Fiscal Regulation Act of 2026

An Act to regulate time-limited public funding, automatic reversion of unexpended money, and statutory fiscal notices; establish parliamentary financial inspection, investigations, hearings, testimony, and production of evidence; establish the Statutes at Large of the Totemian Empire, the hierarchy and codification of parliamentary enactments, and delegated clerical correction; provide for a unified national judiciary and the concurrent enforcement of applicable Imperial, subnational, and local law; and amend the Constitution and Titles 1, 2, 3, and 5 of the Civil Code of the Totemian Empire.

Purpose and Scope

Chapter 1 - Citation and Commencement

This Act may be cited as the Fiscal Regulation Act of 2026.

This Act shall come into force immediately upon receiving Imperial Assent.

Chapter 2 - Public Finance Amendments

Section 1. Title 5 of the Civil Code of the Totemian Empire is amended by adding Chapter 9 immediately after Chapter 8 and before Chapter 10, where Chapter 10 has been enacted, or otherwise immediately before Title 6, to read:

Chapter 9 - Public Fund Administration, Transparency, and Reversion

Article 1: Digital Public-Fund Records and Reversion

Section 1: Digital Public-Fund Records

The Totemian Empire's official digital services shall maintain linked fiscal and banking records for public funds, including their lawful purpose, money allocated and disbursed, outstanding obligations, expiration conditions, and authorized reversion destinations. The records shall use the authoritative balances and completed transaction records of IBTE's centralized banking and account system without creating duplicate financial balances.

The Ministry of Finance (MOF) shall determine the lawful fiscal purpose, allocation, and authorized use of Treasury money. The Treasury Operations Administration (TOA) shall maintain the corresponding fiscal instructions and obligation records. The centralized banking and account system operated by the Imperial Bank of the Totemian Empire (IBTE) shall execute and record lawful transactions automatically when the recorded authority, available balance, and applicable conditions have been verified. Banking administration shall not change the lawful ownership of money.

Section 2: Required Fund Record

When a public fund is created or first funded, its responsible administrator shall record through the official digital services, where applicable:

(a) the name or identifier of the fund;

(b) the Act, appropriation, order, or other lawful authority establishing or funding it;

(d) the source from which money was transferred;

(e) the amount initially transferred or allocated;

(f) any expiration date or other lawful expiration condition; and

(g) the lawful reversion destination.

MOF may require additional fiscal fields. IBTE shall determine the banking, security, and transaction fields required within its system.

Section 3: Treasury Reversion Fund

The Treasury Reversion Fund is hereby established within His Imperial Majesty’s Treasury.

It shall receive unexpended money reverting from a time-limited public program or grant fund where no other destination is expressly provided by law.

The Treasury Reversion Fund shall be maintained as a distinct Treasury fund or fund classification within IBTE's centralized banking and account system, without creating a duplicate balance.

Reverted money shall not be treated as newly collected revenue.

Section 4: Automatic Reversion of Time-Limited Funding

Automatic reversion shall apply to money allocated to a dedicated public program or grant fund where an Act of Parliament, Imperial Order, or other lawful funding authority expressly establishes an expiration date or condition. The funding record shall state that condition and the lawful reversion destination. The responsible administrator shall ensure that lawful obligations and grant restrictions are recorded through the official digital services.

When the recorded expiration condition occurs, IBTE's centralized banking and account system shall, using the authoritative financial and obligation records:

(a) block new commitments and payments except those satisfying lawful obligations incurred before expiration;

(b) determine the unexpended and unobligated SL balance from the reconciled fiscal and banking records;

(d) record the originating fund, destination, amount, date and time, and legal authority for the transfer.

A reversion under this Section is authorized by law and requires no separate case-by-case approval, transfer order, or further appropriation once the applicable conditions have been verified.

If automatic reversion is unavailable, TOA may submit a manual reversion instruction to IBTE. IBTE shall process the lawful instruction under this Section and preserve the transaction record.

Section 5: Specific Statutory Destination

Any reversion destination expressly specified by law shall control and be recorded for the fund.

If no reversion destination is specified by law, the unexpended and unobligated SL balance of the expired program or grant fund shall revert to the Treasury Reversion Fund.

Section 6: No Implied Expiration

A Ministry General Fund, Reserve Fund, standing Payroll Fund, or other continuing public fund shall not expire or become subject to reversion merely because money remains unused or a calendar or fiscal period ends.

Automatic reversion under this Chapter requires an express expiration date or condition applicable to the specified program or grant funding. An ordinary continuing appropriation shall not be treated as an expiring program solely because it appears in a periodic budget.

Section 7: Existing Obligations and Final Closure

Money lawfully obligated before expiration shall not revert while the obligation remains outstanding.

IBTE shall reserve that amount for the existing obligation. The fund shall incur no new obligation after expiration.

