Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S15 Compare Versions

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

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1	1	1
2	2	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 15
3	3	Senate, February 6, 2025-- Text of the proposed Joint Rules recommended by the Temporary
4	4	Committee on Rules to be adopted as the Joint Rules governing the 2025-2026 legislative
5	5	session.
6	6	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
7	7	_______________
8	8	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
9	9	(2025-2026)
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 and Fisheries;
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 Climate, 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. No rule shall conflict with these
59	59	joint rules.
60	60	Except as provided by Joint Rule 1E or 1F, each matter shall be referred only to 1 joint
61	61	committee for consideration and all reports of matters by joint committees shall be made to the 3
62	62	House or the Senate, under Joint Rule 4, not to another joint committee. The committee to which
63	63	a matter is initially referred may discharge the matter to another committee with jurisdiction over
64	64	the matter.
65	65	Matters referred by either the Senate or the House to its committee on Ways and Means shall be
66	66	considered by the respective committees of the 2 branches, acting as a joint committee, when, in
67	67	the judgment of the chairs of the respective committees of the 2 branches, the interests of
68	68	legislation or the expedition of business will be better served by such joint consideration. Matters
69	69	may also be referred to the committees on Ways and Means, of the 2 branches, as a joint
70	70	committee.
71	71	The committees on Rules, together with the presiding officers of the 2 branches, acting
72	72	concurrently, may consider and suggest such measures as shall, in their judgment, tend to
73	73	facilitate the business of the session and a majority vote of the 2 branches shall be required to
74	74	approve such recommendations.
75	75	In order to assist the House and the Senate in their: (1) consideration and enactment of new
76	76	legislation and modifications of existing laws, when either are deemed to be appropriate; (2)
77	77	evaluation of the effectiveness and administration of laws and programs previously enacted; and
78	78	(3) appraisal of the conditions and circumstances which may indicate the desirability of enacting
79	79	new legislation, the various joint committees shall have the following oversight responsibilities:
80	80	(i) each joint committee shall review and study, on a continuing basis, the implementation,
81	81	administration, execution and effectiveness of those laws, or parts of law, the subject matter of
82	82	which is within the jurisdiction of that committee, the administrative regulations adopted to
83	83	implement those laws, and those state agencies or entities having responsibilities for the
84	84	administration and execution of such laws;
85	85	(ii) in carrying out these review and study activities, each committee shall determine whether
86	86	such laws, administrative regulations and programs under those laws are being implemented in
87	87	accordance with the intent of the General Court and whether such laws, administrative
88	88	regulations and programs should be continued, curtailed or eliminated;
89	89	(iii) each committee shall also review and study any conditions and circumstances which may
90	90	indicate the necessity or desirability of enacting new legislation within the jurisdiction of that
91	91	committee, regardless of whether any matter has been introduced on that subject, and shall, on a
92	92	continuing basis, undertake research on matters within the jurisdiction of that committee. 4
93	93	Committees shall coordinate oversight activities, under the direction of the presiding officers of
94	94	both branches, to achieve the maximum objectives of clauses (i), (ii) and (iii).
95	95	Each committee may, upon completion of its oversight hearings, report to the General Court the
96	96	results of its findings and recommendations together with accompanying corrective legislation, if
97	97	any, by filing the same with the Clerk of the House of Representatives or the Clerk of the Senate.
98	98	Copies of such reports shall be posted on the website of the General Court . The disposition of
99	99	said reports shall be 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	In the case of a vacancy of a chair of a committee, the vice-chair shall perform all duties of said
111	111	prior chair until said vacancy is filled.
112	112	Temporary employees of the general court assigned to a joint committee who are students at an
113	113	accredited education institution or employees or grantees of other non-profit organizations under
114	114	section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code may receive compensation from such
115	115	organization, according to that organization's regular program of providing such compensation
116	116	for temporary governmental or public service employment. A temporary employee's Senate or
117	117	House supervisor shall establish the employee's total compensation, shall verify that the sum of
118	118	the employee's state compensation, if any, and that any outside compensation the employee is to
119	119	receive under this rule would not exceed this total compensation, and shall file the written terms
120	120	of the employee's compensation with the Senate or House Human Resources Office, where it
121	121	shall be available for public inspection. The temporary employee shall sign a confidentiality and
122	122	ethics agreement provided by the Senate or House Human Resources Office. Joint employees
123	123	shall complete appropriate training as required by either branch of the general court, as may be 5
124	124	agreed upon by the Senate and House Offices of Human Resources. [Amended Jan. 6, 18 82; Jan. 5, 18 83;
125	125	Jan. 7, 18 84; Jan. 8 and 26, 1885; Jan. 8, 18 86; Jan. 12, 18 87; Jan. 9, 18 88; Jan. 28, 18 89; Jan. 8, 18 90; Feb. 2, 18 91; Jan. 11
126	126	and Feb. 10, 18 92; Feb. 7, 18 93; Jan. 8. 1894; Jan. 7, 18 95; Jan. 7, 18 96; Jan. 11, 18 97; Jan. 10, 18 98; Jan. 9, 18 99; Jan. 22
127	127	and 29, 1901; Jan. 6, 19 02; Jan. 9, 19 03; Jan. 8, 19 04; Jan. 6, 19 05; Jan. 4, 19 07; Jan. 5, 19 10; Jan. 4, 19 11; Jan. 1, 19 13;
128	128	Jan. 12, 19 14; Jan. 2, 19 18; Jan. 1 and 8 and Feb. 21, 1919; Jan. 7, 19 20; Jan. 5, 19 21; April 17 and 30, 1925; Jan. 5, 19 27;
129	129	Jan. 7, 19 31; Jan. 6, 19 37; Jan. 4, 19 39; Jan. 1, 19 41; Jan. 3, 19 45; Jan. 2, 19 46; Jan. 6, 19 47; Feb. 1, 19 49; Jan. 7, 19 53;
130	130	Jan. 7, 19 59; Jan. 30, 19 61; Jan. 7, 19 63; Jan. 12, 19 65; Feb. 24, 19 65; Mar. 10, 19 66; Jan. 30, 19 67; Jan. 7, 1971 ; July 23,
131	131	1974 ; Sept. 30 and Oct. 12, 1976 ; Nov. 3, 1981 ; Dec. 21, 1981 ; Mar. 15, 1982 ; Oct. 3, 1983 ; June 3, 1985 ; Jan. 25 and Mar.
132	132	14, 1988 ; Mar. 27, 1995 , June 12, 1995 ; July 17, 2003 ; Jan. 26, 2005; July 21 and September 20, 2005; Feb. 20, 2007; Feb 12,
133	133	2009; Feb. 15, 2017; Mar 7, 2019; Mar. 25, 2021.]
134	134	1A. All meetings of joint committees acting concurrently, Senate and House standing
135	135	committees, special committees of the Senate and House of Representatives, and joint special
136	136	committees and committees of conference on the disagreeing votes of the 2 branches shall be
137	137	open to the public, unless a majority shall vote otherwise. [Adopted July 17, 1973. Amended July 18, 1974;
138	138	Feb. 12, 2009.]
139	139	1B. A joint standing committee shall hold a public hearing on each matter referred to it in each
140	140	legislative session. The bill sponsor shall provide the committee a comprehensive summary of
141	141	said bill prior to the hearing. Said summary shall be made available along with the text of the bill
142	142	on the website of the general court; provided said summary shall disclose that the summary was
143	143	created by the sponsor of the bill and the committee does not certify the accuracy of its contents;
144	144	provided further nothing in this rule shall prevent a joint standing committee from completing its
145	145	own summary and making said summary publicly available. [Adopted June 3, 1985; Amended Feb. 12,
146	146	2009.]
147	147	1C. All joint standing committees shall schedule committee hearings upon agreement of the
148	148	chairs and so as not to conflict, to the extent feasible, with the schedules of other committees
149	149	and, to the extent feasible, the day of the week and times during that day set aside for formal
150	150	sessions by the respective branches.
151	151	Hearings shall be made available on a platform that permits remote public participation from
152	152	outside the hearing room through audio and video technology; provided, however, the chairs
153	153	may by agreement waive this requirement for technological, operational or logistical reasons.
154	154	Chairs shall schedule hearings that offer remote participation through Legislative Information
155	155	Services and the Sergeant-at-Arms. Members of the committee may participate remotely and
156	156	shall have the same privileges, rights and responsibilities as if the member were physically
157	157	present at the hearing location, and other members may offer remote testimony before 6
158	158	committees of which they are not a member. The agenda for such a hearing shall specify how
159	159	members of the public may access , monitor and participate in the remote aspect of the meeting.
