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The Federal Laws of the VCC.
CYBERIAN FEDERAL CODE
TITLE V - Federal Agencies, Programs and Activities
CHAPTER 500 ADMINISTRATIVE - GENERAL
500.1 The purpose of Title V is to provide a common place within the Cyberian Federal Code for all laws pertaining to the establishment and use of various governmental organisations that comprise the Executive Branch, with the exception of the Cabinet.
500.2 Title V is organised according to the following numerical scheme:
Part I (500-509.999) : Administrative - General
Part II (510-519.999) : CyberCare
Part III (520-529.999) : CyberRail
Part IV (530-539.999) : Cyberian Federal University
Part V (540-549.999) : Ken Kerns Library
Part VI (550-559.999) : Other Agencies
Part VII (560-599.999) : Regulations
500.3 Governmental organisations based on finances or the economy shall be placed in Title VIII of the Federal Code.
CHAPTER 510 CYBERCARE - GENERAL
510.1 The Cyberian government shall have a responsibility to ensure that Cybercare is adequately funded such that a high quality of medical and dental care may be provided to the whole population.
510.2 Part II of Title V shall be known as CyberCare. It shall be organised according to the following numerical scheme:
Section 1 (510-510.999) : CyberCare - General
Section 2 (511-511.999) : CyberCare - Administration
Section 3 (512-512.999) : CyberCare - Billing
Section 4 (513-513.999) : CyberCare - Hospitals
Section 5 (514-514.999) : CyberCare - Prescriptions
Section 6 (515-515.999) : CyberCare - Opt Out Plans
CHAPTER 511 - CYBERCARE - ADMINISTRATION (98-024)
511.1 The Cyberian Health Service (Cybercare) shall be created within the Ministry of the Interior.
511.2 Cybercare shall be financed purely from federal revenue appropriated by the National Assembly.
CHAPTER 512 - CYBERCARE - BILLING (98-024)
512.1 Medical and dental services shall be charged at a maximum fee per service, regardless of cost.
512.11 This fee shall be set by the Minister of the Interior.
512.12 This fee may not exceed the value of the federal minimum wage at any time.
512.2 Any medical or dental practitioner providing services under this Act may bill the patient, or Cybercare.
512.21 A patient billed by their practitioner may later claim the maximum fee from Cybercare.
512.211 A practitioner who bills their patients may charge more than the maximum fee for a service.
512.3 The Cyberian government shall pay in full the college fees of those medical students who agree to work for Cybercare for at least four years after they receive their qualifications.
CHAPTER 513 - CYBERCARE - HOSPITALS (98-024)
513.1 Cybercare shall establish and operate a system of free public hospitals.
513.2 Private hospitals shall continue to coexist with the public hospitals.
513.3 Cybercare shall provide free hospital care of all kinds to all Cyberian citizens.
513.4 The exception shall be where the Minister of the Interior regards the operation asked for as frivolous or wholly necessary.
513.41 Cosmetic surgery might fall into such a category.
513.5 Doctors and hospital staff employed by Cybercare shall not charge for consultations, for visits, for medical advice, for operations, or for hospital food; nor may they levy any other charges except as set out below.
513.6 Cybercare shall ensure that there is at least one public health centre in every town of more than 6,000 residents; and that every town and every city has at least one public hospital per 150,000 residents.
CHAPTER 514 - CYBERCARE - PRESCRIPTIONS (98024)
514.1 Drug prescriptions shall be charged at a maximum price per prescription, regardless of drug cost.
514.11 This price shall be set by the Minister of the Interior.
514.12 This price may not exceed the value of the federal minimum wage at any time.
514.2 If someone is unable to obtain a doctor's prescription for a drug, then the full price of the drug is payable, if indeed the Ministry of the Interior has licensed that drug for general sale.
514.3 Any shop selling prescription medicines shall sell them at the price fixed under Section 513.11 to those people who have a valid doctor's prescription.
514.4 Cybercare shall reimburse the shop for any remainder in the cost of the drug.
514.5 The groups exempt from any and all prescription charges shall be:
1) hospital patients;
2) those registered with the government as unemployed;
3) those under 18;
4) college students;
5) those on government pension schemes; and
6) those over 65.
CHAPTER 520 CYBERRAIL - GENERAL
520.1 The Commonwealth shall establish Cyberrail, a countrywide railway network to expand the economy and improve the efficiency of the market.