When an obligation is resolved, IBTE shall automatically transfer any remaining amount reserved for it to the lawful reversion destination.

After all reversions and obligations are resolved, the responsible administrator and IBTE shall close, disable, or archive the fund in their respective systems. The fund shall not incur new expenditure or receive new funding unless lawfully reauthorized.

Article 2: Statutory Fiscal Notices

Section 1: Notice Types

A Fiscal Implementation Notice (FIN) or Fiscal Reversion Notice (FRN) is a public financial record under this Chapter, referred to as a Statutory Fiscal Notice.

A Statutory Fiscal Notice records implementation; it is not a Policy Order and grants no spending, appropriation, or transfer authority.

Section 2: Fiscal Implementation Notice

MOF shall publish a Fiscal Implementation Notice after implementing an appropriation or other lawful funding authority.

A FIN shall not be issued until all required funds and fund classifications have been established or identified, IBTE has completed the required initial transfers, and TOA has reconciled the fiscal records with IBTE's account and transaction records.

A FIN shall state:

(a) the legal authority being implemented;

(b) every fund or fund classification created, used, or funded;

(d) the source and amount of each transfer or allocation;

(e) the total amount authorized for implementation;

(f) the total amount actually transferred or allocated;

(g) any lawful reallocation or movement made as part of implementation; and

(h) the date on which implementation and reconciliation were completed.

Section 3: Later Movements

Where a later lawful movement materially changes the allocations reported in a FIN, MOF shall publish a Supplemental Fiscal Implementation Notice after IBTE has completed the movement and TOA has reconciled the records.

The supplemental notice shall identify the affected funds, the authority for the movement, the amount moved, and the resulting balances or allocations.

Section 4: Fiscal Reversion Notice

After the centralized banking and account system confirms completion of a reversion from an expired program or grant fund, MOF shall publish a Fiscal Reversion Notice (FRN) linked to the completed transaction.

The FRN shall state:

(a) each fund that expired;

(b) the amount reverted from each fund;

(d) the destination that received the money;

(e) any amount temporarily retained for a lawful pre-expiration obligation;

(f) the total amount reverted; and

(g) the balance of the Treasury Reversion Fund after the reported reversions, where that Fund is the destination.

If an amount retained for an outstanding obligation later reverts, a supplemental FRN shall be published after that reversion is completed.

Section 5: Public Publication

MOF shall publish each Statutory Fiscal Notice through the Totemian Empire's official digital services, using the linked financial records and the applicable public access controls.

Publication constitutes notice to Parliament and the public; separate delivery to either House is unnecessary.

Section 6: Fiscal and Banking Procedures

MOF shall issue a Policy Order governing fund records, obligation records, reconciliation, FIN and FRN templates, publication, timestamps, and corrections to notices.

IBTE shall establish the required banking rules and system controls under Title 2, Chapter 20, Article 10, using the automated transaction, audit, and verification functions required by the Digital Monetary and Fiscal Accuracy Standard where that Standard is in force.

An instrument under this Section shall not alter an appropriation, statutory expiration condition, reversion destination, or ownership of public money, or create new spending authority.

Article 3: Parliamentary Financial Information

Section 1: Right to Request Financial Information

A Member of Parliament may request current information concerning public funds from MOF, IBTE, or the State Organ responsible for those funds.

A request may cover one fund, all funds administered by a State Organ, or all public-fund balances the recipient is lawfully authorized and technically able to view.

Section 2: Form of Request

The Member shall identify their parliamentary office, invoke parliamentary authority, and specify the information requested.

No prescribed wording is required.

Section 3: Persons Required to Answer

A Minister or Deputy Minister, or the Governor or Deputy Governor of IBTE, shall answer a valid request concerning public funds within that organ's lawful access.

Personnel of MOF, TOA, IBTE, and other State Organs shall answer a valid request to the extent of their lawful access to the requested public-fund information.

A person need not provide information beyond their lawful or technical access, but shall not falsely claim lack of access to evade a request.

Section 4: Knowing Refusal

A person who receives and understands a valid request, can lawfully and technically obtain the information, and knowingly refuses without lawful excuse is liable to a fine of 1,000 SL.

Nonresponse, uncertainty about the request, or inability to respond does not by itself establish knowing refusal.

Direct notification followed by continued activity in a public Government communication channel may be evidence of knowing refusal, but does not alone establish liability.

Chapter 3 - Parliamentary Inspection and Hearings

Section 2. Title 2, Chapter 3, of the Civil Code of the Totemian Empire is amended by inserting Articles 5 and 6 immediately after Article 4 and before Chapter 4, to read:

Article 5: Parliamentary and Chancellery Read-Only Digital Inspection

Section 1: Entitlement to Inspection

Every serving Member of Parliament, the Chancellor, and the Vice Chancellor is entitled to read-only access to every State Organ's official digital administrative systems to inspect public administration, funds, system status, controls, and audit information.

