Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S20 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1
2	2	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 20
3	3	Senate, February 9, 2023 -- Text of the proposed Joint Rules adopted by the Senate, as the Joint
4	4	Rules governing the 2023-2024 legislative session (being the text of Senate, No 18, printed as
5	5	amended).
6	6	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
7	7	_______________
8	8	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
9	9	(2023-2024)
10	10	_______________
11	11	JOINT RULES OF THE SENATE
12	12	AND
13	13	HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
14	14	[The dates under each rule indicate when the rule and its amendments were adopted.]
15	15	Committees.
16	16	1. Joint standing committees shall be appointed at the beginning of the biennial session as
17	17	follows:-
18	18	A committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity;
19	19	A committee on Agriculture;
20	20	A committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets
21	21	A committee on Cannabis Policy;
22	22	A committee on Children, Families and Persons With Disabilities;
23	23	A committee on Community Development and Small Businesses;
24	24	A committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure;
25	25	A committee on Emergency Preparedness and Management;
26	26	A committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies;
27	27	A committee on Education;
28	28	A committee on Elder Affairs;
29	29	A committee on Election Laws; 2
30	30	A committee on Environment and Natural Resources;
31	31	A committee on Financial Services;
32	32	A committee on Health Care Financing;
33	33	A committee on Higher Education;
34	34	A committee on Housing;
35	35	A committee on the Judiciary;
36	36	A committee on Labor and Workforce Development;
37	37	A committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery;
38	38	A committee on Municipalities and Regional Government;
39	39	A committee on Public Health;
40	40	A committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security;
41	41	A committee on Public Service;
42	42	A committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights and Inclusion;
43	43	A committee on Revenue;
44	44	A committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight;
45	45	A committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy;
46	46	A committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development;
47	47	A committee on Transportation; and
48	48	A committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs.
49	49	Each to consist of 6 members of the Senate, and 11 on the part of the House except the
50	50	committees on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets, Economic Development and
51	51	Emerging Technologies, Public Safety and Homeland Security, Mental Health, Substance Use
52	52	and Recovery, Health Care Financing and Transportation which shall consist of 7 members of
53	53	the Senate and 13 of the House.
54	54	Within 4 weeks of the appointment of joint standing committees in the first annual session of the
55	55	General Court, each joint standing committee shall adopt rules of procedure regarding its
56	56	conduct. Said rules of procedure, together with any amendments, shall be filed with the Clerk of
57	57	the Senate and the Clerk of the House and shall be available to the public and members of the
58	58	General Court on the official website for the General Court.
59	59	Except as provided by Joint Rule 1E or 1F, each matter shall be referred only to 1 joint
60	60	committee for consideration and all reports of matters by joint committees shall be made to the
61	61	House or the Senate, under Joint Rule 4, not to another joint committee. The committee to which 3
62	62	a matter is initially referred may discharge the matter to another committee with jurisdiction over
63	63	the matter.
64	64	Matters referred by either the Senate or the House to its committee on Ways and Means shall be
65	65	considered by the respective committees of the 2 branches, acting as a joint committee, when, in
66	66	the judgment of the chairs of the respective committees of the 2 branches, the interests of
67	67	legislation or the expedition of business will be better served by such joint consideration. Matters
68	68	may also be referred to the committees on Ways and Means, of the 2 branches, as a joint
69	69	committee.
70	70	The committees on Rules, together with the presiding officers of the 2 branches, acting
71	71	concurrently, may consider and suggest such measures as shall, in their judgment, tend to
72	72	facilitate the business of the session and a majority vote of the 2 branches shall be required to
73	73	approve such recommendations.
74	74	In order to assist the House and the Senate in their: (1) consideration and enactment of new
75	75	legislation and modifications of existing laws, when either are deemed to be appropriate; (2)
76	76	evaluation of the effectiveness and administration of laws and programs previously enacted; and
77	77	(3) appraisal of the conditions and circumstances which may indicate the desirability of enacting
78	78	new legislation, the various joint committees shall have the following oversight responsibilities:
79	79	(i) each joint committee shall review and study, on a continuing basis, the implementation,
80	80	administration, execution and effectiveness of those laws, or parts of law, the subject matter of
81	81	which is within the jurisdiction of that committee, the administrative regulations adopted to
82	82	implement those laws, and those state agencies or entities having responsibilities for the
83	83	administration and execution of such laws;
84	84	(ii) in carrying out these review and study activities, each committee shall determine whether
85	85	such laws, administrative regulations and programs under those laws are being implemented in
86	86	accordance with the intent of the General Court and whether such laws, administrative
87	87	regulations and programs should be continued, curtailed or eliminated;
88	88	(iii) each committee shall also review and study any conditions and circumstances which may
89	89	indicate the necessity or desirability of enacting new legislation within the jurisdiction of that
90	90	committee, regardless of whether any matter has been introduced on that subject, and shall, on a
91	91	continuing basis, undertake research on matters within the jurisdiction of that committee. 4
92	92	Committees shall coordinate oversight activities, under the direction of the presiding officers of
93	93	both branches, to achieve the maximum objectives of clauses (i), (ii) and (iii).
94	94	Each committee may, upon completion of its oversight hearings, report to the General Court the
95	95	results of its findings and recommendations together with accompanying corrective legislation, if
96	96	any, by filing the same with the Clerk of the House of Representatives or the Clerk of the Senate.
97	97	Copies of such reports shall be, whenever practicable, made available to all members
98	98	electronically and to the public via the Internet. The disposition of said reports shall be
99	99	determined by the Clerks with the approval of the Speaker and the President.
100	100	The Senate and House chairs of a joint committee may appoint subcommittees to investigate and
101	101	study any matter referred to said subcommittee. Any subcommittee so established shall be co-
102	102	chaired by a majority member of the Senate and a majority member of the House who are
103	103	members of the joint standing committee appointing the subcommittee. The composition of the
104	104	subcommittee shall be proportional to the composition of the appointing joint committee;
105	105	provided, however, that not less than 10 per cent of the subcommittee’s members shall be from
106	106	the minority party. Chairs of subcommittees shall not be considered chairs under section 9B of
107	107	chapter 3 of the General Laws. A subcommittee may, upon completion of an investigation and
108	108	study, report the results of the investigation and study together with legislation, if any, by filing
109	109	the same with the Senate and House chairs of the appointing joint committee.
110	110	Temporary employees of the general court assigned to a joint committee who are students at an
111	111	accredited education institution or employees or grantees of other non-profit organizations under
112	112	section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code may receive compensation from such
113	113	organization, according to that organization's regular program of providing such compensation
114	114	for temporary governmental or public service employment. A temporary employee's Senate or
115	115	House supervisor shall establish the employee's total compensation, shall verify that the sum of
116	116	the employee's state compensation, if any, and that any outside compensation the employee is to
117	117	receive under this rule would not exceed this total compensation, and shall file the written terms
118	118	of the employee's compensation with the Senate or House Human Resources Office, where it
119	119	shall be available for public inspection. The temporary employee shall sign a confidentiality and
120	120	ethics agreement provided by the Senate or House Human Resources Office.
121	121	The Senate and House Offices of Human Resources shall publish an employee handbook for
122	122	joint employees of both branches of the general court. The handbook shall be developed with 5
123	123	the advice and approval of both the Counsel to the Senate and the Counsel to the House. The
124	124	handbook shall address access by joint employees to the human resource related services and
125	125	programs of each branch of the general court. Joint employees shall complete any training
126	126	required by either branch of the general court, as may be agreed upon by the Senate and House
127	127	Offices of Human Resources. [Amended Jan. 6, 18 82; Jan. 5, 18 83; Jan. 7, 18 84; Jan. 8 and 26, 1885; Jan. 8, 18 86;
128	128	Jan. 12, 18 87; Jan. 9, 18 88; Jan. 28, 18 89; Jan. 8, 18 90; Feb. 2, 18 91; Jan. 11 and Feb. 10, 18 92; Feb. 7, 18 93; Jan. 8. 1894;
129	129	Jan. 7, 18 95; Jan. 7, 18 96; Jan. 11, 18 97; Jan. 10, 18 98; Jan. 9, 18 99; Jan. 22 and 29, 1901; Jan. 6, 19 02; Jan. 9, 19 03; Jan. 8,
130	130	19 04; Jan. 6, 19 05; Jan. 4, 19 07; Jan. 5, 19 10; Jan. 4, 19 11; Jan. 1, 19 13; Jan. 12, 19 14; Jan. 2, 19 18; Jan. 1 and 8 and Feb.
131	131	21, 1919; Jan. 7, 19 20; Jan. 5, 19 21; April 17 and 30, 1925; Jan. 5, 19 27; Jan. 7, 19 31; Jan. 6, 19 37; Jan. 4, 19 39; Jan. 1, 19
132	132	41; Jan. 3, 19 45; Jan. 2, 19 46; Jan. 6, 19 47; Feb. 1, 19 49; Jan. 7, 19 53; Jan. 7, 19 59; Jan. 30, 19 61; Jan. 7, 19 63; Jan. 12, 19
133	133	65; Feb. 24, 19 65; Mar. 10, 19 66; Jan. 30, 19 67; Jan. 7, 1971 ; July 23, 1974 ; Sept. 30 and Oct. 12, 1976 ; Nov. 3, 1981 ; Dec.
