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General Assembly Senate Resolution No. 2
January Session, 2025
LCO No. 1205
Referred to Committee on NO COMMITTEE
Introduced by:
SEN. LOONEY, 11
th
Dist.
SEN. DUFF, 25
th
Dist.
RESOLUTION CONCERNING THE RULES OF THE SENATE.
Resolved by the Senate:
That the following are the Senate Rules for the 2025 and 2026 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
appeal is disposed of. 14 Senate Resolution No. 2
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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 2025 and 29
2026 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
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 Senate Resolution No. 2
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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
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 Senate Resolution No. 2
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(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) On any day that is not scheduled as a session day, there shall be a 97
pro forma session, with or without the presence of a senator, for 98
purposes of transacting business of a procedural nature. There shall be 99
a written motion to adopt the day's Senate agenda and act on all items 100
as indicated and incorporate the items by reference into the Senate 101
journal and Senate transcript. Said motion shall be read into the record 102
and shall have the same force and effect as if the Senate were convened 103
with a presiding officer and senator. 104
10. The clerk shall retain all bills, resolutions and other papers, in 105
reference to which any member has a right to move a reconsideration, 106
until the right of reconsideration has expired, and no longer. 107
11. The clerk shall also keep a record of all petitions, resolutions, and 108 Senate Resolution No. 2
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bills for all acts which are presented for the consideration of the Senate, 109
and said record shall be so kept as to show by a single reference the 110
action of the Senate on each of them to that date. 111
12. The assistant clerk shall have the same powers and perform the 112
same duties as the clerk, subject to the direction of the clerk. The bill 113
clerk and the journal clerk shall perform such duties as are assigned to 114
them by the clerk. 115
13. The clerk shall cause the journals and calendars to be distributed 116
on the desks of the members daily, before the opening of the session. 117
14. No member shall speak more than twice upon the same question 118
without leave of the Senate, except to explain. 119
15. No member who is interested in the decision of any question in 120
such manner that he or she cannot vote thereon may stay in the chamber 121
when such question is discussed or decided. 122
16. If a member, in speaking or otherwise, transgresses the rules and 123
order of the Senate, the President shall, or any member may, call such 124
member to order; and if speaking, such member shall sit down, unless 125
permitted to explain; and if a member is guilty of a breach of any of the 126
rules and orders, such member may be required by the Senate, on 127
motion, to make satisfaction therefor, and until satisfaction has been 128
made, shall not be allowed to vote or speak except by way of excuse. 129
17. If a candidate for the Senate notifies the clerk on or before the 130
opening day of the session that such candidate contests the results of the 131
election for his or her district, a committee of three members, at least one 132
of whom shall be a member of the minority party in the Senate, shall be 133
appointed by the President Pro Tempore within the first two days of the 134
session. If a candidate for the Senate in a special election notifies the 135
clerk no later than fourteen days following such election that such 136
candidate contests the results of the election for his or her district, a 137
committee of three members, at least one of whom shall be a member of 138
the minority party in the Senate, shall be appointed by the President Pro 139 Senate Resolution No. 2
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Tempore no later than sixteen days following such election. The 140
committee shall take into consideration such contested election and 141
report the facts with its opinion thereon. 142
18. The majority leader shall be elected by the members of the 143
majority party in the Senate. The other leaders of the majority party in 144
the Senate and the chairperson and vice chairpersons of each joint 145
standing committee and select committee shall be appointed by the 146
President Pro Tempore of the Senate. Chairpersons and vice 147
chairpersons shall serve at the pleasure of the President Pro Tempore 148
and the majority leader. The clerks of the joint standing committees and 149
the chairpersons of the subcommittees thereof shall be appointed by the 150
chairpersons of the respective committees with the approval of the 151
President Pro Tempore of the Senate. The minority leader shall be 152
elected by the members of the minority party in the Senate and the other 153
leaders of the minority party in the Senate shall be appointed by the 154
minority leader. The minority leader shall appoint ranking minority 155
members to each joint standing committee and select committee. Such 156
ranking members shall serve at the pleasure of the minority leader. All 157
