Programme of the PC on Social Development on Substance Abuse Bill

Date	Political Approval	Activity	Role-Players	Comment	
Weekend of 19&20 April	No	Adverts will be published in news papers inviting public input. The closing date will be Friday, 6 May.	Committee Section Researcher	The logistic arrangements will be completed on the 5 May, waiting for Chairperson's input.

1 & 2 May is a public Holiday. People will also be given an e-mail to send their input.	
25 April - 04 .May	Yes, granted	Study Tour to Brazil and Cuba Postponed beginning July	Committee Members Committee Section Researcher	To do comparative study	
Tuesday 6 May		Deliberations and reporting on Social Assistance Bill. Briefing by the Department on	Committee Members
Department Research
State Law Advisor
Parliamentary Law Advisor Committee Section	This week arrangements for public hearings should be finalized.	
Tuesday 6 May Wednesday, 7 May	No. The Committee should meet in the morning because there will be Plenary in the afternoon and there is a possibility of 3 line Whip. If it meets during Plenary and its 3 line Whip, Committee Members may join Plenary when its voting time.	the Social Assistance Regulations, Appeal Board and State of Litigation Briefing by the Department on the Bill. The Committee was briefed, but this will assist to refresh Members' memory to prepare for the public hearings.			
13, 14 & 16 May	Yes, if the Committee will meet the whole day. There is Plenary on 13 and 14 May.	Public Hearings in Parliament on the Bill	Portfolio Committee Select Committee(Chair to invite the Select Members) Department of Social Development Stakeholders	To give public an opportunity to give their views on the Bill.	
	On 13 May:
Budget Vote No 24:
Communication.
On 14 May:
Budget Vote 15; education. The committee belongs to the same cluster:
Social Services And Governance				
19 & 20 May	No	Administration will be summarizing inputs from public	Research Unit Committee Section	The summary will assist the committee during deliberations.	
Tuesday, 21 May	No	The committee deliberating on the public input.

Administration will have a weekend and Public.	Committee Department Stakeholders	Invite all departments at the same time to avoid one pointing fingers to another. (Justice Committee did that and it was fruitful).

After the meeting of the 21 May, the Committee should give Department an opportunity to address concerns raised by Committee, other Departments and Public.	
Friday, 23 May	EPC debating Water Affairs and Forestry which falls in the same cluster as the Committee therefore need political approval.	Department to respond on the concerns raised by the public.	Department	The Committee to invite all relevant departments.	
Tuesday, Wednesday 27 & 28 May	Yes for Tuesday	Deliberations on the Bill	Committee Members	Committee Members to prepare for
the debate on the Budget Vote:
Social Development scheduled for Friday 30.	
Friday, 30 May		Debate on the Budget Vote No 16: Social Development (EPC)	Committee Members		
3, 4, 6, 10 & 11 & June	Yes, to meet during Plenary	Formal consideration of the Bill (clause by clause)	•	SLA
•	Parliament law advisor
•	Portfolio Committee
•	Committee Section	To meet even after hours (evenings)	
Friday 13	Yes to meet during Plenary	Adoption of the Bill	Committee Will the Committee Section and State Law Adviser have concluded the amendments on the Bill within 2 days confirm with  them first before finalizing programme	To meet even after hours (evenings)	
Tuesday, 17 June	Yes to meet during Plenary	Drafting of the Amendments (SLA, Parliamentary Law Advisor and Committee Section).	Portfolio Committee Department of Social Development	To meet even after hours (evenings)	
Wednesday & Thursday, 18 & 19 June	Yes to meet during Plenary	Committee section processing the amendments		Finalise the Bill	
Friday 20 June		Administration to proof read proofs and revised proofs	•	SLA
•	PLA
•	Printers		
Tuesday, 24 June	Yes	The Committee to consider the final version of the Bill (amended Bill).	•	Research Unit
•	Committee section
•	SLA
•	Parliamentary Law
•	Advisors		
26 June		Debate in the House			

Parliamentary Programme
1. In terms of the deadlines set by Parliament for the Executive, the Bill met the deadline of 29 February 2008. Therefore it should be with the NCOP by 9 May to be passed by Parliament by the 2 June 2008.

2. The Bill will not be with the NCOP by 9 May, therefore Parliament will not pass it by 2 June.

3. The proposed programme for the Committee to process the Substance Abuse Bill will enable the Committee to complete the Bill before the end of June. That will give the NCOP Committee time to process the Bill in the third term and be debated by NCOP Plenary in October, depending on the programme of the NCOP Committee (whether it has any legislation before it).

4. In terms of the Parliamentary Framework that was adopted by the Joint Programme Committee, Parliament will be:

•	In Constituencies from 30 June until 25 July.

•	Third term will commence on 28 July to 26 September.

•	Fourth term will have one week from the 13 to 17 October, the focus will be on legislation and MTBPS.
This means that the Bill must be with the NCOP at the beginning of the third term to allow the six week cycle to kick in.

NB!! If the Bill is not with the NCOP at the beginning of the third term, it will not be passed before the end of the year. Therefore it is important for the Committee to ensure that it finalise the Bill before the end of June. The proposed programme will assist it to do that.

The House Chairperson of the NCOP: Committees raised concerns about the fact that the Bill is not with the N( by 9 May
although it met the deadline.

The attendance of public hearings by NCOP Committee will assist them to have better understanding of the Billecially when
they have to go and brief Provinces.

Committee section to forward an invitation to the Select committee and relevant Portfolio Committee's to the puhearings and
Departmental responses thereto.

Z Mene: Section Manager

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