A slot is reserved for members who are not part of a parliamentary group at the end of each round.

3 The member has one minute to pose their question, after which the Government responds immediately, for a maximum of two minutes. The discussion is not opened.

4 The author of an oral question then declares whether they are satisfied, partially satisfied, or not satisfied with the response.

5 The oral question does not give rise to any vote.

1 The resolution, submitted in writing and signed by fifteen members of parliament, is presented to the president during the session.

2 The text thereof is immediately communicated in writing to all members of parliament.

3 The draft resolution is developed and discussed during the session, unless the author agrees that it be addressed during the next session.

4 The resolution is adopted if it receives thirty-one votes.

1 Cantonal Intervention in Federal Matters

The cantonal intervention in federal matters aims to request the Parliament to exercise the powers provided in Article 84, paragraphs o and p, of the cantonal Constitution.

2 When it seeks to use the cantonal right of initiative in federal matters, the text of the intervention must include a development and a request addressed to the Federal Chambers. The request must specify the desired legal amendments.

3 The author of the intervention, possibly accompanied by parliamentarians, members of the Government, or State employees, is authorized to defend their intervention before the bodies of the Federal Chambers. If necessary, the delegation is designated by the Bureau.

4 When it seeks to use the powers provided in Article 84, paragraph p, of the Constitution, the text of the intervention specifies the federal legislative act targeted by the referendum or the reasons for the extraordinary convocation of the Federal Assembly.

5 A request for a federal referendum is addressed at the parliamentary session following its submission.

6 When such a request is approved, the Government is tasked with contacting other cantons to join the referendum.

7 The Government may submit a cantonal intervention in federal matters to the Parliament.

8 The procedure related to motions and postulates is applicable by analogy to cantonal intervention in federal matters. If it originates from the Government, the Government speaks first.

1 The procedure relating to motions and postulats is applicable by analogy to the internal motion. The Government does not express an opinion but may participate in the discussion.

2 The Bureau of Parliament may provide its opinion on an internal motion concerning parliamentary matters.

3 An accepted internal motion is forwarded, for report and proposals, to the Bureau or a committee, which must decide within two years.

1 Any intervention in the form of a parliamentary initiative, motion, federal matter intervention, or internal motion may be declared urgent if, at the time of its submission, the author presents a written and reasoned request on this matter.

2 The Bureau decides if the intervention should be treated as urgent. Urgency is established when handling the intervention within the usual timeframes would render it irrelevant.

3 If urgency is decided, the intervention is addressed in the Parliament session following its submission.

4 The Bureau grants the Government an appropriate time frame to take a position on the motion. It may particularly deviate from the term set in Article 62, paragraph 3.

5 If an intervention declared urgent is accepted, it must be executed within the time frame imposed by the urgency, but no later than within the year following its adoption.

1 The president submits to the Parliament the order in which the questions are put to a vote.

2 If a dispute arises, the Parliament decides.

1 Les sous-amendements sont mis aux voix avant les amendements et ceux-ci avant la proposition principale. Le texte adopté en première lecture tient lieu de proposition principale pour la seconde lecture. S’il y a plus de deux propositions équivalentes, elles sont mises aux voix ensemble et chaque député ne peut voter que pour l’une d’entre elles. Si aucune n’atteint la majorité absolue, celle qui a obtenu le moins de voix est éliminée. En cas d’égalité, le président décide de la proposition à éliminer.

2 On continue à voter sur les propositions restantes jusqu’à ce que l’une d’elles obtienne la majorité absolue. Lorsqu’un objet est susceptible de fractionnement, on procède à des votes séparés si la demande en est faite.

1 The voting is conducted electronically. If the electronic system is malfunctioning, a recheck may be conducted. If the malfunction persists, the voting is conducted by a show of hands.

2 Each member of parliament votes from their seat.

3 Votes are expressed as "yes," "no," or "abstention." The speaker specifies before each vote the issue on which the Parliament must decide.

4 The electronic voting system counts and records the votes cast during all ballots. The secretariat retains all voting data until the end of the legislature. Subject to section 8, the detailed results of each vote are public.