joint standing committee members and select committee members shall 158
be appointed by the President Pro Tempore by the fifth regular session 159
day of the first year of the term, except to fill a vacancy caused by death 160
or incapacity or resignation from the Senate or from a committee; and 161
except that the President Pro Tempore may appoint any member elected 162
after the fifth regular session day of the first year of the term to any 163
committee within five calendar days after the member takes the oath of 164
office. Not more than nine senators shall be appointed to any joint 165
standing committee, except that the joint standing committee on 166
Judiciary shall consist of not more than thirteen senators, the joint 167
standing committees on Appropriations and Finance, Revenue and 168
Bonding shall consist of not more than fourteen senators, the joint 169
standing committee on Public Health shall consist of not more than 170
eleven senators and the select committee on Special Education shall 171
consist of not more than eleven senators. The member first named shall 172
be chairperson. The chairperson of each committee may appoint one of 173
the members of the committee as clerk thereof. All Senate leaders and 174 Senate Resolution No. 2
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joint standing committee assignments, chairpersons, vice chairpersons 175
and clerks and subcommittee chairpersons shall serve for both the 2025 176
and the 2026 sessions. The assignments for the select committee on 177
Special Education, including members, chairpersons, vice chairpersons, 178
clerks and any subcommittee chairpersons, shall serve for the 2025 179
session. 180
19. The order of business shall be as follows: 181
1. Reception of petitions. 182
2. Reception of communications from the Governor, secretary of 183
the state, annual and biennial reports, interim committee 184
reports and reports. 185
3. Introduction of bills and resolutions. 186
4. Reports of committees. 187
5. Reception of business from the House. 188
6. Business on the Calendar. 189
7. Introduction of guests. 190
8. Miscellaneous business. 191
9. Resolutions removed from consent calendar. 192
20. Before any petition or resolution is received, a brief statement of 193
its object shall be made by the introducer. 194
21. When a motion is made, it shall be stated to the Senate by the 195
President before any debate is had thereon. 196
22. When a motion is stated by the President, or read by the clerk, it 197
shall be deemed to be in the possession of the Senate. It may be 198
withdrawn by the mover at any time before decision or amendment, but 199
not after amendment, unless the Senate gives leave. 200 Senate Resolution No. 2
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23. If the question under debate consists of two or more independent 201
propositions any member may move to have the question divided. The 202
President shall rule on the order of voting on the division of a question. 203
24. (a) The yeas and nays shall be cast on the roll call machine or 204
through use of the electronic remote voting system on all final action on 205
bills on the regular calendar and on all other questions at the desire of 206
one-fifth of the members present, expressed at any time before a 207
declaration of the vote. A vote may only be cast using the electronic 208
remote voting system from the Legislative Office Building or State 209
Capitol. 210
(b) Exceptions to this rule shall be allowed as to how and where the 211
yeas and nays are cast and recorded as follows: 212
(1) In the case that the roll call machine or electronic remote voting 213
system is not functioning properly, the roll may be called by the clerk; 214
or 215
(2) If the electronic remote voting system is not functioning properly 216
and there is a member who is unwilling or unable to be in the chamber, 217
such member may vote remotely from the Legislative Office Building or 218
State Capitol in writing, citing the LCO number of the bill, resolution or 219
amendment or the number of the consent calendar upon which the vote 220
is cast and signed by the member's hand. Such written remote vote shall 221
be delivered by a runner selected by the member's caucus to the 222
presiding officer before the roll call is announced. The presiding officer 223
shall announce the result of any such vote by such member as indicated 224
in the member's written remote vote and such vote shall be included in 225
the roll call vote announced after the receipt of such vote. No voice vote 226
may be made by written remote vote. The clerk shall retain each written 227
remote vote until the end of the regular session in which the vote was 228
cast. 229
25. Whenever the result of a vote as stated by the presiding officer is 230
doubted, it shall be taken again by rising. 231 Senate Resolution No. 2
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26. When a vote has been taken, it shall be in order for any senator on 232
the prevailing side to move for a reconsideration thereof on the day of 233
the vote or on the next succeeding session day, if the bill is still in the 234
possession of the Senate; provided also that there shall be no 235
reconsideration of the following motions: To adjourn, for the previous 236
question or to reconsider, and no question shall be twice reconsidered. 237
27. Pairs may be made by senators whose votes if they were present 238
