Act on the Grand Council (LGC) - Subject and Scope (GRG)

1. This law regulates the organization and functioning of the Grand Council.

2. It further establishes the competencies of the Grand Council and regulates its relations with other authorities, insofar as these matters are not covered by the Constitution or specific legislation.

3. The composition and election of the Grand Council, as well as eligibility requirements and incompatibilities, are regulated by the Constitution and the legislation concerning the exercise of political rights.

1. The amounts were established on the basis of the national consumer price index as of November 30, 2005, at a level of 105.4 points (May 2000 = 100 points).

1. The Amount of Individual Compensations Shall Be Determined as Follows

a) Members of the Grand Council

1. Annual Expense Compensation: CHF 1,275

2. Per Diem Allowance: CHF 210

3. Surcharge for Extended Meetings: CHF 25

b) President of the Grand Council

1. Annual Compensation: CHF 12,000

2. Presiding a Meeting of the Grand Council: CHF 265

3. Official Service: CHF 220

c) Additional Special Compensations

1. Additional Compensation for Presiding a Commission Meeting, per Meeting: CHF 85

2. Additional Compensation for Presenting a Report, per Grand Council Meeting: CHF 85

3. Annual Flat Rate for Vote Counters: CHF 320

4. Surcharge for Deputy Vote Counters, for Each Grand Council Meeting in Which They Actively Served: CHF 11

5. Annual Flat Rate in Connection with the Paperless Parliament: CHF 500

d) Travel Compensations

1. Daily Flat Rate Travel Compensation: CHF 10

2. Mileage Allowance: CHF 0.70

3. Travel Time Compensation, per Minute: CHF 0.50

1. The compensation allocated to each faction is determined as follows

a) Basic contribution: CHF 37,700

b) Amount per faction member: CHF 260

1. "President" refers to the person who is actually performing this function at the relevant moment.

2. The members of the Grand Council may also be referred to as "Grand Councillor" (female) and "Grand Councillor" (male).

1. Unless otherwise specified, the decisions of the Grand Council and its bodies are made as the final cantonal instance.

1. The Office is composed of

a) the President of the Grand Council;

b) the two Vice Presidents of the Grand Council;

c) the vote counters;

d) the faction presidents.

2. If a faction president is unable to attend, they may be represented by the vice president or another member of the faction who is designated and convened by them; they must inform the President.

**1. The Office Ensures the Administrative Management and Executive Leadership of the Grand Council; the Powers of the Plenum and the President are Reserved.**

2. It handles the affairs assigned to it by legislation and the Grand Council or those not allocated to another body of the Grand Council.

3. It has the following specific powers

a) It ensures the proper functioning of the Grand Council, its bodies, and the secretariat.

b) It establishes the committees, assigns them tasks, and appoints members if these powers are not delegated to the Grand Council.

c) It plans the meetings of the Grand Council, decides the list of agenda items, and determines the manner of their handling.

d) It coordinates the relations of the Grand Council with other branches of power and ensures, in particular, that matters entrusted to the executive by the Grand Council are handled appropriately.

e) It examines the validity of a supplementary election and, if necessary, verifies whether the eligibility requirements of a member of the Grand Council are met during the legislative period, and submits the result of this examination to the Grand Council.

f) It decides on the Grand Council's stance in administrative and judicial proceedings in which the Grand Council is involved.

g) It ensures that the committees and the secretariat of the Grand Council (the Secretariat) adhere to the time limits for dealing with matters.

h) It determines the composition of the cantonal delegation that will be heard by the federal parliament following the submission of a cantonal initiative.

i) It issues guidelines detailing the working methods of vote counters.

j) It ensures the drafting of legislation in areas for which it is responsible and takes organizational measures for this purpose.

1. The Bureau shall convene as often as required by business, upon the convocation of the President or upon the request of three members of the Bureau or the State Council.

2. The provisions concerning the working methods of the commissions, including the provisions regarding the holding of meetings via videoconference, shall apply mutatis mutandis to the operation of the Bureau.

3. The Bureau may entrust the President or a delegation of its members with the exercise of certain powers on its behalf. It may also delegate the preparation of a business to a delegation of its members, a commission, or the secretariat.

4. The Secretary-General of the Great Council shall participate in the sessions of the Bureau in an advisory capacity.

5. The Chancellor shall be invited to the sessions of the Bureau when necessary to ensure coordination between the Great Council and the State Council. He or she shall have an advisory vote.

6. The invitations to the sessions of the Bureau shall specifically mention the matters for which the Chancellor is invited. These matters shall, if possible, be grouped together in time.

1. The President and the two Vice Presidents are elected for a term of one year and cannot be immediately re-elected. However, anyone who has served less than six months in office may be re-elected.

2. If the President is unable to serve, is recused, or acts as a member of the Grand Council, the first Vice President shall assume the presidency; if this person is also unable to assume the presidency, the second Vice President shall take over.

3. If all three members are unable to serve or are recused, the presidency of the Grand Council shall be held by the last elected President or a person who previously held this office; if these are unavailable, it shall be exercised by the oldest member of the Grand Council.

1. The President presides over the meetings of the Grand Council and the office, ensuring that they complete their tasks in a timely manner.

2. He or she ensures that the legislation concerning the Grand Council is adhered to, that negotiations during the sessions of the Grand Council proceed with dignity, and that order and security are maintained.

3. He or she handles correspondence addressed to the Grand Council and ongoing business matters.

4. In urgent cases, he or she takes the absolutely necessary measures and decisions on behalf of the office. The office is informed at the next meeting.

5. He or she signs all documents and letters of the Grand Council and the office with the Secretary General. He or she ensures that the seal of the Grand Council is affixed to the documents that require certification.

1. In general, the President attends the invitations addressed to the Grand Council.

2. If the circumstances justify it, the President requests the Bureau to participate in full or delegating someone to attend the invitation.

3. The Bureau may exceptionally summon the members of the Grand Council for the inauguration or inspection of a significant work.

1. As a rule, the matters that the Grand Council must address are preliminarily examined by a committee.

2. The committees examine the matters referred to them, gather the necessary information, and submit a report and proposal to the Grand Council.

1. The standing committees are established with this law.

2. The office may establish ad-hoc committees to review a particular matter.

3. It may establish specialized committees to handle matters with related content over a certain period of time.

4. If necessary, the Grand Council shall establish a drafting committee with the task of reviewing the formulation of a decree after the deliberation (Art. 145).

5. The Grand Council may establish an investigative committee when occurrences of great significance in an area under the supervision of the Grand Council necessitate a special clarification of the situation by the Grand Council (Art. 182 et seq.).

1. The members of the standing committees and the investigation committees are elected by the Great Council.

2. The members and the presidents of the other committees are elected by the Bureau upon the proposal of the political groups.

3. However, the respective committee itself designates the members who, in addition to the rapporteur, should participate in the editorial committee.

1. If a member of a standing committee or a special committee is unable to attend a meeting, they may be represented by a substitute member.

2. For each committee in which they are represented, the parliamentary groups have one substitute member for every two regular members, but at least one substitute member.

3. The substitute members of the standing committees are elected by the Grand Council, while the substitute members of the special committees are appointed by the office.

1. Each permanent commission and each specialist commission may establish one or more subcommissions.

2. The subcommissions develop proposals for the commission that established them.

3. They may only address the commission from which they originated.

1. Within the Grand Council, the following permanent committees exist

a) the Finance and Business Audit Committee;

b) the Foreign Affairs Committee;

c) the Judiciary Committee;

d) the Pardon, Petition, and People's Motion Committee;

e) the Naturalization Committee.

f) ...

1. The standing committees consist of 7 members.

1a. However, the Finance and Business Audit Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee may have a maximum of 15 members. The Grand Council determines the exact number in a parliamentary regulation.

2. A member of the Grand Council cannot simultaneously belong to the Judicial Commission and the Clemency, Petitions, and People's Motions Commission, either as an ordinary member or as a substitute member.

3. The standing committees designate their President and Vice-President for half a legislative period; reelection is possible.

1. The Finance and Business Audit Commission has the following responsibilities

a) It examines the financial plan, the draft budgets, the annual accounts, and the requests for commitments' credits, which must be submitted to the Grand Council.

b) It gives opinions on the decrees that have a gross impact exceeding 1.5 million Swiss Francs.

c) It supervises management and examines the accountability report of authorities, institutions, and other bodies under the oversight of the Grand Council, excluding the judiciary.

d) It reviews the government program for the legislative period.

e) It reviews the reports of the financial control authorities and provides opinions where necessary.

f) It exercises other duties assigned by legislation, particularly those concerning the state's financial management.

2. The bodies of the Grand Council may request the opinion of the Finance and Business Audit Commission on other financial matters or on fundamental issues related to the management of the administration.

3. The Finance and Business Audit Commission submits a report on its activities to the Grand Council each year.

1. The Commission for Foreign Affairs comments on parliamentary motions and reviews draft decrees concerning an inter-cantonal or international treaty.

2. It exercises the competences of the Grand Council in the negotiation and implementation of an inter-cantonal or international treaty.

3. It also performs the tasks and takes the measures that fall within its competence based on superior law and special legislation.

1. The Judiciary Commission has the following powers

a) It examines the reports submitted by the Judicial Council to the Grand Council;

b) It prepares the judicial elections and the decisions concerning judges.

c) ...

d) ...

e) It examines petitions concerning the judicial sector after consulting the Judicial Council and, if necessary, the Council of State.

2. ...

3. Membership in the Judiciary Commission is incompatible with that in the Judicial Council. Anyone holding one of these offices and accepting election to the other must resign from the currently held office.

1. The Pardon, Petition, and Popular Motion Commission has the following competencies

a) It examines pardon requests.

b) It reviews petitions for which the Grand Council is responsible, with the exception of those concerning the judiciary (Art. 16 para. 1 letter e).

c) It examines popular motions that have come about and forwards them to the plenary of the Grand Council.

2. If the Commission is seized with a pardon request or a petition, it examines ex officio its jurisdiction.

3. If it considers another authority to be competent, it transfers without delay the case files to that authority and informs the person who submitted the request or the petitioners accordingly.

4. If the Commission is in doubt about its jurisdiction, it maintains an exchange of views with the authority it considers to be competent.

1. The Naturalization Commission reviews the draft decrees for granting cantonal citizenship; it conducts the necessary hearings.

1. Ad-hoc committees and specialist committees consist of a maximum of 11 members.

2. The authors of a declared significant motion or parliamentary initiative are ex officio members of the ad-hoc committee responsible for reviewing or drafting the proposal that responds to the initiative. If the authors belong to the same faction, they will inform the office who among them will become a member of the committee.

3. A member of an ad-hoc committee may be represented by a single member of the Grand Council for one or more meetings; this must be immediately communicated to the committee chairperson and the secretariat.