Section 2: Read-Only Restrictions

Read-only access may permit viewing, searching, filtering, copying, and exporting information. It shall not permit changes to records, balances, funds, permissions, or settings, or the execution, reversal, or approval of administrative or financial actions.

Section 3: Technical Access

Systems shall enforce access through an office-appropriate read-only role where technically possible. If direct access cannot safely be provided, the State Organ shall provide an equivalent inspection or audit interface.

Section 4: Credentials and Classified Material

This Article does not require disclosure of credentials enabling system control or authorize access to classified operational material unrelated to the administration, controls, or public funds under inspection.

Section 5: Duration of Access

Access exists only during the person's parliamentary membership or qualifying office and shall be removed when that membership or office ends.

Article 6: Parliamentary Investigations, Hearings, and Testimony

Section 1: Nature and Purpose

A Parliamentary Investigation or Hearing is a legislative proceeding for oversight, fact-finding, public inquiry, or developing legislation. It shall not adjudicate criminal guilt or civil liability or impose a judicial judgment or sentence.

An investigation or hearing may begin only under a Parliamentary Hearing Resolution (PHR) or Joint Parliamentary Hearing Resolution (JPHR) adopted in accordance with this Article.

Section 2: Parliamentary Hearing Resolution

A Parliamentary Hearing Resolution (PHR) is a House Resolution authorizing and defining an investigation or hearing by one House.

The legal effect of a PHR or JPHR shall be governed by Article 12, Section 11, of the Constitution, as amended by this Act. A resolution shall activate only the powers expressly provided by law.

A Joint Parliamentary Hearing Resolution (JPHR) is a Concurrent Resolution authorizing and defining an investigation or hearing conducted jointly by both Houses. Neither form of resolution shall independently establish a criminal offense, penalty, or legal duty beyond the authority conferred by law.

Section 3: Required Contents and Limited Scope

A PHR or JPHR shall state:

(a) the House or Houses conducting the investigation;

(b) the defined topic of the hearing;

(d) the principal matters and questions to be examined;

(e) the Member who shall chair and lead the investigation, or the method by which that Member shall be selected or replaced;

(f) the procedure by which other Members of Parliament may apply to participate, the authority deciding such applications, and the functions of admitted Members;

(g) whether Parliamentary Summonses or production of specified relevant records are authorized; and

(h) any necessary directions for scheduling, conducting, recording, or concluding the hearing.

A PHR or JPHR shall contain only provisions reasonably necessary to authorize, define, administer, schedule, record, or conclude the investigation, including identifying witnesses or classes of evidence where known.

A provision outside this Section's scope is void from introduction and shall be disregarded. It is automatically severed unless its removal leaves the hearing unidentifiable or unable to operate lawfully.

These limits also apply to amendments, regardless of the votes received.

Section 4: Single-House Hearing Authorization

Either the House of Commons or the House of Lords may independently authorize its own investigation or hearing by adopting a PHR.

Adoption of a PHR requires a simple majority of valid votes cast in the originating House, calculated under Article 12, Section 18, of the Constitution.

The other House's consent is not required. An investigation authorized by one House shall remain under that House's parliamentary authority.

A materially different investigation shall require a new PHR; a change to the authorized scope shall require adoption of an amended PHR under the same voting rule.

The presiding officer of the originating House shall certify adoption of the PHR. Certification records compliance and is not a separate assent or approval.

A Member of either House may apply to participate under Section 6, but participation shall not transfer the investigation's authority to the other House or confer a vote in the originating House.

Section 5: Joint Parliamentary Hearing Resolution

A joint investigation or hearing conducted by both Houses requires a JPHR in identical form.

Adoption requires a simple majority of valid votes cast in each House, calculated separately under Article 12, Section 18, of the Constitution.

A JPHR shall designate the Member who will chair and lead the investigation or establish the method of selection or replacement, and shall specify how admitted Members of both Houses may question witnesses and assist in the proceedings.

A JPHR is subject to the same subject-matter and scope restrictions as a PHR.

Section 6: Parliamentary Applications and Participation

Every serving Member of the House of Commons or House of Lords may apply to participate in an authorized investigation or hearing, including one led by the other House. A person who is not a serving Member of Parliament shall not be admitted as a parliamentary participant under this Section.

Applications shall be considered by the Chair or another parliamentary authority designated by the authorizing resolution. Admission and assigned functions shall follow the procedure and limits stated in that resolution.

An admitted Member may take part in proceedings, inspect evidence made available for that investigation, and question witnesses where authorized. Admission shall not confer a seat or vote in another House, permit alteration of the investigation's scope, or independently authorize the issuance of compulsory process.