134	134	21, 1981 ; Mar. 15, 1982 ; Oct. 3, 1983 ; June 3, 1985 ; Jan. 25 and Mar. 14, 1988 ; Mar. 27, 1995 , June 12, 1995 ; July 17, 2003
135	135	; Jan. 26, 2005; July 21 and September 20, 2005; Feb. 20, 2007; Feb 12, 2009; Feb. 15, 2017; Mar 7, 2019; Mar. 25, 2021.]
136	136	1A. All meetings of joint committees acting concurrently, Senate and House standing
137	137	committees, special committees of the Senate and House of Representatives, and joint special
138	138	committees and committees of conference on the disagreeing votes of the 2 branches shall be
139	139	open to the public, unless a majority shall vote otherwise. [Adopted July 17, 1973. Amended July 18, 1974;
140	140	Feb. 12, 2009.]
141	141	1B. A joint standing committee shall hold a public hearing on each matter referred to it in each
142	142	legislative session. [Adopted June 3, 1985; Amended Feb. 12, 2009.]
143	143	1C. All joint standing committees shall schedule committee hearings, polls, and executive
144	144	sessions upon agreement of the chairs and so as not to conflict, to the extent feasible, with the
145	145	schedules of other committees and, to the extent feasible, the day of the week and times during
146	146	that day set aside for formal sessions by the respective branches.
147	147	Hearings shall be made available on a platform that permits remote public participation from
148	148	outside the hearing room through audio and video technology; provided, however, the chairs
149	149	may by agreement waive this requirement for technological, operational or logistical reasons.
150	150	Chairs shall schedule hearings that offer remote participation through Legislative Information
151	151	Services and the Sergeant-at-Arms. Members of the committee may participate remotely and
152	152	shall have the same privileges, rights and responsibilities as if the member were physically
153	153	present at the hearing location, and other members may offer remote testimony before
154	154	committees of which they are not a member. The agenda for such a hearing shall specify how
155	155	members of the public may access , monitor and participate in the remote aspect of the meeting.
156	156	Nothing contained herein shall limit the ability of a committee to meet in executive session, 6
157	157	prevent disruption or maintain decorum during the hearing. Committees may adopt rules to
158	158	govern the orderly and efficient operation of such hearings.
159	159	[Adopted June 3, 1985; Amended June 12, 1995; Mar. 7, 2019.]
160	160	1D. All meetings of joint standing committees, and special joint committees of the Senate and
161	161	House of Representatives, shall be open to the public, and any person shall be permitted to attend
162	162	any such meeting unless such committee convenes in executive session, as provided herein. All
163	163	joint standing committees shall determine a schedule for committee hearings. These committee
164	164	schedules shall be submitted to the Clerk of the House who shall cause them to be published on
165	165	the official website for the General Court. Establishment of such schedules shall not preclude
166	166	joint standing committees from scheduling additional hearings or meetings as needed. No
167	167	executive session shall be held except upon extraordinary circumstances and only after the
168	168	committee has first convened in an open session for which notice has been given, the presiding
169	169	officer has stated the purpose of the executive session, a majority of the committee members
170	170	present has voted to go into executive session, the vote of each member has been recorded on a
171	171	roll call vote, and the presiding officer has stated before the executive session if the committee
172	172	will reconvene after the executive session. The records of all such roll calls shall be kept in the
173	173	offices of the committee for the duration of the General Court during which said vote was
174	174	recorded, and shall be available for public inspection upon reasonable notice and during regular
175	175	office hours.
176	176	Committees shall provide to members of the committee either the text or comprehensive
177	177	summaries of the bills or other forms of legislative matters prior to the beginning of an executive
178	178	session or poll. Any recorded votes on a favorable or adverse report on an individual bill, taken
179	179	by roll call or electronic poll of each member, shall be posted on the website of the General
180	180	Court. All joint standing committees, and special joint committees of the Senate and House of
181	181	Representatives, shall notify the Sergeant-at-Arms of the time, place and agenda of all public
182	182	hearings and executive sessions not less than 5 days prior to the time of such meetings. If public
183	183	testimony is being solicited, agendas shall include an electronic mail address and physical mail
184	184	address for the submission of testimony and shall inform the public that testimony received may
185	185	be made publicly available. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall notify the clerk, who shall inform all
186	186	members electronically and publish such information on the official website of the General Court
187	187	whenever practicable. 7
188	188	Any such public testimony received by the committee that is readily capable of being reproduced
189	189	shall be made available to the public upon request; provided, however, that the committee may
190	190	redact such public testimony that includes sensitive personal information or information that may
191	191	jeopardize the health, wellness or safety of an individual. If expert testimony is being solicited
192	192	by the committee, the committee shall make reasonable efforts to promote the diversity of expert
193	193	witness panels.
194	194	Nothing contained in this rule shall prohibit a joint standing committee or special joint
195	195	committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives from taking appropriate action
196	196	including, but not limited to, the exclusion of a person from a committee meeting in order to
197	197	prevent the disruption of or interference with committee proceedings. All meetings of joint
198	198	standing committees, and special joint committees of the Senate and House of Representatives,
199	199	shall be limited to no more than 50 bills to be discussed in a hearing, unless it can be determined
200	200	that all of the bills being considered are of the same subject matter.
201	201	The 5 day requirement shall be suspended in an emergency only after all reasonable efforts have
202	202	been made to contact all committee members and upon a recorded vote of at least a majority of
203	203	the members of each branch appointed to the committee, but not less than two-thirds of the
204	204	members of each branch voting.
205	205	A meeting of a committee may be recorded by a person in attendance by means of a recorder or
206	206	any other means of audio/visual reproduction except when a meeting is held in executive session;
207	207	provided, that a person seeking to record a meeting of a committee notifies the Chairs of the
208	208	committee prior to commencing such recording; and provided further that during such recording
209	209	there is no interference with the conduct of the meeting.
210	210	The Chairs of each committee shall preserve decorum and order during each committee hearing.
211	211	Persons attending hearings shall be required to refrain from the use of cellular telephones,
212	212	beepers and pagers. The use of visual aids including, without limitation, posters, displays, or
213	213	charts shall be permitted only upon approval of the Chairs. Joint Committees may receive
214	214	testimony from public officials out of the regular order of participation; provided, however, that
215	215	if a committee follows such a practice public officials of Indigenous communities shall be treated
216	216	accordingly. [Adopted June 3, 1985. Amended June 12, 1995; Feb. 20, 2007; Mar. 14, 2013; Mar. 7, 2019.]
217	217	1E. The joint standing committee on Health Care Financing shall review all legislation relating
218	218	to health care to evaluate the appropriateness and fiscal effect of such legislation. A matter
219	219	within the jurisdiction of said committee may, if appropriate, initially be referred to another joint
220	220	standing committee sharing jurisdiction of the subject-matter. Any matter reported favorably by 8
221	221	such joint standing committee shall be referred to the joint committee on Health Care Financing;
222	222	provided, however, that notwithstanding any rule to the contrary, any such matter so reported
223	223	shall not be read a first time in the branch in which the report was received. The next favorable
224	224	report on any such matter, if made by a joint committee, may be made to either branch. Such
225	225	next favorable report shall be considered the first reading. The branch of origin for any such bill
226	226	so reported shall be the branch receiving such favorable report.
227	227	For all matters initially referred to the joint committee on Health Care Financing and not
228	228	previously referred to another joint committee, the joint committee on Health Care Financing
229	229	may make favorable reports to either branch, at the discretion of the committee, except that
230	230	reports on money bills shall be made to the House.
231	231	In compliance with section 38A of chapter 3 of the General Laws, the joint committee on Health
232	232	Care Financing when reporting on bills shall include a fiscal note prepared under section 3A of
233	233	chapter 29 of the General Laws, showing the estimated cost or the fiscal effect of the proposed
234	234	legislation, if, in the opinion of said committee, such cost or fiscal effect exceeds the sum of
235	235	$100,000; provided, however, that any matter reported by the committee on Health Care
236	236	Financing with a fiscal effect of less than $100,000 shall not be referred, under the rules, to the
237	237	committee on Ways and Means. [Adopted Jan. 26, 2005; Amended May 19, 2005; Feb. 20, 2007; Feb. 12, 2009.]
238	238	1F. The joint committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets shall review all
239	239	legislation providing for the giving, loaning or pledging of the credit of the Commonwealth (see
240	240	Article LXII of the Amendments to the Constitution, as amended by Article LXXXIV). Said
241	241	committee shall be responsible for evaluating such legislation and determining the
242	242	appropriateness of enacting legislation containing increased bond authorizations for the
243	243	Commonwealth. The committee shall periodically review and hold open public hearings,
244	244	accepting oral and written testimony on the status of the bonds and notes of the Commonwealth,
245	245	including (1) general obligation debt; (2) dedicated income tax debt; and (3) special obligation
246	246	debt. The committee shall also, in its continuing study of the state’s bonding practices, review
247	247	the Commonwealth’s liabilities relative to (a) state-supported debt; (b) state-guaranteed debt; and
248	248	(c) indirect obligations.
249	249	Any bill providing for borrowing for new projects, and requiring the Commonwealth to issue
250	250	bonds for such purpose, shall, prior to its reference to the committee on Ways and Means, be
251	251	referred to the committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets for report on its 9
252	252	relationship to the finances of the Commonwealth. A measure may initially be referred to
253	253	another joint committee with jurisdiction over the subject matter before being referred to the
254	254	committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets; provided, however, that
255	255	notwithstanding any rule to the contrary, any such matter so reported shall not be read a first time
256	256	in the branch in which the report was received. The next favorable report on any such matter by
257	257	the committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets shall be considered the first
258	258	reading. The branch of origin for any such bill so reported shall be the branch receiving such
259	259	favorable report.
