Emergency Powers Act
this was the name given to the first amendment of the Old Republic's laws governing the length of the term of a Supreme Chancellor. The passage of the Emergency Powers Act occurred shortly before the onset of the Clone Wars, when Chancellor Palpatine was nearing the end of his term. Crises on Raxus Prime and Antar 4 had caused the Galactic Senate to vote on extending Palpatine's tenure as Chancellor, in an effort to keep the Old Republic "on an even keel" and not "change dewbacks in the middle of a sand dune." The passage of the Emergency Powers Act kept Palpatine in power until the Battle of Geonosis, when his tenure was once again extended after Jar-Jar Binks, sitting in for Senator Padme' Amidala, put forth a motion to grant Palpatine another extension, as well as the ability to create the Grand Army of the Republic.