Section 7: Persons Who May Be Called

A person may be invited or summoned only where their testimony, records, or involvement is materially relevant to the stated topic and they fall within one of these classes:

(a) a person serving or working for a State Organ;

(b) a person of substantial public prominence or relevance materially connected to the topic;

(c) a person or organization that has received a government grant, contract, or other specific funding, excluding an ordinary generally available public program;

(d) a person of substantial wealth or a business owner, controller, director, or operator in the Totemian Empire whose financial, commercial, or public activity is materially relevant to the topic; or

(e) any other person whose evidence is materially relevant to a matter of public concern or lawful Parliamentary investigation, regardless of any court proceedings.

A summons requires material relevance to the stated topic; curiosity alone is insufficient.

Section 8: Parliamentary Summons and Sworn Testimony

A Parliamentary Summons may issue only under an effective PHR or JPHR expressly authorizing compulsory evidence. It shall identify the investigation, statutory authority, subject, person summoned, the testimony or materially relevant records required, and the time, place, or approved digital means for compliance. The person shall receive reasonable notice and a means of asserting lawful privilege.

A lawfully summoned person shall appear, answer materially relevant questions, and produce specified materially relevant records within that person's possession or lawful control, subject to lawful privilege, legal prohibition, and reasonable excuse. The Chair may record noncompliance and apply to a competent court for an order enforcing the statutory duty. Parliament shall not itself imprison a person, impose a judicial punishment, or override a protected privilege.

A witness may be required to take an oath or make a solemn affirmation before giving testimony. The Chair or another person lawfully designated by the authorizing resolution may administer it. A witness who knowingly gives materially false factual testimony under an oath or declaration expressly subject to perjury penalties shall be liable under Title 7, Chapter 7, Article 14, where that Article's elements are established.

Section 9: Scope of Questioning

Questions shall remain within the authorized topic and scope. The chair may rule questions out of scope and shall prevent questioning used solely for unrelated personal harassment.

A materially different investigation requires a new PHR or JPHR; questioning shall not enlarge the authorized scope.

Section 10: Duration, Scheduling, and Breaks

A hearing may sit on at most seven calendar dates, consecutive or otherwise. Substantially identical proceedings shall not be reopened or split to evade this limit.

Scheduling shall reasonably accommodate the work, study, family responsibilities, and ordinary rest hours of those required to appear, with reasonable breaks during questioning. Accommodations shall not be used to avoid testimony.

Section 11: Official Parliamentary Hearing Record

Every investigation or hearing shall produce a permanent Official Parliamentary Hearing Record (OPHR) containing its authorizing resolution, topic and scope, the votes required for its adoption, the Chair and admitted participating Members, sitting dates, witness identities, and a verbatim transcript.

The transcript shall preserve the words spoken, including informal language, grammatical errors, repetitions, and interruptions. Editorial notes may only identify inaudible or overlapping speech, breaks, or corrections needed to match the source record.

Automated transcription may be used, but a person responsible for the record shall check it against the available recording, message history, or other source before publication.

The OPHR shall be preserved in a public Parliamentary archive and made available as a document, subject only to redactions required by superior law.

The OPHR shall exclude embedded animation and images that do not materially aid understanding. Static images may be retained as evidence or to explain the testimony.

Relevant animated evidence may be identified as shown or posted and preserved through a static frame or non-embedded archival reference.

Chapter 4 - Implementation and Existing Funds

Section 3. Title 5, Chapter 9, as inserted by Section 1 of this Act, is amended by adding Article 4 immediately after Article 3, to read:

Article 4: Implementation and Existing Funds

Section 1: Implementation and Continuity

(a) MOF shall establish and maintain the Treasury Reversion Fund; its authoritative balance and transactions shall be maintained by IBTE's centralized banking and account system.

(b) MOF shall issue the Policy Order under Article 2, Section 6 before the first FIN or FRN is published.

(c) Where technically practicable, the responsible administrator shall register an existing fund's future expiration condition and lawful reversion destination before expiry and supply the records needed by TOA and IBTE.

(d) This Chapter does not require reversal of transactions lawfully completed before its commencement.

(e) Until the required automation is available, TOA may submit authorized reversion instructions through the existing fiscal workflow for processing by IBTE's centralized banking and account system. MOF shall publish the required notices.

Chapter 5 - Legal Hierarchy, Statutes at Large, and Parliamentary Powers

Section 4. Article 2, Section 5, of the Constitution of the Totemian Empire is amended to read:

~~Section 5: Hierarchy of Legal Authority~~

The order of legal authority within the Totemian Empire shall be: first, the Emperor; second, Imperial Orders; third, this Constitution; and fourth, the Civil Code. Every other law or legal instrument shall be subordinate to the Civil Code unless this Constitution expressly provides otherwise.