260	260	The provisions of Joint Rule 4 shall apply to all matters referred to the joint committee on
261	261	Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets, except that where constitutionally prohibited.
262	262	The joint committee shall consult with the various agencies of the Executive branch and the
263	263	office of the Treasurer and Receiver-General relative to project expenditures, availability of
264	264	funds, the sale of new bonds and the resultant debt obligations, federal reimbursements and other
265	265	related funding and bonding issues.
266	266	The joint committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets shall be authorized to
267	267	conduct hearings relative to the statutory authority of the Executive branch and the Treasurer and
268	268	Receiver-General in the issuance and sale of bonds and notes and the expenditure of capital
269	269	funds by the various agencies and authorities of the Commonwealth. The committee shall
270	270	determine whether such laws, administrative regulations and programs are being implemented in
271	271	accordance with the intent of the General Court.
272	272	The committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets shall be authorized to report
273	273	to the General Court from time to time on the results of its hearings and to file drafts of
274	274	legislation necessary to carry its recommendations into effect.
275	275	Messages from the Governor setting terms of bonds and notes, or for the de-authorization or
276	276	authorization of bonds and notes shall be referred to the committee on Bonding, Capital
277	277	Expenditures and State Assets. [Adopted Mar. 25, 2021 -- previously omitted ]
278	278	1G. The President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Minority Leader
279	279	of the Senate, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the Senate and House chairs and
280	280	the Senate and House ranking minority members of the joint committee on Public Safety and
281	281	Homeland Security may receive security clearance from federal and state homeland security
282	282	officials in order to be granted access to confidential homeland security briefings, information 10
283	283	and materials. The President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the
284	284	Senate and House committee chairs and the Senate and House ranking minority members may
285	285	designate 1 or more members of their staff who may receive such security clearance.
286	286	Any person who receives security clearance under this rule shall sign all confidentiality
287	287	agreements required by homeland security officials. The breach of any such confidentiality
288	288	agreement shall constitute a violation of the Joint Rules of the Senate and House of
289	289	Representatives. Any alleged violation of a confidentiality agreement shall be referred for
290	290	investigation to the Senate committee on Ethics and Rules or the House committee on Ethics,
291	291	respectively, and, if appropriate, to law enforcement authorities for potential criminal
292	292	prosecution. [Adopted Jan. 26, 2005; Amended Feb. 12, 2009; Mar. 7, 2019.]
293	293	2. No member of either branch shall act as counsel for any party before any committee of the
294	294	Legislature.
295	295	2A. No member of either branch shall purchase, directly or indirectly, the stock or other
296	296	securities of any corporation or association knowing that there is pending before the General
297	297	Court any measure specially granting to such corporation or association any immunity,
298	298	exemption, privilege or benefit or any measure providing for the creation of, or directly affecting
299	299	any, contractual relations between such corporation or association and the Commonwealth. This
300	300	rule shall not apply to the purchase of securities issued by the Commonwealth or any political
301	301	subdivision of the Commonwealth. [See G.L. chapter 268, section 10.] [Adopted Jan. 16, 1922.]
302	302	3. When the General Court is in session, authorization for any committee of the Senate or House
303	303	of Representatives to travel during the session of the General Court shall be approved by a vote
304	304	of two-thirds of the members of its branch present and voting. When the General Court is in
305	305	session, authorization for any committee of the Senate or House of Representatives to sit and
306	306	travel during the recess of the General Court shall be approved by a vote of two-thirds of the
307	307	members of each branch present and voting. During the recess of the General Court, the
308	308	President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives may, by written consent,
309	309	allow standing committees of their respective branches or appoint special committees to sit,
310	310	travel and incur expenses not exceeding sums authorized in writing by said presiding officers and
311	311	appropriated for such purposes. When the General Court is in session, authorization for any joint
312	312	committee to travel during the session, or to sit or travel during the recess, of the General Court
313	313	shall be approved by a vote of two-thirds of the members of each branch present and voting. 11
314	314	During the recess of the General Court, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House
315	315	of Representatives, acting jointly, may, by written consent, allow joint committees or appoint
316	316	joint special committees to sit, travel and incur expenses not exceeding sums authorized in
317	317	writing by said presiding officers and appropriated for such purposes. The Clerks of the Senate
318	318	and House of Representatives shall be notified of any appointments made and authorizations
319	319	granted during the recess for said committees to sit, travel and incur expenses during the recess
320	320	and the Clerks shall enter such information in the journals for the next year, as soon as may be
321	321	practicable. Committees authorized by the presiding officers to sit during the recess in the odd
322	322	numbered year shall report not later than the fourth Wednesday of January during the following
323	323	year and committees authorized by the presiding officers to sit during the recess in the even
324	324	numbered year shall report not later than the fourth Wednesday of December during the same
325	325	year.
326	326	No committee shall travel except at the expense of the Commonwealth. In any case when a
327	327	committee is authorized to travel, the Sergeant-at-Arms shall provide transportation only for
328	328	members of the committee and the officer accompanying them, and the reasonable traveling
329	329	expenses of such members and officers only shall be charged to or paid by the Commonwealth.
330	330	Neither the Sergeant-at-Arms nor the officer detailed by the Sergeant-at-Arms shall permit any
331	331	person to accompany such committee while in the discharge of its official duties unless invited
332	332	by vote of the committee.
333	333	All bills for the traveling expenses of committees shall be submitted by the Sergeant-at-Arms to
334	334	the committee by whom they have been incurred and shall be approved by a majority of said
335	335	committee before being presented to the Comptroller for payment. [Adopted Feb. 7, 1890; Amended Feb.
336	336	2, 1891 ; Jan. 20, 1904 ; April 17, 1925 ; March 2, 1943 ; July 27, 1950 ; Oct. 18, 1971 ; March 28, 1972 ; Jan. 15, 1973; Feb. 12,
337	337	2009.]
338	338	3A. A joint standing committee may, upon the written and signed report of two-thirds of the
339	339	members of the Senate and two-thirds of the members of the House appointed to said committee,
340	340	report a bill or other form of legislation without said legislation being founded upon petition;
341	341	provided, however, that matters so reported shall be germane to the subject matters regularly
342	342	referred to the committee. The committee shall hold a public hearing on such bill or other form
343	343	of legislation before it is reported. A bill or other form of legislation so reported shall be placed
344	344	in the Orders of the Day by the Clerk of the respective branch to which it is reported or referred
345	345	to a standing committee of said branch under the rules. All reports of committees not founded 12
346	346	upon petition shall bear the designation ‘committee bill’, ‘resolve’, ‘order’ or ‘resolution’, as the
347	347	case may be, in the Orders of the Day. Committees to which messages from the Governor,
348	348	reports of state officers, boards, committees, commissions and others authorized to report to the
349	349	General Court, may report by bill or otherwise such legislation as may be germane to the subject
350	350	matter referred to them. [Adopted June 3, 1985.]
351	351	4. Favorable reports, and adverse reports on subjects of legislation other than petitions, by joint
352	352	committees shall be made to the branch in which the matter was originally introduced, unless the
353	353	committee decides otherwise under its own rules and, except that reports on money bills shall be
354	354	made to the House and if adverse reports on matters other than petitions which are accompanied
355	355	by money bills are accepted by the House, this shall constitute final rejection. Adverse reports by
356	356	joint committees on petitions shall be made to the branch in which the petition was originally
357	357	introduced, except that such adverse reports on petitions accompanied by proposed money bills
358	358	shall be made to the House; and, if accepted by the branch in which they are made, shall be
359	359	considered as a final rejection. When a report is made from any committee to either branch, and
360	360	the subject-matter of the report is subsequently referred to a joint committee, such committee,
361	361	except for the committee on Health Care Financing, shall report its action to the branch in which
362	362	the reference originated. [See also Joint Rule 5.]
363	363	A vote of a joint standing committee to give legislation a favorable or adverse report shall be
364	364	conducted by a roll call upon request of 2 committee members present at the committee meeting.
365	365	Such votes shall be recorded on appropriate forms that show all votes for and against the
366	366	particular committee action. The records of all such roll calls shall be kept in the offices of the
367	367	committee for the duration of the General Court during which said vote was recorded, and shall
368	368	be available for public inspection upon reasonable notice and during regular office hours and
369	369	shall be posted on the website of the General Court.
370	370	All committee members shall have an opportunity to sign a form accompanying a report of the
371	371	committee signifying approval of, dissent or abstention from a report of a joint standing
372	372	committee before the report is final or filed. No signature shall be valid unless the report to
373	373	which the signature is affixed includes the substantially complete text of the legislation being
374	374	reported. [Amended Jan. 3, 1952; April 8, 1959; June 7, 1965; Jan. 7, 1971; March 11, 1974; June 3, 1985; Feb. 20, 2007;
375	375	Feb. 15, 2017.]
376	376	4A. In compliance with section 38A of chapter 3 of the General Laws, all joint committees of the
377	377	General Court when reporting on bills referred to them shall include a fiscal note prepared under 13
378	378	section 3A of chapter 29 of the General Laws, showing the estimated cost or the fiscal effect of
379	379	the proposed legislation, if, in the opinion of said committee, such cost exceeds $100,000. Such
380	380	fiscal note shall be filed electronically in the office of the clerk to which the report is being
381	381	made, and shall be promptly made available on the official website of the General Court. [Adopted
382	382	Jan. 15, 1973.]
