Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

Georgia Senate Bill SR3 Compare Versions

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Old	New	Differences
1	1	25 LC 33 9754
2	2	Senate Resolution 3
3	3	By: Senators Kennedy of the 18th, Gooch of the 51st and Jones II of the 22nd
4	4	A RESOLUTION
5	5	Adopting the Rules of the Senate; and for other purposes.
6	6	1
7	7	BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the Rules of the Senate in effect at the2
8	8	adjournment of the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly are hereby adopted as the3
9	9	Rules of the Senate for the 2025-2026 biennium of the General Assembly unless and until4
10	10	otherwise provided by resolution of the Senate, with the following amendments:5
11	11	SECTION 1.6
12	12	The Rules of the Senate are amended by revising subsection (b) of Rule 1-3.2, relating to7
13	13	travel and reimbursement for employees of the Senate, as follows:8
14	14	"(b) Prior to any disbursement by the Legislative Fiscal Officer, there shall be on file with9
15	15	said fiscal officer documentation of the approval by the Committee on Administrative10
16	16	Affairs of all out-of-state travel reimbursement requests, submitted by the Secretary of the11
17	17	Senate, the Senator to which such staff member is assigned, or the directors of the Senate12
18	18	Research
19	19	Office of Policy and Legislative Analysis, Press Office, or Budget and Evaluation13
20	20	offices Office, as applicable, and the person requesting reimbursement shall submit an14
21	21	itemized listing of all expenses claimed hereunder."15
22	22	S. R. 3
23	23	- 1 - 25 LC 33 9754
24	24	SECTION 2.
25	25	16
26	26	Said Rules of the Senate are further amended by revising Rule 2-1.2 as follows:17
27	27	"2-1.2 Committee on Administrative Affairs18
28	28	There shall be a Committee on Administrative Affairs composed of the President of the19
29	29	Senate, the President Pro Tempore, the Majority Leader, the Minority Leader, the Secretary20
30	30	of the Senate, and three members appointed by the President of the Senate. This committee21
31	31	shall have the responsibility of employing, supervising, disciplining, and setting the22
32	32	compensation of all aides, secretaries, and other personnel for the Senate, including the23
33	33	Senate Budget and Evaluation Office
34	34	, Senate Press Office, and Senate Research offices24
35	35	Office of Policy and Legislative Analysis. The committee shall supervise the purchase and25
36	36	allotment of supplies for the Senate. This committee shall also supervise and approve all26
37	37	out-of-state travel of members of the Senate and staff. The committee shall be chaired by27
38	38	the President Pro Tempore or his or her designee. The committee is authorized to meet and28
39	39	take official action after adjournment sine die of a session and prior to the convening of the29
40	40	next session."30
41	41	SECTION 3.31
42	42	Said Rules of the Senate are further amended by adding a new rule as follows:32
43	43	"2-1.14 Interim Special Committees33
44	44	(a) Any interim special committee created by the Senate shall be subject to a resolution34
45	45	creating such committee. The Senate may also authorize the President of the Senate to35
46	46	create such committees.36
47	47	(b) Without the approval of the President of the Senate or subject to a resolution adopted37
48	48	pursuant to paragraph (a), no interim special committee may hold more than five (5)38
49	49	meetings. The members of any such committee shall receive the allowances provided for39
50	50	in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, provided that such40
51	51	allowances shall not be received by any member of the committee for more than five (5)41
52	52	S. R. 3
53	53	- 2 - 25 LC 33 9754
54	54	days of service unless additional days of service are authorized by the President of the42
55	55	Senate or resolution.43
56	56	(c) The chairperson shall call all meetings of any interim special committee. The44
57	57	chairperson shall provide notice at least seventy-two (72) hours prior to a meeting of the45
58	58	committee. Such notice shall be directed to the committee members; the Secretary of the46
59	59	Senate, who shall post notice of the meeting on the General Assembly's website as soon47
60	60	as practicable following receipt; and additional individuals at the discretion of the chair. 48
61	61	The committee may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem49
62	62	necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform50
63	63	its duties, and accomplish the objectives and purposes set forth in the resolution creating51
64	64	the committee; provided that should a chairperson desire to hold a meeting of the52
65	65	committee in a location other than the State Capitol or the Coverdell Legislative Office53
66	66	Building, he or she must obtain prior written approval from the Committee on54
67	67	Administrative Affairs.55
68	68	(d) Each interim special committee at its first organizational meeting shall set the number56
69	69	of members required for a quorum; however, the quorum shall not be set at less than a57
70	70	majority of the membership of the committee. An interim special committee cannot58
71	71	circumvent the provisions of the Senate Rules governing such committees by suspending59
72	72	any Rule or part thereof. Interim special committees may establish rules of operation that60
73	73	are not in conflict with Senate Rules.61
74	74	(e) In the event an interim special committee adopts any specific findings or62
75	75	recommendations that include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall63
76	76	file a report of the same prior to the date of abolishment set forth in the resolution creating64
77	77	the committee. In the event the committee adopts a report that does not include65
78	78	suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report. No report shall66
79	79	be filed unless the same has been adopted prior to the date of the committee's abolishment67
80	80	by majority vote of a quorum of the committee. A report so approved shall be signed by68
81	81	S. R. 3
82	82	- 3 - 25 LC 33 9754