~~A lower source of law shall comply with every higher source of law. Where two sources conflict, the higher source shall control to the extent of the conflict.~~

Section 5: Hierarchy of Legal Authority

The order of legal authority within the Totemian Empire shall be: first, the Emperor; second, Imperial Orders; third, this Constitution; fourth, the Civil Code; and fifth, Session Laws. Other legal instruments shall be subordinate to the Civil Code according to their lawful authority. This hierarchy shall not diminish the sovereign effect of Imperial assent under Title 2, Chapter 4, Article 13 of the Civil Code.

A Session Law is an operative provision of an Act of Parliament that has not been incorporated into the Constitution or Civil Code. It shall ordinarily remain subordinate to the Civil Code, subject to the sovereign effect of Imperial assent. Subordinate executive, administrative, and local instruments shall not supersede a Session Law without authority in a higher source.

A lower source of law shall comply with every higher source of law. Where two sources conflict, the higher source shall control to the extent of the conflict, except where an Act receiving Imperial assent produces a controlling sovereign displacement under Title 2, Chapter 4, Article 13 of the Civil Code. Publication or cross-reference in the Statutes at Large shall not change the ordinary legal rank of a provision.

Section 5. Article 2, Section 6, of the Constitution of the Totemian Empire is amended to read:

~~Section 6: Codification and Amendment of the Civil Code~~

Section 6: Enacted Acts, Codification, and Statutes at Large

An Act of Parliament shall have force in accordance with this Constitution and the sovereign effect of Imperial assent. An Act may expressly amend this Constitution or the Civil Code and may also contain uncodified provisions of Session Law. An Act receiving Imperial assent may produce the implied amendment, suspension, supersession, repeal, or displacement of an inconsistent earlier provision under Title 2, Chapter 4, Article 13 of the Civil Code without separately identifying that earlier provision.

Every lawfully enacted Act of Parliament shall be published in full, in the form in which it was enacted, in the Statutes at Large of the Totemian Empire. The Statutes at Large shall be an official chronological collection separate from the Constitution and Civil Code, identifying enactment, authenticated Imperial assent or other lawful certification, commencement, subsequent amendment, suspension, expiration, completion, and repeal. Original enacted text shall remain permanently preserved.

Where a codification instruction is provided, it shall identify the provision to be inserted, amended, replaced, or repealed and the applicable constitutional Article and Section, or Civil Code Title, Chapter, Article, and Section. These requirements govern editorial incorporation into the consolidated text and shall not restrict the sovereign legal effect of Imperial assent where an Act does not expressly identify an earlier conflicting provision.

An Act may contain constitutional amendments, Civil Code amendments, and provisions of Session Law. Provisions of general and continuing application may be incorporated into the Civil Code. Temporary, transitional, individual, administrative, financial, and completed authorizations shall not require codification merely because they form part of an enacted Act.

Where a codification instruction is defective, inconsistent, or incapable of execution, incorporation shall be withheld until lawful correction. An independently operative uncodified provision shall remain available as Session Law, and the original Act shall remain published in the Statutes at Large. Failure to complete editorial incorporation shall not invalidate or suspend otherwise effective legislation or an implied displacement authorized by Imperial assent.

A Session Law shall ordinarily have the legal force of Session Law and remain subordinate to the Civil Code, the Constitution, Imperial Orders, and the Emperor. Publication in the Statutes at Large or editorial cross-referencing shall not elevate its ordinary rank. Where an Act has received Imperial assent, the controlling effect of any implied displacement shall be determined under Title 2, Chapter 4, Article 13 of the Civil Code, notwithstanding the Act's ordinary statutory classification.

The Emperor may personally correct a clerical error or determine the proper placement of an enacted provision, or delegate that authority orally or in writing to another person. A delegation may apply generally or to specified matters and shall not require separate Imperial authorization for each permitted correction.

A delegated correction or placement determination shall be limited to what is necessary to carry out the enacted law without altering its substantive legal meaning or effect. Where the intended legal effect or placement cannot be established without resolving a substantive legislative question, the matter shall require an appropriate lawful amendment or determination by a competent authority.

Every correction or placement determination shall preserve the original enacted text and record the change, its legal basis, the person responsible, and the date on which it was made.

Section 6. Title 1, Chapter 1, of the Civil Code of the Totemian Empire is amended by adding Article 14 immediately after Article 13 and before Chapter 2, to read:

Article 14: Statutes at Large and Official Codification Records

Section 1: Official Statutes at Large

The Statutes at Large of the Totemian Empire shall be the official chronological archive of all lawfully enacted Acts of Parliament, preserving the full authenticated text of each Act, including amendments to the Constitution or Civil Code, uncodified Session Laws, temporary authorizations, appropriations, and provisions that have expired, been completed, or been repealed. The Statutes at Large shall be maintained separately from the Civil Code, and no Title of the Civil Code shall be created to reproduce the Session Laws.

