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General Assembly House Resolution No. 2
January Session, 2019
LCO No. 892
Referred to Committee on No Committee
Introduced by:
REP. RITTER M., 1
st
Dist.
REP. KLARIDES, 114
th
Dist.
RESOLUTION CONCERNIN G THE HOUSE RULES.
Resolved by this House:
That the following shall be the rules to regulate the proceedings of 1
the House of Representatives for the 2019 and 2020 sessions: 2
THE SPEAKER 3
1. The speaker shall take the chair every day at the hour to which 4
the House has adjourned and shall immediately call the House to 5
order and, after prayer and recitation of the pledge of allegiance, 6
proceed to business if a quorum is present. 7
2. In the absence of a quorum, the speaker may adjourn the House 8
to a later time or to the next session day. At all other times an 9
adjournment shall be pronounced by the speaker on motion. 10
3. The speaker shall preserve order and decorum and shall decide 11
all questions of order and discipline, upon which no debate shall be 12
allowed except at the speaker's request, but the decision shall be 13
subject to an appeal to the House, which must be seconded and on 14
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which no member shall speak more than once. No other business shall 15
be in order until the disposition of such appeal. 16
4. The speaker shall rise to put a question or to address the House. 17
5. If there is any disturbance, disorderly conduct or other activity in 18
or about the House chamber which, in the opinion of the speaker, may 19
impede the orderly transaction of the business of the House of 20
representatives, the speaker may take such action as the speaker deems 21
necessary to preserve and restore order. 22
6. If the speaker wishes to leave the chair, a deputy speaker or a 23
member may be designated by the speaker to perform the duties of the 24
chair. 25
7. If the speaker or a deputy speaker or the member named by the 26
speaker in accordance with the preceding rule, is absent at the hour to 27
which the House has adjourned, the clerk shall call the House to order 28
and first business shall be the election of an acting speaker, which shall 29
be done immediately without debate, by ballot or otherwise, as the 30
House shall determine, also without debate; and the person thus 31
elected shall preside in the House and discharge all the duties of the 32
speaker until the speaker's return. In the case of the death, resignation 33
or permanent disability of the speaker, a deputy speaker shall then call 34
the House to order and the first business shall be the election of a 35
speaker, which the House shall immediately proceed to do without 36
debate. The person thus elected shall immediately assume the duties of 37
speaker during the continuance of the General Assembly. 38
DEPUTY SPEAKERS 39
8. There shall be such deputy speakers as determined and appointed 40
by the speaker of the House. The speaker shall designate a deputy 41
speaker to assume the duties of the speaker in the speaker's absence. 42
CHAPLAIN AND DEP UTY CHAPLAINS 43
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9. Within one week after the appointment of the speaker, the 44
speaker shall nominate a chaplain and up to three deputy chaplains, 45
and if such nominations are confirmed by the House by a majority 46
vote, the candidates so nominated and confirmed shall serve for the 47
regular sessions and any special sessions during the 2019-2020 48
legislative term. 49
CLERK 50
10. The clerk shall keep a journal of the House, and shall enter 51
therein a record of each day's proceedings, record any amendment that 52
may be offered to any bill or resolution and record the date of filing of 53
an agreement, award or stipulation that is filed in accordance with 54
Joint Rule 31 or 32. 55
11. The clerk shall keep a calendar and shall enter daily on such 56
calendar (1) all bills and joint resolutions received from the senate 57
except (a) bills and resolutions which do not have the favorable report 58
of a joint committee which shall, upon being read by the clerk, be 59
referred without further action to the appropriate committee and (b) 60
all bills and joint resolutions received from the senate which have not 61
been referred by the House to any committee; and (2) all bills and 62
resolutions favorably reported to the House from any committee and 63
these shall be entered on the calendar in the order in which they are 64
received. Each joint resolution proposing an amendment to the 65
constitution and each bill so entered shall be printed and in the files 66
and on the calendar for two session days with a file number and shall 67
be starred for action on the session day next succeeding, except that: 68
(A) A bill or resolution certified in accordance with section 2-26 of 69
the general statutes, if filed in the House, may be transmitted to and 70
acted upon first by the senate with the consent of the speaker; and if 71
