LCO No. 458 1 of 13
General Assembly Senate Resolution No. 1
January Session, 2021
LCO No. 458
Referred to Committee on No Committee
Introduced by:
SEN. LOONEY, 11
th
Dist.
SEN. DUFF, 25
th
Dist.
RESOLUTION CONCERNIN G THE RULES OF THE SENATE.
Resolved by the Senate:
That the following are the Senate Rules for the 2021 and 2022 sessions: 1
1. The President shall take the chair on each session day, at the hour 2
to which the Senate stands adjourned. The President shall thereupon 3
call the Senate to order and after prayer and recitation of the pledge of 4
allegiance, if a quorum is present, proceed to business. 5
2. In the absence of a quorum, the President may adjourn the Senate 6
to a subsequent time on that day or to the next session day. At all other 7
times an adjournment shall be pronounced by the President on motion. 8
3. The President shall preserve order and decorum and shall decide 9
all questions of order, upon which no debate shall be allowed except at 10
the request of the President; but the decision shall be subject to an appeal 11
to the Senate which must be seconded and on which no member shall 12
speak more than once. No other business shall be in order until such 13
Senate Resolution No.
LCO No. 458 2 of 13
appeal is disposed of. 14
4. The President shall rise to put a question or to address the Senate, 15
but may read sitting. 16
5. If there is any disturbance, disorderly conduct or other activity in 17
or about the chamber which, in the opinion of the presiding officer, may 18
impede the orderly transaction of the business of the Senate, the 19
presiding officer may take such action as is deemed necessary to 20
preserve and restore order. 21
6. If the President while presiding, wishes to leave the chair, the 22
President Pro Tempore shall preside, or, in the absence of the President 23
Pro Tempore, the President Pro Tempore's designee shall preside for a 24
period not exceeding one day. 25
7. Within one week after appointment, the President Pro Tempore 26
shall nominate a chaplain and up to three deputy chaplains, and if such 27
nominations are confirmed by the Senate by a majority vote, the 28
candidates so nominated and confirmed shall serve for the 2021 and 29
2022 sessions. 30
8. The clerk shall keep a journal of the Senate, and shall enter therein 31
a record of each day's proceedings and record any amendment that may 32
be offered to any bill or resolution. 33
9. (a) Upon acceptance of a Senate agenda, the clerk's office shall act 34
upon the items listed as indicated and shall incorporate the items by 35
reference in the Senate journal and Senate transcript. The clerk shall 36
keep a Calendar on which he or she shall enter daily (1) all bills and joint 37
resolutions received from the House for action except (a) bills and 38
resolutions which do not have a favorable or unfavorable report of a 39
joint committee which shall, upon being read by the clerk, be referred 40
without further action to the appropriate committee, (b) all bills and 41
joint resolutions received from the House for action by the Senate which 42
have not been referred by the Senate to any committee, and (2) all bills 43
Senate Resolution No.
LCO No. 458 3 of 13
and resolutions favorably reported to the Senate from any committee; 44
and these shall be entered on the Calendar in the order in which they 45
are received. Each joint resolution proposing an amendment to the 46
constitution and each bill so entered shall be printed and in the files and 47
on the Calendar, with a file number for two session days and shall be 48
starred for action on the session day next succeeding, except that: 49
(A) A resolution may be acted on in accordance with Rule 17(b) of the 50
joint rules of the Senate and the House of Representatives, 51
(B) A bill or resolution certified in accordance with section 2-26 of the 52
general statutes, if filed in the House, may be transmitted to and acted 53
upon first by the Senate with the consent of the speaker; and if filed in 54
the Senate, may be transmitted to and acted upon first by the House 55
with the consent of the President Pro Tempore, 56
(C) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (c) of this rule, any 57
bill or resolution certified in accordance with section 2-26 of the general 58
statutes, may be acted upon immediately in the first house, may be 59
transmitted immediately to the second house and may be acted upon 60
immediately when received by the second house, 61
(D) If the Senate rejects an amendment adopted by the House, the bill 62
or resolution after final action by the Senate may be transmitted 63
immediately to the House, or if the House rejects an amendment 64
adopted by the Senate, the bill or resolution when received from the 65
House may be placed immediately on the Calendar, 66
(E) During the last five calendar days of the session, if the Senate 67
rejects an amendment adopted by the House, or adopts a Senate 68
amendment to a bill or resolution received from the House, or takes any 69
action on the bill or resolution requiring further action by the House, the 70
bill or resolution after final action by the Senate, may be transmitted 71
immediately to the House, or if the House rejects an amendment 72
adopted by the Senate or adopts a House amendment to a bill or 73
resolution received from the Senate, or takes any action on the bill or 74
Senate Resolution No.
