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Training Module: Generating official lists at Consideration Stage

Training Module: Generating official lists at Consideration Stage

A module which explains how the ‘as introduced’ version of the bill is prepared in Lawmaker and published on the API. You have to complete ‘Preparing the bill for introduction’ before you can complete ‘Publishing the bill’ exercise.

Introduction

Generating the NI Notice of Amendments

Generating the NI Notice of Withdrawals

Generating the NI Marshalled List

Exercises

Getting Started

Before you can complete this exercise you will need to create your own training project containing a published ‘as introduced’ version of the bill and some amendments to generate lists from.

  1. A published bill (download the XML file here )

  2. Some Consideration stage amendments (download the amendments XML file here )

The following steps will allow you to create the data required for this exercise.

  1. Download the XML documents for the exercise by clicking on the links you’ve been provided with. By default, the downloaded files are usually placed in the “downloads” folder on your computer.

  2. Log in to Lawmaker.

  3. From the Dashboard, create a new project of the type you need for the exercise. Give it a title such as [Your Initials] Preparing and Publishing Official Lists Bill. (See Creating a new project.)

  4. From the Project tab for that project, select Document Actions > Upload document, and select the As Introduced XML file for the exercise which you have downloaded. It can be uploaded into the default folder that has been created in the project. (See Create a new document by uploading an XML file.)

  5. On the newly uploaded document version, select Actions > Update Document Information and update the Title to match the title you originally gave the project.

  6. Generate a PDF of this bill version by selecting Actions > Generate PDF

  7. Once the PDF has generated, toggle the snapshot view to see the PDF Snapshot created and select Actions > Publish Version

  1. From the Amendment Workspace tab click on the Upload button and select the Consideration stage amendments XML file which you have downloaded. Ensure you select As Introduced bill version and Consideration Stage.

  2. Open the imported amendment list in the Editor and bulk update the statuses using Amendment Status right-hand panel and selecting the Bulk update statuses button

  3. Select the Draft to Submitted state transition and when complete, save your changes and close the list of amendments using the Close Editor button

Exercise 1: Generate the first Notice of Amendments

Step 1: Table the amendments

Before you can generate an official list, you need to table the submitted amendments that you want to appear in the list.

  1. From the Amendment Manager, select all the Minister for Communities' amendments APART FROM THE CLAUSE 2 STAND PART AMENDMENT

  2. From the top right on the Amendment Manager screen, select Amendment Actions > Table Amendments

  3. Finally, select all Mr Gary Middleton’s amendments and table these using the same steps

Step 2: Generate the Notice of Amendments

Generate the Notice of Amendments, making any adjustments required before generating a PDF ready for checking and publishing.

  1. From the top right on the Amendment Manager screen, select Amendment Actions > Create official list

  2. On the create amendment list dialog box, select Notice of Amendments at consideration stage and give the list a unique name e.g. NoA. Leave the cut-off date empty

  3. When the list loads in the Editor, check that the amendments are sorted and grouped correctly.

  4. Make any adjustments if required then save and close the list using the Close Editor button

  5. On the Official Lists tab, find the Notice of Amendments you just created and select Actions > Generate PDF and click on the Generate button

  6. The list is now ready for official checks before publishing on the website

Exercise 2: Publishing the amendment list

Assuming the amendment list has completed all checks then the list is now ready for publishing

Step 1: Publish the list in Lawmaker

You need to publish the amendment list in Lawmaker in order for automated processes when generating subsequent lists to run correctly.

  1. Click on the black triangle to the left of the list name to expand the view of snapshots

  2. On the grey PDF snapshot version, select Actions > Publish version

  3. The published version will appear on the right-hand side of the Official Lists tab and a snapshot is created under the working version.

Step 2: Publish the list on the Assembly’s website

You can now upload the final version of the pdf onto the website

Exercise 3: Generate another Notice of Amendments

Step 1: Table the amendments

Before you generate another Notice of Amendments, you need to table more submitted amendments.

  1. Return to the Amendment Manager, and select all of Ms Paula Bradshaw’s and Gary Middleton’s amendments

  2. From the top right on the Amendment Manager screen, select Amendment Actions > Table Amendments

Step 2: Generate another Notice of Amendments

Generate another Notice of Amendments, containing the newly tabled amendments only.

  1. From the top right on the Amendment Manager screen, select Amendment Actions > Create official list

  2. On the create amendment list dialog box, select Notice of Amendments at consideration stage and give the list a unique name e.g. NoA2. Leave the cut-off date empty

  3. When the list loads in the Editor, check that the amendments are sorted correctly.

Step 3: Update the amendment location for the amendments to amendments

There are 2 amendments to amendments and these always need updating to ensure they will be correctly sorted in the Marshalled List. They are also sorted incorrectly in the Notice of Amendments as the amendment to subsection (4) appears before the amendment to subsection (2) purely because of the order they were created. Update their amendment information, including sort codes to ensure they will always be correctly sorted in all future lists.

  1. Still with the Notice of Amendments open in the Editor, update the amendment to amendments (a2a) by placing your cursor in the amendment to subsection (4) and opening the Amendment Information right hand panel. Update as follows—

  2. Place cursor in Location field and type - after (for “After” clause 4 which is the location of the target amendment)

  3. Place cursor in Provision field and type - sec_4 (i.e. the abbreviation for section 4, the location of the target amendment)

  4. This a2a should appear after the amendment to subsection (2) so correct their sort order by typing 3 in the Sort Code

  5. Wait for the spinner before saving your changes

  6. Place your cursor in the second a2a amending subsection (2) and repeat those same updates apart from adding 2 to the Sort Code so that it appears before the other amendment.

