NEAR House of Stake - Interim Screening Committee Charter
Version: v0.1.0 (Draft for Community Review)
Status: Interim
Expiration: May 31, 2026
Introduction
The Purpose of the Screening Committee Charter
The Screening Committee Charter defines the mandate, scope, and accountability of the Screening Committee, a governance body entrusted with maintaining the integrity, neutrality, and operational quality of decision-making within House of Stake (HoS).
It exists to ensure that proposals, delegates, and governance processes meet consistent standards of transparency, feasibility, and alignment with the Constitution, Mission Vision Values, and subordinate policies.
Note - the definition of the Constitution means the base Constitution document and all its component Charters, inlcuding this one.
Interim
During the interim period, the Screening Committee, appointed by NEAR Foundation serves as a stabilizing mechanism that balances expertise and participation while the governance system transitions toward full community ownership. By reviewing proposals for completeness, overseeing delegate performance, and publishing transparent rationales for its decisions, the Committee safeguards both the efficiency and legitimacy of governance.
This Charter establishes how the Committee operates, how it is held accountable, and how its authority will progressively decentralize to the community via ratified processes. In doing so, it ensures that the House of Stake can evolve with clarity, fairness, and trust as NEARâs governance matures.
For more information about the purpose of the constitution, Interim policies & charter plan, and legitimacy see the Interim Constitution post.
Process
The process for creating the Interim Constitution is based on:
- The goal to bootstrap House of Stake with a minimum viable constitution
- Adherence to the NEAR Foundation provided starting mandate (view here)
- Alignment to the original Gauntlet proposal - NEAR House of Stake Governance Proposal (August 7, 2024)
- Referential integrity with the Bylaws of the NEAR House of Stake Foundation and Memorandum & Articles of Association
NEAR House of Stake - Screening Committee Charter v0.1.0
This Charter/Policy is subordinate to the NEAR House of Stake Interim Constitution.
In the event of conflict, the Constitution prevails.
Article 1 â Purpose
- 1.1. The Interim Screening Committee is established to uphold the integrity,
- 1.2. neutrality, and effectiveness of House of Stake (HoS) governance.
- 1.3. Its role is to ensure that proposals, delegates, and governance processes
- 1.4. consistently meet the required standards of quality, transparency,
- 1.5. and alignment with the Mission Vision Values,
- 1.6. Constitution and the policies and charters adopted under it.
Article 2 â Authority
2.1. Proposal Screening
Review ALL submitted proposals within 7 days of submission of a âfinal proposalâ to filter for legitimacy and alignment before approving. Filtering criteria include:
- 2.1.1. Technical Feasibility
- 2.1.2. Stakeholder Alignment
- 2.1.3. Compliance with Policy and Regulation
- 2.1.4. Risk Management
- 2.1.5. Financial Impact
- 2.1.6. Mission Vision Values & Mandate Alignment
2.2. Proposal Approval:
The Screening Committee may recommend or reject proposals for on-chain voting based on alignment, completeness, and constitutional compliance. A single member may opt to pass the proposal, and consent is optimistically assumed if no other committee member objects in 24 hours. If any member objects, then a majority vote of the committee is required.
2.3. Endorsed Delegate Selection:
Manage the approval/removal of endorsed delegates.
2.4. Reporting:
Any member can post to the forum stating their role on the committee or as separate from their committee capacity.
2.5. Transition of Authority:
Exercise interim authority until a community-elected process replaces their roles.
2.6. Special Project Appointment:
They may appoint a third party to âownâ a project or deliverable when necessary.
2.7. Committee Chair:
The committee may appoint a current member as a chair with consent of the member.
2.8. Committee Decisions: all decisions must be publicly recorded
- 2.8.1. Standard Decisions are conducted optimistically by consent
- 2.8.2. Decisions with objection from any member must be proposed for a committee vote to a simple majority.
- 2.8.3. Quorum for committee votes is 3 members and or 2 members plus the Head of Governance.
- 2.8.4. Head of Governance: is not a member, but can serve as an extra vote IF needed to reach quorum or as a tie-breaker.
Article 2 Goal Prevent overreach and ambiguity in scope & authority.
Article 3 â Membership
3.1. Size:
The Committee shall consist of 5 members during the interim period.
3.2. Interim Composition:
Members are appointed and removed by the NEAR Foundation.
3.3. Term:
The interim Screening Committee shall be replaced no later than May 31, 2026, through a community-developed process as outlined in the Constitution (Article 9.2).
3.4. Recusal:
A member may step down with 7 days written notice on the forum and should be replaced within 14 days.
Article 3 Goal: Ensure clarity in membership composition.
Article 4 â Responsibilities
4.1. Proposal Review:
- 4.1.1. Evaluate proposals within seven calendar days of submission.
- 4.1.2. Publish reasoning for each decision to the Governance Forum.
- 4.1.3. Approve proposals for voting that satisfy all review criteria. The appellate process of receiving public support and reasoning from 3 or more endorsed delegates.
4.2. Delegate Oversight:
- 4.2.1. Review endorsed delegate applications quarterly.
- 4.2.2. Review Endorsed Delegates quarterly for performance, transparency, and compliance.
- 4.2.3. Remove Delegates for failure to meet performance standards.