520.2 Part III of Title V shall be organised by the following numerical scheme: Section I (520-520.999) CyberRail - General
Section II (521-521.999) CyberRail - Planning and Construction
Section III (522-522.999) CyberRail - Funding
Section IV (523-523.999) CyberRail - Ownership and Investment
CHAPTER 521 CYBERRAIL - PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION (98-026)
521.1 The technology used in this nation-wide railway network shall be magnetic levitation.
521.2 Stage 1 of the network shall be the Coastal Line connecting Kernsopolis - Belar City - Corliana - Bava City - Menet City - Lasteria and shall be completed on or before 01 January 2001.
521.21 The existing Felician Provincial Line running Clareville - Matthias - Seahaven will be connected to the Coastal Line by a new line running Seahaven - Lasteria.
521.22 The existing line linking Clareville to the Windsor Isles by tunnel will form part of Cyberrail.
521.23 The terms of purchase shall be agreed between the federation and the province of Felicia.
521.24 The order of construction of the various lines comprising Stage 1 shall, unless the National Assembly otherwise directs, be determined by the President on the recommendation of the Minister of the Interior.
521.3 Stage 2 of the network will be a system of conventional branch lines extending into rural districts and shall proceed at such time as the National Assembly may direct.
521.4 Stage 3 of the network will be construction of the line shown in the Plan at Schedule 1 and not covered by Stage 1.
521.5 The Minister of the Interior shall report to the National Assembly before 01 June 1999 on the feasibility and desirability of constructing a single international port for Cyberia.
521.6 Fibre-Optic Communications Network - The Minister of the Interior, in consultation with the Minister of Defence, shall construct a fibre-optic cable network capable of carrying data for the proposed submarine defence system along the route of each tunnel constructed.
521.7 Transport Hierarchy - It is the intent of the National Assembly that the rail system shall be the primary means of land transport for both passengers and freight in Cyberia, competing forms of land transport shall be required to meet the actual cost of their operations including road wear and environmental pollution.
CHAPTER 522 CYBERRAIL - FUNDING (98-026)
522.1 The project shall be fully funded and operated by the Minister of the Interior.
522.2 The following sums are appropriated for the construction of Stage 1: Stage 1 to be completed by 2001 totalling 1,900 kilometres @ 98,260,000 divided 2 years. = 49,130,000.
522.3 Privatization of Cyberrail or part thereof shall be considered after completion of Stage 1, as an alternative Cyberrail may be retained in public ownership and an annual dividend paid to each Cyberian citizen on the model of the Alaskan Permanent Fund, but the National Assembly final ownership of the system shall be as be decided by law.
522.4 Subject to this Act, fares and freight charges shall be fixed by the Minister of the Interior at a level which reflects the capital and operating costs of Cyberrail, as well as the economic, social and environmental impact of other forms of land transport.
522.5 The stages shall be constructed, in whole or part, by the private sector under a process of competitive tender.
522.51 Each tender shall have a deadline fixed by the Minister of the Interior and blind tenders shall be submitted before the deadline.
522.52 The Minister of the Interior shall make recommendations to the National Assembly on which tender to accept, but the Assembly is not bound to follow those recommendations.
CHAPTER 523 CYBERRAIL - OWNERSHIP AND INVESTMENT (98-026)
523.1 The appropriation from section 522.2 of the federal code may be reduced by the President where a private corporation agrees to invest in Cyberrail; the amount of such reduction shall be equal to the total of any private or provincial investment; the federation and other investors shall own that proportion of the system funded by their own investment.
523.2 Private investment shall be by way of tender.
523.21 Each tender shall have a deadline fixed by the Minister of the Interior and blind tenders shall be submitted before the deadline.
523.22 The Minister of the Interior shall make recommendations to the National Assembly on which tender to accept, but the Assembly is not bound to follow those recommendations.
523.3 There shall be a Cyberrail Board.
523.31 The Cyberrail Board shall comprise directors appointed by the federation, provincial and private investors in relation to the amount of their investment.
523.32 The members of the Cyberrail Board may be real citizens or otherwise as the federation and the private investors agree.
523.33 For the purposes of this section the investment by the Province of Felicia shall be defined by reference to track constructed by that Province as a fraction of the total length of track comprised by the Cyberrail system.