LCO No. 458 4 of 13
resolution requiring further action by the Senate, the bill or resolution 75
when received from the House may be placed immediately on the 76
calendar and may be acted upon immediately, 77
(F) During the last five calendar days of the session, any bill or 78
resolution after final action by the Senate may be transmitted 79
immediately to the House, or 80
(G) During the last five calendar days of the session, any bill or 81
resolution received by the Senate after final action by the House may be 82
placed on the Calendar immediately. 83
(b) All bills and resolutions starred for action shall be acted upon only 84
when reached in their regular order, and any bill or resolution passed 85
over when so reached shall retain its place on the Calendar unless it is 86
passed temporarily, put on the foot of the Calendar or its consideration 87
is made the order of the day for some specified time. 88
(c) The clerk shall immediately provide an electronic notice of the 89
filing, in either chamber, and number of any emergency certified bill 90
introduced by the President Pro Tempore and the speaker, certified in 91
accordance with section 2-26 of the general statutes, that is the biennial 92
budget bill or a bill that amends or implements the biennial budget bill 93
to the members of the Senate. No such emergency certified bill may be 94
marked ready for action or acted upon less than twelve hours following 95
the provision of such electronic notice. 96
(d) (1) On any day that is not scheduled as a session day, the President 97
Pro Tempore and the Minority Leader, or their designees, may call the 98
Senate into session for purposes of transacting business of a procedural 99
nature by filing with the clerk or the clerk's designee a written 100
instruction to conduct a pro forma Senate session with or without the 101
presence of a senator. Said direction shall include a written motion to 102
adopt the day's Senate agenda and act on all items as indicated and 103
incorporate the items by reference into the Senate journal and Senate 104
transcript. Said motion shall be read into the record and shall have the 105
Senate Resolution No.
LCO No. 458 5 of 13
same force and effect as if the Senate were convened with a presiding 106
officer and senator. 107
(2) Only during declarations of a public health or civil preparedness 108
emergency related to COVID-19 by the Governor, or at any other time 109
deemed necessary by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate for public 110
health concerns related to COVID-19, on any day that is not scheduled 111
as a session day, there shall be a pro forma session, with or without the 112
presence of a senator, for purposes of transacting business of a 113
procedural nature. There shall be a written motion to adopt the day's 114
Senate agenda and act on all items as indicated and incorporate the 115
items by reference into the Senate journal and Senate transcript. Said 116
motion shall be read into the record and shall have the same force and 117
effect as if the Senate were convened with a presiding officer and 118
senator. 119
10. The clerk shall retain all bills, resolutions and other papers, in 120
reference to which any member has a right to move a reconsideration, 121
until the right of reconsideration has expired, and no longer. 122
11. The clerk shall also keep a record of all petitions, resolutions, and 123
bills for all acts which are presented for the consideration of the Senate, 124
and said record shall be so kept as to show by a single reference the 125
action of the Senate on each of them to that date. 126
12. The assistant clerk shall have the same powers and perform the 127
same duties as the clerk, subject to the direction of the clerk. The bill 128
clerk and the journal clerk shall perform such duties as are assigned to 129
them by the clerk. 130
13. The clerk shall cause the journals and calendars to be distributed 131
on the desks of the members daily, before the opening of the session. 132
14. No member shall speak more than twice upon the same question 133
without leave of the Senate, except to explain. 134
15. No member who is interested in the decision of any question in 135
Senate Resolution No.
