Decree on the Operations of the Grand Council (Geschäftsordnung, GO) - Swearing-in (GO)

1. Upon Commencement of Duty, the council and all present in the hall and gallery stand. The council secretary reads the oath of office. Subsequently, the council members repeat the words to the chairperson: "I pledge it."

1. The office oversees compliance with the disclosure obligation.

2. It urges delinquent council members to register their interest bindings in the register.

3. In the event of non-compliance, the office will record the ascertainable data ex officio.

1. Functional Titles in this Decree Refer to Both Genders.

1. If a non-elected candidate has declined representation pursuant to § 7a of the Governmental Representation Act (GVG), the candidate may still take on another representation.

2. If a person who is already designated as a representative for another member steps in for a member leaving the Grand Council, a new representative may be appointed for the previously represented member, provided that a minimum remaining duration of three months is observed.

3. If representation cannot be appointed pursuant to § 7a paragraph 3 GVG, a supplementary election is excluded.

1. The President or his deputy has the following duties and powers in particular

a) He conducts the Council's negotiations, maintains order during the meetings, and ensures compliance with the Business Transactions Act and the Rules of Procedure;

b) In consultation with the Executive Council and based on the office's guidelines, he sets the agenda;

c) He ensures the efficient processing of business;

d) He may withdraw the floor from a speaker if they do not adhere to the subject of the discussion or make offensive remarks and a warning remains ineffective;

e) He provides Council members, at the beginning of each new quarter, with a list of all pending matters and a list of submitted popular initiatives;

ebis) He submits the quarterly planning of substantive matters to the office and committee chairs at the beginning of the new quarter, indicating the desired deadlines for treatment and any potential dependencies;

f) Together with the recorder, he approves the decrees and documents (minutes excerpts, certificates, correspondence, etc.) issued by the Council;

g) He supervises the minutes and the record keeping;

h) ...

i) He assigns working spaces to media representatives and ensures they receive the meeting documents;

k) He may prohibit audio-visual recordings on a case-by-case basis and informs the Council of such measures;

l) He represents the Council externally;

m) He arranges the division of work with his vice presidents as circumstances require;

n) He decides on urgent matters, instead of the office, regarding requests for obtaining legal opinions from the legal service of the Executive Council;

o) He appoints the election office for carrying out elections;

p) He examines whether the conditions for the representation of a member who is prevented from attending for a longer period are met and confirms the establishment of the representation.

1. The office of the council convenes as often as business requires, upon invitation by the President.

2. The President or one of the two Vice Presidents chairs the meetings, participates in the vote, and casts the deciding vote in the event of a tie.

3. Members of the office are obliged to vote. The voting is conducted openly.

4. The President and the two Vice Presidents each have one vote. Representatives of factions with fewer than 14 members also have one vote. For every 14 members of a faction, the corresponding faction representatives receive an additional vote.

1. The office has the following tasks and powers in particular

a) It establishes the distribution key for allocating seats in the committees to the factions during the term of office;

b) It appoints the permanent and non-permanent committees, as well as their presidents;

c) It decides on the exceptional expansion of non-permanent committees by up to two members originating from a faction not represented on the committee or from independent members;

d) It assigns the business to the committees;

e) * It plans and budgets the parliamentary tasks in accordance with Appendix 1 of the Decree on Performance-Oriented Management of Responsibilities and Finances (DAF) dated June 5, 2012;

f) It elects the secretary of the council and issues his duty manual;

g) It sets the calendar of sessions in agreement with the government council;

h) * ...

