Rules of Procedure for the State Council of the Canton of Schaffhausen - Meeting After General Renewal

1. The Executive Council convenes after its complete renewal at the invitation of the longest-serving member. This member performs the presidential duties until the election of the President by the Cantonal Council.

1. The Executive Council ordinarily convenes for a meeting every Tuesday.

1. In urgent cases or at the request of a member, extraordinary sessions shall be held.

1. All members are required to be present at the meetings of the Government Council.

2. If any member is unable to attend a meeting, they must report this to the President of the Government or the State Chancellery as early as possible, stating the reasons.

1. Letters addressed to the Government Council are recorded in a business manual by the Government President or, on his behalf, by the State Chancellery and, insofar as they do not concern presidential matters, assigned to the competent department for review and the submission of proposals.

1. Matters that fall under the jurisdiction of multiple departments are assigned to the department primarily involved, which will take the lead.

2. The leading department shall obtain reports from the other involved departments and ensure mutual information sharing.

1. Appeals against a decision made by a department are assigned for instruction to the respective deputy of the head of the affected department.

2. Subject to the powers of the Executive Council and the President of the Executive Council, the case handlers enlisted by the department heads are authorized to sign procedural orders in the name of the competent department head.

1. Departments shall submit their proposals in writing, usually in the form of drafted resolutions for the Government Council. The State Chancellery may issue directives.

2. Proposals, along with the underlying documents, must be circulated to the members of the Government Council as well as the State Secretary and their deputy in a timely manner before the meeting. Urgent matters are reserved.

3. Proposals and reports of greater scope and significance, particularly drafts to the Cantonal Council, proposals concerning generally binding enactments of the Government Council, as well as important consultations, must be provided in copy to the members of the Government Council as well as the State Secretary and their deputy in a timely manner before the meeting.

1. The Government President typically presents the matters for deliberation in the following order: presidential matters, announcement of new entries according to the administrative manual, other matters in regular alternation according to departmental sequence, proposals to the Cantonal Council, and motions concerning generally binding decrees.

1. For the requests submitted by the departments, the competent head initiates the deliberation.

1. The governing council makes its decisions through open voting. In elections, a secret ballot may be decided by a majority vote.

2. If a casting of lots is necessary in elections, the president of the governing council shall draw the lot.

1. Any member may record their dissenting opinion in the minutes against a resolution until the conclusion of the meeting.

1. The Minutes of the Meetings of the Government Council shall include the names of the Chairman, the absent members, and the recorder, as well as the resolutions adopted.

1. Circular Resolutions are to be annexed to the minutes of the next meeting.

1. The State Chancellery informs the public about the deliberations of the Council of Ministers through press releases.

1. This Rules of Procedure shall enter into force on May 1, 1987. It shall be published in the Official Gazette and included in the Cantonal Collection of Laws.