160	160	Nothing contained herein shall limit the ability of a committee to meet in executive session,
161	161	prevent disruption or maintain decorum during the hearing. Committees may adopt rules to
162	162	govern the orderly and efficient operation of such hearings.
163	163	[Adopted June 3, 1985; Amended June 12, 1995; Mar. 7, 2019.]
164	164	1D. All hearings of joint standing committees, and special joint committees of the Senate and
165	165	House of Representatives, shall be open to the public, and any person shall be permitted to attend
166	166	any such hearing unless such committee convenes in executive session; provided however that
167	167	prior to entering executive session said committee shall state its purpose in executive session and
168	168	take a public vote to enter said executive session.. All joint standing committees shall determine
169	169	a schedule for committee hearings in accordance with 1C. These committee schedules shall be
170	170	submitted to the Clerk of the House and Senate who shall cause them to be published on the
171	171	official website for the General Court. Establishment of such schedules shall not preclude joint
172	172	standing committees from scheduling additional hearings or meetings as needed. All joint
173	173	standing committees, and special joint committees of the Senate and House of Representatives,
174	174	shall notify the Sergeant-at-Arms of the time, place and agenda of all public hearings not less
175	175	than 5 days prior to the time of such meetings. The 5 day requirement shall be suspended in an
176	176	emergency only after all reasonable efforts have been made to contact all committee members
177	177	and upon a recorded vote of at least a majority of the members of each branch appointed to the
178	178	committee, but not less than two-thirds of the members of each branch voting. If public
179	179	testimony is being solicited, agendas shall include an electronic mail address or other mechanism
180	180	for the submission of testimony and shall inform the public that testimony received may be made
181	181	publicly available. Any such public testimony received by the committee that is readily capable
182	182	of being reproduced shall be made available on the general court website; provided, however,
183	183	that the committee chair or testifier may redact such public testimony that includes sensitive
184	184	personal information or information that may jeopardize health, wellness or safety; provided
185	185	further, the committee on rules shall promulgate guidance for committees to ensure the
186	186	disclosure of relevant information and the non-disclosure of inappropriate material. If expert
187	187	testimony is being solicited by the committee, the committee shall make reasonable efforts to
188	188	promote the diversity of expert witness panels. 7
189	189	Nothing contained in this rule shall prohibit a joint standing committee or special joint
190	190	committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives from taking appropriate action
191	191	including, but not limited to, the exclusion of a person from a committee meeting in order to
192	192	prevent the disruption of or interference with committee proceedings. All meetings of joint
193	193	standing committees, and special joint committees of the Senate and House of Representatives,
194	194	shall be limited to no more than 50 bills to be discussed in a hearing, unless it can be determined
195	195	that all of the bills being considered are of the same subject matter.
196	196	A meeting of a committee may be recorded by a person in attendance by means of a recorder or
197	197	any other means of audio/visual reproduction except when a meeting is held in executive session;
198	198	provided, that a person seeking to record a meeting of a committee notifies the Chairs of the
199	199	committee prior to commencing such recording; and provided further, that during such recording
200	200	there is no interference with the conduct of the meeting.
201	201	The Chairs of each committee shall preserve decorum and order during each committee hearing.
202	202	The use of visual aids including, without limitation, posters, displays, or charts shall be permitted
203	203	only upon approval of the Chairs.
204	204	Joint Committees may receive testimony from public officials out of the regular order of
205	205	participation; provided, however, that if a committee follows such a practice, public officials of
206	206	Indigenous communities shall be treated accordingly.
207	207	At any time after a matter has had a public hearing, a co-chair of a Committee may initiate a vote
208	208	thereon if the matter is filed in the branch of said chair. Said vote shall be taken from each
209	209	member of the branch of said chair, and if a majority of the members of said branch voting on
210	210	the matter vote in support of the matter, then the bill shall be reported favorably and referred to
211	211	the branch of origination unless it is a money bill, in which case said bill shall be referred to the
212	212	House of Representatives. The Senate chair and the senate members of the committee shall have
213	213	no authority or ability to impede the vote on a House bill in the Committee, and the House Chair
214	214	and the House members shall have no authority or ability to impede the vote on a Senate bill in
215	215	the Committee; provided, however a co-chair shall notify their co-chair prior to a vote. A co-
216	216	chair of the Committee shall provide to the members of their branch on the Committee either the
217	217	text or comprehensive summaries of the bills or other forms of legislative matters prior to a vote
218	218	thereon. Any recorded votes on a favorable or adverse report on an individual bill, taken by roll
219	219	call or electronic poll of each member, shall be posted on the website of the General Court.
220	220	[Adopted June 3, 1985. Amended June 12, 1995; Feb. 20, 2007; Mar. 14, 2013; Mar. 7, 2019.] 8
221	221	1E. The joint standing committee on Health Care Financing shall review all legislation relating
222	222	to health care to evaluate the appropriateness and fiscal effect of such legislation. A matter
223	223	within the jurisdiction of said committee may, if appropriate, initially be referred to another joint
224	224	standing committee sharing jurisdiction of the subject-matter. Any matter reported favorably by
225	225	such joint standing committee shall be referred to the joint committee on Health Care Financing;
226	226	provided, however, that notwithstanding any rule to the contrary, any such matter so reported
227	227	shall not be read a first time in the branch in which the report was received. The next favorable
228	228	report on any such matter, if made by a joint committee, may be made to either branch. Such
229	229	next favorable report shall be considered the first reading. The branch of origin for any such bill
230	230	so reported shall be the branch receiving such favorable report.
231	231	For all matters initially referred to the joint committee on Health Care Financing and not
232	232	previously referred to another joint committee, the joint committee on Health Care Financing
233	233	may make favorable reports to either branch, at the discretion of the committee, except that
234	234	reports on money bills shall be made to the House.
235	235	In compliance with section 38A of chapter 3 of the General Laws, the joint committee on Health
236	236	Care Financing when reporting on bills shall include a fiscal note prepared under section 3A of
237	237	chapter 29 of the General Laws, showing the estimated cost or the fiscal effect of the proposed
238	238	legislation, if, in the opinion of said committee, such cost or fiscal effect exceeds the sum of
239	239	$100,000; provided, however, that any matter reported by the committee on Health Care
240	240	Financing with a fiscal effect of less than $100,000 shall not be referred, under the rules, to the
241	241	committee on Ways and Means. [Adopted Jan. 26, 2005; Amended May 19, 2005; Feb. 20, 2007; Feb. 12, 2009.]
242	242	1F. The joint committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets shall review all
243	243	legislation providing for the giving, loaning or pledging of the credit of the Commonwealth (see
244	244	Article LXII of the Amendments to the Constitution, as amended by Article LXXXIV). Said
245	245	committee shall be responsible for evaluating such legislation and determining the
246	246	appropriateness of enacting legislation containing increased bond authorizations for the
247	247	Commonwealth. The committee shall periodically review and hold open public hearings,
248	248	accepting oral and written testimony on the status of the bonds and notes of the Commonwealth,
249	249	including (1) general obligation debt; (2) dedicated income tax debt; and (3) special obligation
250	250	debt. The committee shall also, in its continuing study of the state’s bonding practices, review
251	251	the Commonwealth’s liabilities relative to (a) state-supported debt; (b) state-guaranteed debt; and
252	252	(c) indirect obligations. 9
253	253	Any bill providing for borrowing for new projects, and requiring the Commonwealth to issue
254	254	bonds for such purpose, shall, prior to its reference to the committee on Ways and Means, be
255	255	referred to the committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets for report on its
256	256	relationship to the finances of the Commonwealth. A measure may initially be referred to
257	257	another joint committee with jurisdiction over the subject matter before being referred to the
258	258	committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets; provided, however, that
259	259	notwithstanding any rule to the contrary, any such matter so reported shall not be read a first time
260	260	in the branch in which the report was received. The next favorable report on any such matter by
261	261	the committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets shall be considered the first
262	262	reading. The branch of origin for any such bill so reported shall be the branch receiving such
263	263	favorable report.
264	264	The provisions of Joint Rule 4 shall apply to all matters referred to the joint committee on
265	265	Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets, except that where constitutionally prohibited.
266	266	The joint committee shall consult with the various agencies of the Executive branch and the
267	267	office of the Treasurer and Receiver-General relative to project expenditures, availability of
268	268	funds, the sale of new bonds and the resultant debt obligations, federal reimbursements and other
269	269	related funding and bonding issues.