i) * It reviews the council minutes and decides on correction requests from speakers;

k) It sets the compensation for the committee rapporteurs and other speakers in the Grand Council and in the committees;

l) It decides on requests to the government council for the issuance of expert opinions by specific offices;

m) It represents the concerns of the council members towards the government council and the administration, as far as they affect the parliamentary operations;

n) It monitors the parliamentary business pending with the government council and the submitted popular initiatives;

o) * It advises, in accordance with the decision of the Grand Council, on motions for direct resolution;

p) * It coordinates the implementation of the business planning with the committee presidents;

q) * It sets the session dates in advance for the whole year based on the business planning;

r) * It assigns business in the area of external relations to the competent specialist committee. This committee transmits any statement to the office for the attention of the government council;

s) * It elects the members of the Grand Council who take part in interparliamentary business inspection committees in accordance with inter-cantonal agreements;

t) * It prepares the elections to be conducted by the Grand Council and issues the guidelines necessary for their preparation and execution;

u) * It decides on the form of access to the committee minutes and issues the necessary guidelines for this purpose;

v) * It issues the guidelines necessary for the conduct of virtual and hybrid meetings.

1. The Parliamentary Service records the attendance.

2. As a rule, counting is conducted using an electronic voting system.

3. In exceptional cases, the President of the Council may appoint four vote counters to determine voting results or have the votes counted by another suitable method.

4. The office regulates the details in a regulation.

1. The results of the commission elections are to be placed on the agenda for one of the forthcoming council meetings. The names of the elected individuals are to be communicated to the council members along with the meeting invitation.

2. On the day of the meeting, the council president shall inform the council of the possibility to assume the election of members and the president of individual commissions by special resolution.

3. If the council exercises the option according to paragraph 2, the matter shall be addressed immediately thereafter or at one of the forthcoming sessions.

4. If a faction insists on a candidacy rejected by the office, the election proposals from both the office and the faction are to be submitted to the council for a decision.

1. The commissions submit to the Grand Council the matters they have dealt with, along with a report and proposal.

1. Commission decisions made on the basis of delegated decision-making powers are to be communicated to the President of the Council as soon as they are made.

2. The President of the Council places the matters on the agenda for one of the next meetings and informs in the invitation that the commission's minutes and the documents are available for review at the parliamentary service or available electronically.

3. The further procedure is governed accordingly by § 8 paragraphs 2 and 3.

1. The committees independently determine the course of their deliberations. The president determines the place, time, and manner of the meetings.

2. A quarter of the committee members may request the convening of a meeting.

3. The committees elect a vice president from among their members, who assumes the duties of the president when the president is unable to do so.

4. The committees are able to conduct negotiations when the majority of the members are present.

1. Meetings of subcommissions and working groups may be conducted virtually or in a hybrid format.

1. ...

2. The commissions determine the extent of detail of the minutes themselves.

2bis. Reports and other documents available to the commissions form part of the minutes.

3. The minutes are transmitted to the commission and office members, the council secretary, as well as the government council and, if applicable, the higher court. Other council members may review the minutes. Official secrecy is reserved.

1. The voting shall be open. In the event of a tie, the president shall cast the deciding vote.

1. The President of the Commission is the rapporteur in the Council unless the Commission decides otherwise.

2. The President of the Commission or members designated by the Commission may, by decision of the Commission, inform the public orally or in writing about the essential results of the Commission meetings.

3. Information is generally provided about the main resolutions, including the voting ratios, as well as the primary arguments presented during the deliberations.

4. The participants of the meeting shall not anticipate the Commission's communication.

5. The positions taken and votes cast by individual participants in the meeting remain confidential.

1. Each council member is entitled to submit suggestions and proposals in writing to the committees.

2. The committees are required to comment on these suggestions and proposals.

3. They may invite an applicant to discuss their proposal.

1. The Grand Council has the following standing committees

1. Committee for Planning and Finance;

2. Committee for Education, Culture, and Sports;

3. Committee for Health and Social Affairs;

4. Committee for Justice;

5. Committee for Public Safety;

6. Committee for Environment, Construction, Transportation, Energy, and Spatial Planning;

7. Committee for General Administration;

8. Committee for Economic Affairs and Taxation;

9. Audit Committee;

10. Citizenship Committee.

2. At the beginning of each term of office, the Council determines the number of committee members based on the proposal of the office. The office then appoints the committee members.

3. One or more areas of responsibility are to be continuously assigned to the committees. The areas of responsibility and the respective responsible committee are established in Appendix 1 of the Decree on Performance-Based Management of Tasks and Finances (DAF) dated June 5, 2012.

