ModParl: Leveraging AI to Navigate Procedural Rules
Legislatures around the world continue experimenting with new technologies and processes. This month we’re highlighting:
The Brazilian Senate’s new AI tool that helps staffers navigate procedural rules
How the Portuguese Assembly is implementing public consultation for all bills
New regional sessions launched by Uganda’s parliament
Please forward this to any colleagues you believe would benefit, and feel free to reach out! We are always happy to connect with fellow enthusiasts of legislative institutions around the world.
Beatriz Rey, Ph.D.
Changes & Challenges
After student protesters in Bangladesh orchestrated the ouster of the prime minister, their movement is attempting a transition to governing, led by 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
In Kenya, a new cabinet was sworn in under President William Ruto's administration amid ongoing protests.
Thousands attempted to storm Indonesia’s parliament in opposition to election law changes, which were subsequently shelved.
A brawl broke out in Turkey's parliament after an opposition MP called the ruling majority "terrorists," leading to injuries and the suspension of the session.
Thailand's Parliament elected Paetongtarn Shinawatra, 37, as prime minister, making her the country's youngest leader and its second female PM.
It will fall to France’s new prime minister, Michel Barnier, to propose a new government that addresses the new dynamics in the Assemblée Nationale.
One month after Venezuelan elections, domestic and diaspora protests continue, and the opposition leader has fled to Spain.
Jordanians went to the polls on Tuesday to elect members of their 138-seat parliament.
Bulgaria will hold its seventh election in three years on October 29, due to a prolonged political crisis and collapse of the coalition government.
On Our Radar
An Austrian data privacy group is suing the European Parliament alleging it insufficiently protected its employees’ personal data.
Politico Europe explores “the secret lives of (EU) parliamentary assistants.”
A constitutional court in Germany confirmed that a plan to reduce the number of Bundestag seats from 733 to 630 is constitutional.
The Italian Chamber of Deputies selected three generative AI projects from a pool of 28 submissions by universities and research centers to assist Italian parliamentarians in drafting and comparing legislation.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle became the first sitting Speaker of the UK House of Commons to visit the Cayman Islands, a self-governing British Overseas Territory.
The Ukrainian Parliament officially ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which the country signed in 2000.
Dispatch from Brazil: AI and Procedural Rules
Brazil’s Senate is testing a new tool to help staffers consult and apply legislative procedures in committees and on the floor. The tool uses Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) to answer questions about points of order based on the Constitution, the Senate’s Rulebook, and existing procedural interpretations.
When asked a question, the tool offers two output options: “hypotheses and conclusions” or a “detailed exploration.” In simulations, we tested both:
Brazil's Senate: Navigating Procedural Rules with AI
As most parliaments grapple with how to incorporate AI into their legislative processes, Brazil’s Senate is leading the development of a new tool to help staffers consult and apply legislative procedures in committees and on the floor.
Public Participation in Portugal
This month, we visited the Portuguese Assembly, which is studying how to make all bills available to public consultation as per a 2023 reform of its internal rulebook. Article 134 now establishes that citizens should be able to give their input to bills under consideration on the Assembly’s website. Public consultation must remain open until the bill is voted on the floor, and committees are responsible for gathering the information from this process.
Ana Paula Bernardo, director of the Parliamentary Support Directorate (DAP), tells us that this has put a toll on the technical support services within the Assembly, which lack the staff capacity to implement it. “Which information will be received from citizens? How should we parcel out offenses and intimidation from actual information? How can we protect citizens’ personal data? Those are questions we are currently grappling with as we explore how to do this in an online environment,” she explains.
According to Bernardo, prior to the 2023 reform, public consultation was required only for bills related to labor rights. Committee chairs could also request citizens’ input for specific bills. “The idea of doing it for all bills is good, but it worries me that we frustrate citizens if we don’t actually incorporate their suggestions,” she said. Bernardo expects to have a plan for incorporating the 2023 reform change by October or November 2024.
In other news: parliamentary staff is still sad over the passing of Mingau Maria, a black and cheerful cat adopted by the Assembly that left us early this year. Tobias, its companion, is well and hanging out in the hallways of the institution.