  7. Wait for the spinner before saving your changes

  8. Click into each amendment and double check the location table has been successfully updated for both.

  9. From the upper tool bar select Tools > Update List

  10. Check that the amendments have been correctly sorted then save your changes and close the list using the Close Editor button

  11. On the Official Lists tab, find the Notice of Amendments you just created and select Actions > Generate PDF and click on the Generate button and send list for official checks

Step 3: Update the target amendment’s location information

To ensure the amendments are all sorted correctly on the Marshalled List, you will also need to update the Sort Code for the target amendment by opening it in a temporary list and amending it in the same way you updated the other a2as.

  1. Back on the Amendment Manager, select the target amendment for the 2 x amendments to amendments (the Minister for Communities' amendment inserting new clause after clause 4)

  2. Click on the eye-ball to view it

  3. Click on the Edit amendment button in the bottom left corner

  4. Place your cursor in the amendment and add 1 to the Sort Code so that it appears first before the amendments to amendments

  5. Wait for the spinner before saving your changes and closing the list using the Close Editor button

When ready, publish this second list using the same instructions from Training Module: Generating official lists at Consideration Stage | ✏️ Publish Notice of Amendments on Lawmaker

Exercise 4: Generate a Notice of Withdrawals

In this scenario, the Minister for Communities wishes to withdraw their amendment to Clause 5, Page 4, Line 16 and their amendment to Clause 2, Page 1, Line 14—

Step 1: Update the amendments' statuses to Withdrawn

Before you can generate the Notice of Withdrawals, you will need to update the amendment(s) with a status of Withdrawn.

  1. Find these 2 amendments on the Amendment Manager tab and select them

  2. Select Amendment Actions > Create temporary list

  3. In the temporary list that loads in the Editor, update the status of these amendments by placing your cursor in the first amendment

  4. Open the Amendment Status right-hand panel and click on the Withdrawn button

  5. Place your cursor in the second amendment

  6. Click on the Withdrawn button again

  7. Save your changes and close the list using the Close Editor button

You can use keyboard short cuts to move up and down through the amendments in the Editor—

  • ALT+K moves you down

  • ALT+H moves you up

Step 2: Generate the Notice of Withdrawals

Now that the amendments have been updated with the withdrawn status, you can generate the Notice of Withdrawals. Amendments will only appear on the NoW if they have previously been published on another list which is why it’s important to always publish lists in Lawmaker when an amendment list is finalised.

  1. From the top right on the Amendment Manager screen, select Amendment Actions > Create official list

  2. On the create amendment list dialog box, select Notice of Withdrawals at Consideration Stage giving the list a unique name e.g. NoW. Leave cut-off date empty

  3. When the list loads in the Editor, update the first italic note by adding the Minister for Communities to the empty Member placeholder and add the correct date in the date placeholder

  4. change amendment to amendments and has to have as there are 2 amendments and in this exercise.

  5. Only display the one italic note by deleting the italic note above the second amendment, selecting Note from the breadcrumb and deleting it

  6. Save your changes and close the list using the Close Editor button

  7. On the Official Lists tab, find the Notice of Withdrawals you just created and select Actions > Generate PDF and click on the Generate button and send for official checks

When ready, publish this second list using the same instructions from Training Module: Generating official lists at Consideration Stage | ✏️ Publish Notice of Amendments on Lawmaker

Exercise 5: Generate the Marshalled List

In this exercise, we will pretend that the Minister for Communities has permission to table a last minute amendment to appear on the Marshalled List.

Step 1: Table the last minute amendment

Before you generate the Marshalled List, you need to table the last minute submitted amendment to ensure it appears.

  1. From the Amendment Manager, select Clause 2 stand part amendment submitted by the Minister for Communities'

  2. From the top right on the Amendment Manager screen, select Amendment Actions > Table Amendments

Step 2: Generate the Marshalled List

Now that the last minute amendment has been tabled, you can generate the Marshalled List.

  1. From the top right on the Amendment Manager screen, select Amendment Actions > Create official list

  2. On the create amendment list dialog box, select Marshalled List at Consideration Stage and provide a unique name for your Marshalled List e.g. ML. Update the cut-off date to be the deadline date that appears in the preface of the Marshalled List, leave cut-off time and update list date with the date of the debate

  3. When the list loads in the Editor, update the order of consideration in the preface with Clauses

  4. Add an asterisk to the newly tabled amendment by pacing your cursor in the amendment and right-clicking to select Update star status. Select the Asterisk button

  5. Update the 2 x amendments to amendments by overwriting their italic notes (Amendment Context) with As an amendment to amendment 3.

  6. Check that the amendments are sorted correctly. There were 2 amendments to the same place (Clause 5, Page 4, Line 23), if you need to update their sort location, you should first update the Sort Code in the Amendment Information right hand panel before manually swapping their locations in the list (using the Structure View) and updating the assigned amendment numbers.

  7. Make any other adjustments if required then save and close the list using the Close Editor button

  8. On the Official Lists tab, find the Marshalled List you just created and select Actions > Generate PDF and click on the Generate button and send the list for official checks

When ready, publish this list using the same instructions from Training Module: Generating official lists at Consideration Stage | ✏️ Publish Notice of Amendments on Lawmaker

When complete…

Move onto Training Module: Generating a Grouping List