Youth Legislature First Year Program

Participants in this program write, debate and pass bills in the same manner as in the main House and Senate. Requirements for bills and rules of procedure are the same as the regular chambers,

History
The First Year Program was started in 1998 with a unicameral First Year House. The program was adapted from a model used by the Minnesota YMCA Youth in Government program.

Structure
The program is designed to expand or shrink as needed to accommodate changing numbers of participants. Seats will be allocated to delegations just as are regular House and Senate seats.

At its largest, the First Year program can consist of a 100 member House and a 50 member Senate, just the same as the "main" House and Senate. Depending on enrollment estimates, both chambers may be smaller, or there may only be one chamber.

The program has a less formal atmosphere that allows people to"learn the ropes." Extra orientation, a procedures workshop, and practice sessions are held prior to actual committee hearings and bill debate. The presiding officer guides participants through the process with the help of volunteers on the floor who serve as mentors and helpers.

Duties of First Year Legislators
All voting participants are required to write or co-write a bill, same as other Legislators, using the same bill writing guidelines.

Participants use the same Joint Rules as the other chambers, but in an atmosphere that understands that people are new to the process, coaching and guiding participants through procedure.

During the Pages' Senate, members of the First Year program serve as pages for the regular House and Senate committees. (The Pages' Senate is a separate activity, described in the Pages' sectionl.)

Participation
The First Year program is especially designed for the following people:

1. Freshmen who are not already pages, reporters or lobbyists.
2. Sophomores who are attending the program for the first time. (They could also choose to be attorneys, reporters or lobbyists instead)
3. Optional for Sophomores who have already been in the program in a previous year.
4. Optional for Juniors and Seniors who are attending the program for the first time or who were shut out of the regular House and Senate due to the allocation formula. (Juniors and Seniors may also choose to be reporters, attorneys or lobbyists instead)

Leadership
The presiding officer(s) and Committee Chairs approach people's mistakes and confusion over proper procedure with a supportive and mentoring approach.

When a bicameral First Year Program exists, presiding officers for both chambers will be appointed, or if possible, elected. Then, the Lieutenant Governor then serves as the "Governor" of the First Year Program and will be the person to sign or veto legislation emerging from those bodies. When there is only one chamber, the Lieutenant Governor will serve as the presiding officer of that chamber and bills passed will go directly to the Youth Governor for signature or veto.

The first year program will have Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs appointed from participants who apply, in the same manner as regular House and Senate Chairs. These Committee Chairs serve as members of the First Year Program