CHAPTER 530 CYBERIAN UNIVERSITY
530.1 The Commonwealth is to operate a Cyberian University as an independent agency in terms of Section 5.29 of the Constitution.
530.2 The Board of Trustees is to have three (3) members appointed by the president and subject to legislative confirmation. The Board must not include more than one member of any single political party.
530.3 The Board is to elect and remove a Chancellor, subject to presidential approval. The Chancellor is to run the day-to-day operations of the University.
530.4 The Board is to operate the University as a focal point for the common, intellectual wealth of our nation and other interested parties in order to generate innovative ideas, educate the population on insightful and diverse topics, and bring to micronationalism the academic and authoritative discuss of important issues.
530.5 The Board is to operate an Encyclopaedia of Cyberia wiki as a repository of information on Cyberia and micronationalism. The wiki must be open to submissions by Cyberian citizens, faculty, and students.
530.5 The Board is not subject to direction or review by any organ of state, other than the Supreme Court.
530.6 The Board must establish a clear, fair, and objective admissions policy based foremost on merit.
530.7 Members of the faculty and student body must retain absolute academic freedom.
530.8 The Board may attract members of the intermicronational community to attend courses, participate in seminars and panels, and teach at the University.
530.91 The university may not censor the contributions or comments of any Cyberian citizen. All Cyberians and other persons may submit articles and opinion pieces for the encyclopedia, the only requirements are appropriate language and a reasonable attempt at objectivity.
530.92 All members of the academic community have a responsibility to fulfil their functions and academic roles with competence, integrity and to the best of their abilities. They should perform their academic functions in accordance with ethical and highest scientific standards.
CHAPTER 531 PRE-TERTIARY EDUCATION
531.1 The Federal government must establish schools for the provision of pre-tertiary education. The distribution, resourcing and operations of these schools must demonstrate a commitment to quality and equality.
531.2 Other organizations including non-government organizations may establish schools but they must be licensed and scrutinised. The licensing and scrutiny arrangements are established by this legislation.
531.3 The Cyberian University, with consultation and participation by other tertiary education institutions, must establish bodies to administer-
531.3.1 Curriculum in federally run schools
531.3.2 Licensing and scrutiny of pre-tertiary schools that are not federally run
531.3.3 Procedures for admission to tertiary education
531.4 The Cyberian University, with consultation and participation by other tertiary education institutions, may set up or fund any other body or activity that facilitates pre-tertiary education.
531.5 There is no requirement, for the purposes of the Cyberian simulation, to produce actual documents or set up actual bodies relating to pre-tertiary education.
531.6 The licensing and scrutiny of schools may involve any aspect of the school's delivery of service, including admissions, curriculum and staff selection.
531.7. The procedures for tertiary entrance as established under this legislation may require the federal government to fund and operate assessment activities.
531.8 The education of the child must be directed to:
531.8.11 The development of the child's personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential;
531.8.12 The development of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and for the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations;
531.8.13 The development of respect for the child's parents, his or her own cultural identity, language and values, for the national values of the country in which the child is living, the country from which he or she may originate, and for civilizations different from his or her own;
531.8.14 The preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups and persons of indigenous origin;
531.8.15 The development of respect for the natural environment.
531.9 All schools must observe and uphold the rights of the child as defined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
CHAPTER 540 - KEN KERNS LIBRARY (99-011)
540.1 The National Assembly hereby appropriates 20 million Cy for the construction of the Kerns Library in Kernsopolis.
540.2 The Kerns Library shall be charged with the responsibility of collecting and maintaining any official documents, personal belongings, memoirs, or speeches of President Ken Kerns in conjunction with the personal wishes of President Ken Kerns.
540.3 The Kerns Library shall be administered by the Minister of the Interior.
540.4 The Kerns Library budget will be submitted to the National Assembly by the Minister of the Treasury in cooperation with the Minister of the Interior.
540.5 The Kerns Library shall be open to the public free of charge.
CHAPTER 550 - PATENT OFFICE (98-015, 98-021)
550.1 A patent office is hereby established in Cyberia for the purpose of preserving intellectual property rights.
550.2 Patents may be submitted for technological, pharmaceutical advances and inventions by the entity or individual who will hold the patent.