270	270	The joint committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets shall be authorized to
271	271	conduct hearings relative to the statutory authority of the Executive branch and the Treasurer and
272	272	Receiver-General in the issuance and sale of bonds and notes and the expenditure of capital
273	273	funds by the various agencies and authorities of the Commonwealth. The committee shall
274	274	determine whether such laws, administrative regulations and programs are being implemented in
275	275	accordance with the intent of the General Court.
276	276	The committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets shall be authorized to report
277	277	to the General Court from time to time on the results of its hearings and to file drafts of
278	278	legislation necessary to carry its recommendations into effect.
279	279	Messages from the Governor setting terms of bonds and notes, or for the de-authorization or
280	280	authorization of bonds and notes shall be referred to the committee on Bonding, Capital
281	281	Expenditures and State Assets. [Adopted Mar. 25, 2021 -- previously omitted ]
282	282	1G. The President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Minority Leader
283	283	of the Senate, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the Senate and House chairs and 10
284	284	the Senate and House ranking minority members of the joint committee on Public Safety and
285	285	Homeland Security may receive security clearance from federal and state homeland security
286	286	officials in order to be granted access to confidential homeland security briefings, information
287	287	and materials. The President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the
288	288	Senate and House committee chairs and the Senate and House ranking minority members may
289	289	designate 1 or more members of their staff who may receive such security clearance.
290	290	Any person who receives security clearance under this rule shall sign all confidentiality
291	291	agreements required by homeland security officials. The breach of any such confidentiality
292	292	agreement shall constitute a violation of the Joint Rules of the Senate and House of
293	293	Representatives. Any alleged violation of a confidentiality agreement shall be referred for
294	294	investigation to the Senate committee on Ethics and Rules or the House committee on Ethics,
295	295	respectively, and, if appropriate, to law enforcement authorities for potential criminal
296	296	prosecution. [Adopted Jan. 26, 2005; Amended Feb. 12, 2009; Mar. 7, 2019.]
297	297	2. No member of either branch shall act as counsel for any party before any committee of the
298	298	Legislature.
299	299	2A. No member of either branch shall purchase, directly or indirectly, the stock or other
300	300	securities of any corporation or association knowing that there is pending before the General
301	301	Court any measure specially granting to such corporation or association any immunity,
302	302	exemption, privilege or benefit or any measure providing for the creation of, or directly affecting
303	303	any, contractual relations between such corporation or association and the Commonwealth. This
304	304	rule shall not apply to the purchase of securities issued by the Commonwealth or any political
305	305	subdivision of the Commonwealth. [See G.L. chapter 268, section 10.] [Adopted Jan. 16, 1922.]
306	306	3. When the General Court is in session, authorization for any joint committee to travel during
307	307	the session shall be approved by a vote of two-thirds of the members of each branch present and
308	308	voting.
309	309	3A. A joint standing committee may, upon the written and signed report of two-thirds of the
310	310	members of the Senate and two-thirds of the members of the House appointed to said committee,
311	311	report a bill or other form of legislation without said legislation being founded upon petition;
312	312	provided, however, that matters so reported shall be germane to the subject matters regularly
313	313	referred to the committee. The committee shall hold a public hearing on such bill or other form
314	314	of legislation before it is reported. A bill or other form of legislation so reported shall be placed 11
315	315	in the Orders of the Day by the Clerk of the respective branch to which it is reported or referred
316	316	to a standing committee of said branch under the rules. All reports of committees not founded
317	317	upon petition shall bear the designation ‘committee bill’, ‘resolve’, ‘order’ or ‘resolution’, as the
318	318	case may be, in the Orders of the Day. Committees to which messages from the Governor,
319	319	reports of state officers, boards, committees, commissions and others authorized to report to the
320	320	General Court, may report by bill or otherwise such legislation as may be germane to the subject
321	321	matter referred to them. [Adopted June 3, 1985.]
322	322	4. Favorable reports, and adverse reports on subjects of legislation other than petitions, by joint
323	323	committees shall be made to the branch in which the matter was originally introduced except that
324	324	reports on money bills shall be made to the House and if adverse reports on matters other than
325	325	petitions which are accompanied by money bills are accepted by the House, this shall constitute
326	326	final rejection. Adverse reports by joint committees on petitions shall be made to the branch in
327	327	which the petition was originally introduced, except that such adverse reports on petitions
328	328	accompanied by proposed money bills shall be made to the House; and, if accepted by the branch
329	329	in which they are made, shall be considered as a final rejection. When a report is made from any
330	330	committee to either branch, and the subject-matter of the report is subsequently referred to a joint
331	331	committee, such committee, except for the committee on Health Care Financing, shall report its
332	332	action to the branch in which the reference originated. [See also Joint Rule 5.]
333	333	[Amended Jan. 3, 1952; April 8, 1959; June 7, 1965; Jan. 7, 1971; March 11, 1974; June 3, 1985; Feb. 20, 2007; Feb. 15, 2017.]
334	334	4A. In compliance with section 38A of chapter 3 of the General Laws, all joint committees of the
335	335	General Court when reporting on bills referred to them shall include a fiscal note prepared under
336	336	section 3A of chapter 29 of the General Laws, showing the estimated cost or the fiscal effect of
337	337	the proposed legislation, if, in the opinion of said committee, such cost exceeds $100,000. Such
338	338	fiscal note shall be filed electronically in the office of the clerk to which the report is being
339	339	made, and shall be promptly made available on the official website of the General Court. [Adopted
340	340	Jan. 15, 1973.]
341	341	5. Matters reported adversely by joint committees and the committees on Rules of the two
342	342	branches, acting concurrently, may be recommitted to the same committees at the pleasure of the
343	343	branch acting on the report, and bills or resolves may be recommitted in either branch. If a bill or
344	344	resolve is laid aside in either branch for the reason that it is declared to be broader in its scope
345	345	than the subject-matter upon which it is based, the subject-matter shall be recommitted to the
346	346	committee. A concurrent vote shall, however, be necessary for re-committal, with instructions. 12
347	347	After recommitment, report shall, in all cases, be made to the branch originating the
348	348	recommitment. [Amended Feb. 2, 1891; April 11, 1935; Jan. 6, 1947; May 7, 19 53; March 26, 1963; Jan. 30, 1967; Jan. 7,
349	349	1971; March 11, 1974.]
350	350	6. Bills and resolves reported by joint committees shall be presented with spaces between the
351	351	several sections and shall be made available to all members electronically and posted on the
352	352	general court website. [Amended Jan. 28, 1889; Jan. 9, 1941; Feb. 8, 1949; Feb. 12, 2009.]
353	353	Joint Petitions.
354	354	6A. A member of the Senate and a member of the House of Representatives may file a joint
355	355	petition in either branch and shall endorse their name on the petition and a brief statement of the
356	356	nature and object of the instrument and the reading of the instrument shall be dispensed with,
357	357	unless specially ordered. The petition shall be filed in the office of the clerk of either the Senate
358	358	or House of Representatives, depending on whether it is a ‘Joint Senate/House Petition’ or a
359	359	‘Joint House/Senate Petition’ but the Journal records in the Senate and House of Representatives
360	360	shall carry both members’ names as presenters of the petition. If filed in the Senate, the petition
361	361	shall be voted upon by Senate members, and if filed in the House of Representatives the matter
362	362	shall be voted upon by House members, both in accordance with Joint Rule 1D. [Adopted Jan. 15,
363	363	1973.]
364	364	7. Whenever, upon any application for an act of incorporation or other legislation, the purpose
365	365	for which such legislation is sought can be secured without detriment to the public interests by a
366	366	general law or under existing laws, the committee to which the matter is referred shall report
367	367	such general law, or ‘ought not to pass’. [Amended Feb. 2, 1891; Feb. 7, 18 93; Jan. 7, 1971.]