4. The ad-hoc committee is dissolved as soon as it has fulfilled its assigned task.

1. For a commission to validly convene, a majority of the members must be present.

2. Voting is conducted by a majority of the votes cast; abstentions are not counted. The provisions regarding urgency (Art. 174 para. 3) remain reserved.

3. The President may vote. In the event of a tie, he or she casts the deciding vote.

4. Upon the request of 3 members, a minority proposal shall be formulated.

5. The President shall answer questions from the office regarding the progress of work at any time.

6. Furthermore, the Great Council may regulate the organization of debates in commission meetings by ordinance.

1. In principle, commission members must be physically present at commission meetings.

2. However, a commission may decide, with the majority of its members, that one or more of its meetings may be held via videoconference.

1. The person who manages the commission's secretariat

a) takes minutes of each meeting;

b) prepares the commission's written requests to the Grand Council and assists, if necessary, in drafting the report.

2. The minutes of the commission meetings shall include the location, date, and duration of the meeting, the attendees, the documents distributed, the matters discussed, the motions voted upon, the decisions made, and the voting results.

3. They are generally approved at the following meeting or by circulation.

1. To facilitate the minute-taking of commission meetings, the person responsible for the secretariat may record the debates.

2. These recordings must not be retained beyond the approval of the respective minutes and must be destroyed by that time at the latest.

3. If the minutes are not approved, the recordings must be destroyed no later than the time of the Grand Council's decision on the relevant matter.

1. The President shall promptly notify the Secretariat that the commission has completed the preliminary examination of the matter, so that the examined matter can be placed on the provisional list of items for discussion in one of the subsequent sessions.

2. The commission shall submit its motions in writing, together with any minority motions and a recommendation regarding the category under which the matter should be handled. Additionally, it shall provide a list of all motions voted on during the deliberations, including the corresponding voting results.

1. The commission shall decide on the format of its report and shall designate the rapporteur for the presentation of its report before the Grand Council.

2. The minority within the commission may prepare its own report, either independently of the majority report or as part of it, and may designate a minority rapporteur.

3. An additional written report to the message shall be prepared if the estimated impacts of the draft under discussion are significantly altered by a majority or minority request.

1. Five or more members of the Grand Council who belong to the same political party or were elected on the same list of a voter group within the meaning of the legislation on the exercise of political rights shall form a parliamentary group by virtue of their office.

2. The remaining members of the Grand Council may form a parliamentary group on the condition that their number is at least five. They may also seek to join an existing parliamentary group.

3. A member of the Grand Council cannot belong to more than one parliamentary group.

4. Parliamentary groups are recognized by the Grand Council at the beginning of the legislative period for the entire legislative period, even if they eventually have fewer than five members. During the legislative period, a parliamentary group can decide to dissolve; however, a new parliamentary group cannot be formed, even after by-elections.

5. A member of the Grand Council who leaves a parliamentary group or is excluded from it must resign from all offices to which they were elected by the Grand Council or for which they were appointed by the bureau.

1. The factions are adequately represented in the bodies of the Grand Council.

2. They can propose candidacies for the appointment of commissions or for elections.

3. A spokesperson from each faction may speak during deliberations, even if there is only a limited debate.

4. Each faction receives an annual allowance to contribute to the coverage of its secretarial and operational expenses.

1. The Grand Council elects six vote counters and six deputies for the duration of the legislative period, who can represent them at the meetings of the Grand Council.

2. If necessary, the President designates the deputy who will step in.

3. The vote counters elect their President and Vice President for half a legislative period; re-election is possible.

1. In the elections, the vote counters prepare the election rounds and count the votes.

2. They count the votes when voting is conducted by remaining seated or standing up.

3. They assist the president with attendance control.

4. If necessary, the president requests the deputies to help the vote counters.

1. The functioning of the vote counters and the powers of their presidium are defined in a directive of the office.

1. The Secretariat is the staff agency of the Grand Council. It contributes to the proper functioning of the Grand Council's activities and provides logistical support for this purpose.

2. It advises the members of the Grand Council on procedural issues and supports them in their parliamentary duties.

3. It ensures, together with the State Chancellery, the relations between the Grand Council and the State Council.

4. It carries out the additional tasks assigned to it by the legislation.

**1. As the staff office of the Grand Council, the Secretariat fulfills the following tasks in particular:**

a) It collaborates with the President or the President in handling correspondence, ongoing business, and issuing convocations of the Grand Council and the office, and it safeguards the seals used to certify the documents of the Grand Council.

b) It ensures compliance with protocol.

c) It maintains the registers and documentation as well as the archives of the Grand Council.

d) It manages the premises.

e) It ensures that the minutes of the meetings are recorded and captured, and that the electronic voting system functions properly.

f) It keeps the session journal of the Grand Council and the minutes of its bodies' meetings, and it ensures the recording, publication, and distribution of the Official Bulletin of the Grand Council's sessions.

g) It ensures the distribution of documents to all members of the Grand Council and to the media.

h) It disburses compensations to the members and bodies of the Grand Council.

i) It organizes a brief introduction for new members of the Grand Council.

j) It supports the presidency, the office, and the commissions, providing them with advice on procedural matters.

k) It ensures the follow-up of the dossiers.

l) It supports the presidency in its representative duties.

1. The Secretariat maintains the following registers

a) the register with the names of the members of the Grand Council and its bodies as well as the persons elected, appointed, and delegated by the Grand Council, indicating in particular the date of election, appointment, or delegation and the term of office;

abis) the register of associations of interest;

b) the register of messages and drafts of laws and decrees, as well as reports;

c) the register of parliamentary motions, including their outcomes;

d) the register of correspondence;

e) the register of pardon requests;

f) the register of petitions;

g) the register of naturalizations.

1. The Secretary General is elected by the Grand Council, upon the recommendation of the Office, for an individual term of office of 5 years.

2. He or she directs the Secretariat and has the same powers over it as a Director over a Directorate.

3. He or she supports the President in leading the Office and the Grand Council.

4. He or she performs the other duties assigned to him or her under the legislation or that are delegated to him or her.

1. The Grand Council elects a Deputy Secretary-General for the duration of the legislative period. The office takes a position after consulting with the Secretary-General.

2. This person represents the Secretary-General.

1. The staff of the secretariat is subject to the legislation governing state personnel.

2. The secretariat serves as the appointing authority within the meaning of the legislation governing state personnel.

3. When necessary due to the separation of powers, the office issues orders and receives communications for which the State Council is responsible under the legislation governing state personnel.

4. Appeals can be made directly to the cantonal court against the following decisions

a) Decisions by the Secretary-General concerning personnel matters;

b) Decisions by the office that affect the Secretary-General.

1. The employment relationship of the Secretary-General is governed by a contract, which is limited to the term for which they have been elected. The President of the Grand Council signs the contract.

2. The employment relationship can be terminated by either party with six months' notice. Articles 38 et seq. of the Act of October 17, 2001, concerning State Personnel are applicable.

3. If the Secretary-General stands for re-election for a new term and is not re-elected, the employment relationship shall automatically end at the end of the current month, and they shall receive severance pay equivalent to six months' salary. Any income earned during this time from a salary paid or subsidized by the state will be deducted from the severance pay.

4. The provisions of the legislation regarding State Personnel about the annual assessment and management by objectives do not apply to the evaluation of the Secretary-General.

5. The periodic evaluation of the Secretary-General is conducted by the President of the Grand Council, the Vice-President, and the Second Vice-President. It takes place at the end of each year.

1. The rules applicable to administration management apply mutatis mutandis to the secretariat.

2. When necessary due to the separation of powers, the office exercises over the secretariat the powers for which, according to legislation, the State Council is responsible.

3. The secretariat submits an accountability report to the office for the past year and presents its goals and priorities for the upcoming year.

4. Budget management is governed in Articles 159 et seq.

1. The Secretariat may utilize the services of the administration, particularly the State Chancellery, to support the fulfillment of its duties.

2. For services that are regularly utilized, an agreement shall be concluded between the State Council and the office.

3. The remaining services shall be regulated by mutual agreement between the State Chancellery or the relevant directorate and the Secretariat if they exceed standard administrative assistance.

1. The Secretariat may, with the same rights as a directorate, request administrative assistance; it provides such assistance to the same extent.

2. It has the same rights and obligations as the members and bodies of the Grand Council vis-à-vis the administration when it has received the mandate to carry out a task on their behalf.

1. In the weeks following the general elections, the newly elected Grand Council convenes to validate the elections and appoint its bodies.

1. The oldest of the members deemed elected to the Grand Council and the presidents of all factions formed ex officio (Art. 25 Para. 1) or a person designated by their faction as a replacement constitute the provisional office.

2. The other factions (Art. 25 Para. 2) are represented in the provisional office as soon as they have registered their provisional formation with the Secretariat of the Grand Council.

1. Until the election of the President of the Grand Council and until the constitution of the office, the oldest person assumes the role of the President (Senior President), and the provisional office performs the necessary duties for the commencement of the constitutive session; the responsibilities of the Validation Commission remain reserved.

2. The provisional office has the following specific responsibilities

a) It prepares the recognition of the parliamentary groups.

b) It receives the candidacies from the parliamentary groups for the reconstitution of the organs of the Grand Council.

c) It prepares the agenda for the session of the constitutive session and summons the relevant persons.

d) It appoints eight individuals as vote counters for the constitutive session from among the members deemed elected.

**1. The vote counters designated by the provisional office form the validation commission under the chairmanship of the oldest member.**

2. The commission verifies whether the elections have proceeded properly and whether the individuals who are to be sworn in during the constituent session have been validly elected.

3. If the commission identifies a case of incompatibility or another reason to contest the election, it promptly hears the individual concerned and obtains the necessary information for the Grand Council to decide on the case.

4. The commission addresses its motions in the form of a brief written report to the members deemed elected to the Grand Council; it attaches to this report the State Council's message on the election results.

1. The Constituent Session comprises two meetings.

2. The agenda of the first meeting is as follows

a) Roll call;

b) Ceremonial opening of the session;

c) Validation of the election of the members of the Grand Council followed by the swearing-in;

d) Validation of the election of the members of the State Council and the prefects, swearing-in of the members of the State Council;

e) Election of the President of the State Council;

f) Recognition of the factions;

g) Election of the President of the Grand Council and the other members of the bureau;

h) Appointment of the Deputy Secretary-General.

3. The agenda of the second meeting is as follows

a) Procession and celebration in the cathedral;

b) ...

c) Election of the ordinary members and substitute members of the standing committees.

**1. The Provisional Grand Council, composed of individuals deemed elected according to the election records and whose mandates are not contested by the Validation Commission, validates the mandates of its members and decides on disputed cases.**

**2. Validation is carried out district by district. Individuals deemed elected in a district do not vote on the validation of elections in that district. Anyone whose mandate is not validated withdraws immediately.**

1. The Secretary General reads aloud the oath of office and the formal promise, as contained in the relevant legislation, in both official languages.