4. ...

1. The commissions are responsible within their areas of duty for the assessment of the proposals assigned to them by the office from substantive and financial perspectives, as well as for overall supervision. The office establishes regulations defining responsibilities and tasks. Before making a decision, it obtains an opinion from the government council.

2. For proposals that affect the areas of responsibility of multiple commissions, the office determines which commission will take the lead at the time of assignment.

3. The supplementary reports from the other affected commissions are incorporated into the report of the lead commission submitted to the Grand Council.

4. The president of the lead commission arranges the details of coordination.

1. The Commission for Task Planning and Finances is responsible for reviewing the task and financial plan, budget, additional financing, and target adjustment, as well as the annual report.

2. The specialized committees review sections of these proposals relevant to them. The results of this review are incorporated into the report of the Commission for Task Planning and Finances.

3. During discussions in the Grand Council, within the framework of the entrance debate and the detailed consultation, the speakers of the specialized committees may present statements concerning their respective sections after the speaker of the Commission for Task Planning and Finances.

4. The Commission for Task Planning and Finances may submit additional cross-sectional proposals to the specialized committees for comments. § 18 paragraphs 3 and 4 apply accordingly.

5. The Commission for Task Planning and Finances is responsible for financial control matters; it forms a special committee for regular business dealings with financial control. The committee consists of the president and two other members of the commission.

6. The Commission for Task Planning and Finances (KAPF) is responsible for authorizing the government council for the early release of necessary budget funds and commitment credits. In doing so, the KAPF consults with the relevant specialized committee.

1. The Commission for Justice additionally has the following competencies

1. * Handling of pardon applications according to the legislation on pardoning;

2. * Handling of petitions directed to the Grand Council and assigned to it;

3. * ...

3bis. * Submission of disciplinary cases to the Judicial Court;

3ter. * Determination of the individual workloads of full-time judges as well as the number of part-time judges for the Supreme Court and the Specialized Administrative Court;

3quater. * Approval of the deployment of supreme court judges as substitute judges at the Supreme Court and determination of the scope of employment;

4. * Examination of the professional and personal suitability of candidates for elections to be conducted by the Grand Council according to the GOG, for the attention of the Office of the Grand Council.

2. ...

3. The files of the pardon applications to be processed are available for inspection at the parliamentary services or are available electronically.

1. The Naturalization Commission or the Great Council may, in addition to the investigations conducted by the municipality and the competent department, and while informing the competent department and the municipality, conduct their own fact-finding investigations.

2. The Naturalization Commission or the Great Council may instruct the competent department to conduct further investigations.

3. The Naturalization Commission or the Great Council may, by way of resolution and informing the competent department and the municipality, exceptionally delegate the conduct of investigations to individual members.

4. The files of naturalization applications under consideration are available for review at the Parliamentary Service or are available electronically.

1. The Public Security Commission (PSC) is responsible for the overall supervision of the implementation of the Federal Intelligence Service Act (Intelligence Service Act, ISA) of September 25, 2015, in the Canton of Aargau. For this purpose, it forms a special subcommission.

1. The Audit Commission or the Grand Council examines the management of the Government Council, the administration, the Supreme Court, and other bodies responsible for cantonal tasks by means of inspections, clarifications, and investigations, particularly regarding their legality, expediency, effectiveness, and efficiency.

2. It is free to choose the subjects of its audits and can make recommendations to the audited entities.

3. It submits a report on its activities to the Grand Council annually and additionally as needed.

4. It coordinates its activities specifically with the specialist committees and the financial control.

5. It organizes itself into subcommissions and working groups.

6. For its activities, it adopts regulations which must be approved by the office.

1. For the preparation of proposals not assigned to a standing committee, the office establishes ad hoc committees and determines their mandate.

1. The Grand Council determines the mandate of the parliamentary investigation committee and undertakes the election of the president and the committee members.

2. Insofar as the law does not contain specific provisions, the general regulations concerning committees apply to the composition and procedures.