The Statutes at Large shall be maintained through the Totemian Empire's official digital services and shall not constitute a separate State Organ. Each Act and its provisions shall have persistent records, searchable legal status, and links to the provisions they amend or authorize.

Section 2: Required Records

Every enacted Act shall have an official record identifying:

(a) its title and unique enactment identifier;

(b) its date of enactment and authenticated Imperial assent or other lawful certification;

(d) its commencement and legal status;

(e) any subsequent amendment, suspension, expiration, or repeal; and

(f) the constitutional or Civil Code provisions amended, added, or repealed, where applicable.

Section 3: Codification

The person lawfully responsible for codification shall verify the enacted text, the intended amendment, the existing legal provisions, and the specified insertion location before incorporation.

An amendment shall not be incorporated where its destination cannot be identified or where incorporation would require an unauthorized substantive change.

A defective codification instruction shall be recorded as pending correction. The affected independently operative provision shall be identified as Session Law where applicable, and the complete original Act shall remain available in the Statutes at Large without unauthorized editorial alteration.

Section 4: Preservation and Cross-References

The original enacted text shall remain preserved notwithstanding subsequent amendment, correction, codification, or repeal.

The official digital services shall link an enacted Act to every provision it amends and shall identify the Act or authority responsible for each amendment to the consolidated text.

A correction to the published consolidated text shall not overwrite the authenticated original Act.

Section 5: Legal Status

A provision classified as Session Law shall be enforceable according to its lawful terms while operative and shall ordinarily remain subordinate to the Civil Code, the Constitution, Imperial Orders, and the Emperor, without prejudice to any sovereign displacement effected by Imperial assent under Title 2, Chapter 4, Article 13 of the Civil Code. Expired, completed, suspended, or repealed provisions shall remain permanently visible in the Statutes at Large with their legal status identified, without authorizing new acts after their effect has ended.

Publication in the Statutes at Large shall preserve the historical record and shall not, by itself, change a Session Law's ordinary rank or legal effect. The sovereign effect of Imperial assent shall remain governed by Title 2, Chapter 4, Article 13 of the Civil Code. Expiration of a funding authorization shall not erase previously valid obligations, payments, fiscal notices, reversion records, or other legal consequences lawfully arising while it was in force.

Section 7. Title 2, Chapter 4, Article 13, of the Civil Code of the Totemian Empire is amended by inserting Section 6 immediately after Section 5, with Article 13 as amended to read:

Article 13: Doctrine of Assented Sovereign Displacement

Section 1: Effect of Imperial Assent

The reigning Monarch stands first in the order of legal authority. Accordingly, Imperial assent to an Act supplies the authority of the Emperor for every legal consequence necessarily produced by the Act’s operative provisions. Where any preexisting law, rule, doctrine, or legal instrument subordinate to the Emperor irreconcilably conflicts with the Act, the Act shall control and the earlier rule is impliedly amended, suspended, superseded, repealed, or rendered inoperative to the extent necessary, even though the Act does not identify the earlier rule or use express words of repeal.

Section 2: Sources Subject to Displacement

This doctrine applies without regard to the form or ordinary rank of the earlier source, including a provision of the Constitution, the Civil Code, an Imperial Order, an earlier Act of Parliament, a Policy Order, an Administration Order, a Banking Council Order, a regulation, a subnational or local enactment, a binding rule of judicial interpretation, or another public legal instrument. It applies both where the Act permits, establishes, recognizes, protects, or requires what the earlier rule prohibits or defeats and where the Act prohibits or abolishes what the earlier rule permits or requires.

Section 3: Basis in Imperial Authority

The Act does not control because Parliament possesses authority above the earlier source. It controls because Imperial assent is a later legal expression of the authority that stands above every source in the hierarchy. A court or state organ shall therefore treat assent as the Emperor’s approval of every displacement necessary to give the Act practical legal effect. An earlier subordinate rule shall not be used to nullify or defeat the very statutory rule that the Emperor approved.

Section 4: Irreconcilable Conflict

An irreconcilable conflict exists where compliance with one rule would necessarily violate the other, or where enforcing the earlier rule would prohibit, nullify, punish, or materially defeat what the Act expressly permits, establishes, recognizes, protects, or requires. A court or state organ shall first adopt a reasonable interpretation that allows both rules to operate, but it shall not distort the enacted text or preserve the earlier rule in a manner that deprives the Act of practical effect.

Section 5: Extent and Limits of Displacement

Displacement extends only as far as necessary to resolve the conflict. Every separable portion of the earlier law or instrument that can operate consistently with the Act shall remain in force. An express preservation, limitation, or reservation contained in the Act or the instrument of assent shall govern, and a later lawful expression of the Emperor’s will may revise, restore, or reverse the resulting rule.

