HLS 15RS-4722 ORIGINAL
2015 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 228
BY REPRESENTATIVE ARNOLD
HOUSE/RULES: Provides for a nomination process for Speaker and Speaker Pro Tempore
1 A RESOLUTION
2To amend and readopt House Rule 2.2(B) of the Rules of Order of the House of
3 Representatives and to adopt House Rule 2.2.1 of the Rules of Order of the House
4 of Representatives to provide for the nomination of Speaker and Speaker Pro
5 Tempore by secret ballot prior to election and to provide relative to the order of
6 business at the organizational meeting of the House of Representatives.
7 BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Legislature of Louisiana
8that House Rule 2.2(B) of the Rules of Order of the House of Representatives is hereby
9amended and readopted and House Rule 2.2.1 of the Rules of Order of the House of
10Representatives is hereby adopted to read as follows:
11 Rule 2.2. Organization meeting of the House
12 * * *
13 B. The first order of business for the House shall be the calling of the roll of
14 the members-elect of the House. The second order of business shall be offering of
15 a prayer. The third order of business shall be the recitation of the pledge of
16 allegiance. The fourth order of business shall be the judging of the qualifications and
17 elections of the members. The fifth order of business shall be the taking of the oath
18 or affirmation of office by the members. The sixth order of business shall be the
19 election of the Clerk of the House and the Clerk's taking of the oath or affirmation
20 of office. The seventh order of business shall be the nomination and election of the
21 Speaker of the House and the Speaker's taking of the oath or affirmation of office.
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HR NO. 228
1 The eighth order of business shall be the nomination and election of the Speaker Pro
2 Tempore of the House and the Speaker Pro Tempore's taking of the oath or
3 affirmation of office.
4 Rule 2.2.1. Nomination of Speaker and Speaker Pro Tempore; procedure
5 A.(1) Any member-elect may submit the name of any member-elect to the
6 Clerk for inclusion on the secret ballot for nomination for the offices of Speaker and
7 Speaker Pro Tempore during the time period between the certification of election of
8 such member-elect to the House following the general election for members of the
9 legislature and nine o'clock in the morning on the day of the convening of the
10 organizational session of the legislature.
11 (2) Prior to the election of the Speaker and the Speaker Pro Tempore, the
12 members shall nominate by secret ballot a member for each such office. The
13 nominee for each office shall be selected from the names submitted to the Clerk by
14 the members-elect for inclusion on the secret ballot pursuant to Subparagraph (1) of
15 this Paragraph.
16 B.(1)(a) If no member is nominated for an office by a majority of the elected
17 members of the House, another secret ballot shall be cast to nominate one member
18 for the office from among the members who received the two highest numbers of
19 nominations.
20 (b) If two or more members receive the highest number of nominations, only
21 those members shall be included in the subsequent secret ballot.
22 (c) If two or more members receive the second highest number of
23 nominations, those members shall be included in the subsequent secret ballot along
24 with the member who received the highest number of nominations.
25 (2) The secret balloting shall continue in this manner until one member is
26 nominated for the office by a majority of the elected members of the House.
27 C. Upon the nomination of one member for each office, the nominee shall
28 stand for election as provided in House Rule 2.3 or 2.7, as applicable.
29 D. The Clerk shall conduct the nomination process for the nominees for each
30 office.
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HR NO. 228
1 E. The provisions of this Rule shall not apply to the filling of vacancies.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HR 228 Original 2015 Regular Session Arnold
Abstract: Provides for the nomination of a member for each of the offices of Speaker and
Speaker Pro Tempore by secret ballot prior to election and provides relative to the
order of business at the organizational meeting of the House.
Present House Rule provides for the election of the following officers for the House of
Representatives: Speaker, Speaker Pro Tempore, and Clerk.
Proposed House Rule retains present House Rule and provides for the nomination by secret
ballot of a member for the Speaker and Speaker Pro Tempore. Provides that any member-
elect may submit the name of any member-elect to the Clerk for inclusion on the secret
ballot for nomination for offices of Speaker and Speaker Pro Tempore during the time period
between the certification of election of such member-elect to the House following the
general election for members of the legislature and 9:00 a.m. on the day of the convening
of the organizational session of the legislature. Provides that the nominee for each office
shall be selected from the names submitted to the Clerk by the members-elect for inclusion
on the secret ballot.
Proposed House Rule provides that if no member is nominated by a majority of the elected
members of the House, another secret ballot shall be cast to nominate one member from
among the members who received the two highest numbers of nominations. Provides that
if two or more members receive the highest number of nominations, only those members
shall be included in the subsequent secret ballot, and if two or more members receive the
second highest number of nominations, those members shall be included in the subsequent
secret ballot along with the member who received the highest number of nominations.
Provides that the secret balloting shall continue in this manner until one member is
nominated by a majority of the elected members of the House. Provides that upon the
nomination of one member for each office, the nominee shall stand for election as provided
in present House Rule (Rules 2.3 and 2.7). Provides that the Clerk conducts the nomination
process. Proposed House Rule specifies that it does not apply to filling vacancies.
Present House Rule provides for the organizational meeting of the House. Provides that the
House meets in the House Chamber every four years at 10:00 a.m. on the second Mon. in
Jan. after their election. Provides that the senior of those members-elect with most years of
service as a member of the House who served in the House in the preceding term shall
preside, or in his absence or inability or due to his candidacy to be elected as an officer of
the House, the next most senior member shall preside.
Present House Rule provides for the following order of business:
(1)Calling of the roll of the members-elect of the House.
(2)Offering of a prayer.
(3)Recitation of the pledge of allegiance.
(4)Judging of the qualifications and elections of the members.
(5)Taking of the oath or affirmation of office by the members.
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HR NO. 228
(6)Election of the Clerk of the House and the Clerk's taking of the oath or affirmation
of office.
(7)Election of the Speaker of the House and the Speaker's taking of the oath or
affirmation of office.
(8)The eighth order of business shall be the election of the Speaker Pro Tempore of the
House and the Speaker Pro Tempore's taking of the oath or affirmation of office.
Proposed House Rule includes the nomination of the Speaker in the seventh order of
business and includes the nomination of Speaker Pro Tempore in the eighth order of business
and otherwise retains present House Rule.
(Amends House Rule 2.2(B); Adds House Rule 2.2.1)
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