368	368	7A. A petition for legislation to authorize a county to reinstate in its service a person formerly
369	369	employed by it, or to retire or pension or grant an annuity to any person, or to increase any
370	370	retirement allowance, pension or annuity, or to pay any sum of money in the nature of a pension
371	371	or retirement allowance, or to pay any salary which would have accrued to a deceased official or
372	372	employee but for their death, or to pay any claim for damages or otherwise, or to alter the
373	373	benefits or change the restrictions of any county retirement or pension law, shall, subsequently to
374	374	the procedure required by Senate Rule No. 20 and by House Rule No. 24, be reported adversely,
375	375	unless, when filed it be the petition of, or be approved by, a majority of the county
376	376	commissioners. [Adopted April 29, 1915. Amended Jan. 13, Feb. 19 and Dec. 22, 1920; May 24, 1926; April 11, 1935;
377	377	April 22, 1937; Jan. 12, 1939; Jan. 15, 1945; Feb. 20, 1951; Jan. 30, 1967; Jan. 7, 1971; Jan. 15, 1973; Mar. 7, 2019.] 13
378	378	7B. A petition, the operation of which is restricted to a particular city or town (and which does
379	379	not affect the powers, duties, etc., of state departments, boards, commissions, etc., or which does
380	380	not affect generally the laws of the Commonwealth) and which is not filed in conformity with
381	381	Section 8 of Article LXXXIX of the Amendments to the Constitution shall, subsequent to the
382	382	procedure required by Senate Rule 20 and House Rule 24, be reported adversely, unless it be on
383	383	petition filed or approved by the voters of a city or town, or the mayor and city council, or other
384	384	legislative body, of a city, or the town meeting of a town. A joint committee to which is
385	385	inadvertently referred a petition or other subject of legislation the operation of which is restricted
386	386	to a particular city or town and which is not in conformity with Section 8 of Article LXXXIX of
387	387	the Amendments to the Constitution shall report a general law which applies alike to all cities, or
388	388	to all towns, or to all cities and towns, or to a class of not fewer than 2; or shall report ‘ought not
389	389	to pass’, with the further endorsement that it ‘would be unconstitutional to enact such special
390	390	law’.
391	391	Any petition that subsequently conforms to Section 8 of Article LXXXIX of the Amendments to
392	392	the Constitution after filing, which have followed the procedures set forth in Senate Rule 20 or
393	393	House Rule 24, shall be forthwith reported from the committee on Rules and be referred by the
394	394	Clerk to an appropriate committee. [Adopted Jan. 13, 1920. Amended Feb. 19 and Dec. 22, 1920; May 24, 1926;
395	395	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
396	396	; Jan. 15, 1973; March 14, 2013.]
397	397	7C. The local approval vote required to file a petition, the operation of which is restricted to a
398	398	particular city or town under Section 8 of Article LXXXIX of the Amendments to the
399	399	Constitution of the Commonwealth, shall expire at the conclusion of the final day of the next
400	400	immediate biennial session following the local approval vote by the city or town and in such
401	401	circumstances no additional vote shall be required to file a petition unless a vote to rescind such
402	402	approval is passed by the voters of a city or town, or the mayor and city council or other
403	403	legislative body of a city, or the select board and the town meeting or other legislative body of
404	404	the town. [Adopted, Mar. 14, 2013; Amended Feb. 15, 2017.]
405	405	7D. The approval of a substantive amendment to a petition restricted to a single city or town and
406	406	requiring a vote of the city of town before enactment of the petition shall be provided to the
407	407	General Court before the enactment of the petition and shall be reviewed by House Counsel and
408	408	Senate Counsel prior to the enactment of the petition in either branch. [Adopted , Feb. 15, 2017.]
409	409	Notice to Parties Interested. 14
410	410	8. No legislation affecting the rights of individuals or the rights of a private or municipal
411	411	corporation, otherwise than as it affects generally the people of the Commonwealth or the people
412	412	of the city or town to which it specifically applies, shall be proposed or introduced except by a
413	413	petition, nor shall any bill or resolve embodying such legislation be reported by a committee
414	414	except upon a petition duly referred, nor shall such a bill or resolve be reported by a committee,
415	415	whether on an original reference or on a re-committal with instructions to hear the parties, until it
416	416	is made to appear to the satisfaction of the committee that proper notice of the proposed
417	417	legislation has been given by public advertisement or otherwise to all parties interested, without
418	418	expense to the Commonwealth, or until evidence satisfactory to the committee is produced that
419	419	all parties interested have in writing waived notice. A committee reporting adversely due to lack
420	420	proper notice or of a waiver of proper notice shall so state in its report and no bill or resolve shall
421	421	be in order as a substitute for, or amendment of, such report. Objection to the violation of this
422	422	rule may be taken at any stage prior to that of the third reading. [Adopted Feb. 7, 1890. Amended Dec. 22,
423	423	1920 ; Jan. 12, 1939 ; Jan. 15, 1945; Jan. 7, 1971.]
424	424	9. A petition for the incorporation of a city or town, for the annexation of 1 municipality to
425	425	another, for the consolidation of 2 or more municipalities or for the division of an existing
426	426	municipality, or for the incorporation or revival of a railroad, street railway, elevated railroad,
427	427	canal, telephone, telegraph, water, gas, electric light, power or other public service corporation,
428	428	for the amendment, alteration or extension of the charter or corporate powers or privileges, or for
429	429	the change of name, of any such company, whether specially incorporated or organized under the
430	430	General Laws, or for authority to take water for a water supply, or relative to building structures
431	431	in or over navigable or tide waters, shall be placed on file, and not referred to a committee ,
432	432	unless the petitioner has given the notice and followed the procedure required by section 5 of
433	433	chapter 3 of the General Laws. But if, no objection being raised, any such petition is referred to a
434	434	committee without such required notice or procedure, the committee shall forthwith report
435	435	adversely, setting forth as the reason for such report failure to comply with the law, unless
436	436	evidence satisfactory to the committee is produced that all parties interested have in writing
437	437	waived notice. In case a bill or resolve is reported upon such a petition, after proof of such
438	438	waiver of notice, this fact shall be set forth in the report of the committee. When an adverse
439	439	report is made by a committee, on account of failure to give the required notice, no bill or resolve
440	440	shall be substituted for such report, nor shall such report be recommitted or referred to another
441	441	committee. 15
442	442	A petition for the establishment or revival, or for the amendment, alteration or extension of the
443	443	charter or corporate powers or privileges, or for the change of name, of any corporation, except a
444	444	petition subject to the preceding paragraph, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the branch in
445	445	which it is filed to the office of the State Secretary. If such a petition is returned by said
446	446	Secretary with a statement that the petitioner has failed to comply with the requirements of
447	447	section 7 of chapter 3 of the General Laws, said petition shall be placed on file, and shall not be
448	448	referred to a committee.
449	449	Any petition placed on file for want of proper notice or procedure under this rule shall not affect
450	450	action upon any other measure involving the same subject matter. [Adopted Feb. 7, 1890. Amended Feb. 2,
451	451	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,
452	452	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,
453	453	2019.]
454	454	Limit of Time allowed for Reports of Committees.
455	455	10. All joint committees and the committees on Rules of the two branches, acting concurrently,
456	456	shall make final report not later than the first Wednesday in December of the first annual session
457	457	of the General Court on all matters referred to them before the first day of October of the first
458	458	annual session and within 60 days on all matters referred to them on and after the first day of
459	459	October of the first annual session of the General Court except that the committee on Health
460	460	Care Financing shall make final report not later than the last Wednesday of January of the second
461	461	annual session on all matters referred to them on or before the fourth Wednesday of December of
462	462	the first annual session and within 60 days on all matters referred to it after the fourth
463	463	Wednesday in December of the first annual session of the General Court. When the time within
464	464	which said committees are required to report has expired, all matters upon which no report has
465	465	then been made shall forthwith be reported by the chair of the committee on the part of the
466	466	branch in which they were respectively introduced, with an adverse recommendation under this
467	467	rule. If the chair fails to make such report by the end of the legislative day next following the
468	468	expiration date, all matters remaining unreported shall be placed in the Orders of the Day by the
469	469	Clerk of the branch in which the matter was originally filed with an adverse report under this
470	470	rule. Matters which have been referred under Joint Rule 29, upon which the chairs of the
471	471	committees on Rules fail to make a report, shall be placed by the respective Clerks in the Orders
472	472	of the Day of the branch in which the subject matter was referred to said committees.
473	473	Committees to whom are referred subjects of legislation may combine petitions of similar 16
474	474	subject matter, or other forms of legislation of similar subject matter, into 1 adverse report, and
475	475	the report on the petition shall be that said petitions or other forms of legislation ‘ought NOT to
476	476	pass,’ and if the report is accepted, all the matters contained in the report shall be disposed of.