2. Upon the calling of their name, each person to be sworn in stands, raises their right hand, and declares in their language "I swear it" or "Je le jure," or "I promise it" or "Je le promets."

3. A person who is unable to attend the inaugural session shall be sworn in at the first meeting at which they are able to be present. If the person fails to appear as soon as they are able, the office sets a deadline; if the deadline expires without action, the person's resignation is assumed.

4. If necessary, the office swears in a person so that they may assume their duties without having to await the next session of the Grand Council.

1. Individuals elected to an office of the Grand Council shall assume their duties immediately.

2. However, the vote counters designated by the provisional bureau shall perform their function until the end of the inaugural session.

1. Members of the Grand Council assume their office immediately after being sworn in.

2. A member of the Grand Council may declare their resignation from the Grand Council at any time. They must communicate their resignation in writing to the President, specifying the date on which they will step down.

3. The Grand Council may declare a member as resigned upon the office's request if the member

a) refuses to take the oath or make the solemn promise;

b) no longer meets the eligibility requirements;

c) does not comply with the regulations on incompatibilities;

d) fails to conscientiously attend meetings despite a warning from the office.

4. The secretariat shall promptly notify the competent superior office so that it may arrange for the succession of the resigned member.

1. Within the limits of statutory and regulatory provisions, each member of the Grand Council has the following rights in particular

a) They may speak and make motions during the debates of the Grand Council and the commissions to which they belong.

b) They may participate in votes and elections.

c) They may submit parliamentary initiatives.

d) They receive attendance fees and travel allowances, as well as additional compensation for performing special duties if applicable.

e) They receive the documents and information necessary for parliamentary work.

f) They may join with other members of the Grand Council to form a parliamentary group.

2. They express themselves in the official language of their choice.

1. The freedom of expression of the members of the Grand Council in the exercise of their parliamentary duties is guaranteed within the framework of the Constitution and this law.

2. The limitations related to the organization of debates and the rules of procedure are reserved.

3. The Grand Council lifts immunity in the cases and according to the procedure set forth in Articles 172 and 173.

1. The exercise of the financial referendum right by a quarter of the members of the Grand Council (Art. 99 para. 3 KV) is governed by the Law on the Exercise of Political Rights.

1. Each member of the Grand Council receives the essential documents; these include at least

a) the Cantonal Constitution;

b) the legislation on the Grand Council;

c) the legislation on the exercise of political rights;

d) the parliamentary guide;

e) the legislation on political financing.

2. ...

3. Upon request, they receive free access to the online version of the Official Bulletin of the Canton of Fribourg.

4. They indicate to the secretariat in which official language they wish to receive the documents.

1. Members of the Grand Council may request the Secretariat to issue a certificate or identification document. This must be returned as soon as the corresponding function is no longer exercised.

1. Within the limits of the statutory and regulatory provisions, every member of the Grand Council has the following duties in particular

a) They must attend the sessions of the Grand Council and those of the bodies to which they belong, unless prevented by valid reasons.

b) They must disclose any special connections to private and public interests.

c) They must recuse themselves in situations prescribed by the legislation.

d) They must uphold the dignity of their office.

e) They must maintain official confidentiality.

1. A member who is wholly or partially unable to attend a session of the Grand Council or one of its committees, or who must leave during a session, shall promptly inform the President with a justification.

2. A member may be requested to remain if otherwise, the quorum would no longer be met, unless they have timely informed the President of their inability to attend.

3. If a member does not have a dispensation from the President or a justification recognized as sufficient by the office, they shall be noted as absent in the session journal or minutes.

4. If a member of the Grand Council is excused or absent, or their name does not appear on the list during a roll-call vote or quorum check, they shall receive neither attendance fees nor travel reimbursements.

5. If a member does not regularly attend the sessions, the office shall issue a warning; if necessary, the office shall ensure that they are replaced in the respective committee. If no improvement occurs, the office shall request the Grand Council to declare the member as resigned.

6. If necessary, all measures must be taken to avert the increased risk of personal right violations due to the processing of particularly sensitive personal data in accordance with data protection legislation.

1. The reporting procedure, the register, and the provision of information related to special connections of the members of the Great Council to private or public interests are regulated in the legislation concerning information and access to documents.

2. Furthermore, the members of the Great Council are obliged to disclose such a connection when speaking before the council and its bodies on a matter related to such an interest connection.

1. During the sessions of the Grand Council and its bodies, a member of the Grand Council shall refrain from participating in the discussion and voting if the matter under consideration privately affects the following persons in particular

a) the member of the Grand Council themselves;

b) the person to whom they are married or with whom they are in a registered partnership or cohabiting, or a person to whom they are related or connected by marriage in a direct line;

c) a natural person for whom they are the legal representative, guardian, or agent;

d) ...

2. This provision does not apply in the following cases

a) when examining parliamentary motions, drafts of laws or parliamentary decrees, as well as during deliberations and voting on the entire budget or the entire account;

b) during elections.

3 ...

4. The recusal rules do not apply if disclosing a mandate would violate professional secrecy.

1. If a person must recuse themselves, they shall inform the President of the Grand Council or the relevant commission immediately, stating the reason for recusal. They shall leave the room for the duration of the consideration of the matter in question, after the President has made the appropriate announcement.

2. The recusal shall be recorded in the session journal or the minutes.

3. If the recusal is disputed within a commission, the office shall make a final decision.

4. Disputes arising during the plenary session shall be brought to a vote with a motion for order.

1. If a member who was obliged to do so has not recused themselves, it does not result in the decision of the Grand Council being invalid.

2. If the Grand Council deems it possible that the outcome of a vote was distorted because a member wrongfully failed to recuse themselves, it may decide to hold a new vote, provided the session in which the final vote took place has not yet concluded.

1. The members, the bureau, the standing committees, and the specialized committees of the Grand Council may submit the following types of parliamentary motions

a) the motion;

b) the postulate;

c) the inquiry;

d) the assignment;

e) the parliamentary initiative;

f) the resolution;

g) the submission including the procedural motion.

2. Provisions concerning the minimum number of signatures required for certain parliamentary motions remain reserved.

3. The right of a committee, a committee minority, or members of the Grand Council to propose amendments during the examination of draft decrees and to make motions during the discussion of other matters remains reserved.

4. The provisions of special legislation regarding inter-cantonal law remain reserved.

1. Parliamentary motions are submitted in writing and must include a justification. The subject matter must be clearly defined and maintain the unity of the subject. They may be submitted to the Secretariat of the Grand Council at any time.

2. Motions, postulates, orders, and parliamentary initiatives are submitted to the State Council for an opinion. Subsequently, the Grand Council deliberates on whether to declare them significant. The authors are the first to speak in the discussion and may withdraw the motion entirely or partially by the end of their speech.

2a. If a parliamentary motion concerns the functioning of the Grand Council, the Secretariat drafts the Bureau's opinion according to its instructions. In this case, the State Council can also present its own opinion to the Grand Council.

3. Resolutions and petitions can be withdrawn as long as the discussion on them has not been concluded.

4. If a parliamentary motion is submitted by a single member of the Grand Council and the author is no longer a member of the Grand Council, the motion will be dismissed unless it is adopted by a co-signer by the end of the session following the resignation. The State Council can still respond to a query whose author is no longer a member of the Grand Council.

5. Upon the request of one of its members, a specialist committee, a standing committee, the Bureau, or the State Council, the Grand Council may dismiss a motion that has become obsolete or outdated.

1. A parliamentary initiative is signed by no more than two authors. If the initiative bears more than two signatures and no further details are provided, the first two signatures are considered those of the authors, while the rest are considered those of the co-signers.

2. When the legislation requires a minimum number of signatures, the authors sign first, and then additional signatures are collected until the minimum number is reached. If one of the authors resigns from the Grand Council or withdraws their signature, the parliamentary initiative will be dismissed unless it is assumed by a co-signer no later than the end of the following session.

3. Parliamentary initiatives are generally submitted in electronic form. If necessary, the Grand Council shall set forth exceptions in a regulation.

1. The members of the Grand Council shall be informed, and subsequently, in accordance with Article 97, the public and the media shall be informed of

a) the parliamentary motions and their justifications, following their referral to the Council of State;

b) the responses to parliamentary motions, once the authors have been informed.

2. The authors of the motions shall not approach the media themselves.

3. The parliamentary motions and the responses from the Council of State shall be published in the Official Gazette of the session that follows their referral; however, inquiries shall only be included in the Official Gazette together with their response.

1. The State Council may respond to multiple parliamentary initiatives with related content jointly.

2. However, in its response, it must clearly address each individual initiative.

1. If the Council of State agrees with the motion in a parliamentary initiative, it may directly comply with it.

2. In this case, it submits a report, a draft enactment, or a supplementary draft (Art. 66 para. 1) within the response period.

3. In the case of an assignment, it issues the regulations or takes the desired measures and reports on the actions taken in response to the assignment.

4. If the Council of State does not agree with a proposal, it may directly attach a counterproposal to the response (Art. 66 para. 2).

1. The bureau shall hear the authors of a parliamentary motion to which the Council of State has directly complied and then decide whether to waive the declaration of importance.

2. If the bureau waives the declaration of importance, it shall commission a committee to review the draft or counter-draft of the Council of State, or, where applicable, forward the report of the Council of State to the Grand Council.

1. The supplementary draft serves to propose a comprehensive enactment that meets the relevant requirements and integrates harmoniously into the existing legislation, but materially corresponds to the proposal.

2. A counterproposal takes the form of a fully developed enactment with applications that materially differ from the motion or the parliamentary initiative, without deviating from their subject matter.

1. Deviations provided for or decided upon in cases of urgency (Art. 174 and 175) remain reserved.

1. The State Council compiles the list of motions it has followed up on during the reporting year in the annual activity report.

1. The Motion is a request to the Grand Council to obligate the State Council to present it with a draft decree containing the following

a) legal provisions in the constitution, in a law, or in a parliamentary regulation;

b) accession to or termination of an inter-cantonal or international treaty;

c) resolutions that must be issued in the form of a decree;

d) the exercise of the right of initiative and referendum of the canton at the federal level.

1. The motion is submitted to the secretariat.

2. It is formulated as a general suggestion or as a drafted proposal in an official language of the author's choice, or in both official languages.

1. The motion shall be briefly substantiated; the justification must be submitted no later than the end of the session following the submission of the motion.

2. The secretariat registers the motion and immediately forwards it to the state chancery after justification to obtain the opinion of the state council.

3. If necessary, the secretariat forwards multiple received motions together; they must be forwarded no later than the end of the next session.

1. The State Council shall respond no later than five months after the motion is referred to the State Chancellery. Upon a well-founded request, the Bureau may extend this deadline; it shall hear the author of the motion.

