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Design: The Legislative Lifecycle (Governance V2)

Date: 2026-01-29 Objective: To implement a rigorous, transparent lifecycle for community legislation, moving beyond simple voting to a full "Bill to Law" process.

1. The Workflow

The lifecycle consists of 8 distinct phases, moving a Proposal from a raw idea to an enacted Motion.

Phase 1: Submission & Intake

  • Status: DRAFT -> SUBMITTED
  • Actor: Any Community Member (Owner/Resident).
  • Action: Submit proposal with title, description, and justification.

Phase 2: Board Review (The Gatekeeper)

  • Status: UNDER_REVIEW
  • Actor: Board of Directors.
  • Actions:
  • Accept: Moves to Phase 3 (Study) or Phase 4 (Comment).
  • Reject: Moves to REJECTED.
  • Appeal Path:
  • If REJECTED, Author can APPEAL to the Vigilance Committee.
  • Vigilance Action: Can overturn rejection and force move to Phase 3/4.

Phase 3: Investigation & Study (Optional)

  • Status: UNDER_STUDY
  • Actor: Ad-hoc Committee or Expert.
  • Artifact: StudyReport (feasibility, cost, impact).
  • Outcome: Recommendation to Proceed or Drop.

Phase 4: Public Comment (The Town Hall)

  • Status: OPEN_FOR_COMMENT
  • Actor: Community.
  • Action: Residents post comments/feedback.
  • Duration: Fixed window (e.g., 7 days).

Phase 5: Motion & Scheduling

  • Status: MOTION
  • Actor: Board / Secretary.
  • Action:
  • Direct Enactment: If within Board authority, voted on by Board.
  • General Assembly: Scheduled for next Assembly (ON_BALLOT).

Phase 6: Voting / Ratification

  • Status: VOTING
  • Actor: Owners (via Indiviso).
  • Outcome: PASSED or FAILED.

Phase 7: Protocolization (The Formalization)

  • Status: PROTOCOLIZATION
  • Actor: Legal / Admin.
  • Actions:
  • Update Regulations.
  • Approve Budget.
  • Notarize results (if needed).

Phase 8: Enactment & Verification

  • Status: ENACTED
  • Actor: Vigilance Committee / Admin.
  • Action: Verify intent was met. Case Closed.

2. State Machine Diagram

stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> Draft
    Draft --> Submitted: Submit
    Submitted --> UnderReview: Board Pivot

    state "Board Review" as Board {
        UnderReview --> Rejected: Reject
        UnderReview --> UnderStudy: Request Study
        UnderReview --> OpenForComment: Approve for Public
    }

    state "Vigilance Appeal" as Appeal {
        Rejected --> UnderReview: Appeal Upheld
        Rejected --> Archived: Appeal Denied
    }

    UnderStudy --> OpenForComment: Study Complete

    OpenForComment --> Motion: Comments Closed

    state "Enactment Path" as MotionState {
        Motion --> BoardVote: Board Authority
        Motion --> OnBallot: Assembly Required
    }

    BoardVote --> Protocolization: Passed
    OnBallot --> Protocolization: Ratified

    Protocolization --> Enacted: Executed
    Enacted --> [*]

3. Data Schema Updates (Proposal)

New fields required:

  • lifecycleState: Enum (The tracking field).
  • studyCommitteeId: Link to commission.
  • appeals: Array of appeal records.
  • timeline: History of state transitions.
  • protocolizationData: Links to updated docs/budgets.