| Old | New | Differences | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA | |
| 2 | 2 | SESSION 2025 | |
| 3 | - | H Simple | |
| 4 | - | Resolution | |
| 5 | - | Adopted | |
| 6 | - | HOUSE RESOLUTION 1 | |
| 7 | - | Adopted 1/8/25 | |
| 3 | + | H D | |
| 4 | + | HOUSE SIMPLE RESOLUTION DRHR30003 -MC-7 | |
| 5 | + | ||
| 6 | + | ||
| 8 | 7 | ||
| 9 | 8 | Sponsors: Representative Bell. | |
| 10 | - | For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site. | |
| 11 | - | Referred to: Calendar 1/8/2025 | |
| 12 | - | January 8, 2025 | |
| 13 | - | *H1-v-2* | |
| 9 | + | Referred | |
| 10 | + | to: | |
| 11 | + | ||
| 12 | + | ||
| 13 | + | *DRHR30003 -MC-7* | |
| 14 | 14 | A HOUSE RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE TEMPORARY RULES OF THE HOUSE OF 1 | |
| 15 | 15 | REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE 2025 REGULAR SESSION. 2 | |
| 16 | 16 | Be it resolved by the House of Representatives: 3 | |
| 17 | 17 | SECTION 1. The temporary rules of the Regular Session of the House of 4 | |
| 18 | 18 | Representatives of the 2025 General Assembly are: 5 | |
| 19 | 19 | TEMPORARY RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE 6 | |
| 20 | 20 | REGULAR SESSION OF THE 2025 GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA 7 | |
| 21 | 21 | I. Order of Business, 1-5.1 8 | |
| 22 | 22 | II. Conduct of Debate, 6-12 9 | |
| 23 | 23 | III. Motions, 13-19 10 | |
| 24 | 24 | IV. Voting, 20-25 11 | |
| 25 | 25 | V. Committees, 26-30 12 | |
| 26 | 26 | VI. Handling of Bills, 31-44.2 13 | |
| 27 | 27 | VII. Legislative Officers and Employees, 45-49 14 | |
| 28 | 28 | VIII. Privileges of the Hall, 50-53 15 | |
| 29 | 29 | IX. General Rules, 54-62 16 | |
| 30 | 30 | I. Order of Business 17 | |
| 31 | 31 | RULE 1. Convening Hour, Limitation on Legislative Sessions. – The House shall 18 | |
| 32 | 32 | convene each legislative day at the hour fixed by the House. In the event the House adjourns on 19 | |
| 33 | 33 | the preceding legislative day without having fixed an hour for reconvening, the House shall 20 | |
| 34 | 34 | convene on the next legislative day at 2:00 P.M. During January and February of 2025, no 21 | |
| 35 | 35 | sessions may be held on Friday. Without leave of the House, no session shall continue after 10:00 22 | |
| 36 | 36 | P.M. on Monday nor after 9:00 P.M. on any other days, and the Speaker shall adjourn the House 23 | |
| 37 | 37 | without motion at that point, except that a motion may be made as to the time and day of next 24 | |
| 38 | 38 | convening. Except for votes on motions to approve the Journal and to adjourn, no votes may be 25 | |
| 39 | 39 | held on any Sunday. 26 | |
| 40 | 40 | RULE 1.1. Emergencies. – (a) In the event of a disaster, natural or otherwise, that 27 | |
| 41 | 41 | precludes the General Assembly from meeting in the Legislative Building, the members will be 28 | |
| 42 | 42 | notified by the Speaker where and when the House will convene. 29 | |
| 43 | 43 | (b) In the event of a State of Emergency that threatens the health and safety of 30 | |
| 44 | 44 | members, the Speaker may invoke the modifications to these rules contained in and pursuant to 31 | |
| 45 | 45 | Rule 58.1. The Speaker may terminate the use of the modifications upon 24 hours' written notice 32 | |
| 46 | - | to the Majority Leader, the Minority Leader, and the Principal Clerk. 33 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 47 | - | Page 2 House Resolution 1 | |
| 48 | - | RULE 2. Opening the Session. – The Sergeant-at-Arms shall clear the House 10 1 | |
| 49 | - | minutes before the convening hour. At the convening hour on each legislative day, the Speaker 2 | |
| 50 | - | shall call the members to order and shall have the session opened with prayer. At the convening 3 | |
| 51 | - | hour, the Speaker, or the Speaker's designee, shall lead the members in the Pledge of Allegiance 4 | |
| 52 | - | to the American Flag. 5 | |