2. In its response, the State Council shall propose the acceptance or rejection of the motion. It shall, if necessary, address the admissibility and provide a summary of the most important points that must be included in a message, particularly with regard to any potential financial and personnel implications of the motion.

1. If the motion was formulated as a detailed draft, the Council of State may also outline the main features of a counter-proposal or announce a supplementary draft (Art. 66).

2. The Council of State may request the division of the motion if it contains points that can be treated separately. In this case, it expressly comments on each point, as well as on the motion as a whole, in the event that the Grand Council does not accept the division.

1. The motion and the response from the Council of State shall be deliberated in a session of the Grand Council.

2. A motion may be divided if it contains points that can be addressed separately. It cannot be converted into another parliamentary motion; the conversion of an urgent motion into a parliamentary initiative (Art. 175 para. 4) is reserved.

3. If the Grand Council declares a motion significant, it shall refer it to the Council of State, so that it may give the appropriate follow-up.

1. The State Council must within one year give the appropriate follow-up to the motion declared significant.

2. Upon the request of the State Council, the Grand Council may set a longer deadline when declaring the motion significant.

3. If applicable, the State Council shall submit a counter-proposal or a complementary draft within the same period.

4. Upon a justified request, the bureau can extend the deadline.

1. If the Council of State has not complied with the motion by the end of the extended deadline pursuant to Article 75 paragraph 4, and cannot cite justifiable reasons for this

a) the office grants the Council of State a final deadline, or

b) it proposes that the motion be written off.

2. If the final deadline has passed, the office instructs a commission to propose to the Grand Council the means and ways to achieve the objective of the motion, or it proposes that the motion be written off.

1. The postulate is a request to the Grand Council to obligate the Council of State to examine a specific issue and to present a report on it, along with submitting any necessary proposals.

2. The procedure is similar to that of a motion.

3. The Grand Council acknowledges the report of the Council of State, except in cases pursuant to Article 151, paragraph 3.

1. The inquiry is a request for information from a Grand Councilor to the State Council regarding matters of administration.

1. ...

2. The State Council shall respond no later than 2 months after the submission of the request.

3. The provisions regarding the accelerated procedure (Art. 174 and 175) are not applicable.

1. Inquiries concerning court administration shall be referred by the Secretariat to the Judicial Council.

2. The Judicial Council shall respond no later than three months after the submission of the inquiry.

3. Articles 63 paragraph 1 and 68 shall apply mutatis mutandis.

1. The order is the request to the Grand Council to prompt the State Council to take measures in an area that falls under its jurisdiction.

2. The order is not permissible if it

a) questions the division of responsibilities or other provisions from the constitution or from a law, or

b) aims to influence an administrative decision that must be made within the framework of a legal procedure, or an appeal decision.

1. The procedure is similar to that of a motion; the following provisions remain reserved.

2. The application for an order is signed by at least ten members of the Grand Council.

3. The declaration of a substantial order against the opinion of the Council of State must be decided by a qualified majority (Art. 140), except in the case of non-compliance of provisions subject to veto (Art. 180 para. 1 let. a).

4. The Council of State shall, at the latest 12 months after the declaration of substantiality of the order, report on the action taken. Upon a reasoned request, the office may extend this deadline; it hears the authors of the order.

1. The Parliamentary Initiative is the motion to commission a body of the Grand Council to draft a legislative proposal that pertains to the same subject matter as a motion.

1. The procedure is similar to that of a motion; the following provisions are reserved.

2. When an initiative is declared substantial, the Grand Council may convert a parliamentary initiative into a motion or an order.

3. The declaration of a parliamentary initiative as substantial against the opinion of the State Council or the conversion into an order must be decided by a qualified majority (Art. 140), except in the case under Article 180 para. 2 (lack of consistency of provisions subject to veto).

1. A substantially declared parliamentary initiative is referred to a committee that is tasked with preparing a draft decree within the deadline set by the Grand Council; the deadline is usually one year. If the parliamentary initiative was submitted as a fully prepared draft, the committee, if necessary, prepares a supplementary draft.

2. The State Council is represented in the committee's work and can make proposals. After completion of the work, it submits its opinion and, if applicable, a counter-draft or a supplementary draft.

3. In the preparation of the committee's draft, the usual principles for legislative drafting, including the rules applicable to consultation procedures, are observed.

4. Together with the draft, an explanatory report is submitted; its content corresponds to that of a message from the State Council. The State Council's opinion on the committee's draft must be essentially reproduced or attached to the report.

1. The resolution is a motion to the Grand Council to express its opinion on an event in a non-binding statement.

2. If a resolution is submitted during a session, it shall be debated and declared significant no later than the end of the session.

3. If a resolution is submitted outside of a session, it shall be included in the notice for the next session or distributed at the beginning of the session; it shall be debated and declared significant no later than the end of this session.

1. The submission is a motion to the Grand Council to make a decision or take an action for which the Grand Council or one of its bodies is responsible, and for which the legislation does not prescribe any other form. It can, in particular, pertain to the course of the parliamentary procedure (procedural motion).

2. The President formulates their own procedural motions orally; these cannot concern a subject for which a specific number of signatures is required.

3. For the handling of a procedural motion, all other discussions are typically interrupted.

1. A popular motion that has been established in accordance with the legislation on exercising political rights is treated as a parliamentary motion; the following special provisions are reserved

a) The Secretariat forwards the State Council's response to the committee of the motion's authors no later than 8 days before the session during which the motion's declaration of relevance is expected to be discussed and provides the dates of this session.

a1) Upon receiving the State Council's response, the popular motion is examined by the Pardon, Petitions, and Popular Motions Commission before the plenary debates the declaration of relevance.

b) The provisions regarding urgency do not apply.

c) The movers of the motion do not express themselves before the plenary of the Grand Council and before the Pardon, Petitions, and Popular Motions Commission except upon their request.

1. An enactment takes the form of a law if it contains legislative provisions of the Grand Council or approves the accession to an inter-cantonal or international treaty that contains legislative provisions.

2. The Grand Council may issue legislative provisions of secondary importance in the form of a parliamentary ordinance if the law authorizes it to do so.

1. The following specifically take the form of a decree

a) Orders for which this form is provided in a law or in a parliamentary regulation;

b) Orders whose sole purpose is to execute a statutory directive, such as the adoption of the state budget or the state account;

c) Orders that establish obligations or rights in a specific case or regulate the situation of a particular person;

d) The approval of accession to or the termination of a non-legislative inter-cantonal or international treaty.

1. The Official Gazette of the Sessions of the Grand Council (Official Gazette) contains

a) the minutes of the deliberations and the results of the votes with the names of those voting;

b) the documents distributed to all members of the Grand Council and accessible to the public;

c) additional documents of general interest as decided by the office.

2. The documents related to the state budget and the state accounts are included in annexes. The annexes have the same format as the Official Gazette.

1. The Official Gazette is produced in electronic form; the provisions of the legislation on archiving are reserved. It is made available prior to the start of the next session, if possible.

2. It is publicly accessible and distributed on the Internet.

3. The office may decide on exceptions to internet distribution for privacy protection reasons.

1. If activities outside of the session or correspondence are of certain significance and greater interest, the President ensures the members and organs of the Grand Council are informed.

2. The members of the Grand Council may view the minutes and documents received or prepared by a committee or the office.

3. Information that falls under official secrecy cannot be inspected.

1. The Great Council and its bodies shall receive ex officio from other authorities the information necessary for the performance of their duties, particularly for the exercise of their supreme supervision.

2. They may request from the Council of State and the administration the necessary information for the exercise of parliamentary activities. To do this, they shall contact the relevant directorate or, with its consent, the competent administrative unit.

3. The transmission and access to information subject to official secrecy may be conditioned upon the implementation of measures to ensure compliance with official secrecy. Such measures may include granting access only to the president or certain members of the Great Council, presenting anonymized documents or summaries, or limiting the number of copies.

4. The president of the Great Council may at any time examine documents of the Council of State that pertain to the Great Council (Art. 98 para. 2 Constitution).

5. The right of the Council of State or the concerned directorate to prevent the subsequent lifting of official secrecy (Art. 103 para. 2) remains reserved.

1. The Secretariat ensures, if necessary, that documents from the Grand Council or its bodies, as well as parliamentary motions and their justifications, are translated into the other official language. However, the minutes of the deliberations and the committees are not translated, and the internal communications of the Grand Council are only translated if a member of the Grand Council requests it.

2. The cantonal authorities, administrative units, and institutions to which public tasks are delegated provide the documents intended for all members of the Grand Council in both official languages.

3. At the request of a permanent commission or the Secretariat, they also provide the translation of additional documents needed for the exercise of supervisory oversight.

1. Documents intended for the members of the Grand Council shall be provided to them in the form of electronic files if they are not freely accessible on the internet in a timely manner.

1. The Secretariat ensures the public's access to information about the activities of the Grand Council in accordance with the applicable legislation and this law; the responsibilities of the President are reserved.

2. It coordinates the information from the Grand Council with that from the Council of State and the cantonal administration.

3. It maintains good relations with the media and facilitates their work whenever possible.

4. Additional information about the work of a commission (Art. 99 para. 2) is reserved.

1. Reserved seats are available for media representatives to follow the proceedings.

2. They may make audio and visual recordings of the public proceedings, provided that the work of the Grand Council is not significantly disrupted in doing so.

3. Accredited media shall receive, ex officio, the documents intended for all members of the Grand Council, and their representatives may attend the confidential consultations; legal restrictions remain reserved.

1. The introduction of an accreditation system shall be governed by parliamentary ordinance as needed.

2. In the absence of such an ordinance, the secretariat shall recognize the accreditations at the State Council and apply the relevant provisions it has established by analogy.

3. In any case, the decisions of the secretariat may be appealed to the office within 30 days of notification of the decision. This office shall decide subject to the right of appeal to the cantonal court.

1. The documents sent to all members of the Grand Council are provided to accredited media; they are published without delay, particularly on the internet; Article 90 paragraph 3 applies mutatis mutandis.

2. Exempted are

a) Documents concerning pardon requests;

b) Documents related to a naturalization decree that are not published electronically;

c) Documents concerning a matter for which the office intends to request confidential deliberation; these are not published as long as the Grand Council has not decided on the confidential deliberation and its scope.

3. Otherwise, public access to the documents of the Grand Council is governed by the legislation on information and access to documents.

1. The sessions of the Grand Council are public. They are broadcast live over the Internet and may be transmitted through other media.

1a The recorded results of the votes are included in the live Internet broadcast of the debates; secret ballots and confidential deliberations remain reserved. The specifics, if necessary, are determined in a parliamentary regulation.

1b If a live Internet broadcast is not possible due to a technical problem, this does not lead to the interruption of the session and does not affect the validity of the deliberations and resolutions.