550.21 Descriptions of the technology, pharmaceutical advances or inventions, which require patent protection, are to be submitted by the potential patent holder.
550.3 Patents are to be submitted to the Head of the Patent Office together with a 600 registration fee.
550.31 After due consideration and review, the Head of the Patent Office will grant the patent which will remain effective for a period of five years.
550.4 Suspected patent infringements are to be reported to the Attorney-General for review and possible litigation. Should the Attorney-General conclude sufficient evidence exists for a possible civil case, he/she may demand resolution by arbitration. If criminal acts are involved in the potential infringement, the Attorney-General may file criminal charges against the infringer.
550.5 The Federal Government of Cyberia reserves the right to use any or all patents filed for military weapons and/or equipment without liability and payment of royalties.
CHAPTER 551 - NATIONAL MUSEUM (98-038)
551.1 Cyberia shall have a museum of national history, and a museum of art, both in Kernsopolis.
551.2 The Chamber of Deputies appropriates 48,500,000 Cy for the construction of a Museum of National History in Kernsopolis. 551.21 The Minister of the Interior shall oversee the construction.
551.22 The Museum of National History shall be run jointly by the Minister of the Interior and by a museum curator appointed by the Minister of the Interior. An annual maintenance request shall be submitted to the Chamber of Deputies by the Minister of the Interior as well as any additional funds requests.
551.23 The Museum of National History shall have the power to charge a nominal fee for services rendered which shall be set by the museum curator with the permission of the Minister of the Interior.
551.3 The Chamber of Deputies appropriates 65,000,000 Cy for the construction of a Cyberian Museum of Art in Kernsopolis.
551.31 The Minister of the Interior shall oversee the construction.
551.32 The Cyberian Museum of Art shall be run jointly by the Minister of the Interior and by a museum curator appointed by the Minister of the Interior. An annual maintenance request shall be submitted to the Chamber of Deputies by the Minister of the Interior as well as any additional funds requests.
551.33 The Cyberian Museum of Art shall have the power to charge a nominal fee for services rendered which shall be set by the museum curator with the permission of the Minister of the Interior.
CHAPTER 552 - CYBERIA ENERGY AUTHORITY (99-003)
552.1 The Cyberian Energy Authority is hereby created for the purpose of operating the Cyberian network of hydro-electric dams throughout the Commonwealth of Cyberia to provide the lowest possible market rate for electricity to the citizens of Cyberia.
552.2 The Cyberian Energy Authority shall be jointly administered by the Minister of the Interior and the Commissioner of the Cyberian Energy Authority who shall be appointed by the President.
552.3 The Commissioner of the Cyberian Energy Authority shall submit all budget requests of the Cyberian Energy Authority to the Minister of the Interior including any and all rate changes. The Minister of the Interior shall have the authority to approve or reject rate increases set by the Commissioner of the Cyberian Energy Authority.
552.4 Operations and Maintenance
552.41 The Cyberian Energy Authority is required to balance its budget.
552.42 Operations and Maintenance are the sole responsibility of the Commissioner of the Cyberian Energy Authority.
552.43 The Cyberian Energy Authority is required to charge the lowest possible market rate provided that such a rate provides enough revenue to operate a balanced budget.
552.44 The operations and maintenance of the Cyberian Energy Authority may not intrude on private property rights unless expressly permitted under federal or provincial law.
554.1 There shall be created within the Ministry of the Interior, the Geographical Mapping Agency (GMA).
554.2 It shall be administered by the Minister of the Interior, or a designated representative upon the consent of the President.
554.3 The GMA shall be responsible for creating, collecting, and upon request, distributing maps to the Commonwealth.
554.4 All maps created, collected, and registered with the GMA shall be considered a legal document, and shall be the only authorised maps for governmental use.
554.5 Maps that are created by agencies, organisations, or persons not associated with the GMA, may be submitted for review in becoming a GMA certified map.
CHAPTER 555 - SOCIAL SECURITY (00-001) 555.1 The object of this Act is to establish a system of pensions for retired, disabled and unemployed Cyberians which guarantees a minimum income to all and allows a contribution-linked extra pension.
555.2 The Bank of Cyberia must create and manage a Social Security Fund.
555.3 The Commonwealth must pay into the Fund all surplus revenue from the operations of Cyebrrail and annual appropriations by the National Assembly.