383	383	5. Matters reported adversely by joint committees and the committees on Rules of the two
384	384	branches, acting concurrently, may be recommitted to the same committees at the pleasure of the
385	385	branch acting on the report, and bills or resolves may be recommitted in either branch. If a bill or
386	386	resolve is laid aside in either branch for the reason that it is declared to be broader in its scope
387	387	than the subject-matter upon which it is based, the subject-matter shall be recommitted to the
388	388	committee. A concurrent vote shall, however, be necessary for re-committal, with instructions.
389	389	After recommitment, report shall, in all cases, be made to the branch originating the
390	390	recommitment. [Amended Feb. 2, 1891; April 11, 1935; Jan. 6, 1947; May 7, 19 53; March 26, 1963; Jan. 30, 1967; Jan. 7,
391	391	1971; March 11, 1974.]
392	392	6. Bills and resolves reported by joint committees shall be presented with spaces between the
393	393	several sections and shall be made available to all members electronically and to the public via
394	394	the Internet. [Amended Jan. 28, 1889; Jan. 9, 1941; Feb. 8, 1949; Feb. 12, 2009.]
395	395	Joint Petitions.
396	396	6A. A member of the Senate and a member of the House of Representatives may file a joint
397	397	petition in either branch and shall endorse their name on the petition and a brief statement of the
398	398	nature and object of the instrument and the reading of the instrument shall be dispensed with,
399	399	unless specially ordered. The petition shall be filed in the office of the clerk of either the Senate
400	400	or House of Representatives, depending on whether it is a ‘Joint Senate/House Petition’ or a
401	401	‘Joint House/Senate Petition’ but the Journal records in the Senate and House of Representatives
402	402	shall carry both members’ names as presenters of the petition. [Adopted Jan. 15, 1973.]
403	403	7. Whenever, upon any application for an act of incorporation or other legislation, the purpose
404	404	for which such legislation is sought can be secured without detriment to the public interests by a
405	405	general law or under existing laws, the committee to which the matter is referred shall report
406	406	such general law, or ‘ought not to pass’. [Amended Feb. 2, 1891; Feb. 7, 18 93; Jan. 7, 1971.]
407	407	7A. A petition for legislation to authorize a county to reinstate in its service a person formerly
408	408	employed by it, or to retire or pension or grant an annuity to any person, or to increase any 14
409	409	retirement allowance, pension or annuity, or to pay any sum of money in the nature of a pension
410	410	or retirement allowance, or to pay any salary which would have accrued to a deceased official or
411	411	employee but for their death, or to pay any claim for damages or otherwise, or to alter the
412	412	benefits or change the restrictions of any county retirement or pension law, shall, subsequently to
413	413	the procedure required by Senate Rule No. 20 and by House Rule No. 24, be reported adversely,
414	414	unless, when filed it be the petition of, or be approved by, a majority of the county
415	415	commissioners. [Adopted April 29, 1915. Amended Jan. 13, Feb. 19 and Dec. 22, 1920; May 24, 1926; April 11, 1935;
416	416	April 22, 1937; Jan. 12, 1939; Jan. 15, 1945; Feb. 20, 1951; Jan. 30, 1967; Jan. 7, 1971; Jan. 15, 1973; Mar. 7, 2019.]
417	417	7B. A petition, the operation of which is restricted to a particular city or town (and which does
418	418	not affect the powers, duties, etc., of state departments, boards, commissions, etc., or which does
419	419	not affect generally the laws of the Commonwealth) and which is not filed in conformity with
420	420	Section 8 of Article LXXXIX of the Amendments to the Constitution shall, subsequent to the
421	421	procedure required by Senate Rule 20 and House Rule 24, be reported adversely, unless it be on
422	422	petition filed or approved by the voters of a city or town, or the mayor and city council, or other
423	423	legislative body, of a city, or the town meeting of a town. A joint committee to which is
424	424	inadvertently referred a petition or other subject of legislation the operation of which is restricted
425	425	to a particular city or town and which is not in conformity with Section 8 of Article LXXXIX of
426	426	the Amendments to the Constitution shall report a general law which applies alike to all cities, or
427	427	to all towns, or to all cities and towns, or to a class of not fewer than 2; or shall report ‘ought not
428	428	to pass’, with the further endorsement that it ‘would be unconstitutional to enact such special
429	429	law’.
430	430	Any petition that subsequently conforms to Section 8 of Article LXXXIX of the Amendments to
431	431	the Constitution after filing, which have followed the procedures set forth in Senate Rule 20 or
432	432	House Rule 24, shall be forthwith reported from the committee on Rules and be referred by the
433	433	Clerk to an appropriate committee. [Adopted Jan. 13, 1920. Amended Feb. 19 and Dec. 22, 1920; May 24, 1926;
434	434	April 11, 1935; April 22, 1937; Jan. 12, 1939; Jan. 9, 1941; Jan. 15, 1945; Feb. 20, 1951; Jan. 30, 1967; Jan. 7 and Mar. 22, 1971
435	435	; Jan. 15, 1973; March 14, 2013.]
436	436	7C. The approval vote required to file a petition, the operation of which is restricted to a
437	437	particular city or town under Section 8 of Article LXXXIX of the Amendments to the
438	438	Constitution of the Commonwealth, shall not expire prior to the final day of the next immediate
439	439	biennial session following the certification of the approval vote by the city or town and in such
440	440	circumstances no additional vote shall be required to file a petition unless a vote to rescind such 15
441	441	approval is passed by the voters of a city or town, or the mayor and city council or other
442	442	legislative body of a city, or the select board and the town meeting or other legislative body of
443	443	the town. [Adopted, Mar. 14, 2013; Amended Feb. 15, 2017.]
444	444	7D. The approval of a substantive amendment to a petition restricted to a single city or town and
445	445	requiring a vote of the city of town before enactment of the petition shall be provided to the
446	446	General Court before the enactment of the petition and shall be reviewed by House Counsel and
447	447	Senate Counsel prior to the enactment of the petition in either branch. [Adopted , Feb. 15, 2017.]
448	448	Notice to Parties Interested.
449	449	8. No legislation affecting the rights of individuals or the rights of a private or municipal
450	450	corporation, otherwise than as it affects generally the people of the Commonwealth or the people
451	451	of the city or town to which it specifically applies, shall be proposed or introduced except by a
452	452	petition, nor shall any bill or resolve embodying such legislation be reported by a committee
453	453	except upon a petition duly referred, nor shall such a bill or resolve be reported by a committee,
454	454	whether on an original reference or on a re-committal with instructions to hear the parties, until it
455	455	is made to appear to the satisfaction of the committee that proper notice of the proposed
456	456	legislation has been given by public advertisement or otherwise to all parties interested, without
457	457	expense to the Commonwealth, or until evidence satisfactory to the committee is produced that
458	458	all parties interested have in writing waived notice. A committee reporting adversely due to lack
459	459	proper notice or of a waiver of proper notice shall so state in its report and no bill or resolve shall
460	460	be in order as a substitute for, or amendment of, such report. Objection to the violation of this
461	461	rule may be taken at any stage prior to that of the third reading. [Adopted Feb. 7, 1890. Amended Dec. 22,
462	462	1920 ; Jan. 12, 1939 ; Jan. 15, 1945; Jan. 7, 1971.]
463	463	9. A petition for the incorporation of a city or town, for the annexation of 1 municipality to
464	464	another, for the consolidation of 2 or more municipalities or for the division of an existing
465	465	municipality, or for the incorporation or revival of a railroad, street railway, elevated railroad,
466	466	canal, telephone, telegraph, water, gas, electric light, power or other public service corporation,
467	467	for the amendment, alteration or extension of the charter or corporate powers or privileges, or for
468	468	the change of name, of any such company, whether specially incorporated or organized under the
469	469	General Laws, or for authority to take water for a water supply, or relative to building structures
470	470	in or over navigable or tide waters, shall be placed on file, and not referred to a committee ,
471	471	unless the petitioner has given the notice and followed the procedure required by section 5 of
472	472	chapter 3 of the General Laws. But if, no objection being raised, any such petition is referred to a 16
473	473	committee without such required notice or procedure, the committee shall forthwith report
474	474	adversely, setting forth as the reason for such report failure to comply with the law, unless
475	475	evidence satisfactory to the committee is produced that all parties interested have in writing
476	476	waived notice. In case a bill or resolve is reported upon such a petition, after proof of such
477	477	waiver of notice, this fact shall be set forth in the report of the committee. When an adverse
478	478	report is made by a committee, on account of failure to give the required notice, no bill or resolve
479	479	shall be substituted for such report, nor shall such report be recommitted or referred to another
480	480	committee.
481	481	A petition for the establishment or revival, or for the amendment, alteration or extension of the
482	482	charter or corporate powers or privileges, or for the change of name, of any corporation, except a
483	483	petition subject to the preceding paragraph, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the branch in
484	484	which it is filed to the office of the State Secretary. If such a petition is returned by said
485	485	Secretary with a statement that the petitioner has failed to comply with the requirements of
486	486	section 7 of chapter 3 of the General Laws, said petition shall be placed on file, and shall not be
487	487	referred to a committee.
488	488	Any petition placed on file for want of proper notice or procedure under this rule shall not affect
489	489	action upon any other measure involving the same subject matter. [Adopted Feb. 7, 1890. Amended Feb. 2,
490	490	1891; Feb. 3, 1898; Jan. 16, 1903; Feb. 19 and Dec. 22, 1920; May 24, 1926; Feb. 27, 1929; April 11, 1935; Jan. 6, 1938; Jan. 12,
491	491	1939; Jan. 9, 1941; Jan. 15, 1945; April 8, 1959; Jan. 7, 1963; Jan. 7, 1971 ; Jan. 15, 1973 , June 12, 1995; Feb. 12, 2009; Mar. 7,
492	492	2019.]