filed in the senate, may be transmitted to and acted upon first by the 72
House with the consent of the president pro tempore, 73
(B) Any bill or resolution certified in accordance with section 2-26 of 74
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the general statutes may be acted upon in the House (i) on the same 75
session day that electronic notice of the filing and number of the bill or 76
resolution is provided to the majority leader and the minority leader, 77
who shall be responsible for forwarding such notice to the members of 78
their respective caucuses, except the bill or resolution may not be acted 79
upon less than six hours after the House is called to order or less than 80
six hours after such notice is provided to said leaders, whichever is 81
later, (ii) at any time on the next session day following the day that 82
such notice is provided to said leaders, or (iii) during the last five 83
calendar days of the session, immediately, and in any such case may be 84
transmitted immediately to the senate, 85
(C) If the House refers a bill or resolution to another committee and 86
that committee favorably reports the bill or resolution not as a 87
substitute on the same session day as the House referral, the clerk shall 88
immediately enter the bill or resolution on the calendar and the House 89
may act upon it on the same session day, 90
(D) If the House rejects an amendment adopted by the senate, the 91
bill or resolution after final action in the House, may be transmitted 92
immediately to the senate, or if the senate rejects an amendment 93
adopted by the House, the bill or resolution when received from the 94
senate may be placed immediately on the calendar, 95
(E) During the last ten calendar days of the session, if the House 96
rejects an amendment adopted by the senate, or adopts a House 97
amendment to a bill or resolution received from the senate, or takes 98
any action on the bill or resolution requiring further action by the 99
senate, the bill or resolution after final action in the House, may be 100
transmitted immediately to the senate, or if the senate rejects an 101
amendment adopted by the House or adopts a senate amendment to a 102
bill or resolution received from the House, or takes any action on the 103
bill or resolution requiring further action by the House, the bill or 104
resolution when received from the senate may be placed immediately 105
on the calendar and may be acted upon immediately, 106
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(F) During the last ten calendar days of the session, any bill or 107
resolution, after final action in the House, may be transmitted 108
immediately to the Senate, 109
(G) During the last five days of the session, any bill or resolution 110
received by the House after final action by the senate may be placed on 111
the calendar immediately and the bill or resolution may be acted upon 112
after it has appeared on the calendar for two session days, or 113
(H) A report by a joint standing committee of a resolution 114
concerning a judicial or workers' compensation commissioner 115
nomination may be acted upon after it has appeared on the calendar 116
for two days. 117
All bills and resolutions starred for action shall be acted upon only 118
when called and any bill or resolution not acted upon shall retain its 119
place on the calendar unless it is moved to the foot of the calendar or 120
unless its consideration is made the order of the day for some specified 121
time. When a bill or resolution is removed from the foot of the 122
calendar, it shall not be acted upon before the next regular succeeding 123
session day. 124
Prior to the convening of the House on each session day, the 125
speaker shall make available on the floor of the House a list of bills and 126
resolutions intended to be acted upon during that session day. Such 127
list shall set forth the action intended to be taken on each bill or 128
resolution so listed. The list shall be for informational purposes only. 129
12. The clerk shall retain all bills, resolutions and other papers, in 130
reference to which any member has a right to move a reconsideration, 131
until the right of reconsideration has expired, and no longer. 132
13. The clerk shall keep a record of all petitions, resolutions, joint 133
resolutions and bills for all acts presented for consideration of the 134
House, and said record shall be so kept as to show by one and a single 135
reference thereto the action of the House on any specified petition, 136
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resolution, joint resolution or bill up to the time of such reference. 137
14. The clerk shall supervise all clerical work to be done for the 138
House and shall supervise all employees subject to the direction of the 139
speaker. The assistant clerk shall have the same powers and perform 140
the same duties as the clerk, subject to the direction of the clerk. The 141