1. The parliamentary groups constitute themselves. They shall notify the Bureau in writing of the names of the President and the Vice-President.

1. In the President's Conference, the Council Presidium, along with the presidents of the factions and commissions, discuss procedural matters, namely business planning, business allocation, as well as cooperation and information exchange between the commissions and the factions.

2. The Council Presidium invites the presidents of the factions and commissions to the President's Conference as often as the business requires.

1. The minutes of the proceedings of the Grand Council mention the subjects of the discussions and record the motions, the results of the votes and elections, as well as the resolutions.

2. It is approved for publication by the President and the recording secretary.

1. The Council Minutes shall contain the following verbatim components

a) * the content of the deliberations, in particular the speeches, motions, results of votes and elections, and resolutions;

b) * ...

c) * ...

d) * ...

2. The Council Minutes shall be presented to each speaker for any formal corrections, provided these do not alter the content of the speech.

3. The Council Minutes shall be published.

2. Council members may obtain the consultations of the Government Council to federal authorities, along with the federal documents, from the State Chancellery or view them electronically.

3. The files of completed matters are to be stored in the State Archive.

1. The Office of the Grand Council appoints the State Usher of the Grand Council.

1. The duties of the Parliamentary Service in support of the Grand Council include, in particular

a) Preparation of the meetings of the bureau and the President's Conference;

b) Preparation and organization of the meetings and sessions;

c) Support to the Presidium of the Council;

d) Support to the presidiums of the commissions;

e) Minute keeping in the commissions, in the plenary sessions, and in the other bodies of the Grand Council;

f) Secretariat services such as preparation and dispatch of invitations and documents;

g) Handling of the accounting for the Grand Council and its bodies;

h) Ensuring IT support;

i) Ensuring usher services;

j) Management of the secretariats of the Grand Council's commissions;

k) Legal advisory services;

l) Documentation service for the benefit of council members and commissions;

m) Informing the public.

1. Workstations equipped with the necessary technical devices are available in Aarau for parliamentary activities to the council members.

2. The office is responsible for the allocation and equipping of the workstations.

1. The Grand Council ordinarily assembles in Aarau.

2. The meeting dates are to be determined annually in advance based on business planning. For special sessions to address important matters, short-term invitations may be issued.

3. In addition to single meeting days, sessions of up to three days each may be conducted for handling extensive matters or during periods of heavy workload.

1. The invitation with the necessary documents shall be in the possession of the council members four days prior to the meeting.

2. The attendance of council members is recorded at the beginning of each meeting.

3. Council members who are unable to attend shall excuse themselves with the council secretary.

4. The names of excused and unexcused absentees shall be recorded in the council minutes.

1. The council members are continuously informed about newly submitted proposals and motions.

1. The Executive Council shall immediately inform the Grand Council of the subject matter of the ordinances issued for the implementation of federal law in accordance with § 91 paragraph 2bis letters a and b of the Cantonal Constitution. Simultaneously, it shall provide the responsible specialized commissions with the text of these ordinances. Additionally, they must be listed in the annual report.

1. The handling of the business shall follow the order specified in the meeting invitation, unless the council decides otherwise.

1. The President shall first give the floor to the Committee Rapporteurs, then to the Speakers of the Parliamentary Groups, and thereafter to individual speakers in the order of their registration. The representatives of the Government Council and the Judicial Administration, as well as the Committee Rapporteur, shall be granted the floor upon request.

2. Any member wishing to speak on a matter under discussion or to justify a motion must register with the Chair of the Parliament and proceed to the speaker's podium for their remarks.

3. No one may speak more than twice on the same matter, except for the representatives of the Government Council, the Judicial Administration, and the Committee Rapporteur.

4. The floor may be requested at any time to demand compliance with the Business Conduct Act and the rules of procedure, to make motions on order, or to issue a personal statement.

1. Speaking time is limited to a maximum of ten minutes for the first vote, and five minutes thereafter on the same matter.

2. The President may, in exceptional cases, particularly for important matters, grant longer speaking times for the representatives of the Government Council or the Justice Administration.