493	493	Limit of Time allowed for Reports of Committees.
494	494	10. All joint committees and the committees on Rules of the two branches, acting concurrently,
495	495	shall make final report not later than the first Wednesday in February of the second annual
496	496	session of the General Court on all matters referred to them before the first day of the second
497	497	annual session and within 30 days on all matters referred to them on and after the first day of the
498	498	second annual session of the General Court except that the committee on Health Care Financing
499	499	shall make final report not later than the last Wednesday of March of the second annual session
500	500	on all matters referred to them on or before the fourth Wednesday of February and within 30
501	501	days on all matters referred to it after the fourth Wednesday in February of the second annual
502	502	session of the General Court. When the time within which said committees are required to report
503	503	has expired, all matters upon which no report has then been made shall forthwith be reported by
504	504	the chair of the committee on the part of the branch in which they were respectively introduced, 17
505	505	with an adverse recommendation under this rule. If the chair fails to make such report by the end
506	506	of the legislative day next following the expiration date, all matters remaining unreported shall
507	507	be placed in the Orders of the Day by the Clerk of the branch in which the matter was originally
508	508	filed with an adverse report under this rule. Matters which have been referred under Joint Rule
509	509	29, upon which the chairs of the committees on Rules fail to make a report, shall be placed by
510	510	the respective Clerks in the Orders of the Day of the branch in which the subject matter was
511	511	referred to said committees. Committees to whom are referred subjects of legislation may
512	512	combine petitions of similar subject matter, or other forms of legislation of similar subject
513	513	matter, into 1 adverse report, and the report on the petition shall be that said petitions or other
514	514	forms of legislation ‘ought NOT to pass,’ and if the report is accepted, all the matters contained
515	515	in the report shall be disposed of. However, petitions upon which an adverse report is accepted in
516	516	only 1 branch may not be combined with other subjects of legislation upon which adverse reports
517	517	must be accepted, in concurrence. This rule shall not apply to petitions referred to the
518	518	committees on Rules of the two branches, acting concurrently, under the second paragraph of
519	519	Joint Rule 12. This rule shall not be rescinded, amended or suspended, except by a concurrent
520	520	vote of four-fifths of the members of each branch present and voting thereon. Notwithstanding
521	521	Joint Rule 30, this rule shall not be rescinded, amended or suspended more than 3 times except
522	522	by unanimous consent. [Amended Feb. 2, 1891; Jan. 25, 1894; Jan. 16, 1903; Jan. 20, 1904; Dec. 22, 1920; April 17,
523	523	1925; Jan. 12, 1939; Jan. 15, 1945; Jan. 6, 1947; May 7, 1953; Jan. 27, 1955; Jan. 30, 1967; Jan. 7, 1971; Feb. 4, 1974, June 12,
524	524	1995; July 17, 2003; Feb. 20, 2007; Feb. 12, 2009; Feb. 15, 2017; Mar. 7, 2019.]
525	525	10A. The form for all subjects of legislation receiving a favorable report shall be ‘ought to pass.’
526	526	The form for all subjects of legislation receiving an adverse report shall be ‘ought NOT to pass.’
527	527	A committee to whom is referred any other matter may report recommending that the same be
528	528	placed on file. [Adopted Jan. 7, 1971.]
529	529	Committees of Conference.
530	530	11. Committees of conference shall consist of 3 members on the part of each branch, one
531	531	member of each branch being a member of the minority party representing its vote; and their
532	532	report, if agreed to by a majority of each committee, shall be made to the branch asking for the
533	533	conference, and may be either accepted or rejected, but no other action shall be had, except
534	534	through a new committee of conference.
535	535	Committees of conference to whom are referred matters of difference in respect to bills or
536	536	resolves, shall, after filing their reports, but before consideration by either branch, have the same 18
537	537	approved or discharged by each committee on Bills in the Third Reading. [Amended April 22, 1937;
538	538	Feb. 12, 2009; Feb. 3, 2011; Feb. 15, 2017; Mar. 7, 2019.]
539	539	11A. Committees of conference to whom are referred matters of difference in respect to
540	540	appropriation bills, including capital outlay programs, shall, after filing their reports but before
541	541	consideration by either branch have the same approved or discharged by each committee on Bills
542	542	in the Third Reading.
543	543	Upon the appointment of a committee of conference to whom matters of difference in respect to
544	544	any appropriation bill or in respect to any bill providing for capital outlay programs and projects
545	545	are referred, the clerk of the branch requesting said committee of conference shall make
546	546	available to members of the General Court a list of the matters in disagreement identified by item
547	547	number and item purpose and showing the amount made available by each branch of the General
548	548	Court, and any other matters in disagreement and the position of each of the said branches.
549	549	The report of said committee of conference shall consist of the matters of difference so referred
550	550	and so identified, showing the amounts appropriated by each of the said branches and other
551	551	matters in disagreement and the position of each branch with respect to those matters, and shall
552	552	state said committee's recommendations with respect to the matters so referred. Matters on which
553	553	there exists no disagreement between the branches shall not be disturbed by the committee on
554	554	conference.
555	555	The committees on ways and means of each branch of the General Court shall assist such
556	556	committee of conference in any and all matters necessary to the preparation and completion of its
557	557	report. [Adopted July 30, 1974; Amended Oct. 3, 1983; Feb. 3, 2011.]
558	558	11B. No report from a committee of conference shall be considered or acted upon by either
559	559	branch until the calendar day following the day on which said report shall have been available to
560	560	the public and to the members of the General Court. The committee shall file its report no later
561	561	than 8 p.m. on the day preceding its consideration and the General Court shall not consider said
562	562	report before 1 p.m. on the following day, except that a report from such committee of
563	563	conference that it is unable to agree may be considered and acted upon at the time that such
564	564	report is filed. [Adopted Oct. 3, 1983. Amended July 17, 2003; July 21 and September 20, 2005; Feb. 3, 2011.]
565	565	11C. Reports, other than those filed under Rule 11A, from a committee of conference shall,
566	566	whenever practicable, be accompanied by a summary which shall be filed with the clerk. [Adopted
567	567	Feb. 12, 2009; Feb. 3, 2011.] 19
568	568	11D. Upon the filing of a report by a committee of conference, pursuant to Joint Rule 11B, the
569	569	clerk of the branch in which the committee of conference filed its report shall make the report
570	570	and the summary of the report available to all members electronically and to the public on the
571	571	official website of the General Court by 9 p.m. on the day preceding its consideration. [Adopted Feb.
572	572	12, 2009; Feb. 3, 2011.]
573	573	11E. Subsequent to the filing of a report of a committee of conference, an addendum may be
574	574	submitted to the clerk of the branch in which the report had been filed. The addendum shall
575	575	indicate that it contains only matters inadvertently omitted from or included in the report, and
576	576	shall be signed by all of members of the House and Senate who had signed the conference
577	577	committee report. The addendum shall be approved by both the Counsel to the House and the
578	578	Counsel to the Senate. The addendum, having been approved by both the Counsel to the House
579	579	and the Counsel to the Senate, shall be posted to the official website of the General Court
580	580	immediately upon receipt by the clerk of the branch to which it was submitted. [Adopted Mar. 14,
581	581	2013.]
582	582	Limit of Time allowed for New Business.
583	583	12. Resolutions intended for adoption by both branches of the General Court, petitions, and all
584	584	other subjects of legislation, shall be deposited with the Clerk of either branch prior to 5 p.m. on
585	585	the third Friday in January of the first annual session of the General Court.
586	586	All such matters except messages from the Governor, reports required or authorized to be made
587	587	to the General Court and petitions filed or approved by the voters of a city or town, or the mayor
588	588	and city council, or other legislative body of a city, or the town meeting of a town, for the
589	589	enactment of a special law under Section 8 of Article LXXXIX of the Amendments to the
590	590	Constitution and which do not affect the powers, duties, etc., of state departments, boards,
591	591	commissions, etc., or which do not affect generally the laws of the Commonwealth deposited
592	592	with the respective clerks subsequent to 5 p.m. on the third Friday of January of the first annual
593	593	session of the General Court shall be referred by the Clerks to the committees on the Rules of the
594	594	two branches, acting concurrently. No such matter shall be admitted for consideration except on
595	595	report of the committees on Rules of the two branches, acting concurrently, and then upon
596	596	approval of two-thirds of the members of each branch voting thereon. Matters upon which
597	597	suspension of Joint Rule 12 has been negatived shall be placed on file.
598	598	At any special session called under Rule 26A, however, matters relating to the facts constituting
599	599	the necessity for convening such session shall, if otherwise admissible, be admitted as though 20
600	600	filed seasonably under the first sentence of this rule. Any recommendations from the Governor
601	601	shall be similarly considered. This rule shall not be rescinded, amended or suspended, except by
602	602	a concurrent vote of two-thirds of the members of each branch present and voting thereon.
603	603	[Amended Feb. 7, 18 90; Feb. 2, 18 91; Feb. 7, 18 93; Jan. 10, 18 98; Jan. 9, 18 99; Feb. 15, 19 01; May 4, 19 04; Jan. 31, 19 10;
604	604	Feb. 2, 19 17; Dec. 22, 19 20; March 30, 19 21; Jan. 30, 19 23; Feb. 15, 19 33; Jan. 12 and Aug. 7, 19 39; Jan. 15, 19 45; Jan. 6,
605	605	19 47; May 27, 19 48; Jan. 30, 19 67; March 26, 19 69; Jan. 7, 1971 ; Jan. 15 and Oct. 2, 1973 ; Oct 3, 1983 , June 12, 1995 ; Jan.