83	83	the chairperson of the committee and filed with the Secretary of the Senate. In the absence69
84	84	of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Secretary of the Senate a copy of70
85	85	the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu thereof."71
86	86	SECTION 4.72
87	87	Said Rules of the Senate are further amended by revising Rule 2-5.1 as follows:73
88	88	"2-5.1 Motions; How Made74
89	89	All motions in standing committees shall receive a second before being put by the75
90	90	presiding officer."76
91	91	SECTION 5.77
92	92	Said Rules of the Senate are further amended by revising Rule 4-2.10 as follows:78
93	93	"4-2.10 Bills Placed on Desk; Calendar Changes79
94	94	No general bill or resolution shall be put for final passage unless the same has been put on80
95	95	a calendar and placed on each Senator's desk no less than one hour prior to the time of81
96	96	convening on the date of passage. The Secretary of the Senate shall put all bills which82
97	97	appear on the prepared calendar and which may be considered that day in numerical order83
98	98	on the Senators' desks. The calendar can be changed by a vote of two-thirds of the84
99	99	Senators voting, provided such two-thirds constitutes a majority of the members elected85
100	100	to the Senate."86
101	101	SECTION 6.87
102	102	Said Rules of the Senate are further amended by revising Rule 9-1.1 as follows:88
103	103	"9-1.1 Senatorial Conduct89
104	104	When the Senate is in session, Senators shall conduct themselves at all times with dignity90
105	105	and in a manner to insure ensure decorum in the deliberations of the body and shall be91
106	106	S. R. 3
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108	108	called to order by the President for activities to the contrary, including unnecessary
109	109	92
110	110	conversation which is disruptive to the business of the session and inappropriate dress."93
111	111	SECTION 7.94
112	112	Said Rules of the Senate are further amended by revising paragraph (7) of subsection (a) of95
113	113	Rule 9-1.4, relating to persons entitled to admission to the Senate during session, as follows:96
114	114	"(7) Staff members of the office of the Lieutenant Governor, the office of the President97
115	115	Pro Tempore, the office of the Majority Leader, the office of the Minority Leader, the98
116	116	Senate Budget and Evaluation Office, the Senate Research
117	117	Office of Policy and99
118	118	Legislative Analysis, and the Senate Press Office,"100
119	119	SECTION 8.101
120	120	Said Rules of the Senate are further amended by revising subsection (b) of Rule 9-1.6,102
121	121	relating to secretaries, interns, and aides, as follows:103
122	122	"(b) Each Senator may select an aide (not paid by the Senate) by designating in writing his104
123	123	or her name to the Secretary of the Senate; this aide shall not be changed during the session105
124	124	except by permission of the Committee on Administrative Affairs. No intern may be106
125	125	designated as an aide by a Senator. The aide provided for in this paragraph shall be issued107
126	126	an identifying badge, but shall not come on the floor of the Senate while the Senate is in108
127	127	session. No Senator may designate, and there shall be no identifying badge issued to, an109
128	128	individual as an aide who is a registered lobbyist or is required to register as a lobbyist110
129	129	pursuant to Article 4 of Chapter 5 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated."111
130	130	SECTION 9.112
131	131	Said Rules of the Senate are further amended by revising Rule 9-1.13 as follows:113
132	132	S. R. 3
133	133	- 5 - 25 LC 33 9754
134	134	"9-1.13 Smoking, Eating, Use of Cellular Phones Prohibited 114
135	135	There shall be no smoking, or eating, use of cellular telephones, or reading of newspapers115
136	136	and other materials not pertinent to legislation in the Senate Chamber while the Senate is116
137	137	in session."117
138	138	SECTION 10.118
139	139	Said Rules of the Senate are further amended by revising Rule 9-1.14 as follows:119
140	140	"9-1.14 Use of Computers, Cellular Phones, Reading Materials on the Senate Floor120
141	141	A Senator shall use his or her computer and cellular phone in the Senate Chamber only for121
142	142	legislative business, provided that this shall not prohibit the Senator from using the122
143	143	computer at such times such devices for purposes of ordinary and necessary123
144	144	communications with his or her home and business. Such devices shall not make audible124
145	145	noises nor distract other Senators from the business before the Senate. Maintenance and125
146	146	repair of Senators' computers or cellular phones shall not be conducted on the floor of the126
147	147	Senate while the Senate is in session. There shall be no use of reading materials in the127
148	148	Senate Chamber while the Senate is in session except that which is pertinent to legislation128
149	149	or current events."129
150	150	SECTION 11.130
151	151	Said Rules of the Senate are further amended by revising subsection (a) of Rule 10-1.3,131
152	152	relating to changes in rules, as follows:132
153	153	"(a) Senate Rules shall be adopted at the beginning of any two-year term of the General133
154	154	Assembly and at the beginning of any special session. Adoption of the Senate134
155	155	Organizational Rules Resolution or Senate Special Session Organizational Rules135
156	156	Resolution shall require an affirmative vote of a majority of the members to which the136
157	157	Senate is entitled. All subsequent resolutions introduced to change or amend the Senate137
158	158	S. R. 3
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160	160	Rules shall be assigned to the Committee on Rules and would require a two-thirds (2/3)
161	161	138
162	162	affirmative vote of the members to which the Senate is entitled for adoption."139
163	163	SECTION 12.140
164	164	Said Rules of the Senate are further amended by striking the following from page xvii of the141
165	165	Index to the Rules of the Senate:142
166	166	"PREFILING OF PROPOSED BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS .....O.C.G.A. 28-1-17"143
167	167	S. R. 3
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