2. The confidential nature of deliberations, the use of the gallery by the public, and the maintenance of order and security are governed by Articles 119 et seq.

1. Commission meetings are generally not open to the public.

2. The President of the Commission or a designated person shall inform, if necessary, about the progress of the work and respond to media inquiries. If applicable, the minority rapporteur may also provide relevant information.

1. After the final vote of the Grand Council on the respective matter, after the expiration of the referendum deadline, or if applicable, after the popular vote, access to the commission minutes is to be granted upon request

a) for the application of the law;

b) for scientific purposes.

2. Approval of the document access requests under paragraph 1 is the responsibility of the office.

3. Anyone granted access to the documents must maintain the confidentiality of the documents. In particular, verbatim quotations from the minutes are not permitted, nor may it be disclosed how individual participants in the meeting expressed their views.

4. Access will be linked with conditions and requirements, such as the anonymization of personal data.

5. No appeal may be made against the refusal of approval for document access and the conditions and requirements attached to the approved document access.

1. Facts Subject to Official Secrecy

a) whose dissemination is restricted by legislation or a decision of the competent authority;

b) which could violate an overriding public or private interest or personal rights, or

c) which would interfere with ongoing proceedings.

2. The commissions and the office may decide that certain work or documents are confidential, particularly so they can carry out their duties without impediment.

3. When an authority has lifted the official secrecy to enable the Grand Council to exercise its competences, members of the Grand Council are bound to official secrecy regarding the information thus obtained.

1. Members of the Grand Council and other individuals who, in the course of their duties with or for the Grand Council, gain knowledge of facts subject to official secrecy are bound by official secrecy.

1. If it is not clearly evident from the circumstances that something else stands firm, the information processed in the office and in the commissions may be communicated to a commission, the office, or a parliamentary group if

a) the information is absolutely necessary for the review of a matter, and

b) the dissemination of the information does not significantly harm a public or private interest.

2. The information is provided in such a manner that the official secrecy is preserved as much as possible.

3. If there are doubts about the impact of this dissemination, a request must be made to lift the official secrecy.

4. The provisions of the preceding paragraphs apply mutatis mutandis to individuals representing the Council of State before the Grand Council or its bodies when they inform the Council of State about the matters being addressed.

1. Official secrecy is wholly or partially lifted if an overriding public or private interest necessitates the lifting.

2. If an authority has lifted official secrecy to allow the Grand Council to exercise its competencies, the authority has a veto right if the Grand Council later wishes to lift the official secrecy.

3. If the official secrecy concerns information from a third authority or an individual, they shall be consulted.

4. The office or the relevant commission, if still in office, shall decide in writing.

1. The Breach of Official Secrecy is Punishable under the Provisions of the Swiss Criminal Code; the Provisions on Immunity (Articles 172 and 173) Remain Reserved.

1. The Grand Council convenes for a regular session eight times a year as a general rule.

2. The office sets the session dates twenty months in advance, after consulting with the State Council.

3. Generally, the sessions do not last longer than a week, with a half-day meeting taking place daily from Tuesday to Friday.

4. The meetings are held in the morning, except for the first meeting of each session, which takes place in the afternoon.

1. The Grand Council shall be convened for extraordinary sessions

a) if the bureau deems it necessary;

b) upon the request of at least 22 members of the Grand Council;

c) at the request of the State Council.

1. Supplemental sessions are scheduled to complete the session program, forego the next session, or address an urgent matter.

2. These take place in the form of a session extended to a full day, an evening session, or an additional session.

3. No special invitation is sent; the secretariat and the presidents of the parliamentary groups inform the members of the Grand Council who were absent when the decision was made, if necessary.

1. The Grand Council shall suspend its deliberations or adjourn its sessions prematurely in cases provided for by legislation, or if decided as a result of a point of order. The authority of the President in the event of disturbances remains reserved.

2. If no special circumstances exist, the suspension shall not last longer than two working days.

3. During a suspension, no items shall be added to the agenda list without a decision of the Grand Council.

4. No special invitation shall be sent; the Secretariat and the Presidents of the parliamentary groups shall inform the members of the Grand Council who were absent when the decision was made, if necessary.

1. If it is justified due to extraordinary circumstances, the office can annul a session

a) on its own initiative;

b) upon the request of 22 members;

c) upon the request of the State Council.

2. If a session is annulled, the items that were to be addressed in this session shall be dealt with in the next session, unless they have become irrelevant in the meantime.

1. The special provisions concerning the constitutive session (Art. 39 et seq.) are reserved.

1. As a general rule, members of the Grand Council must be physically present at the sessions.

2. However, the Grand Council may allow remote participation in one or more regular sessions if

a) the Council of State has taken measures based on Article 117 of the Constitution;

b) the circumstances that led the Council of State to take these measures prevent a significant portion of the members of the Grand Council from attending the sessions physically.

3. Only those members of the Grand Council who, due to the aforementioned circumstances, are genuinely unable to attend the sessions physically and can provide proof of such inability, may be allowed to participate remotely in the sessions.

1. In the event of measures based on Article 117 of the Constitution that the Council of State implements, the bureau decides whether to request the Grand Council to permit remote participation.

2. If the bureau decides to request remote participation, it drafts a parliamentary ordinance outlining the modalities and conditions for remote participation. The draft is immediately submitted to the Grand Council for a vote.

3. The bureau decides on applications for remote participation by the members of the Grand Council in accordance with the parliamentary ordinance.

1. The parliamentary ordinance applies for the entire duration of the extraordinary situation as defined in Article 117 of the Constitution, as long as the possibility of remote participation remains justified due to the circumstances.

2. The office regularly assesses the situation and, if necessary, requests the Grand Council to repeal the parliamentary ordinance.

1. The Secretariat shall establish a procedure and a system to ensure the authentication of the relevant individuals, the security of the votes, and the confidentiality of the secret deliberations.

2. The procedure and the information system must be approved by the office in advance.

3. Members of the Grand Council who are entitled to participate remotely must take all appropriate measures to not compromise the security of the votes and the confidentiality of the secret deliberations.

1. Members of the Grand Council who participate remotely in the meeting are not counted towards the quorum.

2. Members participating remotely are not allowed to vote when voting is conducted by sitting and standing or by secret ballot.

3. Deliberations will not be interrupted and voting will not be repeated if a member participating remotely is unable to debate or cast their vote due to technical reasons.

1. The State Council informs the Great Council twice a year about the matters it expects to refer to it in the next half-year, for the first half-year in December and for the second half-year in June; it indicates the session during which it wishes the matter to be addressed.

2. 13 days before the opening of a session, the Secretariat prepares the provisional list of items for discussion based on the proposals, reports, and other communications from the committees, the State Council, and other authorities.

1. The office decides on the list of items for negotiation, the manner of their handling, and the schedule of the session. If the commission or the Council of State requests that a matter be treated under the accelerated procedure, this matter and the decision on the accelerated procedure will be prioritized in the session's schedule.

2. During the session, the list of items for negotiation can only be changed with a decision of the Grand Council upon a proposal by the president or a motion for order. However, the withdrawal of an item from negotiation is reserved.

3. The manner of handling a matter can be changed by a motion for order, which must be signed by at least five members of the Grand Council and submitted before the start of the introductory debate on the respective item. The change can only move in the direction of a freer debate.

1. Matters to be discussed shall be categorized into one of the following categories

a) open debate (Category I);

b) organized debate (Category II);

c) written procedure (Category III).

2. As a general rule, matters shall be addressed in open debate.

3. Unless otherwise specified, organized debate and written procedure are reserved for matters that have been previously reviewed by a committee or the bureau.

1. In the organized debate, only one speaker for each faction and the members of the Grand Council who submit motions to enter the debate may take the floor. However, amendments submitted by individual council members during the session are addressed in an open debate.

2. For matters handled through written procedure, no discussion is opened, and the committee reports in writing.

3. However, reporters and the person representing the government may request to speak on any matter.

1. The Grand Council shall be convened at least eight days in advance; urgent circumstances are reserved.

2. The invitation shall include

a) For each session, the indication of the day and time of commencement;

b) The list of agenda items and the category of treatment;

c) The timeline of the work schedule.

3. All documents related to the items that have not already been distributed shall be attached to the invitation.

1. The public proceedings shall be recorded and then fully transcribed for publication in the Official Gazette.

2. Occasional stylistic corrections are permitted during transcription; substantive changes are not allowed.

3. If there is a significant error, a correction can be requested. Generally, the correction is made in the form of a communication by the President at the next session. It must be approved by the office if it is to be published in the Official Gazette.

1. If the recording system fails, the session shall be interrupted or suspended.

2. The bureau may decide to continue the proceedings if the secretariat is enabled to draft a summary record.

3. The summary record must reflect the essential ideas expressed in the statements. Once it is finalized, it shall be submitted to the bureau for approval by circulation.

1. The audiovisual recordings of the sessions of the Grand Council shall be published in the form of indexed documents and shall be freely accessible.

2. The audiovisual recordings of the sessions of the Grand Council shall be regularly transferred to the state archive, which ensures their permanent preservation.

**1. The Secretariat maintains a journal of each session, in which the following elements are recorded directly or as an attachment:**

a) the name of the President;

b) the list of members present, absent, or excused at the commencement of the session and, where applicable, the members participating remotely;

c) the matters under discussion;

d) the motions of the committees;

e) the names of the speakers, and, where applicable, their motions and amendments;

f) the motions and amendments voted upon, the corresponding resolutions, and the results of the votes and ballots.

1. The office allocates the seats in the Grand Council Hall, taking into account, where possible, the preferences of the respective factions and individuals.

2. Members rise to speak from their seat and also vote from there.

1. A confidential deliberation occurs when the Grand Council discusses whether to deliberate confidentially on a matter, and when it considers petitions for clemency.

2. The Grand Council may also decide to hold a confidential deliberation in other cases when it concerns the protection of personal rights. This decision must be made with a qualified majority (Art. 140).

1. Only members of the Grand Council and the Council of State, the Secretariat staff, and the ushers shall remain in the hall. Accredited journalists may follow the confidential deliberations unless the Grand Council decides otherwise.

2. All present persons are obliged to maintain silence regarding the deliberations; the duty of confidentiality can only be lifted by the Grand Council. The Grand Council may particularly permit the media to report on these deliberations in a manner that does not violate the protection intended with the confidential deliberations.

3. No minutes of negotiations shall be taken for the confidential deliberations.

4. The ordinary session journal of the Grand Council shall only mention the final decision following the confidential deliberation in an appropriate form, and the Secretariat shall keep a separate journal on the confidential deliberation. The related documents shall be attached to this special journal and stored under seal.

1. A gallery is available to the public.

2. The public must remain silent and refrain from any expressions of approval or disapproval. Furthermore, they must follow the instructions of the president.