would be cast on opposite sides of any question, by filing with the clerk 239
of the Senate a memorandum, containing the names of the senators, and 240
their votes, who are thus paired and the subject matter or matters to 241
which such pairs apply. Senators making any such pairs shall be 242
excused from voting upon the merits of the matters involved while the 243
pair continues, but no pairs shall operate while both of the senators 244
paired are present. 245
28. Persons, other than members of the General Assembly, shall not 246
be permitted on the chamber floor while the Senate is in session. 247
Lobbyists shall be prohibited from the chamber floor on any day during 248
which the Senate is in session except during a public hearing in the 249
chamber. This rule shall not apply to the staff of the General Assembly, 250
to any state or municipal official or member of the media who has been 251
given permission to be on the chamber floor by the President of the 252
Senate, President Pro Tempore, majority leader or minority leader, or to 253
persons invited to the chamber for purposes of recognition or ceremony. 254
Other persons who desire to speak with a member of the Senate while it 255
is in session shall communicate such desire through one of the 256
messengers and shall not converse with such member in the chamber 257
while the Senate is in session. 258
29. When a question is under debate, no motion shall be received 259
except: 260
1. To adjourn. 261
2. To recess. 262 Senate Resolution No. 2
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3. For the previous question. 263
4. To close the debate at a specified time. 264
5. To pass temporarily. 265
6. To pass retain. 266
7. To postpone to a certain time. 267
8. To commit or recommit. 268
9. To divide the question. 269
10. To amend. 270
11. To refer to another committee. 271
12. To postpone indefinitely. 272
13. To place at foot of calendar. 273
These several motions shall have precedence in the order listed in this 274
rule, and no motion to commit or recommit, to continue to the next 275
General Assembly or to postpone indefinitely, having been once 276
decided, shall be again allowed at the same session and at the same state 277
of the bill or subject matter. 278
30. (a) Amendments shall be filed with the clerk of the Senate before 279
12 noon on the day the bill is acted upon. Exceptions to this rule shall be 280
allowed: (1) Upon approval of any two of the following: The President 281
Pro Tempore, the majority leader of the Senate, the minority leader of 282
the Senate; or (2) in the case of bills or resolutions not starred for action 283
or bills or resolutions reported in accordance with subdivision (1) of 284
paragraph (d) of Rule 15 of the joint rules of the Senate and the House 285
of Representatives. 286
(b) Upon approval of an amendment pursuant to subdivision (1) of 287
subsection (a) of this section, the sponsor of the amendment shall cause 288
a copy of the signed approval to be provided electronically or by hand 289 Senate Resolution No. 2
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to a designated leader or staff member of the other party. 290
(c) Whenever a bill or resolution is substantively amended, it may be 291
referred to the legislative commissioners to be re-examined for the 292
purposes set forth in Rule 13 of the joint rules of the Senate and the 293
House of Representatives and to be reprinted as amended. The 294
legislative commissioners' office shall complete its examination of any 295
such bill within three calendar days of its receipt. It shall then be printed 296
in the files with a file number and marked on the calendar starred for 297
action on the session day on which it appears. 298
31. There shall be a consent calendar on which shall be entered such 299
bills and resolutions as the majority and minority leaders of the 300
respective house shall designate. All bills and resolutions starred for 301
action on the consent calendar shall be passed on motion without 302
discussion unless, at any time before voting has commenced, a member 303
requests removal of a bill or resolution from the consent calendar in 304
which case such bill or resolution shall be so removed. 305
32. The rules of parliamentary practice comprised in the 2010 edition 306
of Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure shall govern the Senate 307
whenever applicable and whenever they are not inconsistent with the 308
standing rules and orders of the Senate or the joint rules of the Senate 309
and the House of Representatives. 310
33. The rules of the Senate shall take precedence over the joint rules 311
of the Senate and the House of Representatives or Mason's Manual of 312
Legislative Procedure in the event of conflict. 313
34. No person shall smoke in the chamber or the gallery. 314
35. (a) These rules shall not be altered, amended or suspended except 315
by vote of at least two-thirds of the members present. 316
(b) Motions to suspend the rules shall be in order on any session day. 317
Suspension of a rule shall be for a specified purpose; after the 318
accomplishment of such purpose, the rule shall remain in force as 319
before. 320 Senate Resolution No. 2
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36. Every member present in the chamber when a question is put by 321
the presiding officer shall vote, unless excused under Rule 15. 322