Section 6: Applicability of the Doctrine

The Doctrine of Assented Sovereign Displacement shall apply to Acts of Parliament for which Imperial assent is legally required and has been granted.

Where Imperial assent is not legally required, this doctrine shall not apply, and the measure shall be governed by the constitutional provisions and legal authority otherwise applicable to it.

Section 8. Article 12, Section 11, of the Constitution of the Totemian Empire is amended to read:

Section 11: Subject Matter and Effect of Resolutions

A House Resolution or Concurrent Resolution may censure a person or body, approve or condemn conduct, policy, an idea, an event, or a condition, make a recommendation, or issue another formal statement.

A House Resolution or Concurrent Resolution is not law and requires neither the approval of the Chancellor nor the assent of the Emperor. It shall not amend or repeal law, impose a tax, appropriate money, create an offense, impose a legal duty or penalty, appoint or remove an officeholder, or bind a court, state organ, or person outside the adopting House or Houses.

A Parliamentary Recall Resolution or Parliamentary Referendum Resolution adopted under Article 20 shall be exempt from the limitations of this Section to the extent necessary to initiate and require the administration of the public vote. The legal effect of the result shall follow Article 20.

A censure under this Section records formal disapproval or a political finding of wrongdoing only. It does not establish legal guilt or liability and does not by itself remove, disqualify, or punish any person.

A House Resolution or Concurrent Resolution adopted in accordance with the Civil Code may authorize a parliamentary investigation or hearing and activate investigative powers expressly conferred by law. The resolution may establish the investigation's subject, scope, leadership, participating Members of Parliament, and procedures, and authorize the exercise of statutory powers to summon witnesses and obtain materially relevant evidence. Duties owed by persons outside Parliament arise from the Civil Code and not independently from the resolution. No such resolution may create a criminal offense, impose a penalty, or confer a power beyond that expressly provided by law.

Chapter 6 - Unified National Judiciary and Application of Subnational and Local Law

Section 9. Article 6 of the Constitution of the Totemian Empire is amended to read:

Article 6: Supreme Court and Judicial Authority

Section 1: Establishment and Position of the Supreme Court

There is hereby established the Supreme Court of the Totemian Empire, the highest and final appellate court in all matters of law and justice within the Totemian Empire. Independent from any tributary, it will serve under no one other than the Emperor.

Section 2: Jurisdiction

The Supreme Court shall have original and appellate jurisdiction over all cases concerning the interpretation of the Imperial Constitution, the laws of the Totemian Empire, and disputes of the highest national importance. It shall also have the authority to resolve conflicts between lower courts, government branches, and Imperial trials.

Section 3: Composition and Appointment

The Supreme Court shall be composed of a Chief Justice and a maximum of 6 Associate Justices, totaling 7, whose appointments shall be made by the Emperor, with advice from Privy Council.

Section 4: Qualifications of Justices

Justices of the Supreme Court must be distinguished in their legal expertise, proven integrity, and commitment to upholding the laws of the Totemian Empire. The Emperor may select candidates from among the ranks of legal scholars, former judges, or individuals with substantial experience in Imperial law.

Section 5: Duties of the Chief Justice

The Chief Justice shall preside over the Supreme Court, oversee the administration of judicial matters, and ensure the proper functioning of the Court. The Chief Justice shall also represent the Supreme Court in official matters before the Imperial Court and the Emperor.

Section 6: Constitutional Interpretation

The Supreme Court shall have the exclusive authority to interpret the Constitution and its amendments. It shall resolve all constitutional disputes and ensure that all laws passed by Parliament are in alignment with the fundamental principles of the Constitution.

Section 7: Judicial Review

The Supreme Court shall possess the power of judicial review, enabling it to determine the constitutionality of laws of the Totemian Empire and executive actions. The Court may, in its discretion, strike down any bills, or executive acts that are found to be unconstitutional.

Section 8: Final Appeals

The Supreme Court shall serve as the final arbiter for all legal appeals within the Totemian Empire, ensuring that all citizens, regardless of status, have access to impartial and fair judicial review.

Section 9: Court Administration and Procedures

The Chief Justice shall preside over the Court’s sessions and shall have the power to determine the schedule, docket, and allocation of cases among the Justices. The Chief Justice shall have the power to establish judicial protocols and procedures in collaboration with the Associate Justices.

Section 10: Commencement of Court Operations

The Supreme Court shall begin its operations immediately following the appointment of the Chief Justice and the selection of Associate Justices as deemed necessary by the Emperor.

Section 11: Approval and Effect of Decisions

All decisions of the Supreme Court must be approved by the Emperor. After approval, they shall be final and binding upon all citizens, institutions, and branches of government within the Totemian Empire.