555.4 The level of annual payments to each of the target groups is fixed by the following schedule and the Bank of Cyberia is hereby authorised to adjust Schedule 1 on an annual basis for inflation:
1) Retired Pension - ~15 000
2) Disabled Pension - ~15 000
3) Temporary Unemployed Pension - 10 000
555.5 The age of retirement is 60 for men and women.
555.6 The Social Security Fund may make regulations, subject to disallowance within 14 days by either house of the National Assembly, prescribing:
1) a reasonable work test for unemployed people;
2) a reasonable eligibility test for disabled people;
3) a reasonable asset test for retired people; and
4) a system of part payments for partially disabled or underemployed people.
555.7 Everyone receiving a full or part payment under this Act is eligible for Cybercare rebates.
555.8 The Bank is hereby directed to report to the National Assembly on the feasibility of maternity pensions and measures to ensure the welfare of children.
CHAPTER 556 - ECONOMIC ENTERPRISE ACT
556.1 In order to promote economic enterprise and economic growth in the Commonwealth of Cyberia, there shall be created an Economic Enterprise Agency within the Department of the Treasury.
556.2 The Economic Enterprise Agency shall be headed by a Commissioner of the Economic Enterprise Agency.
556.3 The Economic Enterprise Agency shall guarantee business loans to private individuals, partnerships or corporations that wish to obtain capital and/or assets for the purposes of expanding existing businesses provided that total loans for any single private individual, partnership or corporation does not exceed 20,000,000 Cy. The Economic Enterprise Agency shall also guarantee business loans to private individuals, partnerships or corporations that wish to obtain capital and/or assets for the purposes of creating new business enterprises provided that loans for any single private individual, partnership or corporations does not exceed 50,000,000 Cy.
556.4 Application for a loan guarantee by the Economic Enterprise Agency shall be open to all private individuals, partnerships and corporations provided the following conditions are met:
556.41 The business enterprise for which a loan guarantee is to be made does not discriminate against any person based upon gender, religion or lack thereof, political affiliation, creed, handicap or disability, sexual orientation, or any other form of discrimation specifically barred of any government agency.
556.42 That the primary objective of any business enterprise is not religious in nature.
556.43 That the total net worth of any individual, partnership or corporation applying for a loan guarnatee does not exceed 250,000,000 Cy.
556.44 That any individual, partnership or corporation has not defaulted on any previous loan guarantee made by the Economic Enterprise Agency or any other loan guarantee made by an agency or Department of the Virtual Commonwealth of Cyberia.
556.45 At least 1 part-time (defined as at least 20 hours of work per week) employee is hired as a result of any loan guarantee.
556.46 Any other condition set by the Commissioner of the Economic Enterprise Agency or by the National Assembly or both.
556.5 The National Assembly hereby appropriates an original 250,000,000 Cy for the creation of the Economic Enterprise Agency and guarantees an initial 250,000,000 Cy worth of loan guarantees.
557.1 The Commonwealth is to operate a Cyberian Broadcasting Cooperative as an independent agency in terms of Section 5.29 of the Constitution.
557.2 The Commission is to have a board of 3 members appointed by the president and subject to legislative confirmation. The board must not include more than one member of any single political party.
557.3 The board is to elect and remove the editor-in-chief, subject to presidential approval.
557.4 The Commission is to operate a blog covering events in Cyberia and other micronations.
557.5 The Commission is not subject to direction or review by any organ of state, other than the Supreme Court.
557.6 Anyone may (subject to this Chapter) contribute news and opinion posts.
557.61 News posts must be written in appropriate language with a reasonable attempt at objectivity and one or more hyperlinks to the reported event. The author of a news post must test the accuracy of information from all sources, give subjects of news stories an opportunity to respond to allegations of wrongdoing and identify sources whenever feasible.
557.62 Opinion posts must be marked as such and carry a signature by which the contributor can be easily identified. Opinion posts may not be edited unless they are defamatory or otherwise contrary to law.
557.63 Comments to both news and opinion posts may not be deleted or edited, except where the posting is contrary to Section 557.7.
557.7 Section 557.6 does not include a noncitizen whose presence within this Commonwealth is unlawful or to anyone serving a term of imprisonment.
557.8 The CBC must not, whether directly or indirectly, in any manner give support to, or oppose, any party or candidate participating in an election, or any of the issues in contention between parties or candidates.