- 4.2.4. Facilitate enforcement of Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest Policy.
4.3. Reporting:
Log all decisions publicly within 7 days, including evaluation summaries and rationale.
4.4. Meetings:
Attend required meetings and publicly post meeting minutes including all decisions made.
Article 4 Goal: Clarify community expectations for participants.
Article 5 â Transparency & Accountability
5.1. Transparency:
All Committee meeting minutes & decisions (approvals, rejections, removals, and appointments) must be logged and published.
5.2. Appeals:
Any Committee decision may be challenged by submitting a Decision Proposal for review.
5.3. Member Removal:
The House of Stake Code of Conduct applies to all governance participants. It defines standards for transparency, conflict of interest, respectful engagement, and accountability. Violations may trigger removal as per the Constitution Article 5.2.
5.4. Incentives: Compensation and reimbursement for governance roles follow the disclosure and transparency standards outlined in Constitution Article 5 (Integrity, Conflicts of Interest, and Accountability).
Article 5 Goal: Make power visible.
Article 6 â Transition
6.1. Interim Authority:
Until May 31, 2026, the Screening Committee operates under NEAR Foundation appointment, unless and until it is replaced by a Community Co-created version before the Expiry date.
6.2. Transition:
A co-created replacement charter will outline a community-developed process for selecting replacement members.
6.3. Succession: A failure to transition to a community-developed process by May 31, 2026, will remove all constitutional authority from this body.
Article 6 Goal: Establish an agreement for removing interim privileges.
Article 7 â Interpretation & Disputes
7.1 External Disputes
All disputes not involving screening committee members or decisions are governed by NEAR House of Stake Constitution Article 11. Charters shall defer to that process for binding interpretation and resolution.
7.2 Internal Disputes
Any dispute involving a member or a decision of the screening committee will be referred to the Head of Governance & NEAR Foundation to draft a decision that a vote can ratify.
Article 7 Goal: Prevent procedural paralysis or legitimacy crises.
Call to Action
Community participation is essential to establishing the legitimacy and effectiveness of this governance framework.
Feedback
Feedback below this post is welcome now.
Note - Feedback provided before the Mainnet V1 launch may be considered, but is not guaranteed to be included in the Interim Constitution; however, your feedback will be considered in the Community co-created version of the Constitution.
Timeline
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| October 10 | Constitution Co-creation Cycle 1 Begins |
| October 20 | Target Constitution Co-creation Workshop Date |
| October 28 | Open Feedback Period Ends |
| November 4 | Constitution Co-creation Cycle 1 Ends |
Conclusion
The Interim Constitution is required for the House of Stake DAO to begin collective decision-making.
It will be replaced by a Community Co-created version.
Your participation now shapes the foundation for NEARâs next era of decentralized governance.
Below is a nonexhaustive list of Key Focus Areas to consider for Expanded Legitimacy in the replacement Community Co-created Screening Committee Charter version:
Addendum: Key Focus Areas for Expanded Legitimacy of Replacement Version
1. Clarify Roles Within the Committee
Introduce explicit roles, primarily a âchairâ, but potentially adjusting responsibility to fully committed and exclusive to NEAR ecosystem stewards each with a specific mandate. Use a combo filter and election to ensure competence. Potential for a âDAO advocateâ as one role.
2. Separate Oversight from Incentive Governance
Avoid conflicts of interest by firewalling proposal screening from economic or compensation frameworks. The Committee should not govern both gatekeeping and delegate incentives.
3. Introduce Measurable Accountability
Define Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) â e.g., proposal review turnaround time, appeal rate, member participation â and publish quarterly performance and budget reports for transparency.
4. Automation
Transparency and Reporting - Integrate an on-chain or forum-based Transparency Thread that automatically records approvals, rejections, and rationales.
Leverage AI to ensure proposal quality & aligment, procedural consistency and reduce manual overhead.
5. Add Redundancy and Delegation Mechanisms
Enable temporary replacements, subcommittees, or delegated roles with clearly defined scopes.
This guards against bottlenecks and ensures operational resilience.
6. Reinstate a Democratic Override Mechanism
Allow a supermajority community vote (e.g., 75% veNEAR) to overturn or advance proposals rejected by the Committee.
This balances legitimacy between appointed and democratic powers.
7. Prevent Formation of Circles of Influence
Soft power becomes hard power without active attention to ensuring new participants have social level access to those in power. Without deliberate attention, the circle of people who influence the powerful gain hardened postitions of soft power over time.
8. Clarify the Committeeâs Relationship to the NEAR Foundation
Reframe NFâs interim role as co-stewardship rather than authority, emphasizing shared governance and transparent transition criteria toward autonomy.
9. Codify Feedback Loops and Civic Education
Establish quarterly âreview of reviewsâ to assess decision quality and publish accessible governance summaries to keep the community informed and aligned.
10. Publish Operating Costs and Resource Usage
Commit to regular budget disclosures and cost-benefit analyses of Committee activities, reinforcing fiscal responsibility and ecosystem trust.
Authorship & Acknowledgements
Authored by: @KlausBrave & @disruptionjoe - @HackHumanity
Review and feedback from: House of Stake Core team, NEAR Foundation, Gauntlet, Agora