3. The Council can, for individual debates, generally limit the speaking time of council members to five minutes.

1. For the handling of a matter, the council may, upon application by the office, limit the total speaking time.

2. The office appropriately allocates the designated total speaking time among the commission rapporteurs, representatives of the government council and the judiciary leadership, as well as the factions and the council members who do not belong to any faction. The factions shall inform the president in a timely manner of how the speaking time allotted to them will be distributed among their members.

1. In the decision to proceed, the Great Council determines whether it wishes to consider a matter, provided there is discretion to decide.

2. The committee reporter shall be given the opportunity to report on the course of deliberations in the committee; he shall refrain from merely reproducing the statements in the governmental council's message.

3. Motions for non-admission or referral back must be made and substantiated immediately after the committee reporter's explanations.

4. If there is no dispute about proceeding with the proposal, a debate on proceeding may be waived. In this case, the president shall establish that the council tacitly agrees to the consideration.

1. In the decision of non-admission, the parliamentary motions that are to be dismissed as a result must also be precisely identified.

1. If a procedural motion is made during the deliberation, it must first be decided upon. A brief explanation of the procedural motion and any counter-motion is permitted. The council decides without further discussion.

2. If a motion to conclude the deliberation is made, it must be put to a vote. If it receives the majority, only those members who requested to speak before the vote are allowed to address the council.

1. Faction statements and personal statements in concise form are permitted. They may last no longer than three minutes.

2. Personal statements may only serve the purpose of defending against attacks on the person and clarifying misunderstandings.

3. A discussion is not permitted.

1. Once the list of speakers is exhausted, the President declares the debate closed. He may still grant the floor to the committee rapporteur as well as to the representatives of the government council or the judiciary leadership. Thereafter, members of the council are only permitted to make brief corrections related to the matter.

2. If a new motion is introduced only after the debate has already been declared closed, the discussion must be reopened. It shall be limited solely to this motion.

1. The templates, along with the associated documents, shall typically be delivered to all council members 7 days prior to the committee meeting.

2. Amendment proposals from the committees and the committee minorities should generally be in the possession of the council members 17 days before the plenary session.

1. Each member of the council has the right to propose amendments, additions, or deletions. These proposals must be submitted to the president in writing.

2. Amendments and additions for the second reading are generally to be submitted in writing to the council members before the matter is addressed.

1. After the conclusion of the detailed consultation, any member may request a reconsideration of specific, precisely designated sections or provisions.

2. A brief justification of the motion to reconsider and any counter-motion is permitted. The council decides without further discussion.

3. If reconsideration is decided, the matter in question is re-discussed.

1. A reading takes place on decrees. The council can decide on a second reading.

1. Immediately after the final vote on laws and resolutions, any member may request that the laws and resolutions be submitted to a referendum.

1. The Grand Council approves the results of the editorial review conducted by the Executive Council. It may do so tacitly.

1. The President of the Grand Council or the preparatory commission shall ensure compliance with the duty to recuse.

2. In the event of a dispute, the Grand Council or the commission shall make a final decision. The member concerned must recuse themselves from the proceedings.

1. The public is not permitted to access the council chamber. A gallery is available to them.

2. The President of the Council may allow access to the council chamber for disabled and elderly persons who cannot reach the gallery.

3. Visitors must refrain from any expressions of approval, disapproval, or other disturbances of the proceedings.

4. The President of the Council may exclude persons who disrupt the proceedings, after an unsuccessful warning, for the duration of the meeting day, if necessary with the assistance of the police.

1. Media representatives are provided with suitable seating in the council chamber and the press room.

2. Unless otherwise decided by the office, they receive the meeting documents at the same time as the council members.

3. They must submit their needs in writing to the President of the Council.

1. The parliamentary service distributes the ballots for each round of voting and collects them again.

2. It determines how many ballots have been distributed. The President communicates this number to the Council. After this announcement, no further ballots may be distributed.

3. Each member of the Council must personally submit the official ballot filled out by themselves.

4. If the number of submitted ballots exceeds the number of distributed ballots, the voting round is declared invalid and must be repeated.