477	477	However, petitions upon which an adverse report is accepted in only 1 branch may not be
478	478	combined with other subjects of legislation upon which adverse reports must be accepted, in
479	479	concurrence. This rule shall not apply to petitions referred to the committees on Rules of the two
480	480	branches, acting concurrently, under the second paragraph of Joint Rule 12. This rule shall not be
481	481	rescinded, amended or suspended, except by a concurrent vote of four-fifths of the members of
482	482	each branch present and voting thereon. Notwithstanding Joint Rule 30, this rule shall not be
483	483	rescinded, amended or suspended more than 3 times except by unanimous consent. [Amended Feb. 2,
484	484	1891; Jan. 25, 1894; Jan. 16, 1903; Jan. 20, 1904; Dec. 22, 1920; April 17, 1925; Jan. 12, 1939; Jan. 15, 1945; Jan. 6, 1947; May
485	485	7, 1953; Jan. 27, 1955; Jan. 30, 1967; Jan. 7, 1971; Feb. 4, 1974, June 12, 1995; July 17, 2003; Feb. 20, 2007; Feb. 12, 2009; Feb.
486	486	15, 2017; Mar. 7, 2019.]
487	487	10A. The form for all subjects of legislation receiving a favorable report shall be ‘ought to pass.’
488	488	The form for all subjects of legislation receiving an adverse report shall be ‘ought NOT to pass.’
489	489	A committee to whom is referred any other matter may report recommending that the same be
490	490	placed on file. [Adopted Jan. 7, 1971.]
491	491	Committees of Conference.
492	492	11. Committees of conference shall consist of 3 members on the part of each branch, one
493	493	member of each branch being a member of the minority party representing its vote; and their
494	494	report, if agreed to by a majority of each committee, shall be made to the branch asking for the
495	495	conference, and may be either accepted or rejected, but no other action shall be had, except
496	496	through a new committee of conference.
497	497	Committees of conference to whom are referred matters of difference in respect to bills or
498	498	resolves, shall, after filing their reports, but before consideration by either branch, have the same
499	499	approved or discharged by each committee on Bills in the Third Reading.
500	500	Meetings of committees of conference on the disagreeing votes of the 2 branches shall be open to
501	501	the public, unless a majority of each conference shall vote otherwise; provided, however no such
502	502	vote shall be in order at the first duly noticed public meeting of said conference. [Amended April 22,
503	503	1937; Feb. 12, 2009; Feb. 3, 2011; Feb. 15, 2017; Mar. 7, 2019.]
504	504	11A. Committees of conference to whom are referred matters of difference in respect to
505	505	appropriation bills, including capital outlay programs, shall, after filing their reports but before 17
506	506	consideration by either branch have the same approved or discharged by each committee on Bills
507	507	in the Third Reading.
508	508	Upon the report of a committee of conference to whom matters of difference in respect to any
509	509	appropriation bill or in respect to any bill providing for capital outlay programs and projects are
510	510	referred, the clerk of the branch requesting said committee of conference shall make available to
511	511	members of the General Court a list of the matters in disagreement identified by item number
512	512	and item purpose and showing the amount made available by each branch of the General Court,
513	513	and any other matters in disagreement and the position of each of the said branches.
514	514	The report of said committee of conference shall consist of the matters of difference so referred and so identified, showing the amounts appropriated by each of the said branches and other
515	515	matters in disagreement and the position of each branch with respect to those matters, and shall
516	516	state said committee's recommendations with respect to the matters so referred. Matters on which
517	517	there exists no disagreement between the branches shall not be disturbed by the committee on
518	518	conference.
519	519	The committees on ways and means of each branch of the General Court shall assist such
520	520	committee of conference in any and all matters necessary to the preparation and completion of its
521	521	report. [Adopted July 30, 1974; Amended Oct. 3, 1983; Feb. 3, 2011.]
522	522	11B. No report from a committee of conference shall be considered or acted upon by either
523	523	branch until the 2
524	524	nd
525	525	calendar day following the day on which said report was filed and made
526	526	available to the public and to the members of the General Court. [Adopted Oct. 3, 1983. Amended July 17,
527	527	2003; July 21 and September 20, 2005; Feb. 3, 2011.]
528	528	11C. Reports, other than those filed under Rule 11A, from a committee of conference shall,
529	529	whenever practicable, be accompanied by a summary which shall be filed with the clerk. [Adopted
530	530	Feb. 12, 2009; Feb. 3, 2011.]
531	531	11D. Upon the filing of a report by a committee of conference, pursuant to Joint Rule 11B, the
532	532	clerk of the branch in which the committee of conference filed its report shall make the report
533	533	and the summary of the report available to all members electronically and to the public on the
534	534	official website of the General Court . [Adopted Feb. 12, 2009; Feb. 3, 2011.]
535	535	11E. Subsequent to the filing of a report of a committee of conference, an addendum may be
536	536	submitted to the clerk of the branch in which the report had been filed. The addendum shall
537	537	indicate that it contains only matters inadvertently omitted from or included in the report, and 18
538	538	shall be signed by all of members of the House and Senate who had signed the conference
539	539	committee report. The addendum shall be approved by both the Counsel to the House and the
540	540	Counsel to the Senate. The addendum, having been approved by both the Counsel to the House
541	541	and the Counsel to the Senate, shall be posted to the official website of the General Court
542	542	immediately upon receipt by the clerk of the branch to which it was submitted. [Adopted Mar. 14,
543	543	2013.]
544	544	Limit of Time allowed for New Business.
545	545	12. Resolutions intended for adoption by both branches of the General Court, petitions, and all
546	546	other subjects of legislation, shall be deposited with the Clerk of either branch prior to 5 p.m. on
547	547	the third Friday in January of the first annual session of the General Court.
548	548	All such matters except messages from the Governor, reports required or authorized to be made
549	549	to the General Court and petitions filed or approved by the voters of a city or town, or the mayor
550	550	and city council, or other legislative body of a city, or the town meeting of a town, for the
551	551	enactment of a special law under Section 8 of Article LXXXIX of the Amendments to the
552	552	Constitution and which do not affect the powers, duties, etc., of state departments, boards,
553	553	commissions, etc., or which do not affect generally the laws of the Commonwealth deposited
554	554	with the respective clerks subsequent to 5 p.m. on the third Friday of January of the first annual
555	555	session of the General Court shall be referred by the Clerks to the committees on the Rules of the
556	556	two branches, acting concurrently. No such matter shall be admitted for consideration except on
557	557	report of the committees on Rules of the two branches, acting concurrently, and then upon
558	558	approval of two-thirds of the members of each branch voting thereon. Matters upon which
559	559	suspension of Joint Rule 12 has been negatived shall be placed on file.
560	560	At any special session called under Rule 26A, however, matters relating to the facts constituting
561	561	the necessity for convening such session shall, if otherwise admissible, be admitted as though
562	562	filed seasonably under the first sentence of this rule. Any recommendations from the Governor
563	563	shall be similarly considered. This rule shall not be rescinded, amended or suspended, except by
564	564	a concurrent vote of two-thirds of the members of each branch present and voting thereon.
565	565	[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;
566	566	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,
567	567	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.
568	568	26, 2005; July 17, 2003; Jan. 26, 2005; July 21, 2005; Sept. 20, 2005; Feb. 12, 2009.] 19
569	569	12A. All formal business of the first annual session of the General Court shall be concluded not
570	570	later than the third Wednesday in November of that calendar year and all formal business of the
571	571	second annual session shall be concluded not later than the last day of July of that calendar year;
572	572	provided, however, the House of Representatives and the Senate may convene for formal
573	573	business solely for the purposes of considering conference committee reports filed under the
574	574	provisions of Joint Rules 11 and 11A at any time in the 2-year legislative session .
575	575	Unfinished Business of the Session.
576	576	12B. Any matter pending before the General Court at the end of the first annual session shall
577	577	carry over into the second annual session of the same General Court in the same legislative status
578	578	as it was at the conclusion of the first annual session; provided, however, that any measure
579	579	making or supplementing an appropriation for a fiscal year submitted to or returned to the
580	580	General Court by the Governor, under Article LXIII of the Amendments to the Constitution, in
581	581	the first annual session shall cease to exist upon the termination of the first annual session.
582	582	[Adopted June 12, 1995.]
583	583	Papers to be deposited with the Clerks.
584	584	13. Information intended for presentation to the General Court by any Representative or Senator
585	585	shall be deposited with the Clerk of the branch to which the member belongs; and all such
586	586	information, unless they be subject to other rules or of the rules of the Senate or House, shall be
587	587	referred by the Clerk, with the approval of the President or Speaker, to appropriate committees,
588	588	subject to such changes as the Senate or House may make. The reading of information so
589	589	referred may be dispensed with, but they shall, except as provided in these rules, be entered in
590	590	the Journal of the same on the next legislative day after such reference.