bill clerk, the journal clerk and the calendar clerk shall perform such 142
duties as are assigned to them by the clerk. 143
15. Upon the request of any member, the clerk shall provide a 144
calendar to such member on each session day. 145
MEMBERS 146
16. When any member is about to speak in debate or deliver any 147
matter to the House, the member shall rise and address the chair as 148
"Mr. Speaker" or "Madam Speaker," as the case may be. 149
If two or more rise at the same time, the speaker shall name the 150
member entitled to the floor, preferring one who rises in place to one 151
who does not. 152
17. No member shall speak on the same question more than twice 153
without unanimous consent of the members of the House present. 154
18. The speaker shall, or any member may, call to order any member 155
who in speaking or otherwise, transgresses the rules and orders of the 156
House. If speaking, the member shall sit down, unless permitted to 157
explain; and if a member is guilty of a breach of any of the rules and 158
orders, the member may be required by the House, on motion, to make 159
satisfaction therefor, and shall not be allowed to vote or speak except 160
by way of excuse until such satisfaction is made. 161
COMMITTEES AND LEADERS 162
19. At the opening of each session a committee on contested 163
elections, consisting of four members, at least two of whom shall be 164
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members of the minority party in the House, shall be appointed by the 165
speaker to take into consideration all contested elections of the 166
members of the House and to report the facts, with their opinion 167
thereon in a manner that may be directed by House resolution. 168
20. (a) Majority Election and Appointments. The majority leader 169
shall be elected by the members of the majority party in the House and 170
the deputy majority leaders shall be appointed by the majority leader 171
and shall serve at the pleasure of the majority leader. The assistant 172
deputy speaker, majority caucus chairperson, deputy majority caucus 173
chairperson, assistant majority leaders and majority whips shall be 174
appointed by the speaker in consultation with the majority leader, and 175
shall serve at the pleasure of the speaker. 176
The chairpersons, and where appropriate, vice-chairpersons, of the 177
standing committees shall be appointed by the speaker of the House 178
and shall serve at the pleasure of the speaker, except when a 179
chairperson is designated or appointed by the minority leader 180
pursuant to these rules or the joint rules, in which case, the person so 181
designated or appointed shall serve at the pleasure of the minority 182
leader. Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, during 183
the 2019-2020 biennium, the chairperson of the Legislative Regulation 184
Review Committee shall be appointed by the speaker of the House. 185
(b) Minority Election and Appointments. The minority leader shall 186
be elected by the members of the minority party in the House and the 187
deputy minority leaders, the minority caucus chairperson, the assistant 188
minority leaders, the minority whips and the ranking members of each 189
joint standing committee shall be appointed by the minority leader and 190
shall serve at the pleasure of the minority leader except when a 191
ranking member is designated or appointed by the speaker pursuant 192
to these rules or the joint rules, in which case, the person so designated 193
or appointed shall serve at the pleasure of the speaker. 194
Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, during the 195
2019-2020 biennium, the ranking member of the Legislative Regulation 196
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Review Committee shall be appointed by the minority leader. 197
(c) Number of Leaders. The number of members appointed to the 198
positions of assistant majority leader and majority whip shall not 199
exceed thirty-three per cent of the total membership of the majority 200
party in the House. The number of members appointed to the positions 201
of assistant minority leader shall not exceed thirty-three per cent of the 202
total membership of the minority party in the House. Notwithstanding 203
the provisions of this subsection, the chairpersons of the bonding 204
subcommittees of the joint standing committee on finance, revenue 205
and bonding may be assistant majority leaders and the ranking 206
members of said subcommittees may be assistant minority leaders. 207
(d) Committees. The staff clerks of the standing committees shall be 208
appointed by the speaker of the House. Chairpersons of sub -209
committees may be appointed by the chairpersons of the respective 210
standing committees with the approval of the speaker of the House. 211
All standing committee members shall be appointed by the speaker 212
on or before the fifth regular session day of the first year of the term, 213