LCO No. 458 6 of 13
such manner that he or she cannot vote thereon may stay in the chamber 136
when such question is discussed or decided. 137
16. If a member, in speaking or otherwise, transgresses the rules and 138
order of the Senate, the President shall, or any member may, call such 139
member to order; and if speaking, such member shall sit down, unless 140
permitted to explain; and if a member is guilty of a breach of any of the 141
rules and orders, such member may be required by the Senate, on 142
motion, to make satisfaction therefor, and until satisfaction has been 143
made, shall not be allowed to vote or speak except by way of excuse. 144
17. If a candidate for the Senate notifies the clerk on or before the 145
opening day of the session that such candidate contests the results of the 146
election for his or her district, a committee of three shall be appointed 147
by the President Pro Tempore within the first two days of the session. If 148
a candidate for the Senate in a special election notifies the clerk no later 149
than fourteen days following such election that such candidate contests 150
the results of the election for his or her district, a committee of three shall 151
be appointed by the President Pro Tempore no later than sixteen days 152
following such election. The committee shall take into consideration 153
such contested election and report the facts with its opinion thereon. 154
18. The majority leader shall be elected by the members of the 155
majority party in the Senate. The other leaders of the majority party in 156
the Senate and the chairperson and vice chairpersons of each standing 157
committee shall be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the 158
Senate. Chairpersons and vice chairpersons shall serve at the pleasure 159
of the President Pro Tempore and the majority leader. The clerks of the 160
standing committees and the chairpersons of the subcommittees thereof 161
shall be appointed by the chairpersons of the respective committees 162
with the approval of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. The 163
minority leader shall be elected by the members of the minority party in 164
the Senate and the other leaders of the minority party in the Senate shall 165
be appointed by the minority leader. The minority leader shall appoint 166
ranking minority members to each standing committee. Such ranking 167
Senate Resolution No.
LCO No. 458 7 of 13
members shall serve at the pleasure of the minority leader. All standing 168
committee members shall be appointed by the President Pro Tempore 169
by the fifth regular session day of the first year of the term, except to fill 170
a vacancy caused by death or incapacity or resignation from the Senate 171
or from a committee; and except that the President Pro Tempore may 172
appoint any member elected after the fifth regular session day of the 173
first year of the term to any committee within five calendar days after 174
the member takes the oath of office. Not more than nine senators shall 175
be appointed to any standing committee, except that the joint standing 176
committee on Judiciary shall consist of not more than eleven senators 177
and the joint standing committees on Appropriations and Finance, 178
Revenue and Bonding shall consist of not more than thirteen senators. 179
The member first named shall be chairperson. The chairperson of each 180
committee may appoint one of the members of the committee as clerk 181
thereof. All Senate leaders, standing committee assignments, 182
chairpersons, vice chairpersons and clerks and subcommittee 183
chairpersons shall serve for both the 2021 and the 2022 sessions. 184
19. The order of business shall be as follows: 185
1. Reception of petitions. 186
2. Reception of communications from the Governor, secretary of 187
the state, annual and biennial reports, interim committee 188
reports and reports. 189
3. Introduction of bills and resolutions. 190
4. Reports of committees. 191
5. Reception of business from the House. 192
6. Business on the Calendar. 193
7. Introduction of guests. 194
8. Miscellaneous business. 195
Senate Resolution No.