606	606	26, 2005; July 17, 2003; Jan. 26, 2005; July 21, 2005; Sept. 20, 2005; Feb. 12, 2009.]
607	607	12A. All formal business of the first annual session of the General Court shall be concluded not
608	608	later than the third Wednesday in November of that calendar year and all formal business of the
609	609	second annual session shall be concluded not later than the last day of July of that calendar year.
610	610	In order to assist the Senate and House in its analysis and appraisal of laws enacted by the
611	611	General Court, each joint standing committee, upon conclusion of the formal business of the
612	612	annual sessions, shall, as authorized by Joint Rule 1, initiate oversight hearings to evaluate the
613	613	effectiveness, application and administration of the subject matter of laws within the jurisdiction
614	614	of that committee. [Adopted June 12, 1995.]
615	615	Unfinished Business of the Session.
616	616	12B. Any matter pending before the General Court at the end of the first annual session and any
617	617	special session held in the same year shall carry over into the second annual session of the same
618	618	General Court in the same legislative status as it was at the conclusion of the first annual session
619	619	or any special session held during that year; provided, however, that any measure making or
620	620	supplementing an appropriation for a fiscal year submitted to or returned to the General Court by
621	621	the Governor, under Article LXIII of the Amendments to the Constitution, in the first annual
622	622	session or in a special session held during that year shall cease to exist upon the termination of
623	623	the first annual session. [Adopted June 12, 1995.]
624	624	Papers to be deposited with the Clerks.
625	625	13. Information intended for presentation to the General Court by any Representative or Senator
626	626	shall be deposited with the Clerk of the branch to which the member belongs; and all such
627	627	information, unless they be subject to other rules or of the rules of the Senate or House, shall be
628	628	referred by the Clerk, with the approval of the President or Speaker, to appropriate committees,
629	629	subject to such changes as the Senate or House may make. The reading of information so
630	630	referred may be dispensed with, but they shall, except as provided in these rules, be entered in
631	631	the Journal of the same on the next legislative day after such reference. 21
632	632	A member may include a brief statement of intent with all papers intended for presentation to the
633	633	General Court. Upon a favorable report by a joint standing committee, a committee may include
634	634	a brief written statement of intent. Said statement shall be dated and shall include the scope of
635	635	the matter presented for consideration; provided, however, this rule shall not be construed to
636	636	require the presentation of such statement of intent under this rule. [Adopted Feb. 7, 1890. Amended Feb.
637	637	2, 1891; Feb. 7, 1893; Jan. 25, 1894; Dec. 22, 1920; May 25, 1923; Feb. 15, 1933; Jan. 12, 1971; June 3, 1985; Feb. 12, 2009.]
638	638	Dockets of Legislative Counsel and Agents.
639	639	14. The committees on Rules of the two branches, acting concurrently, may prescribe the manner
640	640	and form of keeping the dockets of legislative agents which are required by law. [Adopted Feb. 2,
641	641	1891; Amended Feb. 19, 1920.]
642	642	Duties of the Clerk.
643	643	15. If any part of the report of a committee over the signature of the chair or members of the
644	644	committee is amended in either branch, the Clerk of that branch shall endorse upon the report
645	645	such amendment. [Amended Mar. 7, 2019.]
646	646	16. All papers, while on their passage between the 2 branches, may be under the signature of the
647	647	respective Clerks, except as to the adopting of emergency preambles and the final passage of
648	648	bills and resolves. Messages may be sent by such persons as each branch may direct. [Amended Feb.
649	649	21, 1919.]
650	650	17. After bills and resolves have passed both branches to be engrossed, they shall be in the
651	651	charge of the Clerks of the 2 branches, who shall prepare the same for final passage in the
652	652	manner prescribed by law; and when so prepared the same shall be delivered to the Clerk of the
653	653	House of Representatives; and when the bills have been passed to be enacted or the resolves have
654	654	been passed in the House, they shall, in like manner, be delivered to the Senate Clerk and
655	655	Parliamentarian. If a bill or resolve contains an emergency preamble, it shall be delivered in like
656	656	manner, to the Senate after the preamble has been adopted by the House of Representatives and
657	657	before the bill or resolve is put upon its final passage in that branch. If the Senate concurs in
658	658	adopting the preamble, the bill or resolve shall be returned to the House to be there first put upon
659	659	its final passage, under Joint Rule No. 22. [Amended Feb. 24, 1914; Feb. 21, 1919; Jan. 7, 1971.]
660	660	18. [Omitted in 1971.]
661	661	19. The Clerk of the branch in which a bill or resolve originated shall make an endorsement on
662	662	the envelope of the engrossed copy of the bill, certifying in which branch the bill originated, 22
663	663	which endorsement shall be entered on the journals by the Clerks respectively. [Amended Jan. 28,
664	664	1889; Feb. 24, 1914.]
665	665	20. Bills, resolves and other papers requiring the approval of the Governor shall be laid before
666	666	the Governor for the Governor’s approbation by the Senate Clerk and Parliamentarian, who shall
667	667	enter upon the journal of the Senate the day and date on which the same were so laid before the
668	668	Governor. [Amended Jan. 28, 1889; Jan. 7, 1971.]
669	669	Presentation and Distribution of Documents.
670	670	21. The committees on Rules of the two branches, acting concurrently, may establish regulations
671	671	for the distribution of bills, reports or other documents. Bills, reports or other documents shall be
672	672	made available to members electronically and, except for petitions or other documents not
673	673	assigned bill numbers, published on the Internet. The committees on Rules of the two branches,
674	674	acting concurrently, may make such changes pertaining to the availability of bills, reports or
675	675	other documents as they deem necessary for expediting the work of the legislature.
676	676	The Clerks of the House of Representatives and the Senate shall be responsible for publishing
677	677	the journals of their respective chamber, the book Public Officers of Massachusetts, the
678	678	committee book and any other publications per order of the committees on Rules. [Amended Jan. 8,
679	679	1886 ; Jan. 28, 1889 ; Jan. 27, 1911 ; Feb. 19, 1920 ; Jan. 6, 1947 ; Apr. 5, 19 67 ; Jan. 7, 1971; Feb. 12, 2009; Mar. 14, 2013.]
680	680	Emergency Measures.
681	681	22. The vote on the preamble of an emergency law, which under the requirements of Article
682	682	XLVIII, as amended by Article LXVII of the Amendments of the Constitution shall, upon
683	683	request of 2 members of the Senate or of 5 members of the House of Representatives, be taken
684	684	by call of the yeas and nays, shall be had after the proposed law has been prepared for final
685	685	passage; and neither branch shall vote on the enactment of a bill or on the passage of a resolve
686	686	containing an emergency preamble until it has been determined whether the preamble shall
687	687	remain or be eliminated. If the bill contains an emergency preamble, a motion to amend the bill
688	688	may be received in either branch before the adoption of the emergency preamble, and the
689	689	amendment may contain a new emergency preamble. If the 2 branches concur in adopting the
690	690	preamble, the bill or resolve shall first be put upon its final passage in the House of
691	691	Representatives. If either branch fails to adopt the preamble, notice of its action shall be sent to
692	692	the other branch; and the bill or resolve, duly endorsed, shall again be prepared for final passage
693	693	without the preamble and without any provision that the bill or the resolve shall take effect 23
694	694	earlier than 90 days after it has become law. Procedure shall be otherwise under the joint rules
695	695	and the rules of the Senate and the House of Representatives. [Adopted Feb. 21, 1919. Amended Jan. 30,
696	696	1923; Jan. 7, 1971; Feb. 20, 2007; Feb. 12, 2009.]
697	697	22A. Bills and resolves passed to be engrossed by both branches and before being transmitted by
698	698	the clerks to the Legislative Engrossing Division shall be made available to the committees on
699	699	Bills in the Third Reading of the two branches, acting jointly, who shall examine them to ensure
700	700	accuracy in the text; that the legislation is correct as to form; that references to previous
701	701	amendments to any particular law are correct and to ensure proper consistency with the language
702	702	of existing statutes. These committees, with the approval of the majority and minority leadership
703	703	of both branches may make corrections which are not substantive in nature. The clerks of both
704	704	branches shall be immediately notified, in writing, of any such changes. Errors discovered by the
705	705	committees of a substantive nature shall be reported to the General Court, which in turn shall
706	706	take appropriate action under its rules. Upon completion of examination and possible correction
707	707	of any such bills and resolves, the bills and resolves shall be returned to the clerks, who in turn,
708	708	shall transmit them to the Legislative Engrossing Division to be prepared for final passage.
709	709	[Adopted Sept. 16, 1971.]
710	710	Legislative Amendments to the Constitution.
