New Model Polices from Annual Meeting
American City County Exchange
Prohibition on Paid Union Activity (Release Time) by Public Employees Ordinance
This ordinance prohibits “release time”—the practice of paying a public employee apublic salary for time spent in union recruiting and representation activities.In some cases, public employees have become full-time union activists, drawinga full-time public salary and enjoying publicly paid benefits such as healthinsurance and pension earnings while doing so. While public employees shouldnot be prohibited from freely associating outside of their employment duties,including hiring individuals to help represent their interests, this should occurat public employee, not taxpayer, expense.
Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development
Occupational Licensing Review Act (formerly part of Occupational Board Reform Model Act)
A bill establishing the state policy for the regulation of occupations, specifying criteria for government regulation to increase opportunities, promote competition, encourage innovation, protect consumers, comply with federal and state antitrust laws; creating a process to review criminal history to reduce offenders’ disqualifications from state recognition; establishing canons of statutory interpretation.
A bill for an act relating to occupational regulation; adding provisions for occupational licenses or government certification by recognition for qualified applicants from other states.
Congress has sole authority to solve the cannabis banking issue by enacting legislation that provides protections for depository institutions that offer financial services to cannabis related legitimate businesses and service providers for such businesses. Congress should enact common sense federal laws that respect state law and promote public safety without compromising federal enforcement of anti-money laundering laws against criminal enterprises.
The Collateral Consequences Reduction Act (Dual Referral with Criminal Justice)
This bill allows an ex-offender the right to petition a licensing board for review of their criminal record at any time for a determination of whether the individual’s criminal record will prevent them from obtaining a license. It also outlines the circumstances for which a licensing board can deny an ex-offender from obtaining a license.
Criminal Justice
ALEC Model Resolution on Improving Community Supervision Policies and Practices
ALEC recognizes the importance of effective community supervision policies that advance public safety and provide accountability while restricting freedom to the least extent necessary for these purposes. By adopting proven policies and practices that are backed by evidence and data, jurisdictions can maximize the opportunity for supervision systems to be a gateway to success rather than a pathway to prison, while also achieving important outcomes such as reducing recidivism, increasing employment, preserving families, ensuring victims’ needs are met, and reducing costs to taxpayers.
Model Policy on Probation Period Limits
This policy puts a cap on the amount of time a defendant convicted of a crime can be sentenced to a period of probation.
Resolution in Support of Public Defense
The right to counsel is a central principle embodied in the Bill of Rights. This resolution encourages states to ensure that all individuals accused of crimes are properly represented by counsel.
This bill allows an ex-offender the right to petition a licensing board for review of their criminal record at any time for a determination of whether the individual’s criminal record will prevent them from obtaining a license. It also outlines the circumstances for which a licensing board can deny an ex-offender from obtaining a license.
Stopping and Preventing FGM Act (Dual Referral with Federalism and International Relations)
This policy criminalizes the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM). FGM is any procedure involving the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs. The World Health Organization reports that FGM does not have any health benefits and causes serious physical and psychological health problems.
Education and Workforce Development
Student Scholarship Conflict of Interest Act
To amend law relating to student scholarship organizations, so as to prohibit certain entities from being student scholarship organizations; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
The Competency Based Education Act
The Competency Based Education Act relates to the enrollment of eligible students in grades 9 through 12 in a competency-based high school completion program operated by a public or charter school authorized under state law. Eligibility of those students for ESSA, IDEA and state funding and benefits, reporting requirements, dropout status, and academic accountability and performance.
An eligible student may enroll in a competency-based educational program for purposes of earning credit toward high school completion and may be awarded a high school diploma by the school upon successfully earning those credits and requirements.
The Student Safety Scholarships Act
The Student Safety Scholarship Program is established to provide the parent of a public school student who was subjected to an incident listed in subsection (3) an opportunity to transfer the student to another public school or to request a scholarship for the student to enroll in and attend an eligible private school.
A resolution in support of the Education Freedom Scholarship that will establish a federal tax credit to support state-designed and controlled educational choice programs.
Energy, Environment and Agriculture
Model Policy on the Legalization of Hemp and CBD Oil
The model policy would legalize the agricultural production and sale of hemp as well as Cannabidiol oil, commonly known as CBD oil. This policy does not legalize marijuana. The policy sets a 0.3 limit for tetrahydrocannabinol in hemp and a 0.0 limit for CBD for both products to be sold legally.
Federalism and International Relations
Stopping and Preventing FGM Act (Dual Referral with Criminal Justice)
This policy criminalizes the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM). FGM is any procedure involving the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs. The World Health Organization reports that FGM does not have any health benefits and causes serious physical and psychological health problems.
Taiwan is one of the United States’ most important economic and strategic partners in East Asia, and the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) which was adopted in 1979 underpins that strong relationship. This model policy celebrates the 40th anniversary of the TRA underscoring the considerable benefits and successes of the Taiwan-US relationship over the past forty years and declaring April 10 as Taiwan Relations Act Day. This model policy also reaffirms America’s commitment to the Taiwan Relations ACT and the Six Assurances and calls for increased efforts toward bilateral economic relations and international support.
Health and Human Services
Family Stability Act
This legislation would enable parents to take custody of their children in a way that is consistent with the interests of the child. It will define the level of preference for where the Department will leave the child in the custody of least restrictive way possible.
This legislation would enable dependent children taken into custody to be reunited with their relatives or those with an ongoing commitment to the dependent children. The Department will conduct a comprehensive search for anyone who is entitled or willing to care for dependent children until their relatives are found.
Tax and Fiscal Policy
Statement of Principles on Truth in Property Taxation
Property taxes should not expand simply as a result of inflationary increases in property values. The proper function of taxation is to raise money for core functions of government, not to close budget gaps created by overspending. If a taxing entity desires more revenue from its property base, taxpayers should be given public notice and legislators should be required to hold public hearings and votes to ensure accountability and fiscal stewardship. Utah’s Truth in Taxation law provides an excellent example of this.
A resolution in support of the Education Freedom Scholarship that will establish a federal tax credit to support state-designed and controlled educational choice programs.