except to fill a vacancy caused by death or incapacity, or resignation or 214
removal from the House or from a committee, and except that the 215
speaker may appoint any member elected after the fifth regular session 216
day of the first year of the term to any committee, within five calendar 217
days after the member takes the oath of office. The member first 218
named shall be chairperson. All members of standing committees shall 219
serve for both sessions of the term, except that: (i) The speaker may 220
accept the resignation, for good cause, of a member of a standing 221
committee prior to the expiration of the term, and (ii) the speaker may 222
remove a member, provided the speaker's removal of a member of the 223
minority party shall require the concurrence of the minority leader. 224
Chairpersons, vice-chairpersons and sub-committee chairpersons shall 225
serve for both sessions of the term unless removed by the speaker. 226
(e) Referrals to Committees. (1) The House may refer any matter to a 227
committee either before or after the deadline of that committee (i) at 228
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any regular session of the House or (ii) at a technical session of the 229
House provided the majority leader has notified the minority leader or 230
the minority leader's designee in writing, not later than 5 p.m. the day 231
before the technical session, of the majority leader's intent to move for 232
the referral, and received the approval of the minority leader or the 233
minority leader's designee for the referral, and provided further that 234
no matter may be recommitted at a technical session. 235
(2) The House may but need not refer to a committee before or after 236
its deadline a bill or resolution that was favorably or unfavorably 237
reported by another committee, except that every bill and resolution 238
shall be referred to the committees on Legislative Management, 239
Appropriations, Finance, Revenue and Bonding, Government 240
Administration and Elections, or Judiciary if such referral is 241
specifically required under Joint Rule 3 or subsection (e) of Joint Rule 242
15. 243
(f) Meetings in Representatives' Chamber. Committee meetings 244
shall not be held in the representatives' chamber on session days. 245
REGULAR ORDER OF BUSI NESS 246
21. The order of business shall be as follows: 247
1. Reception of petitions. 248
2. Reception of communications from the Governor, secretary of the 249
state, annual and biennial reports, interim committee reports and 250
special reports. 251
3. Introduction of bills and resolutions. 252
4. Reports of committees. 253
5. Reception of business from the senate. 254
6. Business on the calendar. 255
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7. Miscellaneous. 256
RULES AND MOTIONS 257
22. The rules of parliamentary practice comprised in the 2000 258
edition of Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure shall govern the 259
House whenever applicable and whenever they are not inconsistent 260
with the standing rules and orders of the House or the joint rules of the 261
senate and the House of Representatives. 262
23. The rules of the House shall take precedence over the joint rules 263
of the House and senate or Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure in 264
the event of conflict. 265
24. When a motion is made, it shall be stated to the House by the 266
speaker before any debate is had thereon. 267
25. When a motion is stated by the speaker, or read by the clerk, it 268
shall be deemed to be in the possession of the House. 269
It may be withdrawn by the mover at any time before decision or 270
amendment, but not after amendment, unless the House approves by a 271
majority vote. 272
26. The question first moved shall be first put, except as modified in 273
Rule 28. 274
27. If the question under debate consists of two or more 275
independent propositions any member may move to have the question 276
divided. If the House adopts the motion to divide, the speaker shall 277
rule on the order of voting on the divisions of a question. 278
28. When a question is under debate, no motion shall be received 279
except: 280
1. To adjourn, which is not debatable. 281
2. To recess. 282
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3. To postpone temporarily retaining position on the calendar. 283
4. To pass until next session day retaining position on calendar. 284
5. To close the debate at a specified time. 285
6. To postpone to a certain time. 286
7. To refer or recommit to a committee. 287
8. To amend. 288
9. To place at foot of calendar. 289
These motions shall have precedence in the order listed in this rule, 290
except that a point of order may be raised at any time. 291
29. When the consideration of a question regularly on the calendar 292
is interrupted by adjournment, the question comes up in its proper 293
place on the next session day's calendar. 294
30. A vote can be reconsidered only on the next regular succeeding 295