LCO No. 458 8 of 13
9. Resolutions removed from consent calendar. 196
20. Before any petition or resolution is received, a brief statement of 197
its object shall be made by the introducer. 198
21. When a motion is made, it shall be stated to the Senate by the 199
President before any debate is had thereon, and every motion shall be 200
reduced to writing if the President so directs or any member desires it. 201
22. When a motion is stated by the President, or read by the clerk, it 202
shall be deemed to be in the possession of the Senate. It may be 203
withdrawn by the mover at any time before decision or amendment, but 204
not after amendment, unless the Senate gives leave. 205
23. If the question under debate consists of two or more independent 206
propositions any member may move to have the question divided. The 207
President shall rule on the order of voting on the division of a question. 208
24. (a) The yeas and nays shall be cast on the roll call machine on all 209
final action on bills on the regular calendar and on all other questions at 210
the desire of one-fifth of the members present, expressed at any time 211
before a declaration of the vote. 212
(b) Exceptions to this rule shall be allowed as to how and where the 213
yeas and nays are cast and recorded as follows: 214
(1) In the case that the roll call machine is not functioning properly, 215
the roll may be called by the clerk; or 216
(2) Only during declarations of a public health or civil preparedness 217
emergency related to COVID-19 by the Governor, or at any other time 218
deemed necessary by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate for public 219
health concerns related to COVID-19, the business of the Senate may be 220
conducted in either the Senate or House chamber, as determined by the 221
President Pro Tempore, and any member who is unwilling or unable to 222
be in the chamber may vote remotely outside of the chamber from the 223
Legislative Office Building or State Capitol. Any member who chooses 224
Senate Resolution No.
LCO No. 458 9 of 13
to vote remotely shall inform the President of the Senate by telephone 225
that such member intends to cast each such vote remotely on any roll 226
call taken for the remainder of that session day and affirm that such 227
member is present and will remain present at the Legislative Office 228
Building or State Capitol for each such vote cast by the member, which 229
information the President shall promptly announce to the chamber. If 230
the member is voting remotely, (A) any such vote shall be cast using the 231
electronic remote voting system, or (B) if the electronic remote voting 232
system is not functioning properly, any such vote may be cast by the 233
member in writing, citing the LCO number of the bill, resolution or 234
amendment or the number of the consent calendar upon which the vote 235
is cast and signed by the member's hand. Such written remote vote shall 236
be delivered by a runner selected by the member's caucus to the 237
presiding officer before the roll call is announced. The presiding officer 238
shall announce the result of any such vote by such member as indicated 239
in the member's written remote vote and such vote shall be included in 240
the roll call vote announced after the receipt of such vote. No voice vote 241
may be made by written remote vote. The clerk shall retain each written 242
remote vote until the end of the regular session in which the vote was 243
cast. 244
25. Whenever the result of a vote as stated by the presiding officer is 245
doubted, it shall be taken again by rising. 246
26. When a vote has been taken, it shall be in order for any senator on 247
the prevailing side to move for a reconsideration thereof on the day of 248
the vote or on the next succeeding session day, if the bill is still in the 249
possession of the Senate; provided also that there shall be no 250
reconsideration of the following motions: To adjourn, for the previous 251
question or to reconsider, and no question shall be twice reconsidered. 252
27. Pairs may be made by senators whose votes if they were present 253
would be cast on opposite sides of any question, by filing with the clerk 254
of the Senate a memorandum, containing the names of the senators, and 255
their votes, who are thus paired and the subject matter or matters to 256
Senate Resolution No.
LCO No. 458 10 of 13
which such pairs apply. Senators making any such pairs shall be 257
excused from voting upon the merits of the matters involved while the 258
pair continues, but no pairs shall operate while both of the senators 259
paired are present. 260
28. Persons, other than members of the General Assembly, shall not 261
be permitted on the chamber floor while the Senate is in session. 262
Lobbyists shall be prohibited from the chamber floor on any day during 263
which the Senate is in session except during a public hearing in the 264
chamber. This rule shall not apply to the staff of the General Assembly, 265
to any state or municipal official or member of the media who has been 266
given permission to be on the chamber floor by the President of the 267
Senate, President Pro Tempore, majority leader or minority leader, or to 268
persons invited to the chamber for purposes of recognition or ceremony. 269
Other persons who desire to speak with a member of the Senate while it 270
is in session shall communicate such desire through one of the 271
messengers and shall not converse with such member in the chamber 272
while the Senate is in session. 273
29. When a question is under debate, no motion shall be received 274
except: 275
1. To adjourn. 276
2. To recess. 277
3. For the previous question. 278
4. To close the debate at a specified time. 279
5. To pass temporarily. 280
6. To pass retain. 281
7. To postpone to a certain time. 282
8. To commit or recommit. 283
Senate Resolution No.