| 53 | - | RULE 3. Quorum. – (a) A quorum consists of a majority of the qualified members 6 | |
| 54 | - | of the House. 7 | |
| 55 | - | (b) Should the point of a quorum be raised, the doors shall be closed, and the 8 | |
| 56 | - | Clerk shall call the roll of the House, after which the names of those not responding shall again 9 | |
| 57 | - | be called. In the absence of a quorum, 15 members are authorized to compel the attendance of 10 | |
| 58 | - | absent members and may order that absentees for whom no sufficient excuses are made be taken 11 | |
| 59 | - | into custody wherever they may be found by special messenger appointed for that purpose. 12 | |
| 60 | - | RULE 4. Approval of Journal. – (a) The Chair of the Standing Committee on Rules, 13 | |
| 61 | - | Calendar, and Operations of the House shall cause the Journal of the House to be examined daily 14 | |
| 62 | - | before the hour of convening to determine if the proceedings of the previous day have been 15 | |
| 63 | - | correctly recorded. 16 | |
| 64 | - | (b) Immediately following the Pledge of Allegiance, the Speaker shall call for the 17 | |
| 65 | - | Journal report by the Chair of the Standing Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the 18 | |
| 66 | - | House, or by a Representative designated by the Chair, as to whether the proceedings of the 19 | |
| 67 | - | previous day have been correctly recorded. Without objection, the Speaker shall cause the Journal 20 | |
| 68 | - | to stand approved. 21 | |
| 69 | - | RULE 5. Order of Business of the Day. – After the approval of the Journal of the 22 | |
| 70 | - | preceding day, unless the Speaker varies or alters the order, the House shall proceed to business 23 | |
| 71 | - | in the following order: 24 | |
| 72 | - | (1) The receiving of petitions, memorials, and papers addressed to the General 25 | |
| 73 | - | Assembly or to the House; 26 | |
| 74 | - | (2) Messages from the Governor; 27 | |
| 75 | - | (3) Ratification of bills; 28 | |
| 76 | - | (4) Reports of standing committees; 29 | |
| 77 | - | (5) Reports of select committees; 30 | |
| 78 | - | (6) First reading and referral to committee of bills and resolutions; 31 | |
| 79 | - | (7) Messages from the Senate; 32 | |
| 80 | - | (8) Concurrence with Senate amendments or Senate committee substitutes; 33 | |
| 81 | - | (9) The unfinished business of the preceding day; 34 | |
| 82 | - | (10) Calendar (each category in accordance with Rule 40 – House bills first): 35 | |
| 83 | - | a. Resolutions for adoption 36 | |
| 84 | - | b. Conference reports for adoption 37 | |
| 85 | - | c. Local bills (roll call), third reading 38 | |
| 86 | - | d. Local bills (roll call), second reading 39 | |
| 87 | - | e. Local bills, third reading 40 | |
| 88 | - | f. Local bills, second reading 41 | |
| 89 | - | g. Public bills (roll call), third reading 42 | |
| 90 | - | h. Public bills (roll call), second reading 43 | |
| 91 | - | i. Public bills and resolutions, third reading 44 | |
| 92 | - | j. Public bills and resolutions, second reading; 45 | |
| 93 | - | (11) Reading of notices and announcements; 46 | |
| 94 | - | (12) Reading of Representative Statements. 47 | |
| 95 | - | RULE 5.1. Pro Forma Sessions. – (a) The following motions, votes, and matters and 48 | |
| 96 | - | no others are in order during a pro forma session: 49 | |
| 97 | - | (1) A motion and vote to approve the Journal; 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 98 | - | House Resolution 1 Page 3 | |
| 99 | - | (2) The receiving of petitions, memorials, and papers addressed to the General 1 | |
| 100 | - | Assembly or to the House; 2 | |
| 101 | - | (3) Messages from the Governor; 3 | |
| 102 | - | (4) Ratification of bills; 4 | |
| 103 | - | (5) Reports of standing committees; 5 | |
| 104 | - | (6) First reading and referral to committee of bills and resolutions; 6 | |
| 105 | - | (7) Re-referral to committee of bills and resolutions; 7 | |