session day, provided there shall be no reconsideration of the vote 296
upon the following motions: To adjourn, or to reconsider, and no 297
question shall be twice reconsidered. 298
AMENDMENTS 299
31. (a) Amendments shall be filed with the clerk of the House before 300
10 a.m. on the day on which the bill or resolution is to be acted upon, 301
except that (1) the following may each sponsor or authorize 302
amendments at any time: The presiding officer, the majority leader or, 303
in the majority leader's absence, the majority leader's designated 304
deputy majority leader, the minority leader or in the minority leader's 305
absence, the minority leader's designated deputy minority leader; (2) 306
the presiding officer may waive the filing requirement upon the 307
request of the majority leader or the minority leader; (3) after any 308
amendment or amendments have been adopted, any member may 309
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offer a further amendment only if it is directly related to the 310
amendment or amendments adopted. 311
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this rule, if a bill or resolution 312
has been scheduled for consideration on a date certain pursuant to a 313
special order, all amendments relating to that bill or resolution must be 314
filed with the clerk of the House before 5 p.m. on the last day the 315
clerk's office is open preceding the day on which the bill or resolution 316
has been scheduled for consideration. The only exceptions to this filing 317
requirement shall be: (1) The persons named in subdivision (1) of 318
subsection (a) of this rule may each sponsor an amendment at any 319
time; (2) after any amendment or amendments have been adopted, any 320
member may offer a further amendment only if it is directly related to 321
the amendment or amendments adopted. 322
(c) Members may co-sponsor an amendment that is in the 323
possession of the clerk of the House, or remove their names as co-324
sponsors, by submitting a written request to the clerk not later than 10 325
a.m. on the day following adoption or rejection of the amendment, 326
excluding weekends and holidays. Co-sponsorship of an amendment 327
does not constitute co-sponsorship of the bill it would amend unless 328
the member so specifies pursuant to Joint Rule 7(c). 329
(d) After a motion for passage of a bill or resolution has been made, 330
a motion to amend the bill or resolution is in order. 331
A pending amendment may not be amended. No substitute 332
amendment may be offered for a pending amendment. 333
(e) No independent new question may be introduced as an 334
amendment. 335
(f) Whenever a bill is amended, the speaker may order that it be 336
returned to the legislative commissioners for the purposes of re-337
examination pursuant to Joint Rule 13 and for reprinting as amended. 338
SEATS 339
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32. Immediately after the adoption of these rules the speaker shall 340
appoint a committee of four, who shall assign seats to all members of 341
the House. 342
33. The seats assigned to members shall be their seats for their term 343
of office. 344
REPRESENTATIVES' CHAMBER 345
34. Use of the representatives' chamber shall not be granted for non-346
legislative use during a General Assembly session except by a vote of 347
the House, or by a vote of the legislative management committee or 348
with the permission of the speaker. The speaker shall grant use of the 349
chamber for legislative use and between General Assembly sessions. 350
PARLIAMENTARY PRACTICE 351
35. No debate shall be allowed after a question is put and while it 352
remains undecided. 353
36. In all cases when a voice vote is taken without a division, the 354
speaker shall determine whether it is or is not a vote; and in all 355
doubtful cases the speaker shall state "The chair is in doubt." 356
Whereupon, the speaker shall try the question again by a voice vote or 357
roll call, as the speaker may so order. 358
After the speaker has declared a vote, it shall not be taken again 359
unless by a regular motion for reconsideration, made by a member in 360
the prevailing vote of the House. 361
37. If a division is called for, the House shall divide, those in the 362
affirmative first rising from their seats and standing until counted, and 363
afterwards those in the negative. For the purpose of more conveniently 364
counting upon the division of the House, the floor thereof shall be 365
divided by aisles into four divisions, to be numbered first, second, 366
third and fourth sections, commencing on the right of the chair; for 367
each of which divisions the speaker shall appoint a member whose 368
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seat is in said division to be a teller and to count and report to the 369
chair. 370
38. In case of a tie vote or an equal division, the question shall not be 371
passed. 372