3. The president shall call to order any persons who contravene the preceding paragraph and, if necessary, have them removed from the gallery.

4. These provisions shall be posted at the entrance to the gallery.

1. If justified by the extent of the disruption or the threat, the President shall order that the gallery or other premises be evacuated and temporarily closed. As soon as such an order is issued, the session shall be suspended.

2. The President may request police assistance to ensure the proper conduct of the work of the Grand Council.

3. He or she may order that persons who disturb the work of the Grand Council or pose a threat to security be arrested and brought before the judicial authorities.

4. These provisions also apply to disturbances within the building where the Grand Council meets and its surroundings.

1. Once the President has determined that a quorum is present, she or he opens the session, announces her or his own communications and those of the bureau and briefly reviews the work agenda.

1. If the President is unsure whether the quorum is met, or upon a motion for order, they shall conduct an attendance check.

2. For this purpose, they print out the electronic list of attendees at the start of the session or conduct a fictitious vote.

3. If the electronic system is malfunctioning, they shall summon the vote counters or, if necessary, conduct a roll call.

4. If a majority of the Council members (56 members) are not present, the session shall be suspended by the President and closed if the quorum cannot soon be established.

1. Speeches shall not exceed five minutes. This provision does not apply to the President, the reporters, or the members of the Council of State.

2. A member of the Grand Council may not speak more than twice on the same motion. The member who has not yet spoken is given priority over the one who has already spoken.

3. Those addressing the assembly shall use the following salutation: "Madam President, ladies and gentlemen" or "Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen."

4. If addressing a fellow member of the Grand Council directly, the speaker shall use "Madam Colleague" or "Mr. Colleague," "Madam Grand Councilor" or "Mr. Grand Councilor." If addressing a member of the Council of State, the salutation shall be "Madam Councilor of State" or "Mr. Councilor of State."

1. The proceedings in the plenary are simultaneously translated.

2. Only the speech in the original language is disseminated, recorded, and included in the minutes of the proceedings.

1. The President calls to order the members of the Grand Council who do not adhere to the rules of proceedings, violate its dignity, or disturb it in other ways.

2. If necessary, he or she may withdraw their right to speak; as a last resort, they are temporarily expelled from the Grand Council chamber.

3. In the event of serious disruptions in the Grand Council, the President suspends the session.

4. After consulting the office if possible, he or she may terminate the session or adjourn the session.

1. By means of an amendment request, it can be requested that

a) an article or a paragraph of the draft legislation under discussion be amended or repealed in its entirety;

b) a new article or paragraph be inserted into this draft;

c) an amendment proposed by a committee or a member of the Grand Council be amended;

d) the title or the preamble of the draft legislation under discussion be amended.

2. An amendment request is not admissible if it exceeds the scope of the draft under discussion.

1. The amendment proposal is formulated in writing and is generally transmitted electronically to the President before it is substantiated.

2. It must be drafted in full and marked with the corresponding article and paragraph number. The article or paragraph is reproduced in its entirety.

3. The author reads it at the beginning of their speech during the deliberation, and the text of the amendment proposal is distributed in the chamber or provided as a copy to the members of the Grand Council as well as to the media.

1. An amendment submitted during the session will only be translated in writing upon request.

1. Motions that are not explicitly opposed shall be tacitly accepted. This applies also when the author of a draft, counter-draft, or amendment aligns themselves with a single amendment or with the text adopted in a previous reading.

2. Paragraph 1 does not apply to the final vote (Art. 146) or when a qualified majority is required (Art. 140 and 141).

1. Before the vote, the President provides, if necessary, a brief overview of the motions present and indicates the order in which they will be voted upon. In cases of dispute, the Grand Council decides immediately.

1. The amendment proposals that are mutually incompatible are put to the vote first; in this process, two proposals are always compared to each other. One can only vote for one of the two amendment proposals put to the vote.

2. The text of the draft submitted to the Grand Council is lastly compared to the amendment proposal that has prevailed over all others.

3. If the Council of State agrees to a new amendment proposal, this proposal is compared to the amendment proposal that has prevailed over all others.

1. Voting shall be conducted electronically. If the electronic system fails, voting shall proceed by roll-call.

2. During secret deliberations, voting shall be conducted by remaining seated or standing without a roll-call, unless otherwise requested by a procedural motion. Secret voting with ballots shall remain reserved.

3. Secret voting shall only be conducted in cases expressly provided for in the legislation concerning the Grand Council.

4. The roll-call results of votes in the Grand Council shall be published on the Internet in an appropriate manner; secret votes shall remain reserved. Details shall be determined, if necessary, by a parliamentary regulation.

1. Voting may be carried out with "Yes," "No," or "Abstention."

2. The electronic voting system counts and records the votes cast. How each member of the Grand Council voted is displayed on the screens along with the overall voting result (Yes, No, Abstention).

3. The President verbally confirms the overall voting result.

1. If voting is conducted by remaining seated or standing up, the vote counters tally the votes, unless the majority is obvious. In all cases, the countervailing majority is determined.

2. If there are doubts or if a corresponding procedural motion is submitted, the president shall call for a roll-call vote. Only the overall result of the vote shall be recorded.

1. In the case of a secret ballot, the provisions regarding the conduct of an election (Art. 156 ff.) shall apply mutatis mutandis.

1. The results of the electronic voting shall be officially recorded.

2. The Secretariat shall retain all data until the end of the next legislative term.

1. Decisions are made by a simple majority.

2. In the event of a tie, the President has the casting vote, even if he or she has already voted.

1. The qualified majority as per the legislation concerning the Grand Council means the majority of the members of the Grand Council (56 members).

2. A decision for which a qualified majority is required is always voted on separately.

1. A qualified majority is required for

a) the declaration of a mandate or a parliamentary initiative as significant against the opinion of the State Council (Art. 80 para. 3 and 82 para. 3);

b) the decision to conduct a secret consultation (Art. 119 para. 2);

c) a clause that exempts an urgent decree from a prior referendum (Art. 150 para. 1);

d) the lifting of immunity (Art. 173 para. 4);

e) an expedited procedure (Art. 174 para. 3);

2. Furthermore, a qualified majority is required for the approval of

a) one-time gross expenses that exceed 1/8% of the total expenditures of the most recent state account approved by the Great Council, as well as recurring gross expenses that exceed 1/40% of the same state account;

b) reductions in revenues of the state and municipalities that, within the first 5 years of the law or decree's application, exceed 1/8% of the total expenditures of the most recent state account approved by the Great Council.

3. The cases provided for in special legislation remain reserved.

**1. During the Entry Debate, the floor is taken to justify motions for entry, non-entry, or referral back. Questions of admissibility and other preliminary questions are to be resolved during this debate.**

**2. The motion to refer back the entire draft or a part thereof must be formulated in such a way that it allows the Council of State or the Commission to clearly understand the reason for referral and the expected outcome.**

**3. The following individuals are granted the floor:**

a) the reporter of the Commission;

b) the person representing the government;

c) the spokespersons of the parliamentary groups;

d) the members of the Grand Council who have submitted a non-entry or referral back motion;

e) in the event of a vote under letters c and d, again the person representing the government; this individual shall announce at this time whether the government agrees with the motion of a member of the Grand Council;

f) the reporter of the Commission in the case of a vote under the aforementioned letters.

**4. If entry has been decided, this decision is final; no further motions for referral back or withdrawal of the draft as a whole can be made. However, during detailed deliberation, the Grand Council may, at any time, refer a title, chapter, section, or article back to the Commission or the Council of State for re-examination and a new proposal.**

1. If entry into detail has been decided, the draft proceeds to detailed consultation, which generally occurs article by article; paragraph-wise reading of certain articles can be decided by the President or requested by the rapporteur, by the person representing the government, or by a motion of order. Upon request by the President, the draft or a part thereof may also be reviewed chapter by chapter or section by section.

2. The consultation is initiated by the rapporteur of the commission and by the person representing the government. Subsequently, the consultation proceeds according to the chosen method of treatment.

3. At the conclusion of the discussion, the person representing the government and then the rapporteur briefly respond to the comments. A member of the Grand Council may only take the floor to correct a personal matter or a factual inaccuracy.

4. After the completion of the article-by-article consultation, the President commences the discussion about the title, preamble, and any possible considerations under the same modalities.

1. If the motions of the Commission and the Council of State coincide and the Commission is in agreement, the rapporteur shall refrain from commenting on these motions. However, the person representing the government may request to speak.

2. In other cases, the rapporteur shall briefly justify the motions of the Commission. They shall also present the motions of the minority, if the minority has not designated a person for this purpose.

3. Rapporteurs have the right to express their personal opinion. If they represent their own opinion, they must state that they are not speaking on behalf of the Commission or the Commission minority.

1. The decrees that are published may be submitted to a redaction commission before the final vote.

2. The redaction commission is comprised of the rapporteur or the reporter of the commission that has handled the matter, the person representing the government, and two or three members of the relevant commission; both official languages are represented. It secures the cooperation of the relevant administrative bodies.

3. It cannot, under any circumstances, alter the content of the decisions made.

1. The Grand Council votes on the entire draft as it has emerged from the detailed discussions and includes any corrections made by the Editorial Committee.

2. The enactment bears the date of the final vote.

1. The Secretariat revises the text approved by the Grand Council and forwards it to the competent authority for publication in accordance with the relevant legislation.

1. For enactments that are subject to a mandatory or optional referendum, a second reading is conducted.

2. In the second reading, the enactment is examined chapter by chapter or section by section. Any member may request that a discussion be opened on one or more articles.

3. If discrepancies arise concerning an article between the first and second readings, the Grand Council decides in a third reading whether to accept the outcome of the first or second reading. New motions are inadmissible.

4. The President calls upon the articles that were amended in previous readings and explains the purpose of these amendments. Before proceeding to the vote, he or she asks the individuals who submitted amendment proposals whether they wish to maintain them.

1. The readings of a draft for constitutional provisions must necessarily take place in different sessions.

2. ...

3. For provisions other than constitutional amendments, a procedural motion can be filed to request a time interval between the readings.

1. The decrees of the Grand Council contain a closing clause explicitly stating whether they are subject to a referendum or not, and if so, what type of referendum.

1. The decision to declare an ordinance as urgent (Art. 92 KV) must be made with a qualified majority (Art. 140).

2. This decision is mentioned in a separate article.

3. The validity period of an urgent law is limited according to the constitution and the law on the exercise of political rights.

4. If necessary, the provisions on the expedited procedure (Art. 174 and 175) also apply.

1. The handling of a matter that is not a bill is generally limited to discussion, possibly also on entering into debate, and voting. If necessary, Articles 142 et seq. shall apply mutatis mutandis.

2. The Grand Council takes note of the reports submitted to it without voting, unless approval is required by a statutory provision.