| 106 | - | (8) Reading of Representative Statements approved, in writing, for presentation 8 | |
| 107 | - | during the pro forma session by the Chair of the Standing Committee on 9 | |
| 108 | - | Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House; 10 | |
| 109 | - | (9) Messages from the Senate; 11 | |
| 110 | - | (10) Submission of conference reports; 12 | |
| 111 | - | (11) A motion and vote to adjourn subject to the standard stipulations under Rule 13 | |
| 112 | - | 15.1. 14 | |
| 113 | - | (b) As used in these rules, a pro forma session occurs when the Speaker notifies 15 | |
| 114 | - | the body, either by announcement in the chamber or electronically using the General Assembly 16 | |
| 115 | - | email system, that no motions, votes, or matters other than those allowed under subsection (a) of 17 | |
| 116 | - | this rule will be taken during a future designated session. 18 | |
| 117 | - | II. Conduct of Debate 19 | |
| 118 | - | RULE 6. Duties and Powers of the Speaker. – The Speaker shall have general 20 | |
| 119 | - | direction of the Hall, subject to more specific provisions of these rules. The Speaker may name 21 | |
| 120 | - | any member to perform the duties of the chair, but substitution shall not extend beyond one day, 22 | |
| 121 | - | except in the case of sickness or by leave of the House. If the Speaker is absent and has not 23 | |
| 122 | - | designated a member or the Principal Clerk to perform the duties of the chair, the Speaker Pro 24 | |
| 123 | - | Tempore shall preside during such absence. In the case of a vacancy in the office of the Speaker 25 | |
| 124 | - | of the House of Representatives, the Principal Clerk shall preside over the House until the House 26 | |
| 125 | - | elects a Speaker. 27 | |
| 126 | - | RULE 7. Obtaining Floor. – (a) When any member desires recognition for any 28 | |
| 127 | - | purpose, the member shall rise and respectfully address the Speaker. No member shall proceed 29 | |
| 128 | - | until recognized by the Speaker for a purpose. 30 | |
| 129 | - | (b) When a member desires to interrupt a member having the floor, the member 31 | |
| 130 | - | shall first obtain recognition by the Speaker and permission of the member occupying the floor, 32 | |
| 131 | - | and when such recognition and permission have been obtained, he or she may propound a 33 | |
| 132 | - | question to the member occupying the floor; but he or she shall not otherwise interrupt the 34 | |
| 133 | - | member having the floor, except as provided in subsection (c) of this rule; and the Speaker shall, 35 | |
| 134 | - | without the point of order being raised, enforce this rule. 36 | |
| 135 | - | (c) A member who has obtained the floor may be interrupted only for the 37 | |
| 136 | - | following reasons: 38 | |
| 137 | - | (1) A request that the member speaking yield for a question, 39 | |
| 138 | - | (2) A point of order, 40 | |
| 139 | - | (3) A parliamentary inquiry, or 41 | |
| 140 | - | (4) A question of privilege. 42 | |
| 141 | - | RULE 8. Questions of Privilege. – Upon recognition by the Speaker for that purpose, 43 | |
| 142 | - | any member may speak to a question of privilege for a time not to exceed three minutes. 44 | |
| 143 | - | Questions of privilege shall be those affecting, first, the rights of the House collectively, its 45 | |
| 144 | - | safety, dignity, and the integrity of its proceedings; second, the rights, reputation, and conduct of 46 | |
| 145 | - | members, individually, in their representative capacity only; and shall have precedence over all 47 | |
| 146 | - | other questions, except motions to adjourn. Privilege may not be used to explain a vote or debate 48 | |
| 147 | - | a bill. The Speaker shall determine if the question is one of privilege and shall, without the point 49 | |
| 148 | - | of order being raised, enforce this rule. 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 149 | - | Page 4 House Resolution 1 | |