39. The yeas and nays shall be taken on the roll call machine on all 373
final action on all bills, resolutions proposing amendments to the 374
constitution and all other substantive resolutions, except bills and 375
resolutions on the consent calendar. On all other questions, a roll call 376
vote shall be taken at the request of one-fifth of the members present, 377
expressed at any time before a declaration of the vote. In the event the 378
roll call machine is not functioning properly, the roll may be called by 379
the clerk. 380
40. Every member present in the House chamber, when a question is 381
put by the speaker, shall vote, unless excused by the speaker and no 382
member shall absent herself or himself from the House chamber 383
without leave, unless there is a quorum without such member's 384
presence. 385
Whenever any vote is to be taken, the speaker may order the doors 386
closed and thereupon no member shall leave the House unless by 387
permission of the speaker, or the House, until the vote is declared, but 388
members shall be admitted at any time. 389
When a vote has been taken, if any member raises a question of an 390
excess of votes cast over the number of members present, a count of 391
the House shall be had, and if it appears that such excess of votes 392
exists, the speaker shall order the vote to be again taken. 393
41. No representative may vote or change his or her vote on a roll 394
call after the speaker has requested that the clerk announce the tally. 395
42. While the House is in session, admission to the floor of the 396
House shall be limited to members of the General Assembly, 397
authorized members of the press, authorized staff of the General 398
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Assembly, and such other persons as may be authorized by the 399
presiding officer. On any day during which the House is in session, 400
lobbyists shall be prohibited from the floor of the House except during 401
a public hearing on the floor of the House or as may be authorized by 402
the presiding officer for purposes of recognition or ceremony. 403
Electronic media equipment and media personnel shall occupy only 404
those areas designated by the presiding officer. 405
Proper facilities for transmitting messages to members of the House 406
shall be provided by the clerk and administered by the messengers. 407
The sergeant at arms, doorkeepers and messengers shall enforce this 408
rule and shall see that the aisles and the seats of the members are not 409
occupied by persons other than members of the General Assembly, 410
while the House is in session. 411
43. There shall be a consent calendar on which shall be entered such 412
bills and resolutions as the majority leader and the minority leader or 413
their designees shall agree, and shall be proposed to the House by the 414
majority leader or the designee of the majority leader in the form of a 415
motion to move to the consent calendar. The consent calendar may be 416
acted upon on the day of such motion or on a subsequent day. At the 417
request of a member made from the floor any bill or resolution shall be 418
removed from those included in the motion. All bills and resolutions 419
starred for action on the consent calendar shall be passed on motion 420
without discussion unless, at any time prior to the motion for passage, 421
a member requests from the floor removal of a bill or resolution from 422
the consent calendar in which case such bill or resolution shall be so 423
removed and placed on the regular calendar. Any bill or resolution so 424
removed shall be considered as having appeared on the regular 425
calendar for a period of time equivalent to that during which it 426
appeared on the consent calendar. 427
44. Upon motion made and adopted, the House may schedule 428
consideration of any matter appearing on the calendar for a date 429
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certain by special order, but no sooner than the later of (i) the second 430
day, excluding weekends and holidays, after the adoption of the 431
special order or (ii) the day after the matter first appears on the 432
calendar double starred. 433
RESTRICTIONS 434
45. No person shall smoke in the House chamber or the gallery. No 435
person shall conduct a conversation on a wireless telephone or similar 436
device in the House chamber while the House is meeting. No person 437
shall take or possess a sign, banner, placard or other display material 438
in the gallery. The presiding officer and the sergeant at arms shall 439
enforce this rule. 440
SUSPENSION OF THE RULES 441
46. These rules shall not be altered, amended or suspended except 442
by the vote of at least two-thirds of the members present. 443
47. Motions to suspend the rules shall be in order on any session 444
day. Suspension of the rules shall be for a specified purpose. Upon 445
accomplishment of that purpose, any rule suspended shall be again in 446
force. 447