SECTION V: RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF CITIZENS

A. Laws
U.S. citizens shall not be prosecuted for victimless crimes.

1. There shall be no prosecution of victimless crimes. This shall include but not be limited to the use and sale of marijuana. There shall be an immediate pardon and release of those in prison for such offenses. This amendment shall not apply to traffic violations, including drunk driving.

2. Marijuana shall be legalized and the war on soft drugs shall cease immediately.

3. Fines for misdemeanor violations shall be minimal and amount to no more than a slap on the wrist.

4. No sexual act between consenting adults shall be illegal.

5. Gay marriage shall be allowed. All rights allowed to heterosexual domestic partners and married couples shall extend to gay and lesbian married couples and domestic partners.

B. Citizens' Rights
U.S. citizens shall have the right to a home and protection from economic disaster, as well as a duty to engage in public service.

1. Every U.S. Citizen shall have the right to a decent home. The government shall provide housing for homeless people.

2. Every U.S. Citizen shall have the right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment. (See Inconvenient Documents: FDR Bill of Rights)

3. Upon reaching the age of 18, everyone shall engage in one year of public service, and shall be paid at least the minimum wage for such work.

C. Consumer Bill of Rights
Consumers shall have the right to fair credit and lending practices; the right to products that are safe and nontoxic; and to be fully and adequately compensated for injury and expenses caused by harmful products that have been allowed into the marketplace.

1. Interest charged on credit card debt and loans in any form shall be capped at prime plus 10 percent, regardless of the term of the loan. There shall be no variable-rate loans or point charges.

2. Late fees or penalties on any debt shall be prohibited if interest continues to be compounded on a debt. Hidden fees shall be prohibited.

3. Bankruptcy shall be permitted for debt incurred for medical expenses.

4. Airlines shall be regulated as per pre-deregulation rules. Refundable and changeable tickets without penalties shall be mandatory practice on airlines. Reimbursement for lost luggage shall be based on actual cost.

5. There shall be no limitation on corporate liability, including but not limited to the pharmaceutical and medical industries. 

6. Products and packaging shall not contain toxic chemicals or be in any way unsafe for consumption. This prohibition includes a ban on any substance known to cause cancer or other disease or disorder or affect the development of a fetus. Absent a ban on toxic chemicals, manufacturers shall list on the package in bold, red type all ingredients in food, drug, cosmetics, perfume, and toiletry products that are toxic to humans or animals.

7. Manufacturers shall list on the package of consumer products the type and weight of toxic substances used in processing and manufacture of the product and the amount of greenhouse gases used to make the product.

8. The federal government shall establish and rigorously enforce "Do Not Junk Mail," "Do Not Junk Fax," "Do Not Phone," and "Do Not Spam" lists.

D. Employment Bill of Rights
Every citizen of the U.S. shall have the right to a decent job and to earn enough to provide adequate food, clothing, and housing. (FDR Bill of Rights)

1. Every employee, including those who work in private homes, shall receive an annually recalculated and realistic minimum wage set by Congress, regardless of the location and job.

2. Corporate whistleblowers shall be protected from losing their jobs, lawsuits, criminal charges, and other negative consequences of their actions in disclosing governmental or corporate wrong-doing.

E. Medical Bill of Rights
Every U.S. Citizen shall have the right to health care and have access to health care that they deem beneficial, including alternative therapies.

1. The federal government shall create a national health care program and provide free medical care to all U.S. citizens.

2. Until a national health care system is in place, all hospitals and health insurance companies shall revert to nonprofit status.

3. Patients shall be given access to all health care information, services, treatments, and products they deem beneficial to their health and survival. (credit: National Health Freedom Action)

4. Doctors shall have the right and obligation to advise patients about alternative or natural therapies, substances, or procedures.

5. Alternative healing modalities shall be allowed to be practiced in the United States without fear of prosecution. Unlicensed practitioners must in turn provide consumers with disclosures.

6. Patients shall have access to any and all nontoxic homeopathic substances, drugs, or remedies intended for healing or treatment of any disease or health condition.

7. No federal, state, or local government shall mandate vaccinations, procedures, medicine, or treatment for children or adults. Parents shall have the right to determine the appropriate treatment for their child or children and shall not be subject to prosecution for selecting an unconventional medical course of action. 

8. A woman shall have the right to make decisions about her body.

9. Assisted suicide shall be legal; however, counseling must be provided to anyone who seeks to take his or her own life.

10. Licensed, practicing doctors and alternative practitioners shall not be allowed to accept gifts, money, or marketing materials from pharmaceutical or drug companies. Doctors who have in the past received compensation from a pharmaceutical or drug company shall disclose such information to their patients.

11. Until a national health care system is in place, no patient shall be charged more than an insurance company or Medicare would pay for a medical service, procedure, or drug.

F. Educational Bill of Rights
All children shall have equal access to a good education. The financing of education shall have high priority in the federal and state governments.

1. The right of U.S. citizens to a high-quality education is hereby established.

2. The financing of education shall have the third highest federal and state priorities, after health care and the environment.

3. Starting at the junior high school level, the school curriculum will include mandatory classes in environmental science; health, nutrition, and cooking; organic gardening and farming; survival and self defense skills; yoga and meditation; personal finance; and shop and construction.

4. Interest on student loans shall be capped at 2 percent with no hidden fees or additional charges.

G. Prison Reform and Prisoners' Bill of Rights
The focus of the prison system shall be rehabilitation, not punishment. Prison labor shall be used to benefit the environment or the American infrastructure.

1. Every prisoner shall receive training in green-collar jobs. At least 25 percent of prison labor shall be devoted to ecological restoration and growing organic food for local schools, hospitals, and the prison system.

2. State universities shall develop and administer college courses for prisoners. Educational credits earned by a prisoner shall be transferrable to an accredited university.

3. College credits earned by prisoners shall allow prisoners to earn time off their sentences.

4. Prisons shall not be allowed to be privatized or run for profit. All privately owned or operated prisons shall be immediately closed.

5. Private for-profit corporations shall not be allowed to use prison labor in the course of their business, unless prisoners agree and volunteer to work for the corporation. Minimum wage or higher shall be paid to prisoners for such service.

6. Shackling of prison mothers during birth shall be banned.