591	591	A member may include a brief statement of intent with all papers intended for presentation to the
592	592	General Court. Upon a favorable report by a joint standing committee, a committee may include
593	593	a brief written statement of intent. Said statement shall be dated and shall include the scope of
594	594	the matter presented for consideration; provided, however, this rule shall not be construed to
595	595	require the presentation of such statement of intent under this rule. [Adopted Feb. 7, 1890. Amended Feb.
596	596	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.]
597	597	Dockets of Legislative Counsel and Agents. 20
598	598	14. The committees on Rules of the two branches, acting concurrently, may prescribe the manner
599	599	and form of keeping the dockets of legislative agents which are required by law. [Adopted Feb. 2,
600	600	1891; Amended Feb. 19, 1920.]
601	601	Duties of the Clerk.
602	602	15. If any part of the report of a committee over the signature of the chair or members of the
603	603	committee is amended in either branch, the Clerk of that branch shall endorse upon the report
604	604	such amendment. [Amended Mar. 7, 2019.]
605	605	16. All papers, while on their passage between the 2 branches, may be under the signature of the
606	606	respective Clerks, except as to the adopting of emergency preambles and the final passage of
607	607	bills and resolves. Messages may be sent by such persons as each branch may direct. [Amended Feb.
608	608	21, 1919.]
609	609	17. After bills and resolves have passed both branches to be engrossed, they shall be in the
610	610	charge of the Clerks of the 2 branches, who shall prepare the same for final passage in the
611	611	manner prescribed by law; and when so prepared the same shall be delivered to the Clerk of the
612	612	House of Representatives; and when the bills have been passed to be enacted or the resolves have
613	613	been passed in the House, they shall, in like manner, be delivered to the Senate Clerk and
614	614	Parliamentarian. If a bill or resolve contains an emergency preamble, it shall be delivered in like
615	615	manner, to the Senate after the preamble has been adopted by the House of Representatives and
616	616	before the bill or resolve is put upon its final passage in that branch. If the Senate concurs in
617	617	adopting the preamble, the bill or resolve shall be returned to the House to be there first put upon
618	618	its final passage, under Joint Rule No. 22. [Amended Feb. 24, 1914; Feb. 21, 1919; Jan. 7, 1971.]
619	619	18. [Omitted in 1971.]
620	620	19. The Clerk of the branch in which a bill or resolve originated shall make an endorsement on
621	621	the envelope of the engrossed copy of the bill, certifying in which branch the bill originated,
622	622	which endorsement shall be entered on the journals by the Clerks respectively. [Amended Jan. 28,
623	623	1889; Feb. 24, 1914.]
624	624	20. Bills, resolves and other papers requiring the approval of the Governor shall be laid before
625	625	the Governor for the Governor’s approbation by the Senate Clerk and Parliamentarian, who shall
626	626	enter upon the journal of the Senate the day and date on which the same were so laid before the
627	627	Governor. [Amended Jan. 28, 1889; Jan. 7, 1971.]
628	628	Presentation and Distribution of Documents. 21
629	629	21. The committees on Rules of the two branches, acting concurrently, may establish regulations
630	630	for the distribution of bills, reports or other documents. Bills, reports or other documents shall be
631	631	made available to members electronically and, except for petitions or other documents not
632	632	assigned bill numbers, published on the Internet. The committees on Rules of the two branches,
633	633	acting concurrently, may make such changes pertaining to the availability of bills, reports or
634	634	other documents as they deem necessary for expediting the work of the legislature.
635	635	The Clerks of the House of Representatives and the Senate shall be responsible for publishing
636	636	the journals of their respective chamber, the book Public Officers of Massachusetts, the
637	637	committee book and any other publications per order of the committees on Rules. [Amended Jan. 8,
638	638	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.]
639	639	Emergency Measures.
640	640	22. The vote on the preamble of an emergency law, which under the requirements of Article
641	641	XLVIII, as amended by Article LXVII of the Amendments of the Constitution shall, upon
642	642	request of 2 members of the Senate or of 5 members of the House of Representatives, be taken
643	643	by call of the yeas and nays, shall be had after the proposed law has been prepared for final
644	644	passage; and neither branch shall vote on the enactment of a bill or on the passage of a resolve
645	645	containing an emergency preamble until it has been determined whether the preamble shall
646	646	remain or be eliminated. If the bill contains an emergency preamble, a motion to amend the bill
647	647	may be received in either branch before the adoption of the emergency preamble, and the
648	648	amendment may contain a new emergency preamble. If the 2 branches concur in adopting the
649	649	preamble, the bill or resolve shall first be put upon its final passage in the House of
650	650	Representatives. If either branch fails to adopt the preamble, notice of its action shall be sent to
651	651	the other branch; and the bill or resolve, duly endorsed, shall again be prepared for final passage
652	652	without the preamble and without any provision that the bill or the resolve shall take effect
653	653	earlier than 90 days after it has become law. Procedure shall be otherwise under the joint rules
654	654	and the rules of the Senate and the House of Representatives. [Adopted Feb. 21, 1919. Amended Jan. 30,
655	655	1923; Jan. 7, 1971; Feb. 20, 2007; Feb. 12, 2009.]
656	656	22A. Bills and resolves passed to be engrossed by both branches and before being transmitted by
657	657	the clerks to the Legislative Engrossing Division shall be made available to the committees on
658	658	Bills in the Third Reading of the two branches, acting jointly, who, in consultation with Counsel
659	659	to the Senate and Counsel to the House, shall examine them to ensure accuracy in the text; that
660	660	the legislation is correct as to form; that references to previous amendments to any particular law 22
661	661	are correct and to ensure proper consistency with the language of existing statutes. These
662	662	committees, with the approval of the majority and minority leadership of both branches may
663	663	make corrections which are not substantive in nature. The clerks of both branches shall be
664	664	immediately notified, in writing, of any such changes. Errors discovered by the committees of a
665	665	substantive nature shall be reported to the General Court, which in turn shall take appropriate
666	666	action under its rules. Upon completion of examination and possible correction of any such bills
667	667	and resolves, the bills and resolves shall be returned to the clerks, who in turn, shall transmit
668	668	them to the Legislative Engrossing Division to be prepared for final passage. [Adopted Sept. 16, 1971.]
669	669	Legislative Amendments to the Constitution.
670	670	23. All proposals for amendments to the Constitution referred to a joint committee on the first
671	671	annual session of the General Court shall be reported by said committee not later than the last
672	672	Wednesday of April in said year, and proposals for amendments to the Constitution referred to a
673	673	joint committee subsequent to the last Wednesday in April of the first annual session shall be
674	674	reported by said committee not later than the last Wednesday of April in the second session of
675	675	the same General Court. The committee shall file its report, either recommending that the
676	676	proposal ought to pass or ought not to pass, with any official papers in its possession that relate
677	677	thereto, with the Clerk of the Senate. When the time within which said committees are required
678	678	to report has expired, all matters upon which no report has been made shall forthwith be placed
679	679	in the Journal of the respective branches, with an adverse report under this rule; and shall then be
680	680	placed on file in the office of the Clerk of the Senate. For further information of the members of
681	681	the Senate and House of Representatives, the respective Clerks shall also place all such matters
682	682	under a separate heading in the Calendar of each branch, as soon as is practicable. In each branch
683	683	the report shall be read and forthwith placed on file; and no further legislative action shall be
684	684	taken on the measure unless consideration in joint session is called for by vote of either branch,
685	685	under Section 2 of Part IV of Article XLVIII (as amended by Article LXXXI) of the
686	686	Amendments to the Constitution. A joint committee to which is referred any recommendation for
687	687	an amendment to the Constitution made by the Governor or contained in a report authorized to
688	688	be made to the General Court may report on the recommendation a proposal for a legislative
689	689	amendment, which shall be deemed to have been introduced by the member of the Senate who
690	690	reports for the committee; and the procedure as regards reporting, filing and subsequent action
691	691	shall be that provided for legislative amendments by this rule. Or the joint committee may report
692	692	ought not to pass for the reason that no legislation is necessary or that the recommendation ought 23
693	693	not to pass; and in such cases the usual procedure as regards similar reports by joint committees
694	694	shall be followed. If such an adverse report is amended in the Senate by substituting a proposal
695	695	for a legislative amendment, notice of the Senate's action shall be sent to the House and said
696	696	proposal, together with the official papers relating to the subject, shall be in the custody of the
697	697	Clerk of the Senate; and if said report is so amended in the House, the proposal, duly endorsed,
698	698	together with the other papers, shall be sent to the Senate for its information and shall be kept in
699	699	the custody of its Clerk. No further legislative action shall be taken in either branch on a proposal
700	700	so substituted unless consideration in joint session is called for under the Constitution. If either
701	701	branch calls for the consideration of any proposal in joint session, notice of its action shall be
702	702	sent to the other branch; and it shall then be the duty of the Senate and the House of
703	703	Representatives to arrange for the holding of the joint session not later than the second
704	704	Wednesday in May. Subject to the requirements of the Constitution, joint sessions or
705	705	continuances of joint sessions of the 2 branches to consider proposals for specific amendments to
706	706	the Constitution, and all rules or procedures, shall be determined only by concurrent votes of the
707	707	2 branches. The rules relative to joint conventions shall apply to the joint sessions of the 2
708	708	houses. [Adopted Feb. 21, 1919. Amended March 30, 1921; April 11, 1935; Jan. 12, 1939; Jan. 15, 1945; Nov. 9, 1951; Jan.