5 The result of the vote is displayed on at least one electronic screen. The speaker announces the voting result orally.

6 In a show of hands vote, the tellers count the votes. The speaker may declare that a decision is made by an evident majority, while dissenting opinions are counted. A recheck may be requested.

7 A roll call vote takes place when requested by twenty members present. The secretary general calls, in alphabetical order, all members present, who must orally make known their vote as "yes," "no," or "abstention" while simultaneously pressing the electronic voting button. Each member's vote is then displayed on the screens and recorded in the minutes.

8 A secret ballot is held if requested by twenty members present. In this case, the electronic screens display only the overall result of the vote.

9 When a roll call vote and a secret ballot are requested for the same matter, the Parliament chooses the voting method via a secret ballot.

10 With regard to clemency appeals, the voting is conducted by secret ballot. The decision to address the matter is not sanctioned by a vote.

11 Voting is conducted by secret ballot for requests to lift immunity.

1 In standard electronic voting or show of hands, the chairperson only votes in the event of a tie or if a qualified majority of the members is required.

2 In secret ballots or roll-call votes, the chairperson votes and a proposal is deemed rejected in the event of a tie.

Within the Bureau and the committees, the president votes and, in the event of a tie, casts the deciding vote.

1 For the election of judges and prosecutors, the law on judicial organization regulates the selection process of candidates by the Judicial Supervisory Council.

2 For the election of the Secretary General of Parliament, the General Financial Controller, and the Chairman of the Tax Appeals Commission, the Bureau defines the selection procedure.

3 The Bureau issues a notice for the election of the Secretary General of Parliament.

4 The Management and Finance Committee issues a notice for the election of the General Financial Controller. The Government is consulted beforehand and issues a notice to the committee.

5 Once the competent body has issued its notice, the Secretariat of Parliament informs applicants of the content of the notice and allows them the opportunity to withdraw their candidacy before the official publication of the list of candidates.

6 Votes cast for a person who has not applied according to the required procedure or has withdrawn their candidacy are not counted and are considered invalid votes. Otherwise, the provisions of Article 78 apply.

7 The President of the Parliament, or their replacement, presents to the Parliament the candidacies proposed by the Judicial Supervisory Council and the Bureau. The Chairman of the Management and Finance Committee presents the candidacies proposed by the committee.

8 Subject to contrary legal provisions, the newly elected members take the solemn oath before the Parliament, in principle immediately after their election. Anyone who refuses relinquishes their election.

1 The ballots are deposited together in the ballot box. They are destroyed after the session.

2 If the number of ballots returned exceeds the number of ballots issued, the voting round is annulled and repeated.

3 To be elected, a candidate must obtain an absolute majority of the valid votes.

4 In the calculation of the majority, neither blank ballots nor null ballots are counted. Ballots that are illegible or ambiguous, as well as ballots containing a note unrelated to the designation of the candidates, are declared null. Votes cast for an ineligible person are not counted.

5 The first round of voting is free. From the second round onward, only those who received at least one vote in the first round remain eligible.

6 At the end of the second round and each subsequent round, candidates who have not obtained a number of votes equivalent to at least one-tenth of the valid ballots are eliminated.

7 If, in a round, all candidates receive a number of votes equal to or greater than one-tenth of the valid ballots, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. If multiple candidates receive the same number of votes, a runoff vote determines which one of them should be eliminated. If, in this runoff vote, the candidates receive the same number of votes, the decision is made by lot.

8 If the number of candidates obtaining an absolute majority exceeds the number of seats to be filled, the candidates with the fewest votes are eliminated.

9 When the number of candidates nominated for the formation of a permanent commission equals the number of seats to be filled, the election is tacit. It is also tacit for the elections of the members and substitutes of the tax appeals commission and the members of the equalization fund commission.

The Bureau may propose to the Parliament a revision of the present regulation.

Regulation of the Parliament of December 16, 1998, is repealed.

This regulation comes into force on December 16, 2020.