711	711	23. All proposals for amendments to the Constitution referred to a joint committee on the first
712	712	annual session of the General Court shall be reported by said committee not later than the last
713	713	Wednesday of April in said year, and proposals for amendments to the Constitution referred to a
714	714	joint committee subsequent to the last Wednesday in April of the first annual session shall be
715	715	reported by said committee not later than the last Wednesday of April in the second session of
716	716	the same General Court. The committee shall file its report, either recommending that the
717	717	proposal ought to pass or ought not to pass, with any official papers in its possession that relate
718	718	thereto, with the Clerk of the Senate. When the time within which said committees are required
719	719	to report has expired, all matters upon which no report has been made shall forthwith be placed
720	720	in the Journal of the respective branches, with an adverse report under this rule; and shall then be
721	721	placed on file in the office of the Clerk of the Senate. For further information of the members of
722	722	the Senate and House of Representatives, the respective Clerks shall also place all such matters
723	723	under a separate heading in the Calendar of each branch, as soon as is practicable. In each branch
724	724	the report shall be read and forthwith placed on file; and no further legislative action shall be
725	725	taken on the measure unless consideration in joint session is called for by vote of either branch, 24
726	726	under Section 2 of Part IV of Article XLVIII (as amended by Article LXXXI) of the
727	727	Amendments to the Constitution. A joint committee to which is referred any recommendation for
728	728	an amendment to the Constitution made by the Governor or contained in a report authorized to
729	729	be made to the General Court may report on the recommendation a proposal for a legislative
730	730	amendment, which shall be deemed to have been introduced by the member of the Senate who
731	731	reports for the committee; and the procedure as regards reporting, filing and subsequent action
732	732	shall be that provided for legislative amendments by this rule. Or the joint committee may report
733	733	ought not to pass for the reason that no legislation is necessary or that the recommendation ought
734	734	not to pass; and in such cases the usual procedure as regards similar reports by joint committees
735	735	shall be followed. If such an adverse report is amended in the Senate by substituting a proposal
736	736	for a legislative amendment, notice of the Senate's action shall be sent to the House and said
737	737	proposal, together with the official papers relating to the subject, shall be in the custody of the
738	738	Clerk of the Senate; and if said report is so amended in the House, the proposal, duly endorsed,
739	739	together with the other papers, shall be sent to the Senate for its information and shall be kept in
740	740	the custody of its Clerk. No further legislative action shall be taken in either branch on a proposal
741	741	so substituted unless consideration in joint session is called for under the Constitution. If either
742	742	branch calls for the consideration of any proposal in joint session, notice of its action shall be
743	743	sent to the other branch; and it shall then be the duty of the Senate and the House of
744	744	Representatives to arrange for the holding of the joint session not later than the second
745	745	Wednesday in May. Subject to the requirements of the Constitution, joint sessions or
746	746	continuances of joint sessions of the 2 branches to consider proposals for specific amendments to
747	747	the Constitution, and all rules or procedures, shall be determined only by concurrent votes of the
748	748	2 branches. The rules relative to joint conventions shall apply to the joint sessions of the 2
749	749	houses. [Adopted Feb. 21, 1919. Amended March 30, 1921; April 11, 1935; Jan. 12, 1939; Jan. 15, 1945; Nov. 9, 1951; Jan.
750	750	15, 1973; July 1, 1974; Feb. 12, 2009.] 25
751	751	Executive Reorganization Plans.
752	752	23A. Any reorganization plan, accompanied by a bill, submitted by the Governor under Article
753	753	LXXXVII of the Amendments to the Constitution shall be referred by the Clerks of the Senate
754	754	and the House, with the approval of the President and Speaker, to a joint standing committee
755	755	within 5 days of the presentation of the reorganization plan.
756	756	Said committee, to which is referred any such reorganization plan, shall, as required by said
757	757	Article, not later than 30 days after the presentation of such plan by the Governor, hold a public
758	758	hearing on the reorganization plan; and shall not later than 10 days after such hearing report that
759	759	it either approves or disapproves such plan.
760	760	When recommending action, the committee shall make, in each branch, a separate report of its
761	761	recommendations, and shall file said report together with the committee's recommendations and
762	762	the reasons for those recommendations, in writing. Majority and minority reports shall be signed
763	763	by the members of said committee. Any official papers in the possession of said committee that
764	764	relate thereto shall be filed with the Clerk of the Senate.
765	765	If the committee recommends favorable action, the report shall be that the reorganization plan
766	766	‘ought to be approved’. If the committee recommends adverse action, the report shall be that the
767	767	reorganization plan ‘ought NOT to be approved’. In each instance, the question shall be ‘Shall
768	768	this reorganization plan be approved?’
769	769	In each branch, the report shall be read and forthwith recorded in the Journal. On the legislative
770	770	day next following the Journal record, the report shall be placed in the Orders of the Day of the
771	771	Senate and the House.
772	772	When the time within which a joint committee is required to report on a reorganization plan has
773	773	expired, a matter upon which no report has been made shall forthwith be placed in the Orders of
774	774	the Day by the Clerks of each branch and the question shall be ‘Shall this reorganization plan be
775	775	approved?’.
776	776	When such plan is before either branch, no motion relating to said plan shall be allowed except
777	777	the motions to lay on the table (only in the Senate), to postpone to a time certain, or to commit or
778	778	recommit (at the pleasure of either branch). The motions to take a recess, to adjourn, the previous
779	779	question (if provided in the branch debating the issue), to close debate at a specified time, and
780	780	the motion to reconsider shall also be in order. 26
781	781	A motion to discharge any committee to which is referred or to which is recommitted a
782	782	reorganization plan shall not be in order prior to the expiration of 40 days after the Governor's
783	783	presentation of such plan. After the expiration of said 40 days, a motion to discharge a committee
784	784	shall be decided by a majority vote of the branch in which the motion is made.
785	785	Unless disapproved by a majority vote of the members of either of the 2 branches of the General
786	786	Court present and voting, the General Court not having prorogued within 60 days from the date
787	787	of presentation by the Governor, the plan shall be approved and shall take effect as provided by
788	788	Article LXXXVII of the Amendments to the Constitution.
789	789	Within 7 days of the expiration of the 60 days from the date of presentation of said plan by the
790	790	Governor, unless the question has already been decided, the Clerks of the Senate and House of
791	791	Representatives shall place the plan in the Orders of the Day; and no motions except the motions
792	792	to take a recess, to adjourn, and previous question, or to close debate at a specified time, shall be
793	793	in order.
794	794	No such reorganization plan presented to the General Court shall be subject to change or
795	795	amendment before expiration of such 60 days. [Adopted June 13, 1967; Amended March 27, 1969; June 12,
796	796	1995; Feb. 12, 2009.]
797	797	Joint Conventions.
798	798	24. The President of the Senate shall preside in Conventions of the 2 branches, and such
799	799	Conventions shall be held in the Representatives' Chamber; the Senate Clerk and Parliamentarian
800	800	shall be the Clerk of the Convention, and a record of the proceedings of the Convention shall be
801	801	entered at large on the journals of both branches. [Amended Feb. 20, 2007.]
802	802	25. When an agreement has been made by the 2 branches to go into Convention, such agreement
803	803	shall not be altered or annulled, except by concurrent vote, excepting that it shall be in order to
804	804	recess the convention from time to time upon a majority vote of said convention. [Amended Jan. 7,
805	805	1971.]
806	806	26. No business shall be entered on, in Convention, other than that which may be agreed on
807	807	before the Convention is formed.
808	808	Special Sessions.
809	809	26A. If written statements of 21 members of the Senate and 81 members of the House of
810	810	Representatives, that in their opinion it is necessary that the General Court assemble in special 27
811	811	session on a particular date and time specified in their statements during a recess of the General
812	812	Court, are filed with their respective Clerks, such Clerks shall forthwith notify all the members
813	813	of their respective branches to assemble at the State House in Boston, on said date at the time so
814	814	specified. When so assembled, the first business to be taken up shall be the question of the
815	815	necessity of so assembling, under Article I of Section I of Chapter I of Part the Second of the
816	816	Constitution of the Commonwealth. If 21 members of the Senate and 81 members of the House
817	817	of Representatives judge by vote taken by call of the yeas and nays that such assembling of the
818	818	General Court is necessary, specifying in such vote the facts constituting such necessity, the
819	819	General Court shall then complete its organization as a special session, proceed to the
820	820	consideration of the suspension of Joint Rule 12A which if suspended by the required two-thirds
821	821	of the members of both branches shall permit the General Court to proceed to the consideration
822	822	of matters properly before it. Nothing in this rule shall prevent the General Court from
823	823	assembling in any other constitutional manner when it judges necessary. [Adopted Aug. 7, 1939.
824	824	Amended March 2, 1943; March 27, 19 69; May 5, 1979; July 17, 2003; July 21 and September 20, 2005.]
825	825	Joint Elections.
826	826	27. In all elections by joint ballot a time shall be assigned for such election at least 1 day
827	827	previous to such election.
828	828	27A. In all cases of elections by ballot a majority of the votes cast shall be necessary for a
829	829	choice, and where there shall be no such a majority on the first ballot the ballots shall be repeated
830	830	until a majority is obtained; and in balloting, blanks shall be rejected and not taken into the count
831	831	in the enumeration of votes, excepting that when the number of blanks shall be more than the
832	832	number of votes received by the candidate having the highest number of votes, then the election
833	833	shall be declared void and the balloting shall be repeated as provided herein. [Adopted March 27,
834	834	1969.]
835	835	28. [Omitted March 28, 1972 .]
836	836	References to the Committees on Rules.
837	837	29. All motions and orders authorizing joint committees to travel or to employ stenographers, or
838	838	authorizing joint committees or special commissions composed as a whole or in part of members
839	839	of the General Court to make investigations or to file special reports, all propositions reported by
840	840	joint committees which authorize investigations or special reports by joint committees or by
841	841	special commissions composed as a whole or in part of members of the General Court, all 28
842	842	motions or orders proposed for joint adoption which provide that information be transmitted to
843	843	the General Court, and all matters referred under the second paragraph of Joint Rule 12, shall be
844	844	referred without debate to the committees on Rules of the two branches acting concurrently, who
845	845	shall report on the matter, under Joint Rule 10. All matters which have been referred under this
846	846	rule shall, in each instance, be reported back into the branch making such reference. [Adopted Jan.