| 150 | - | RULE 8.1. Points of Personal Privilege; Representative Statements; Explanation 1 | |
| 151 | - | of Vote. – Upon recognition by the Speaker for that purpose, any member may speak to a point 2 | |
| 152 | - | of personal privilege for a time not exceeding three minutes. The Speaker shall determine if the 3 | |
| 153 | - | question raised is one of personal privilege and shall, without the point of order being raised, 4 | |
| 154 | - | enforce this rule. A member may use some or all of that time to explain to the House a 5 | |
| 155 | - | "Representative Statement." Upon motion supported by a majority present and voting, that 6 | |
| 156 | - | statement may be spread upon the Journal. Neither personal privilege nor a Representative 7 | |
| 157 | - | Statement may be used to explain a vote, debate a bill, or in any way disrupt the regular business 8 | |
| 158 | - | of the House, nor shall such opportunities be used to solicit support or sponsors for any bill. The 9 | |
| 159 | - | format of a Representative Statement shall be prescribed by the Chair of the Standing Committee 10 | |
| 160 | - | on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House, but in any case shall speak only in the voice of 11 | |
| 161 | - | the member submitting it. 12 | |
| 162 | - | RULE 9. Points of Order. – (a) The Speaker shall decide questions of order, which 13 | |
| 163 | - | once raised, are not debatable. Any member may appeal from the ruling of the chair on questions 14 | |
| 164 | - | of order; on such appeal no member may speak more than once, unless by leave of the House. A 15 | |
| 165 | - | three-fifths vote of the members present shall be necessary to sustain any appeal from the ruling 16 | |
| 166 | - | of the chair. 17 | |
| 167 | - | (b) When the Speaker calls a member to order, the member shall be seated, except 18 | |
| 168 | - | that a member called to order may clear a matter of fact, or explain, but shall not proceed in 19 | |
| 169 | - | debate so long as the decision stands. If the member appeals from the ruling of the chair and the 20 | |
| 170 | - | decision by a three-fifths vote of the members present be in favor of the member called to order, 21 | |
| 171 | - | the member may proceed; if otherwise, the member shall not; and if the case, in the judgment of 22 | |
| 172 | - | the House, requires it, the member shall be liable to censure by the House. 23 | |
| 173 | - | RULE 10. Limitations on Debate. – (a) No member shall speak on, debate, or solicit 24 | |
| 174 | - | cosponsors for a bill or resolution at its first reading. 25 | |
| 175 | - | (b) No member shall speak more than twice on the main question nor longer than 26 | |
| 176 | - | 15 minutes for the first speech and five minutes for the second speech; nor shall the member 27 | |
| 177 | - | speak more than twice upon an amendment or a motion to reconsider, re-refer, or postpone or 28 | |
| 178 | - | any motion on concurrence, and then not longer than 10 minutes for the first speech and five 29 | |
| 179 | - | minutes for the second speech. 30 | |
| 180 | - | (c) A member may speak only once and for not more than 10 minutes on the 31 | |
| 181 | - | question of the adoption of a minority report. 32 | |
| 182 | - | (d) In computing the time allowed for argument, the time consumed in answering 33 | |
| 183 | - | questions should be considered and is taken out of any time allowed that member. 34 | |
| 184 | - | (e) The House, by consent of a majority of the members present, may suspend the 35 | |
| 185 | - | operation of subsections (b) through (d) of this rule during any debate on any particular question 36 | |
| 186 | - | before the House. 37 | |
| 187 | - | RULE 11. Reading of Papers. – When there is a call for the reading of the text of a 38 | |
| 188 | - | paper which has been presented to the House and there is objection to such reading, the question 39 | |