LCO No. 458 11 of 13
9. To divide the question. 284
10. To amend. 285
11. To refer to another committee. 286
12. To postpone indefinitely. 287
13. To place at foot of calendar. 288
These several motions shall have precedence in the order listed in this 289
rule, and no motion to commit or recommit, to continue to the next 290
General Assembly or to postpone indefinitely, having been once 291
decided, shall be again allowed at the same session and at the same state 292
of the bill or subject matter. 293
30. (a) Amendments shall be filed with the clerk of the Senate before 294
12 noon on the day the bill is acted upon. Exceptions to this rule shall be 295
allowed: (1) Upon approval of any two of the following: The President 296
Pro Tempore, the majority leader of the Senate, the minority leader of 297
the Senate; or (2) in the case of bills or resolutions not starred for action 298
or bills or resolutions reported in accordance with subdivision (1) of 299
paragraph (d) of Rule 15 of the joint rules of the Senate and the House 300
of Representatives. 301
(b) Upon approval of an amendment pursuant to subdivision (1) of 302
subsection (a) of this section, the sponsor of the amendment shall cause 303
a copy of the signed approval to be provided electronically or by hand 304
to a designated leader or staff member of the other party. 305
(c) Any member who offers an amendment, originating in the Senate 306
which, if adopted, would reduce state revenues or increase state 307
expenditures by a specified amount or which would involve a 308
significant fiscal impact, shall make available to the President, President 309
Pro Tempore, the majority leader of the Senate and the minority leader 310
of the Senate at the time the amendment is offered, in addition to a fiscal 311
note, a signed and typewritten explanation, of the decrease in 312
Senate Resolution No.
LCO No. 458 12 of 13
expenditures or the source of the increased revenues required to balance 313
the state budget. 314
(d) Whenever a bill or resolution is substantively amended, it may be 315
referred to the legislative commissioners to be re-examined for the 316
purposes set forth in Rule 13 of the joint rules of the Senate and the 317
House of Representatives and to be reprinted as amended. The 318
legislative commissioners' office shall complete its examination of any 319
such bill within three calendar days of its receipt. It shall then be printed 320
in the files with a file number and marked on the calendar starred for 321
action on the session day on which it appears. 322
31. There shall be a consent calendar on which shall be entered such 323
bills and resolutions as the majority and minority leaders of the 324
respective house shall designate. All bills and resolutions starred for 325
action on the consent calendar shall be passed on motion without 326
discussion unless, at any time before voting has commenced, a member 327
requests removal of a bill or resolution from the consent calendar in 328
which case such bill or resolution shall be so removed. 329
32. The rules of parliamentary practice comprised in the 2010 edition 330
of Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure shall govern the Senate 331
whenever applicable and whenever they are not inconsistent with the 332
standing rules and orders of the Senate or the joint rules of the Senate 333
and the House of Representatives. 334
33. The rules of the Senate shall take precedence over the joint rules 335
of the Senate and the House of Representatives or Mason's Manual of 336
Legislative Procedure in the event of conflict. 337
34. No person shall smoke in the chamber or the gallery. No person 338
shall operate a wireless telephone or similar device in the chamber or 339
gallery or use any such device to take photographs or to make video or 340
sound recordings while the Senate is in session. The presiding officer 341
shall enforce this rule. 342
Senate Resolution No.
LCO No. 458 13 of 13
35. (a) These rules shall not be altered, amended or suspended except 343
by vote of at least two-thirds of the members present. 344
(b) Motions to suspend the rules shall be in order on any session day. 345
Suspension of a rule shall be for a specified purpose; after the 346
accomplishment of such purpose, the rule shall remain in force as 347
before. 348
36. Every member present in the chamber when a question is put by 349
the presiding officer shall vote, unless excused under Rule 15. 350
37. As used in these rules, "COVID-19" means the respiratory disease 351
designated by the World Health Organization on February 11, 2020, as 352
coronavirus 2019, and any related mutation thereof recognized by said 353
organization as a communicable respiratory disease. 354