Do you also have a furry friend keeping you company in your legislative institution? We want to see them! Send your pictures to beatriz@popvox.org and let’s celebrate the pets that make our legislative workplaces a little brighter!
Tobias, a cat adopted by the Portuguese Assembly
District Seatings in Uganda
Uganda’s Parliament held its first-ever series of “regional sittings,” in Gulu City in the north of the country from August 28-30. Speaker Anita Among said that she intends for the practice of holding parliamentary sessions in regions around the country to become “a salient aspect of our legislative culture and vision of taking Parliament to the people.”
While Among said that the sittings did not require any spending increase in the parliamentary budget, several opposition Members of Parliament boycotted the sessions, arguing that the logistical costs and lack of tangible outcomes do not justify the expense. Three hundred and ten MPs participated in the session, along with members of the local community.
This practice of holding legislative sessions in regions far from the capital is similar to Kenya’s “Senate Mashinani,” which we covered back in June.
ParlAmericas: Technology in the Spotlight
ParlAmericas held two technology-related events in August:
The first explored how AI is transforming parliamentary processes across the Americas. Jessica Cobert Smith, a detailee of the Artificial Intelligence Strategy from the US House of Representatives Committee on House Administration, addressed an important and often overlooked topic: gender bias in AI and the committee’s efforts to include women in AI policy development.
The second event focused on legislative efforts to strengthen digital identity governance. University of San Andrés Professor Gustavo Giorgetti outlined how interoperability — the ability of different systems and organizations to work together seamlessly — is essential for efficient public services, reducing redundancy, and enhancing user experience.
Legislative Workforce in Australia
The Australian government is taking big steps to improve the working conditions and compensation for parliamentary staffers, with the creation of a new Parliamentary Standards Commission to enforce behavior codes and major pay and benefits upgrades, including:
an 11% pay raise,
travel stipend,
additional leave for religious or cultural obligations,
eighteen weeks of parental leave,
a bonus for staff who speak multiple languages, and
increased educational benefits.
IPU Supporting Parliaments’ Effectiveness
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has announced the adoption of the Common Principles for Support to Parliaments, a set of guidelines aimed at enhancing parliamentary effectiveness and democratic governance worldwide. Developed through collaboration with various stakeholders, they provide a framework for international organizations, donors, and parliaments to strengthen parliamentary systems and promote transparency, accountability, and inclusiveness.
Report from the US: Updates on Congress, Technology, and International Exchanges
A Bússola Tech piece explains the creation and success of HouseCal by the US House of Representatives. HouseCal offers an intuitive platform that allows legislative bodies to efficiently plan, track, and adjust their schedules, ensuring smooth operations and better time management. The tool is particularly valuable for legislative staff, enabling them to manage sessions, track bills, and coordinate with stakeholders more effectively.
In August, the Committee on House Administration led a bipartisan staff delegation to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to discuss e-governance, NATO, and the support of democracies and parliaments. The visit underscored the critical role that legislative bodies play in shaping foreign policy and fostering international relationships.
Dr. Karen E. Donfried was tapped as the new director of the Congressional Research Service CRS). Donfried, a seasoned leader in American foreign policy, previously served as Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs at the Department of State. Her background includes a decade-long tenure at CRS as an analyst and specialist, as well as roles on the National Security Council and as the first female president of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Donfried’s return to CRS is seen as a pivotal moment for the agency, which plays a crucial role in providing policy and legal analysis to Congress. POPVOX Foundation wishes her warm congratulations!
Tell us your stories!
POPVOX Foundation wants to learn about your experiences in parliaments across the globe. What are examples of progress in your legislative institutions that are happening quietly and would serve as positive examples to staffers from other countries? Don’t hesitate to reach out with your stories: beatriz@popvox.org.
About POPVOX Foundation
POPVOX Foundation is a US-based nonprofit with a mission to inform and empower people and make government work better for everyone. Its dedicated team of former Congressional staffers are united by an enduring commitment to democracy and the legislative process. Through initiatives like the Comparative Legislative Strengthening Project, POPVOX Foundation connects legislative modernizers around the world through a shared passion for public service that knows no borders.