847	847	10, 1898. Amended Jan. 20, 1904; Jan. 28, 1913; Feb. 19 and Dec. 22, 1920; April 11, 1935; April 22, 1937; Jan. 27, 1955; Jan.
848	848	30, 1967; Oct. 18, 1971.]
849	849	29A. Meetings of any special commission, special legislative commission, task force or other
850	850	group authorized or required by a statute, resolve, rule, or order to make or conduct an
851	851	investigation or study of any issue shall be conducted openly and transparently. Meetings of any
852	852	special commission, special legislative commission, task force or other group authorized or
853	853	required by a statute, resolve, rule, or order to make or conduct an investigation or study of any
854	854	issue and which are chaired by members of the general court shall be posted and conducted
855	855	pursuant to the rules of the senate and house of representatives and shall be conducted according
856	856	to the following requirements:
857	857	a.)Meetings shall be open to the public;
858	858	b.)Meetings shall be announced by appropriate notice at least 5 days in advance;
859	859	c.)Any documents used in a meeting be provided to the public upon request in a manner to
860	860	be determined by the chair;
861	861	d.)Public testimony shall be accepted in a manner to be determined by the chair;
862	862	e.)The chair shall maintain a summary of the subjects discussed at each meeting, a list of
863	863	documents and other exhibits used at the meetings, and shall maintain a record of proceedings,
864	864	including a record of all votes. For the purposes of this rule a video or audio recording made
865	865	available to the public shall be considered an adequate record of the proceedings. [Adopted, Feb. 15,
866	866	2017; Amended Mar. 7, 2019.]
867	867	30. All motions or orders extending the time within which joint committees and the committees
868	868	on Rules of the two branches, acting concurrently, are required to report shall be referred without
869	869	debate to the committees on Rules of the two branches, acting concurrently, who shall report
870	870	recommending what action should be taken on the motion or order. Such extension shall be
871	871	granted by a concurrent majority vote if recommended by the committees on Rules of the two
872	872	branches, acting concurrently; but no such extension shall be granted, against the 29
873	873	recommendation of the committees, except by a four-fifths vote of the members of each branch
874	874	present and voting on the extension. This rule shall not be rescinded, amended or suspended,
875	875	except by a concurrent vote of four-fifths of the members of each branch present and voting
876	876	thereon. [Adopted Jan. 16, 1903. Amended Feb. 6, 1912; Feb. 19, 1920; Jan. 6, 1947; Jan. 27, 1955; June 7, 1965.]
877	877	Members.
878	878	31. A member of either branch who directly or indirectly solicits for such member or others any
879	879	position or office within the gift or control of a railroad corporation, street railway company, gas
880	880	or electric light company, telegraph or telephone company, aqueduct or water company, or other
881	881	public service corporation, shall be subject to suspension for such solicitation, or to such other
882	882	penalty as the branch of which the person is a member may see fit to impose. [See G. L. 271, sec.
883	883	40.] [Adopted May 22, 1902.]
884	884	Accommodations for Reporters.
885	885	32. Subject to the approval and direction of the committees on Rules of the two branches, acting
886	886	concurrently, during the session, and of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House
887	887	of Representatives after prorogation, the use of the rooms and facilities assigned to reporters in
888	888	the State House shall be under the control of the organizations of legislative reporters known as
889	889	the Massachusetts State House Press Association and the State House Broadcasters Association.
890	890	No person shall be permitted to use such rooms or facilities who is not entitled to the privileges
891	891	of the reporters' galleries of the Senate or of the House. Within 10 days after the General Court
892	892	convenes the Massachusetts State House Press Association and the State House Broadcasters
893	893	Association shall each transmit to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
894	894	Representatives and the Sergeant-at-Arms a list of the legislative reporters with the principal
895	895	publication or news service which each represents. [Adopted Jan. 27, 1911. Amended Feb. 24, 1914; Feb. 19,
896	896	1920; April 17, 1925; May 23, 1979; Feb. 12, 2009.]
897	897	Suspension of Rules.
898	898	33. Any joint rule except Rule 10 and Rule 30 may be altered, suspended or rescinded by a
899	899	concurrent vote of two-thirds of the members of each branch present and voting thereon. [Amended
900	900	Feb. 7, 1893. Adopted in revised form Jan. 9, 1899. Amended Jan. 16, 1903; Jan. 26, 2005.]
901	901	Audit of Accounts.
902	902	34. The committees on Rules of the two branches, acting concurrently, shall provide that an
903	903	outside independent audit of joint financial accounts be conducted by a certified public 30
904	904	accountant no less frequently that at the end of each second fiscal year. A copy of such audit
905	905	shall be filed with the Clerks of the Senate and House of Representatives, and made available for
906	906	public inspection upon reasonable notice and during regular office hours. [Adopted May 30, 1985.]
907	907	35. The committees on Rules of the two branches, acting concurrently, shall reexamine the Joint
908	908	Rules of the House and Senate as needed, but at least every 4 years, and shall report to each
909	909	branch any recommendations it may have to facilitate the work of the respective branches and
910	910	the joint standing committees. [Adopted June 12, 1995.]
911	911	Procurement.
912	912	36. (a) The House Business Manager and Chief Financial Officer of the Senate shall complete
913	913	the procurement of all goods and services from the joint legislative account. Procurements for
914	914	goods or services shall be made pursuant to a statewide procurement contract established by the
915	915	operational services division, to the extent practicable, as determined by the House Business
916	916	Manager and the Chief Financial Officer of the Senate. If the Business Manager and the Chief
917	917	Financial Officer determine that a procurement cannot be made using a statewide procurement
918	918	contract established by the operational services division, they may procure the required goods or
919	919	services under subsections (b), (c) or (d).
920	920	(b) Procurement of a supply or service from a vendor not on a statewide procurement contract
921	921	valued at less than $10,000 shall be made at the discretion of the House Business Manager and
922	922	the Chief Financial Officer of the Senate.
923	923	(c) If the House Business Manager and the Chief Financial Officer of the Senate seek to procure
924	924	a supply or service from a vendor not on a statewide procurement contract valued at $10,000 or
925	925	more, but less than $100,000, they shall seek quotations from not fewer than 3 persons providing
926	926	such supply or service. The House Business Manager and the Chief Financial Officer of the
927	927	Senate shall record the names and addresses of all persons from whom quotations were received,
928	928	the names of the persons submitting quotations and the date and amount of each quotation. The
929	929	House Business Manager and the Chief Financial Officer of the Senate shall award the contract
930	930	to the responsible person whose quotation offers the needed quality of supply or service and
931	931	which represents the best value for the General Court.
932	932	(d) If the House Business Manager and the Chief Financial Officer of the Senate seek to procure
933	933	a supply or service from a vendor not on a statewide procurement contract valued at $100,000 or
934	934	more, the House Business Manager and the Chief Financial Officer of the Senate shall seek 31
935	935	proposals through a competitive bid process, which shall be established by the House Business
936	936	Manager and the Chief Financial Officer of the Senate. The House Business Manager and the
937	937	Chief Financial Officer of the Senate shall include diversity and inclusion plan requirements in
938	938	all requests for proposals.
939	939	(e) The House Business Manager and the Chief Financial Officer of the Senate shall maintain a
940	940	file on each procurement not executed using a statewide procurement contract established by the
941	941	operational services division and in excess of $10,000 and shall include in such file all
942	942	documents constituting the agreement for goods and services and all documents required by
943	943	subsection (c) or (d). The files maintained shall be available for inspection by members of the
944	944	General Court during regular business hours unless the information is otherwise protected by
945	945	state or federal law.
946	946	(f) Whenever the time required to comply with a requirement of this rule would endanger the
947	947	health, safety or convenience of the members, staff or visitors to the House of Representatives or
948	948	Senate the House Business Manager and the Senate Chief Financial Officer may make an
949	949	emergency procurement without satisfying the requirement of this rules; provided, however, that
950	950	both the House Business Manager and the Senate Chief Financial Officer certify in writing that:
951	951	(i) an emergency exists and explain the nature thereof; (ii) the emergency procurement is limited
952	952	to only supplies or services necessary to meet the emergency; (iii) shall conform to the
953	953	requirements of rule to the extent practicable under the circumstances; (iv) each contractor’s
954	954	name, (v) the amount and the type of each contract; (vi) the supplies or services provided under
955	955	each contract; (vii) and basis for determining the need for an emergency procurement.
956	956	(g) In addition to the requirements of this rule, all procurements for legal services shall be
957	957	approved by the House and Senate Counsel.
958	958	(h) If, in the determination of the House Business Manager and the Chief Financial Officer of the
959	959	Senate, an emergency procurement of greater than $10,000 is necessary, the House Business
960	960	Manager and the Chief Financial Officer of the Senate may procure the goods or services
961	961	immediately and create and maintain a file explaining the nature of the emergency and the goods
962	962	or services that were procured as a result. The House Business Manager and the Chief Financial
963	963	Officer of the Senate shall document the goods or services that were procured, the process used
964	964	to procure the goods or services, the vendors that were contacted and any other information
965	965	relevant to the procurement, and make that information available to members of the General 32
966	966	Court during regular business hours, unless the information is otherwise protected by state or
967	967	federal law.
968	968	(i) Any procurement by the House Business Manager and Chief Financial Officer Officer of the
969	969	Senate under Rule 36 for over $10,000 either individual or cumulative shall be submitted to the
970	970	state comptroller for posting on the Open Checkbook website or its equivalent. [Adopted Mar. 14,
971	971	2013; Amended Feb. 15, 2017; Mar. 7, 2019.]