709	709	15, 1973; July 1, 1974; Feb. 12, 2009.]
710	710	Executive Reorganization Plans.
711	711	23A. Any reorganization plan, accompanied by a bill, submitted by the Governor under Article
712	712	LXXXVII of the Amendments to the Constitution shall be referred by the Clerks of the Senate
713	713	and the House, with the approval of the President and Speaker, to a joint standing committee
714	714	within 5 days of the presentation of the reorganization plan.
715	715	Said committee, to which is referred any such reorganization plan, shall, as required by said
716	716	Article, not later than 30 days after the presentation of such plan by the Governor, hold a public
717	717	hearing on the reorganization plan; and shall not later than 10 days after such hearing report that
718	718	it either approves or disapproves such plan.
719	719	When recommending action, the committee shall make, in each branch, a separate report of its
720	720	recommendations, and shall file said report together with the committee's recommendations and
721	721	the reasons for those recommendations, in writing. Majority and minority reports shall be signed
722	722	by the members of said committee. Any official papers in the possession of said committee that
723	723	relate thereto shall be filed with the Clerk of the Senate. 24
724	724	If the committee recommends favorable action, the report shall be that the reorganization plan
725	725	‘ought to be approved’. If the committee recommends adverse action, the report shall be that the
726	726	reorganization plan ‘ought NOT to be approved’. In each instance, the question shall be ‘Shall
727	727	this reorganization plan be approved?’
728	728	In each branch, the report shall be read and forthwith recorded in the Journal. On the legislative
729	729	day next following the Journal record, the report shall be placed in the Orders of the Day of the
730	730	Senate and the House.
731	731	When the time within which a joint committee is required to report on a reorganization plan has
732	732	expired, a matter upon which no report has been made shall forthwith be placed in the Orders of
733	733	the Day by the Clerks of each branch and the question shall be ‘Shall this reorganization plan be
734	734	approved?’.
735	735	When such plan is before either branch, no motion relating to said plan shall be allowed except
736	736	the motions to lay on the table (only in the Senate), to postpone to a time certain, or to commit or
737	737	recommit (at the pleasure of either branch). The motions to take a recess, to adjourn, the previous
738	738	question (if provided in the branch debating the issue), to close debate at a specified time, and
739	739	the motion to reconsider shall also be in order.
740	740	A motion to discharge any committee to which is referred or to which is recommitted a
741	741	reorganization plan shall not be in order prior to the expiration of 40 days after the Governor's
742	742	presentation of such plan. After the expiration of said 40 days, a motion to discharge a committee
743	743	shall be decided by a majority vote of the branch in which the motion is made.
744	744	Unless disapproved by a majority vote of the members of either of the 2 branches of the General
745	745	Court present and voting, the General Court not having prorogued within 60 days from the date
746	746	of presentation by the Governor, the plan shall be approved and shall take effect as provided by
747	747	Article LXXXVII of the Amendments to the Constitution.
748	748	Within 7 days of the expiration of the 60 days from the date of presentation of said plan by the
749	749	Governor, unless the question has already been decided, the Clerks of the Senate and House of
750	750	Representatives shall place the plan in the Orders of the Day; and no motions except the motions
751	751	to take a recess, to adjourn, and previous question, or to close debate at a specified time, shall be
752	752	in order. 25
753	753	No such reorganization plan presented to the General Court shall be subject to change or
754	754	amendment before expiration of such 60 days. [Adopted June 13, 1967; Amended March 27, 1969; June 12,
755	755	1995; Feb. 12, 2009.]
756	756	Joint Conventions.
757	757	24. The President of the Senate shall preside in Conventions of the 2 branches, and such
758	758	Conventions shall be held in the Representatives' Chamber; the Senate Clerk and Parliamentarian
759	759	shall be the Clerk of the Convention, and a record of the proceedings of the Convention shall be
760	760	entered at large on the journals of both branches. [Amended Feb. 20, 2007.]
761	761	25. When an agreement has been made by the 2 branches to go into Convention, such agreement
762	762	shall not be altered or annulled, except by concurrent vote, excepting that it shall be in order to
763	763	recess the convention from time to time upon a majority vote of said convention. [Amended Jan. 7,
764	764	1971.]
765	765	26. No business shall be entered on, in Convention, other than that which may be agreed on
766	766	before the Convention is formed.
767	767	Joint Elections.
768	768	27. In all elections by joint ballot a time shall be assigned for such election at least 1 day
769	769	previous to such election.
770	770	27A. In all cases of elections by ballot a majority of the votes cast shall be necessary for a
771	771	choice, and where there shall be no such a majority on the first ballot the ballots shall be repeated
772	772	until a majority is obtained; and in balloting, blanks shall be rejected and not taken into the count
773	773	in the enumeration of votes, excepting that when the number of blanks shall be more than the
774	774	number of votes received by the candidate having the highest number of votes, then the election
775	775	shall be declared void and the balloting shall be repeated as provided herein. [Adopted March 27,
776	776	1969.]
777	777	28. [Omitted March 28, 1972 .]
778	778	References to the Committees on Rules.
779	779	29. All motions and orders authorizing joint committees to travel or to employ stenographers, or
780	780	authorizing joint committees or special commissions composed as a whole or in part of members
781	781	of the General Court to make investigations or to file special reports, all propositions reported by
782	782	joint committees which authorize investigations or special reports by joint committees or by 26
783	783	special commissions composed as a whole or in part of members of the General Court, all
784	784	motions or orders proposed for joint adoption which provide that information be transmitted to
785	785	the General Court, and all matters referred under the second paragraph of Joint Rule 12, shall be
786	786	referred without debate to the committees on Rules of the two branches acting concurrently, who
787	787	shall report on the matter, under Joint Rule 10. All matters which have been referred under this
788	788	rule shall, in each instance, be reported back into the branch making such reference. [Adopted Jan.
789	789	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.
790	790	30, 1967; Oct. 18, 1971.]
791	791	29A. Meetings of any special commission, special legislative commission, task force or other
792	792	group authorized or required by a statute, resolve, rule, or order to make or conduct an
793	793	investigation or study of any issue shall be conducted openly and transparently. Meetings of any
794	794	special commission, special legislative commission, task force or other group authorized or
795	795	required by a statute, resolve, rule, or order to make or conduct an investigation or study of any
796	796	issue and which are chaired by members of the general court shall be posted and conducted
797	797	pursuant to the rules of the senate and house of representatives and shall be conducted according
798	798	to the following requirements:
799	799	a.)Meetings shall be open to the public;
800	800	b.)Meetings shall be announced by appropriate notice at least 5 days in advance;
801	801	c.)Any documents used in a meeting be provided to the public upon request in a manner to
802	802	be determined by the chair;
803	803	d.)Public testimony shall be accepted in a manner to be determined by the chair;
804	804	e.)The chair shall maintain a summary of the subjects discussed at each meeting, a list of
805	805	documents and other exhibits used at the meetings, and shall maintain a record of proceedings,
806	806	including a record of all votes. For the purposes of this rule a video or audio recording made
807	807	available to the public shall be considered an adequate record of the proceedings. [Adopted, Feb. 15,
808	808	2017; Amended Mar. 7, 2019.]