| 189 | - | shall be determined by a majority vote of the members of the House present. Except for protests 40 | |
| 190 | - | permitted by the Constitution, no member may have material printed in the Journal until said 41 | |
| 191 | - | material has been presented to the House and the printing approved by the House, and said 42 | |
| 192 | - | material shall not exceed 1,000 words. 43 | |
| 193 | - | RULE 12. General Decorum. – (a) The Speaker shall preserve order and decorum. 44 | |
| 194 | - | (b) Decency of speech shall be observed and disrespect to personalities carefully 45 | |
| 195 | - | avoided. 46 | |
| 196 | - | (c) When the Speaker is putting any question or addressing the House, no person 47 | |
| 197 | - | shall speak, stand up, walk out of, or cross the House, nor, when a member is speaking, engage 48 | |
| 198 | - | in disruptive discourse or pass between the member and the chair. 49 | |
| 199 | - | (d) Food shall not be permitted on the floor of the House during the first hour of 50 | |
| 200 | - | the daily session. 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 201 | - | House Resolution 1 Page 5 | |
| 202 | - | (e) The reading of newspapers shall not be permitted on the floor of the House 1 | |
| 203 | - | while the House is in session. 2 | |
| 204 | - | (f) The consumption of food or beverages shall not be permitted in the galleries 3 | |
| 205 | - | at any time. 4 | |
| 206 | - | (g) Special recitals and performances by musicians or other groups shall not be 5 | |
| 207 | - | permitted on the floor of the House, and special guests of members of the House shall not be 6 | |
| 208 | - | permitted on the floor of the House. 7 | |
| 209 | - | (h) Members shall observe appropriate attire: coat and tie for male members and 8 | |
| 210 | - | dignified dress for female members. 9 | |
| 211 | - | (i) The use of a mobile device or cellular phone for the purpose of making or 10 | |
| 212 | - | receiving a phone call shall not be permitted in the House Chamber while the House is in session. 11 | |
| 213 | - | (j) Placards, stickers, or signs are not permitted in the House Chamber. 12 | |
| 214 | - | III. Motions 13 | |
| 215 | - | RULE 13. Motions Generally. – (a) A motion that is complex, complicated, or 14 | |
| 216 | - | otherwise not easily understood shall be reduced to writing at the request of the Speaker or any 15 | |
| 217 | - | member. No motion relating to a bill shall be in order that does not identify the bill by its number 16 | |
| 218 | - | and short title. 17 | |
| 219 | - | (b) When a motion is made, it shall be stated by the Speaker or, if written, it shall 18 | |
| 220 | - | be handed to the chair and read aloud by the Speaker or Clerk before debate. 19 | |
| 221 | - | (c) After a motion has been stated by the Speaker or read by the Speaker or Clerk, 20 | |
| 222 | - | it shall be in the possession of the House; but it may be withdrawn before a decision or 21 | |
| 223 | - | amendment, except in case of a motion to reconsider, which motion, when made by a member, 22 | |
| 224 | - | shall be in possession of the House and shall not be withdrawn without leave of the House. 23 | |
| 225 | - | RULE 14. Motions, Order of Precedence. – When there are motions before the 24 | |
| 226 | - | House, the order of precedence is as follows: 25 | |
| 227 | - | To adjourn. 26 | |
| 228 | - | To recess. 27 | |
| 229 | - | To lay on the table. 28 | |
| 230 | - | Previous question. 29 | |
| 231 | - | To postpone indefinitely. 30 | |
| 232 | - | To reconsider. 31 | |
| 233 | - | To postpone to a day certain. 32 | |
| 234 | - | To re-refer. 33 | |
| 235 | - | To amend an amendment. 34 | |
| 236 | - | To amend. 35 | |
| 237 | - | To pass the bill. 36 | |
| 238 | - | No motion to lay on the table, to postpone indefinitely, to postpone to a day certain, 37 | |
| 239 | - | to re-refer, to divide the question, or to make a particular amendment, being decided, shall be 38 | |
| 240 | - | again allowed at the same stage of the bill or proposition. 39 | |