1. If multiple candidates are nominated for the same election, the nominations must be communicated to the council members on a separate sheet.

1. If multiple elections are to be held simultaneously, the council may decide to conduct several or all elections in a single act.

1. The Grand Council may decide on uncontested elections if the number of candidates does not exceed the number of positions to be filled.

2. If a council member requests the conduct of elections with ballot papers, uncontested elections are not permitted.

1. The President announces to the Council members the electoral office appointed by the Presidium.

1. In the event of a tie vote, the election for the candidates with the same number of votes shall be repeated. If the votes are still tied in the repeat election, the decision shall be made by drawing lots.

2. The President of the Council participates in the elections and, if necessary, draws lots.

1. The result determined by the electoral office is announced to the council by the president.

1. Before the vote, the President provides a brief overview of the existing motions.

2. He presents his proposals regarding the order of voting to the Council. Objections to these proposals must be addressed immediately. Upon request, the Council decides.

1. Sub-amendment motions are to be voted on before amendment and supplementary motions, and these before the main motions.

2. Main motions include, among others, those motions submitted by the commission and the government council or judicial leadership.

1. If a voting question is divisible, separate voting must occur if requested by a council member.

2. For composite motions, voting should be conducted on the individual parts unless the council agrees to a blanket vote.

1. Each council member may vote for only one of the principal motions.

2. Accepting a sub-amendment does not obligate one to also agree to the amendment. Similarly, the acceptance of an amendment does not imply agreement to the principal motion.

1. The electronic voting system counts and records the votes cast during each voting session. The voting behavior of the council members and the result are displayed.

2. The President of the Council announces the result.

3. The voting results are published in the form of name lists.

a) * ...

b) * ...

c) * ...

d) * ...

e) * ...

4. On the name list, it is noted for each council member whether they vote yes or no, abstain from voting, or do not participate in the vote.

5. ...

1. In the event of a tie vote, the president has the casting vote. He may provide a justification for it.

1. Parliamentary motions must be submitted in writing and accompanied by a justification. They must be promptly communicated to the members of the council. The date of submission is considered to be the announcement in the Grand Council.

1bis If the authenticity and completeness of the data are ensured, parliamentary motions may also be submitted in electronic form.

2. If a motion is not submitted by an individual, a spokesperson must be designated.

3. The office shall determine the details in a regulation.

1. If a parliamentary motion requires extensive investigations, the governing council may submit a request to the president of the council for an extension of the deadline for providing a response.

1. Upon submitting a motion, postulate, or interpellation, a request for urgent consideration may be made.

2. The Grand Council votes on this request in the same session. Approval requires a majority of two-thirds of the members present.

3. Urgent consideration means treatment on one of the next four meeting days. Along with the urgency resolution, a deadline for the government council or a special session may be determined.

1. If a parliamentary group no longer exists, initiatives submitted by it are considered nullified.

1. The Council shall decide in one of its upcoming sessions after the submission of the application for a direct resolution, whether it should be declared substantial and whether the bureau or a commission should be tasked with preliminary consultation.

2. If the bureau is tasked or a commission is established, the Council shall set a deadline within which the bureau or the commission must report and submit a proposal.

3. Motions concerning the exercise of federal participation rights must be forwarded to the Government Council for a statement, other motions may be forwarded. The Grand Council may set a deadline for the Government Council to submit the statement.

1. The President of the Council refuses to accept a parliamentary initiative if it pertains to a matter for which the Grand Council has already received a proposal from the Government Council.

1. The commission reviews the submitted draft. It may propose amendments or draft a counterproposal.

2. If the commission decides to proceed with the initiative, it instructs the executive council to provide a statement and conduct the consultation process.

3. Upon receipt of the consultations, the commission concludes its work. It submits the matter with a report and proposal to the Grand Council.

4. It may also propose to the Grand Council the rejection of the parliamentary initiative during the deliberations. If the council insists on the initiative, the commission shall act in accordance with the aforementioned procedural provisions.