809	809	30. All motions or orders extending the time within which joint committees and the committees
810	810	on Rules of the two branches, acting concurrently, are required to report shall be referred without
811	811	debate to the committees on Rules of the two branches, acting concurrently, who shall report
812	812	recommending what action should be taken on the motion or order. Such extension shall be
813	813	granted by a concurrent majority vote if recommended by the committees on Rules of the two 27
814	814	branches, acting concurrently; but no such extension shall be granted, against the
815	815	recommendation of the committees, except by a four-fifths vote of the members of each branch
816	816	present and voting on the extension. This rule shall not be rescinded, amended or suspended,
817	817	except by a concurrent vote of four-fifths of the members of each branch present and voting
818	818	thereon. [Adopted Jan. 16, 1903. Amended Feb. 6, 1912; Feb. 19, 1920; Jan. 6, 1947; Jan. 27, 1955; June 7, 1965.]
819	819	Members.
820	820	31. A member of either branch who directly or indirectly solicits for such member or others any
821	821	position or office within the gift or control of a railroad corporation, street railway company, gas
822	822	or electric light company, telegraph or telephone company, aqueduct or water company, or other
823	823	public service corporation, shall be subject to suspension for such solicitation, or to such other
824	824	penalty as the branch of which the person is a member may see fit to impose. [See G. L. 271, sec.
825	825	40.] [Adopted May 22, 1902.]
826	826	Accommodations for Reporters.
827	827	32. Subject to the approval and direction of the committees on Rules of the two branches, acting
828	828	concurrently, during the session, and of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House
829	829	of Representatives after prorogation, the use of the rooms and facilities assigned to reporters in
830	830	the State House shall be under the control of the organizations of legislative reporters known as
831	831	the Massachusetts State House Press Association and the State House Broadcasters Association.
832	832	No person shall be permitted to use such rooms or facilities who is not entitled to the privileges
833	833	of the reporters' galleries of the Senate or of the House. Within 10 days after the General Court
834	834	convenes the Massachusetts State House Press Association and the State House Broadcasters
835	835	Association shall each transmit to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
836	836	Representatives and the Sergeant-at-Arms a list of the legislative reporters with the principal
837	837	publication or news service which each represents. [Adopted Jan. 27, 1911. Amended Feb. 24, 1914; Feb. 19,
838	838	1920; April 17, 1925; May 23, 1979; Feb. 12, 2009.]
839	839	Suspension of Rules.
840	840	33. Any joint rule except Rule 10 and Rule 30 may be altered, suspended or rescinded by a
841	841	concurrent vote of two-thirds of the members of each branch present and voting thereon. [Amended
842	842	Feb. 7, 1893. Adopted in revised form Jan. 9, 1899. Amended Jan. 16, 1903; Jan. 26, 2005.]
843	843	Audit of Accounts. 28
844	844	34. The committees on Rules of the two branches, acting concurrently, shall provide that an
845	845	outside independent audit of joint financial accounts be conducted by a certified public
846	846	accountant no less frequently than at the end of each fiscal year. A copy of such audit shall be
847	847	filed with the Clerks of the Senate and House of Representatives and be made available to the
848	848	public by conspicuously posting it on the General Court’s website. The Clerks of the Senate and
849	849	House of Representatives shall notify all members of the General Court, the State Auditor,
850	850	Comptroller, and Inspector General when the audit has been posted on the General Court’s
851	851	website.. [Adopted May 30, 1985.]
852	852	35. The committees on Rules of the two branches, acting concurrently, shall reexamine the Joint
853	853	Rules of the House and Senate as needed, but at least every 4 years, and shall report to each
854	854	branch any recommendations it may have to facilitate the work of the respective branches and
855	855	the joint standing committees. [Adopted June 12, 1995.]
856	856	Procurement.
857	857	36. (a) The House Business Manager and Chief Financial Officer of the Senate shall complete
858	858	the procurement of all goods and services from the joint legislative account. Procurements for
859	859	goods or services shall be made pursuant to a statewide procurement contract established by the
860	860	operational services division, to the extent practicable, as determined by the House Business
861	861	Manager and the Chief Financial Officer of the Senate. If the Business Manager and the Chief
862	862	Financial Officer determine that a procurement cannot be made using a statewide procurement
863	863	contract established by the operational services division, they may procure the required goods or
864	864	services under subsections (b), (c) or (d).
865	865	(b) Procurement of a supply or service from a vendor not on a statewide procurement contract
866	866	valued at less than $10,000 shall be made at the discretion of the House Business Manager and
867	867	the Chief Financial Officer of the Senate.
868	868	(c) If the House Business Manager and the Chief Financial Officer of the Senate seek to procure
869	869	a supply or service from a vendor not on a statewide procurement contract valued at $10,000 or
870	870	more, but less than $100,000, they shall seek quotations from not fewer than 3 persons providing
871	871	such supply or service. The House Business Manager and the Chief Financial Officer of the
872	872	Senate shall record the names and addresses of all persons from whom quotations were received,
873	873	the names of the persons submitting quotations and the date and amount of each quotation. The
874	874	House Business Manager and the Chief Financial Officer of the Senate shall award the contract 29
875	875	to the respondent whose quotation offers the needed quality of supply or service and which
876	876	represents the best value for the General Court in the informed opinion of the House Business
877	877	Manager and the Chief Financial Officer of the Senate.
878	878	(d) If the House Business Manager and the Chief Financial Officer of the Senate seek to procure
879	879	a supply or service from a vendor not on a statewide procurement contract valued at $100,000 or
880	880	more, the House Business Manager and the Chief Financial Officer of the Senate shall seek
881	881	proposals through a procurement process, which shall be established by the House Business
882	882	Manager and the Chief Financial Officer of the Senate. The House Business Manager and the
883	883	Chief Financial Officer of the Senate shall include diversity and inclusion plan requirements in
884	884	all requests for proposals; provided, however, that such process shall adhere to the terms of any
885	885	relevant statewide contract, where possible, and other provisions of this rule.
886	886	(e) The House Business Manager and the Chief Financial Officer of the Senate shall maintain a
887	887	file on each procurement not executed using a statewide procurement contract established by the
888	888	operational services division and in excess of $10,000 and shall include in such file all
889	889	documents constituting the agreement for goods and services and all documents required by
890	890	subsection (c) or (d). The files maintained shall be available for inspection by members of the
891	891	General Court during regular business hours unless the information is otherwise protected by
892	892	state or federal law.
893	893	(f) Whenever the time required to comply with a requirement of this rule would endanger the
894	894	health, safety or convenience of the members, staff or visitors to the House of Representatives or
895	895	Senate the House Business Manager and the Senate Chief Financial Officer may make an
896	896	emergency procurement without satisfying the requirement of this rules; provided, however, that
897	897	both the House Business Manager and the Senate Chief Financial Officer certify in writing that:
898	898	(i) an emergency exists and explain the nature thereof; (ii) the emergency procurement is limited
899	899	to only supplies or services necessary to meet the emergency; and (iii) the emergency
900	900	procurement conforms to the requirements of this rule to the extent practicable under the
901	901	circumstances; provided further the House Business Manager and Chief Financial Officer of the
902	902	Senate shall keep a record of: (a) each contractor’s name, (b) the amount and the type of each
903	903	contract; (c) the supplies or services provided under each contract; (d) and basis for determining
904	904	the need for an emergency procurement. 30
905	905	(g) All procurements for legal services shall follow a process established by House and Senate
906	906	Counsel and the House Business Manager and Chief Financial Officer of the Senate, and shall be
907	907	approved by the House and Senate Counsel. .
908	908	(h) If, in the determination of the House Business Manager and the Chief Financial Officer of the
909	909	Senate, an emergency procurement of greater than $10,000 is necessary, the House Business
910	910	Manager and the Chief Financial Officer of the Senate may procure the goods or services
911	911	immediately and create and maintain a file explaining the nature of the emergency and the goods
912	912	or services that were procured as a result. The House Business Manager and the Chief Financial
913	913	Officer of the Senate shall document the goods or services that were procured, the process used
914	914	to procure the goods or services, the vendors that were contacted and any other information
915	915	relevant to the procurement, and make that information available to members of the General
916	916	Court during regular business hours, unless the information is otherwise protected by state or
917	917	federal law.
918	918	(i) Any procurement by the House Business Manager and Chief Financial Officer Officer of the
919	919	Senate under Rule 36 for over $10,000 either individual or cumulative shall be submitted to the
920	920	state comptroller for posting on the Open Checkbook website or its equivalent. [Adopted Mar. 14,
921	921	2013; Amended Feb. 15, 2017; Mar. 7, 2019.]