3. However, the motions of a report shall be put to the vote if they call for the drafting of a decree by the Grand Council.

1. Elections carried out by the Great Council shall be conducted with the absolute majority of valid ballots.

2. They shall be conducted by secret ballot, either through list voting or individual voting.

**1. The following individuals shall be elected by single ballot:**

a) the President of the Grand Council;

b) the two Vice Presidents of the Grand Council;

c) the President of the Council of State;

d) the President of the Cantonal Court;

e) ...

f) the judges as referred to in Article 4, paragraph 1 of the Judiciary Act of May 31, 2010[13];

g) the Secretary General of the Grand Council;

h) the members of the Judicial Council.

**2.** The first two rounds of elections are open, except in cases of elections based on nomination.

**3.** In the subsequent rounds of voting, only individuals who received votes in the second round can be elected. In each round of voting, the individual with the fewest votes is eliminated. The names of the individuals who remain eligible will be read by the President before each round of voting.

**4.** Before each round of voting, the President shall offer the factions the opportunity to briefly express themselves through a spokesperson.

**5.** The individual is elected if they achieve an absolute majority in the first or second round of voting.

1. The members of the standing committees, the other committees, and the persons not mentioned in Article 153 paragraph 1 are elected in list elections.

2. The candidates who achieve an absolute majority in the first or second ballot are elected.

3. From the candidates who receive the most votes in the second ballot, twice as many as the number of seats to be filled can participate in the next ballot; the eliminated candidacies will not be considered for further ballots. The names of the persons who are still eligible will be read aloud by the President before each ballot.

4. Then a new ballot is conducted, and this process continues until all elections are completed with an absolute majority.

5. After each ballot, the President provides all factions the opportunity to briefly express their views through a spokesperson.

6. If more candidates achieve an absolute majority in a ballot than there are seats to be filled, the persons with the most votes are elected according to the number of seats available.

7. Paragraphs 1-6 also apply when only one seat is to be filled.

1. If eligibility for election depends on the proposal of an authority or a specific body and the number of proposals corresponds to the number of persons to be elected, the Grand Council may decide to suspend the election and request additional proposals.

1. The tellers distribute a ballot to each member present. They have the number of distributed ballots recorded in the session journal.

2. The President participates in the election; if multiple candidates receive the same number of votes, the President shall draw lots.

3. In a list election, each person may write down as many names as there are positions to be filled. Duplicated lists may be used.

4. Each member personally places their ballot into the ballot box.

1. The following are not considered

a) illegible or ambiguous ballots;

b) ballots containing annotations differing from the candidate's designation;

c) votes cast in favor of a person who is not eligible for election.

d) ...

2. If a list ballot contains more names than the number of persons to be elected, the names at the bottom shall be struck out by the vote counters.

1. The election shall be annulled if it is established that a significant error was made, particularly if more ballots were received than were distributed. The Grand Council shall decide on this matter.

2. If an election is annulled, a new election shall be conducted immediately.

3. An election can no longer be annulled once the elected person has been sworn in or the session has been closed.

1. The rules of budget management applicable to the administration apply mutatis mutandis to the Grand Council and its Secretariat.

2. If necessary due to the separation of powers, the Office exercises the powers over the Secretariat that, according to the legislation, are vested in the State Council, unless the decision falls within the competence of the Grand Council itself.

1. The Grand Council has financial resources for its own needs, which are recorded in the budget estimate.

2. The cost centers of the Grand Council and the Secretariat form a chapter of the state’s budget estimate and the state accounts.

3. The Secretariat prepares the drafts for the budget estimate and the accounts of the Grand Council. It submits these drafts to the office; subsequently, the Council of State gives its opinion on these drafts for the Finance and Audit Committee.

4. The Secretary General answers questions before the Finance and Audit Committee and in plenary concerning the draft budget estimate and the accounts of the Grand Council and the Secretariat, as well as the Secretariat's accountability report.

1. The office may grant compensation to third parties for services rendered to the Grand Council or one of its bodies. Before the relevant committee may engage the paid assistance of a third party, it must obtain the consent of the office.

2. If an hourly wage payment is justified, the office shall apply a rate corresponding to that of the state's committees. If it wishes to deviate from this rate, it must obtain the opinion of the directorate responsible for the state's financial budget.

1. Members of the Grand Council shall receive an annual flat-rate expense allowance.

2. Members shall also receive a per diem allowance and, where applicable, a travel compensation for attending meetings of the Grand Council, the Bureau, and the Committees.

3. They are entitled to a per diem allowance for one caucus meeting per session and for additional caucus meetings that are recognized by the Bureau.

4. The Bureau may approve the entire compensation or a part thereof for further official duties.

5. The flat-rate compensation for members who do not belong to a caucus (Art. 169 para. 2) is paid in addition to these compensations.

1. A special annual lump-sum compensation is granted to the President of the Grand Council.

1. An additional compensation shall be granted for

a) the presidency of the Grand Council, per meeting and per official service;

b) chairing a committee meeting;

c) presenting a report of a commission or the office;

d) performing the duties of a vote counter.

1. If a committee meeting lasts more than three hours, an additional fee is granted for each additional half hour started.

2. Compensation for presenting a committee report is reduced or not granted if the presentation is simple or if the duration of consideration of the business is not due to the complexity of the business. A minority report is compensated only upon request and if the necessary work effort significantly exceeds the usual effort required to substantiate an amendment proposal.

3. Upon a justified request and if warranted by extraordinary circumstances, the Secretariat may pay the President or the Reporter of a committee the equivalent of up to four session fees.

4. Otherwise, the office decides whether compensation is paid, reduced, or not granted, if deemed appropriate.

1. Travel Compensation consists of the following

a) a basic compensation per day;

b) a mileage allowance;

c) a travel time compensation.

2. The mileage allowance and the travel time compensation are calculated for the distance from the residence of the person concerned to the location of the meeting or official service and back.

1. These compensations are paid out periodically.

1. Upon request, the office may grant certain members of the Grand Council special compensations for special services.

2. If a payment by hourly wage is justified, the office shall apply a rate corresponding to that of the state's commissions.

1. The compensation provided to each parliamentary group pursuant to Article 26(4) includes a basic amount and an amount per group member.

2. Non-affiliated members of the Grand Council receive an annual lump sum for their preparatory work; this amount corresponds to that which is provided to a group for an enrolled member.

1. The amount of ordinary compensations is specified in an appendix to this law.

2. The office may adjust the amount of compensations to the cost of living if the national consumer price index has risen by 5 points since the determination or since the last adjustment of these amounts.

1. The Secretariat prepares the accounts based on the attendance lists, the confirmations of the commissions, and, in special cases, the accounts submitted by the beneficiaries.

2. The accounts for the commission meetings are reviewed by the chairperson of the commission.

3. The office evaluates and resolves unforeseen cases. It makes final decisions on disputes.

1. The immunity of a member of the Grand Council and the Council of State (Art. 89 Constitution) can only be lifted if this member

a) abuses their office to commit a crime, or

b) seriously breaches official secrecy or is complicit in such a breach.

1. The request for the lifting of immunity can be submitted by the person enjoying immunity, by at least five members, or by a body of the Great Council, by the Council of State, or by the judicial authority that would be competent if the immunity were lifted.

2. The request is referred to a committee; the committee renders a written report after hearing the person concerned and gathering the information it deems necessary.

3. The Council of State is immediately informed by the Great Council when a request concerning a member of the Council of State is submitted. After completing the committee's work, it receives the report for information purposes.

4. Following the deliberation based on the committee's report, the Great Council votes by secret ballot. A qualified majority is required for the decision to lift immunity (Art. 140).

1. The Grand Council and its bodies may deviate from the procedure in accordance with this law, if it is necessary for reasons of urgency.

2. The request for an expedited procedure must specify the planned deviations.

3. The decision to apply the expedited procedure must be made with a qualified majority of the Grand Council (Art. 140) or by the majority of the members of the respective body.

1. If a parliamentary motion, for which the urgent procedure is requested, is submitted during a session, it shall be justified orally or in writing in the same meeting.

2. If the Council of State is given an especially short response deadline, the response does not have to meet all regular requirements.

3. When declaring it considerable, the Grand Council confirms or revokes the urgency and determines the consequences for further processing. A simple majority is sufficient for this decision.

4. The Grand Council may convert a motion declared urgent into a parliamentary initiative if this can expedite the procedure.

1. The provisions concerning the urgent declaration of a decree (Art. 150) remain reserved.

1. If the Grand Council delegates legislative powers in an enactment and wishes to monitor their application, it shall insert a veto clause.

2. Implementing regulations issued by the Council of State pursuant to its constitutional competencies are not subject to veto.

3. The clause is inserted in the provision granting the delegation, or in a final provision of the enactment. In this case, it expressly states which legislative powers are subject to veto upon execution.

1. The authority that has been granted legislative competence shall submit ex officio to the Grand Council the provisions it has enacted that are subject to veto.

2. It shall act in a timely manner so that the Grand Council can review the provisions before their scheduled entry into force.

1. The commission, which examined or requested the enactment with the veto clause, reviews within a short period whether the enacted provisions are in accordance with the delegation.

2. It returns any non-compliant provisions with a brief justification to the authority that has received the legislative competence and sets a deadline for submitting compliant provisions.

3. If the provisions are in accordance with the delegation, the commission may confirm the compliance to the authority that has received the legislative competence; it communicates this to the Great Council.

4. If the authority that has received the legislative competence disputes, within the set deadline, that the provisions it has enacted do not comply with the delegation, or fails to submit compliant provisions, the commission refers the matter to the Great Council.

1. To correct the lack of consistency in the delegated provisions, the Grand Council may

a) assign a mandate to the authority that has received the legislative competence, by a simple majority of the voters;

b) issue the delegated provisions itself through a parliamentary ordinance.

2. The Grand Council may also decide, by a simple majority, to revoke the delegation norm and establish the appropriate provisions itself. The draft ordinance shall be prepared as if it were following a parliamentary initiative (Art. 83).

1. Subsequent Amendments to Delegated Provisions Are Not Subject to Veto.

1. The request for an investigation takes the form of a submission by at least five members or a standing committee of the Grand Council.

2. The Secretariat shall immediately inform the State Council thereof.

3. The establishment of the investigation committee and its mandate are decided by a simple decree.

4. The establishment of the investigation committee does not hinder the progress of other legally prescribed procedures, unless the work of the committee would be thereby impeded or rendered impossible.

