NOTEWORTHY WITH MRS. NEVITT

SPEECH & DEBATE

CHAPTER 8 - BILLS & RESOLUTIONS

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(FORMAT FOR WRITING ARTICLES) 

Title of the Bill

Usually a bill is introduced by a formal statement that states that it has been debated in Student Congress.

Article I: State the new policy to be adopted in a sentence.

Article II: Define any terms or phrases that are key to the bill.

Article III: Tell the date on which the new law would go into effect.

Article IV:  Name the government agency which will be responsible for putting the new law into effect.

Article V:  Include any punishment for breaking this law.

Article VI:  Explain how funding will be provided to put the new bill into effect.

Article VII: State that all other laws that are presently in effect that are in conflict with this new law would then be null and void, that is, no longer in effect.

Respectfully Submitted by

Senator or Representative [Your Last Name]

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Speech Format:

• First 1-2 minutes will be spent reading the bill exactly as written

• Second 2 minutes will be spent explaining the bill through the authorship speech format. There will be a 30 second grace period (students may be over or under by 30 seconds without incurring a penalty):

• INTRODUCTION: Use the introduction to grab the attention of the audience. Begin with an anecdote, fact, or statistic that you recall from your research. End your introduction by stating whether you think the chamber should vote for or against the legislation before it.

• CONTENTIONS: These are specific arguments for or against the bill ore resolution. Again, use your research to support your contentions. These are separated into CLAIMS and REASONS. CLAIMS are your own opinions (i.e., for the example above: “Requiring a drug test will result in fewer unsafe drivers on the road.”) REASONS are facts that back up these claims (i.e., “This is true because 20% of all traffic accidents occur as a result of drivers using drugs before operating a motor vehicle. If we can stop these drivers from renewing their licenses, we can remove these dangers from the roads.”)

• CONCLUSION: Restate your contentions and, if possible, return to the fact or anecdote that you began with. At the end of your conclusion, open the floor for cross-examination. Think “babies and Benjamins”—why should your audience care, and how much will it cost?

Example Speech:

[Introduction] Ms. Blanco is an 8th grade teacher in at Franklin Academy, Cooper City. One day, as she was driving to work, she was struck by another vehicle on the road. Although Ms. Blanco was unhurt, her vehicle suffered considerable damage. After a police investigation, it          was found that the driver of the other vehicle was under the influence of drugs. By passing this legislation today, we can help ensure that roads are safer, since the people who endanger the lives of others by driving under the influences of drugs will be unable to renew their licenses. In order to make our roads safer, I urge everyone to vote in favor of passing this legislation.

 [Contentions]: Requiring a drug test will result in fewer unsafe drivers on the road  (CLAIM). This is true because 20% of all traffic accidents occur as a result of drivers using  drugs before operating a motor vehicle. If we can stop these drivers from renewing      their licenses, we can remove these dangers from the roads (REASON).

You would continue your contentions paragraph in this way to address all the major points of your bill. There should be 3-6 major contentions.

 [Conclusion]: By passing this legislation, we can help ensure that drivers like Ms. Blanco will feel safe on the roads again. This legislation will be passed at a minimal cost to citizens, since the cost of including the drug tests will be including in the fees already paid to renew licenses. It will help create a safer environment for drivers everywhere.

** Your introductions and conclusions should be better planned and include more fleshed out examples. This is intended as a brief model for you to use as you write your own speeches.