I am proposing to reinstate the Rules Committee, with a little bit of a change from the past. This is the full proposal. This will be put to a league wide vote, which will require at least 15 votes (majority + 1 as we have 28 current GMs).
This will replace the entirety of the Committees section of the rulebook (I'll clean up the formatting):
Section A: Preamble
It is generally accepted that in order for a league such as Franchise GM to be successful, it must have active members who are willing to help set policy and direction. In Franchise GM, the Commissioner(s) shall be assisted by three such participatory bodies: The Executive Committee, The Rules Committee, and the Trade Committee.
Section B: The Executive Committee
Item B I: Purpose of the Executive Committee
1. Members shall help conduct the day to day business as needed for the good of the league. In some cases, there could be more than one league member assigned to a particular duty.
2. Members shall propose, approve and enforce the rules of the league
3. Members shall review and approve of trade proposals
Item B 2: Composition of the Executive Committee
1. Members of the Executive Committee shall be appointed by the Commissioner to assist in the operation of the league.
2. There shall always be an odd number of Executive Committee members--with a minimum of at least seven members.
3. The members of the Executive Committee shall be as follows:
a. Commissioner
b. Co-Commissioner or Assistant Commissioner
c. Spreadsheet Manager
d. Fantrax Manager
e. Pitching Limits Monitor
f. Draft Moderator
g. Additional Committee Members to total at least seven
4. An Executive Committee member may be replaced if there is a continued measure of inactivity, acts of inappropriate behavior, or if there is a resignation.
Section C Rule Change Protocol
Item C I: Executive Committee Procedure
1. Any member of the Executive committee could propose a rule change. The rules committee could also take up a referendum that has been proposed.
2. A proposal shall be on the floor, before the rules committee, for discussion for a period of seven (7) days, unless otherwise determined at the beginning of the discussion, by the rules committee.
3. A proposal, with any amendments evolving out of the discussion period, shall be brought to a vote after the prescribed discussion period;
4. The voting time frame shall be for a period of seven (7) days;
5. A quorum exists if 51% of the Executive Committee is present and the vote shall be a simple majority;
6. Any rule changes shall be subject to a two year implementation period and the ramifications of the rule change will be monitored for possible reconsideration at the end of the two year period;
7. The implementation of a particular rule change will be on a case by case basis, with most taking effect at the conclusion of the current season. However, the Executive Committee, in conjunction with the Commissioner, shall reserve the right to implement a rule immediately if it is in the best interests of the league.
8. A particular topic may be brought to a vote once per season whether proposed by the rules committee or by referendum.
a. An exception to this rule can be made, if a GM wishes to propose a referendum on a denied rules change.
Item C II: General Referendum Procedure
1. Any GM in the league may propose a general referendum to be considered by the entire league.
2. At least eight (8) members of the league must co-sponsor the referendum.
3. If a referendum receives 8 co-sponsors, the referendum would be presented for vote to the entire league.
4. The referendum must receive a simple majority of all current GMs to pass.
5. Referendums to the entire league would have a period of fourteen (14) days to be approved. If a majority approval is not granted within the 14 day period, the referendum is denied.
6. At any time during the referendum process, the rules committee could elect to consider and implement a referendum. In this case, a vote to deny the rule proposal by the executive committee would not prevent the referendum from moving forward.
7. A particular topic may be brought to a vote once per season whether proposed by the rules committee or by referendum.
a. An exception to this rule can be made, if a GM wishes to propose a referendum on a denied rules change.
Section D Trade Approval/Veto Process
2.) There will be a 48 hour window for each trade. The 48 hours will begin once each participating GM has posted a rationale for the trade.
3.) All Trades must go through the 48 hour time period, regardless of when they are approved.
A.) During the off-season, at the end of the 48 hour period, the trade will be processed as soon possible by league moderators;
B.) During the season, at the end of the 48 hour time period, the trade will be processed by the league moderators at 12:01 am EST of the next available day. Example: Trade is posted on Monday and the 48 hour period ends on Wednesday, the trade is then processed at 12:01 am EST on Thursday.
4.) Each trade must receive 5 approvals.
5.) If a trade receives two vetoes prior to receiving the 5 required approvals, the trade is invalid. A veto must be accompanied by an explanation.
6.) If the 48 hour time period passes, the trade will be ruled valid if it receives at least two approvals. This will be viewed as a process of a simple majority (2 approvals vs. 1 veto), since two vetoes would automatically stop a trade.