**1. The investigation committee determines the procedural and personnel measures necessary for the investigation.**

**2. The investigation committee may, in particular, question informants, hear witnesses, and request information and documents from authorities, members of authorities, administrative units, state employees, and private individuals, as well as commission expert reports and conduct site inspections.**

**3. The provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act regarding the ascertainment of facts, the taking of evidence, recusals, and provisional measures apply mutatis mutandis, unless this Act contains more detailed provisions. Additionally, Articles 292 and 309 of the Swiss Criminal Code apply.**

**4. Before a person is heard, it must be determined whether they will be questioned as an informant, witness, or expert. If the investigation is exclusively or primarily directed against a specific person, that person may only be heard as an informant.**

**5. Members of the investigation committee and all other individuals involved in the investigation are subject to official secrecy.**

1. Witnesses have the right to refuse to testify. They must be informed of this right.

2. Persons whose interests are directly affected by the investigation may be represented by counsel; additionally, they have the right to participate in the hearings and to ask supplementary questions. They can also review the files, expert reports, reports, and minutes of the hearings.

3. The commission may restrict or deny the right to participate in the hearings and to review the documents for persons whose interests are directly affected by the investigation if it is in the interest of the ongoing investigation. In such cases, the commission may rely on the relevant evidence only if the essential content has been communicated to the affected parties and they have been given the opportunity to comment on it and to present other evidence.

4. Upon completion of the investigations and before reporting to the Grand Council, individuals against whom allegations are made have the right to also comment on the final conclusions concerning them before the investigation commission. The essential points of their response must be included in the report.

1. Employees of the state are obliged to provide truthful information regarding findings related to their duties, which they made in the exercise of their office or in the fulfillment of their service obligations. They must also identify the documents that could be the subject of the investigation.

2. They are released from official secrecy concerning the facts related to the investigation.

1. The Council of State and its members possess the rights according to Article 184, paragraph 2. They may be represented by deputies.

2. The Council of State and its members have the right to comment on the results of the investigation before the commission and in a report to the Grand Council.

3. Article 185 applies accordingly to the provision of information by the members of the Council of State to the investigation commission.

1. If the investigation pertains to the administration of the courts, the Judicial Council has the right to express its opinion on the results of the investigation before the commission and in a report to the Grand Council.

1. Any person affected by a measure, decision, or the report of the investigation committee may file a complaint with the cantonal court to establish a violation of organizational or procedural rules or the inaccurate or incomplete determination of the relevant facts.

2. The complaint does not have a suspensive effect.

3. The complaint period is 10 days from the date the measure was taken or the decision was communicated. It is 30 days for a complaint against the report of the investigation committee.

4. The provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act concerning the complaint brief, the instruction of the complaint, and party compensation apply mutatis mutandis.

5. Upon request of the complaining party, the judgment of the cantonal court must be made public, in whole or in part, in a session of the Grand Council.

1. The carbon footprint of the Great Council shall be assessed at least once per legislative period.

2. The Cantonal Parliament aims to achieve carbon neutrality.

1. According to the constitution, the Council of State is under the supervision of the Grand Council and is accountable to it.

2. The Council of State has its own right of initiative and prepares draft decrees for the Grand Council, except when this follows a parliamentary initiative.

1. The Council of State shall have the following rights in particular

a) It may request the extraordinary convening of the Grand Council.

b) It may submit bill drafts or reports to the Grand Council and, if necessary, withdraw its proposals.

c) It may comment on motions, postulates, orders, and parliamentary initiatives before they are declared substantial.

d) It may formulate a counter-proposal or a supplementary draft and comment when a decree has been developed directly by the Grand Council.

e) It may participate in the sessions of the Grand Council and its committees.

f) It may take part in deliberations and specifically express its views on proposals and amendments, propose amendments to the proposals of Grand Council members, and request that a proposal be referred back to the committee.

g) It may express its views on the establishment of an investigative committee and the conclusions of the investigation.

h) It may approach the Grand Council in a jurisdictional conflict with the judicial authority.

2. Members of the Council of State shall enjoy immunity for their statements before the Grand Council or its bodies (Art. 89 KC). Immunity may be revoked in cases and according to the procedures outlined in Articles 172 and 173 of this Act.

1. In general, the government is represented by the head of the directorate responsible for the matter in question or, for matters of the state chancellery, by the chancellor. However, the council of state may decide to be represented by another of its members.

1a. With the consent of the chairperson of the commission, the person representing the government may be represented at commission meetings by the secretary-general of the relevant directorate or another member of the senior management.

2. The person representing the government may be accompanied at commission meetings by the staff responsible for the technical support of the draft.

3. Furthermore, the participation of the chancellor in the meetings of the office (Article 5, paragraph 5) remains reserved.

1. The Council of State has in particular the following duties

a) It prepares the drafts and messages as well as other reports and documents which are prescribed by legislation or required by the Grand Council in accordance with this law.

b) It submits the responses to the parliamentary motions addressed to it within the deadline.

c) It issues the regulations and takes the measures necessary for the execution of a mandate or a law.

d) It presents to the Grand Council the regulations adopted based on a delegation norm with a veto clause.

e) It regularly informs the Grand Council about the planning and status of the work it has been commissioned to undertake.

f) It provides the information prescribed by law or requested by the President of the Grand Council.

g) It delegates one of its members to attend the meetings of the Grand Council or its committees or is represented in cases provided by law.

h) It submits to the Grand Council the measures for the prevention of serious and imminent danger for approval if these measures are to last more than one year.

2. Insofar as it is necessary for the efficient functioning of the council, the Grand Council may establish the forms and deadlines to be observed by regulation of parliament.

1. The Financial and Business Audit Commission is directly related to the department responsible for financial administration.

2. It may seek the information necessary for the fulfillment of its duties from the responsible bodies of independent institutions, central administration, the Fribourg Cantonal Bank, and other bodies to which public tasks have been delegated; it informs the relevant directorate head in advance.

3. It requests the State Council to respond to its remarks and questions either orally or in writing. The State Council forwards its responses to the Financial and Business Audit Commission in a timely manner so that the commission can present its report to the Grand Council.

4. In the case of a significant matter, the Financial and Business Audit Commission may decide that its remarks and proposals, as well as the responses from the State Council, should be distributed in writing to the members of the Grand Council.

1. The proposal that the State Council submits to the Great Council, either upon its request or on its own initiative, shall take the form of a draft decree, a counter-draft, or an additional draft; an explanatory message shall be submitted along with it. The proposal may also take the form of a report.

2. The right of the State Council to submit amendments during the deliberation of a draft in the Great Council remains reserved (Art. 190 para. 1 let. f).

1. The person representing the government speaks immediately after the rapporteur of the commission and has a similar right to speak.

1. The State Council may withdraw its proposals at any time, particularly to align itself with a proposal from the Commission or a member of the Grand Council.

2. However, a complete withdrawal of a draft submitted by the State Council is no longer possible once the decision to consider has been made.

3. Exceptionally, the State Council may submit an amendment to its own draft along with an additional message. If the original draft is currently under consideration by the Grand Council, a special debate on the decision to consider will take place for the amended draft.

1. The message contains the justification of the proposal and, in particular, provides information on

a) the origin of the proposal;

b) the necessity of the draft;

c) the preliminary work and key aspects of the draft;

d) the financial and personnel implications;

e) the impact of the draft on the division of responsibilities between the canton and the municipalities;

ebis) the effects on sustainable development;

f) the constitutionality, compliance with federal law, and the compatibility with European law of the draft;

g) the submission to either the legislative or financial referendum and, if applicable, the proposal that the enactment should be exempt from the ordinary referendum due to urgency;

h) if necessary, the reasons for the expedited procedure, any possibly required qualified majority, or the approval by the federal government.

2. Any additional requirements that must be considered in the case of inter-cantonal law remain reserved.

**1. The preparation, submission, and enactment of drafts for the state budget and the state account, as well as the development and updating of the financial plan, are regulated by the legislation concerning the state's financial household.**

**2. Immediately after the issuance of the annual decree approving the state account, the State Council publishes the relevant amounts for financial referendums (Art. 45 and 46 KV) and for the qualified majority in financial matters (Art. 141 para. 2) in an ordinance.**

**3. The State Council presents a summary table of the financial and personnel consequences of the decisions of the Grand Council once a year.**

1. The Grand Council exercises oversight over the judicial authority and the public prosecution as well as over the Judicial Council.

2. The Judicial Council submits a report to the Grand Council each year on its activities as well as those of the judicial authority and the public prosecution. It also submits a report if the situation demands it or at the request of the Grand Council.

3. The President of the Judicial Council is present during the consideration of the reports of the Judicial Council by the Judicial Commission and by the plenary session of the Grand Council. He or she answers any questions posed.

1. Within one year after the amendment of October 13, 2022, of this law comes into effect

a) The Grand Council shall issue a parliamentary ordinance establishing the number of members of the Finance and Business Audit Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee, and if necessary, reconstitute the two committees;

b) The Grand Council shall establish the Pardon, Petitions, and People's Motions Committee;

c) The Grand Council shall elect the deputy members for the permanent committees.

1. Ordinary commissions established prior to the amendment dated 13.10.2022 shall remain subject to the old law until their dissolution.

2. The old law also applies to permanent commissions concerning their designation, duties, and the appointment of their members, as long as the Grand Council has not taken the actions pursuant to Article 200a, paragraph 1, letters a and b.

3. The amendment dated 13.10.2022 of this law applies from the time it comes into force to ongoing legislative procedures and the handling of pending parliamentary motions. However, the office or the Grand Council may conclude certain matters under the old law if special circumstances justify it.

1. The following are repealed

a) the Law of May 15, 1979, on the Regulation of the Grand Council (SGF 121.1);

b) the Decree of June 22, 2001, on the Compensation of Members and Factions of the Grand Council (SGF 121.2).

1. The Act of April 6, 2001 on the Exercise of Political Rights (PRG; SGF 115.1) is amended as follows

...

1. The Law of June 22, 2001, on the Financial Contribution of the State to Election Campaign Costs (BWKG; SGF 115.6) is amended as follows

...

1. The Law of October 16, 2001, on the Organization of the Council of State and Administration (SVOG; SGF 122.0.1) is amended as follows

...

1. The Act of October 16, 2001, on the Publication of Decrees (VEG; SGF 124.1) is amended as follows

...

1. The Law of November 25, 1994, on the State Financial Budget (FHG; SGF 610.1) is amended as follows

...

1. The Subsidies Act of November 17, 1999 (SubG; SGF 616.1) is amended as follows

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1. The Law of November 26, 1975, on Hydraulic Engineering (SGF 743.0.1) is amended as follows

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1. The Grand Council may further regulate the details of its organization and operation by means of a parliamentary ordinance.

2. Furthermore, it adopts measures via parliamentary ordinance that are appropriate and necessary to ensure the protection of processed data, the confidentiality of non-public sessions, and information security. In this context, it particularly ensures the following

a) the authentication of the individuals involved in the event of remote participation or the use of electronic forms;

b) the security of voting.

1. This Act shall enter into force on January 1, 2007.

2. The transitional law (Art. 199) is reserved.