Section 12: Use of the Death Penalty

The death penalty may be imposed only for the most serious crimes, including treason, premeditated terrorism, genocide, and rape.

Section 13: Unified National Judiciary and Applicable Subnational and Local Law

The courts of the Totemian Empire shall form one unified national judicial system under this Constitution, the Civil Code, and applicable superior law, without diminishing the sovereign judicial authority of the Emperor.

No Kingdom, Governorate, Territory, Colony, Imperial Ceté, other subnational government, locality, or subordinate division shall establish, maintain, finance, administer, or exercise authority over a separate court or judicial system. The location of a national court or judicial officer within any such area shall not confer control of that court or officer upon the local government.

National courts shall adjudicate and enforce matters arising under Imperial law and under valid subnational or local law within the lawful competence of the authority that enacted it. A subordinate division shall not acquire lawmaking authority solely because it exists or possesses an administrative or territorial designation.

A national judge or court may, in accordance with law, be assigned a matter arising outside the place in which that judge or court ordinarily sits. Such an assignment shall not alter the substantive law applicable to the matter.

In determining the governing law, the court shall consider the location and time of the legally relevant conduct, event, property, or transaction, the lawful jurisdiction and powers of each relevant government, and the validity and commencement of the applicable enactments. A court sitting elsewhere shall give effect to the laws that lawfully governed those circumstances.

Where the same conduct or dispute engages both Imperial law and valid subnational or local law, the court shall consider and apply each applicable law within its lawful scope and shall determine the alleged violations and remedies under the authority governing each. Concurrent application shall not authorize an offense or penalty that has not been established by law.

Subnational and local enactments shall remain subject to Imperial supremacy and the hierarchy of legal authority. No provision of this Section shall confer extraterritorial legislative power upon a subordinate government or diminish its existing lawful authority to legislate within its jurisdiction.

Section 10. Title 3, Chapter 3, Article 4, of the Civil Code of the Totemian Empire is amended to read:

Article 4: Imperial Judicial System

Section 1: Judicial Authority

Judicial authority throughout the Totemian Empire shall be exercised by the courts and judicial offices established or recognized under this Title.

Section 2: Subnational Courts and Funding

No subnational government or locality may establish, maintain, fund, or pay a separate court or judicial office.

No subnational government or locality may pay or supplement the salary of a judicial officer established or recognized under this Title.

The prohibition in this Section includes any separate judicial hierarchy, judicial tribunal, or adjudicatory office purporting to exercise the authority of a court, regardless of designation. The provision of a national courthouse or national judicial service within a subnational or local area shall not give that area's government judicial powers.

Section 3: National Courts Serving Subnational Governments and Localities

Courts and judicial officers shall exercise national judicial authority regardless of the constituent government, locality, settlement, or other lawful division in which they sit. National judicial facilities may serve persons and matters arising locally or from other areas assigned in accordance with law.

Judicial appointments, administration, case assignments, judicial discipline, and the exercise of judicial power shall remain with competent national authorities. No subordinate government or administrative division may establish a parallel court or assume control of a national court.

Section 4: Cross-Jurisdiction Assignment of Cases

A matter may be heard by a national court or judge situated outside the place in which the relevant conduct or events occurred where the court has lawful subject-matter jurisdiction and the assignment or transfer is authorized, including where a suitable judge is unavailable locally.

Assignment shall reasonably consider access to justice, available judges, the needs of the parties, the location of evidence, and efficient administration. The receiving court shall not disregard an applicable law because that law originates from a different government or place.

Section 5: Determination and Concurrent Application of Law

A court shall determine the place and time of the conduct, transaction, property interest, injury, or other legally material circumstances, and shall identify the governments and enactments having lawful jurisdiction over those circumstances at the relevant time.

In making that determination, the court shall consider competent Imperial instruments, lawful subnational and local enactments, the Territorial and Settlement Register, governing charters, authoritative boundaries, and any grant or limit of legislative authority. A geographical division or settlement shall not be presumed to possess independent legislative competence merely because it is named or registered.

In criminal proceedings, the court shall apply Imperial criminal law and any valid subnational or local criminal law applicable to the alleged conduct at the place and time concerned, subject to superior law. In civil proceedings, applicable law shall be determined according to the relevant legal and geographic connections and governing rules.

Where conduct is alleged to violate both Imperial and a valid subnational or local law, each alleged violation shall be addressed according to the elements, jurisdiction, legal effect, and remedies of that law, subject to superior law and applicable procedural safeguards. The existence of two potentially applicable laws shall not itself create an additional offense, punishment, or cause of action.

The place of the hearing, assignment of a judge, or transfer between national courts shall not change the substantive law that would otherwise apply. Judicial procedure shall remain governed by the applicable national rules of court. Where laws conflict, the higher legal authority shall prevail to the extent of the conflict.

END OF BILL