1. The Grand Council deliberates on the draft and the motions of the commission in the same manner as on a draft submitted by the Executive Council.

1. The Council of Government may provide a brief explanation for motions and postulates that it intends to accept.

2. A discussion will only take place if the Council of Government contests the proposal or its form, if a counter-motion is filed, or if the Grand Council decides to hold a discussion.

1. After the statement of the Council of Government, the Grand Council decides whether the proposal is to be referred to the Council of Government and possibly simultaneously filed or rejected.

1. The council may, upon the request of the executive council or a member of the grand council, transfer a motion as a postulate with the consent of the mover.

1. The Government Council is required to submit substantiated proposals in the annual report regarding the continuation or withdrawal of transferred motions and postulates.

1. The expiration date of the respective deadlines for transferred motions and postulates must be indicated accordingly in the publicly accessible database for the proceedings of the Grand Council.

2. Transferred motions and postulates for which the respective deadlines according to § 42 paragraph 3 GVG were not observed must be specially marked in the publicly accessible database for the proceedings of the Grand Council.

1. An interpellation is generally answered in writing. The response can be verbal if it does not involve substantial numerical data, does not deal with a legally or factually complex matter, or if the matter is urgent.

2. After the government council's written response, the interpellant shall declare in writing to the president within ten days whether they are satisfied with the response and whether the interpellation should be scheduled for discussion. If the scheduling is waived, the interpellation is considered resolved.

3. If scheduling is not waived or the response is given verbally, the interpellant shall declare before the Grand Council whether they are satisfied, partially satisfied, or not satisfied with the response. They may make a statement of no more than three minutes.

4. A discussion will only take place if decided by the council.

1. A petition addressed to the Grand Council must be submitted to the Parliamentary Service.

1. The competent commission clarifies the facts of the case. It may obtain reports from the government council or other commissions.

2. It may hear the petitioners or delegate individual commission members to hold discussions with them.

3. It submits a written report and proposes whether and, if so, how the petition should be addressed.

4. The council's response is communicated to the petitioner. Submissions with obviously absurd content or with requests for which the Grand Council is not competent can be answered directly by the commission or forwarded. It informs the council of these cases.

1. The members of the Grand Council receive an annual basic compensation of CHF 5,000.

1. Members of the Grand Council receive a meeting allowance of CHF 160 per session for attending meetings of the Council, the office, and the commissions, for sessions lasting up to two hours.

2. If a session lasts more than two hours, the meeting allowance is increased by CHF 80 for each additional hour commenced.

1. Travel Compensation for Round Trip on Meeting Days

The travel compensation for the round trip on meeting days is calculated based on road kilometers from the place of residence to the meeting location and amounts to CHF 0.70 per kilometer.

1. A subsistence allowance of CHF 30 is provided for full-day meetings.

2. For meetings lasting two or more days, the allowance is CHF 120 for dinner, overnight accommodation, and breakfast, provided that returning to the residence is not possible or would excessively complicate the course of the meeting. In this case, the travel allowance for the outbound and return journey is granted only once.

3. There is no entitlement to an expense allowance for virtual participation in a meeting.

1. The President of the Council receives a compensation of CHF 20,000, while each of the two Vice-Presidents receives compensation of CHF 5,000.

2. The Presidents of the Commissions receive an additional compensation equivalent to a meeting allowance for each meeting.

3. The rapporteurs of the Commissions as well as other speakers in the Grand Council and its Commissions receive compensation for the preparation of reports, which is to be determined based on the effort involved.

1. Only those members who have reported their presence no later than one hour after the start of the meeting are entitled to a session allowance and any possible travel compensation.

2. If the council is no longer able to conduct business, attendance must be verified. Those absent without excuse are not entitled to a session allowance or travel compensation.

1. Amendments to the Rules of Procedure and Appendix 1 DAF may be requested through a motion for a direct decision or decided upon at the request of the Bureau. The Government Council shall be given the opportunity to comment.

2. The Bureau or a committee shall report to the Council and submit a motion.

3. ...

1. This decree is to be published in the official law gazette. It shall come into force on August 1, 1991.