A Universal Guaranteed Annual Income

Short Title: Guaranteed Annual Income

Whereas, today, at least 50% of the Earth’s adult population, whether working in an area producing goods and services or not, lacks the basic necessities of life and receive inadequate income for living a quality life with dignity for themselves and their families,

Whereas, a significant portion of the Earth’s adult population work very hard in areas that are not compensated by wages, such as in the home, or in volunteer community projects to help others, or in subsistence farming or the repair and maintenance of their homes and properties,

Whereas, the Constitution for the Federation of Earth, under Article 13, recognizes economic and social rights for every person living on Earth, including “wages sufficient to assure human dignity,”

Whereas, the concept of “wages” sufficient to assure human dignity surely cannot only apply to those who work outside the home, outside of caring for children, or in other than pro-bono activities, but must include all adult persons,

Whereas, a minimum quantity of Earth currency in the hands of those fifty percent of the Earth’s population who have little or no spending power at present would activate regional and local economies worldwide through the steady movement of cash from hand to hand in exchange for goods and services,

Whereas, we recognize that the basic necessities of life are a right of every person living on the Earth,

Whereas, the ratification process of this Earth Constitution may be enhanced by the direct recognition on the part of people worldwide that it represents a new economic and political era free of violence and exploitation and directed toward peace, prosperity, and human welfare,

We, delegates of the Tenth Session of the Provisional World Parliament do hereby enact the following legislative measures creating a guaranteed annual income for the people of Earth.

• The guaranteed annual income (GAI) shall be measured in Earth Currency, which is the only legitimate currency within the Earth Federation.
• The global minimum income shall be defined as the income necessary to purchase a basic healthy diet of food, decent housing, basic utilities necessary for living such as water, sewage services, and electricity, as well as basic clothing.
  • The currency value of a basic health diet, decent housing, basic utilities, and clothing shall be estimated and proposed to Parliament by the Agency for Research and Planning and written into law by the World Parliament or the Provisional World Parliament.
  • This amount should calculate to be approximately one half of the global minimum wage as specified in WLA 22, since a “living wage” as determined by that Act will necessarily include income beyond basic necessities to allow reasonable disposable income.
  • Other needs that are covered by the rights identified in Article 13 of the Earth Constitution, such as health care and social security, are not covered in this act and must be dealt with independently in other acts of the Provisional World Parliament or World Parliament. The World Parliament or Provisional World Parliament may wish to treat the stipulations below as part of an Earth Federation social security program as specified under Article 13.13 of the Earth Constitution.
• Persons needing the guaranteed annual income shall apply for this to the proper office of the Earth Federation and provide necessary documentation. The Earth Federation shall make the procedure as streamlined, simple, and effective as possible.
  • Procedures for immediate or very rapid starting of payments under the guaranteed annual income entitlement shall be in place and applied to all applicants, even before documents have been checked or verified. .
  • There will be penalties, as determined by the World Parliament or Provisional World Parliament, for knowingly submitting false information or documents in a GAI application. If false claims have been made, procedures will be in place for paying back the money, along with other possible penalties as determined by the Parliament.
• The guaranteed annual income will include all adults over age 18, and shall be distributed according to the following criteria:
  • Ages 18-39, the annual income will be the global minimum as determined by the World Parliament or Provisional World Parliament for those people who lack sufficient income (as defined below) from all other sources such as work, investment, royalties, or family wealth.
  • Ages 39-59, the annual income will be 1.5 times the minimum for those who lack sufficient income from all other sources as specified in 4.1.
  • Ages 60 and above, the annual income will be 2 times the minimum for those who lack sufficient income from all other sources as specified in 3.1. Hence, the guaranteed annual income for those 60 and over, who lack income from all other sources, will be approximately equivalent to the global living wage as defined in WLA 22.
  • Those who have income from all sources that is little enough to quality them for partial GAI payments will be paid according to a formula for determining the proportionate amount of these payments.
• The relationship to the total income of a person shall be as follows:
  • Persons age 60 and over, earning the global minimum wage from all sources of income as specified in WLA 22, but not more than 1.5 times the global minimum wage, will receive .5 of the guaranteed annual income specified in item #2 above. Therefore, those who continue to work past age 60 will receive at least .5 of the global minimum wage more in income than those who wish to retire at the global guaranteed income for persons 60 and over.
  • Persons earning 2 or 3 times the global minimum wage, or the maximum of 4 times the global minimum wage (from all sources of income), will not receive a guaranteed annual income.
• Upon job loss and loss of external income from business, work, illness, natural disasters, or all other sources, a person will begin receiving the guaranteed annual income, according to his or her age and according to the portion of income lost. A person whose total income is reduced to the levels specified above shall receive the relevant proportion of the guaranteed annual income.
• The provisions of this act will take effect during the first operative stage of world government as defined under Article 7 of the Earth Constitution. The government of the Earth Federation under the first operative stage will make every reasonable effort to institutionalize and activate the GAI during this stage, while at the same time not neglecting its many other responsibilities imposed at this stage.

Passed unanimously by the 10th Session of the Provisional World Parliament meeting in Kara, Togo, June 21-25, 2007.

Dr. Eugenia Almand, Secretary of the Parliament.