| 241 | - | RULE 15. Motion to Adjourn. – (a) A motion to adjourn shall be seconded before 40 | |
| 242 | - | the motion is put to the vote of the House. 41 | |
| 243 | - | (b) A motion to adjourn shall be decided without debate and shall always be in 42 | |
| 244 | - | order, except when the House is voting or some member is speaking; but a motion to adjourn 43 | |
| 245 | - | shall not follow a motion to adjourn until debate or some other business of the House has 44 | |
| 246 | - | intervened. 45 | |
| 247 | - | RULE 15.1. Motion to Adjourn or Stand in Recess; Standard Stipulations. – A 46 | |
| 248 | - | motion to adjourn or stand in recess subject to the standard stipulations shall constitute a motion 47 | |
| 249 | - | to adjourn or stand in recess subject to the ratification of bills, messages from the Senate, 48 | |
| 250 | - | committee reports, conference reports, referral and re-referral of bills and resolutions, 49 | |
| 251 | - | appointment of conferees, introduction of bills and resolutions, committee appointments, and the 50 | |
| 252 | - | reading of Representative Statements. 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 253 | - | Page 6 House Resolution 1 | |
| 254 | - | RULE 16. Motion to Table. – (a) A motion to table shall be seconded before the 1 | |
| 255 | - | motion is put to the vote of the House and is in order except when a motion to adjourn or to recess 2 | |
| 256 | - | is before the House. 3 | |
| 257 | - | (b) A motion to table shall be decided without debate; however, the proponent of 4 | |
| 258 | - | the matter that is subject of the motion to table shall be given up to two minutes to explain the 5 | |
| 259 | - | matter subject to the motion to table if the proponent has not previously explained the matter 6 | |
| 260 | - | prior to the motion to table. 7 | |
| 261 | - | (c) A motion to table a bill shall constitute a motion to table the bill and all 8 | |
| 262 | - | amendments thereto. 9 | |
| 263 | - | (d) When the question before the House is the adoption of an amendment to a bill 10 | |
| 264 | - | or resolution, a motion to table the bill is not in order; and a motion to table an amendment applies 11 | |
| 265 | - | to the amendment only, and the motion may not expressly or by implication or construction be 12 | |
| 266 | - | expanded to include a motion to table the bill also. 13 | |
| 267 | - | (e) When a question has been tabled, it shall not thereafter be considered, except 14 | |
| 268 | - | on motion to reconsider under Rule 18 or to remove from the table approved by a two-thirds vote. 15 | |
| 269 | - | RULE 17. Motion to Postpone Indefinitely. – A motion to postpone indefinitely is 16 | |
| 270 | - | in order except when a motion to adjourn, or to lay on the table, or for the previous question, or 17 | |
| 271 | - | to recess is before the House. However, after one motion to postpone indefinitely has been 18 | |
| 272 | - | decided, another motion to postpone indefinitely shall not be allowed at the same stage of the bill 19 | |
| 273 | - | or proposition. When a question has been postponed indefinitely, it shall not thereafter be 20 | |
| 274 | - | considered, except on motion to reconsider under Rule 18 or to place on the favorable calendar 21 | |
| 275 | - | approved by a two-thirds vote. 22 | |
| 276 | - | RULE 18. Motion to Reconsider. – (a) When a question has been decided, it is in 23 | |
| 277 | - | order for any member to move for the reconsideration thereof on the same or the succeeding 24 | |
| 278 | - | legislative day; provided that if the vote by which the motion was originally decided was taken 25 | |
| 279 | - | by a recorded vote, only a member of the prevailing side may move for reconsideration. 26 | |
| 280 | - | (b) A motion to reconsider shall be determined by a majority vote, except all of 27 | |
| 281 | - | the following shall require a two-thirds vote: 28 | |
| 282 | - | (1) A motion to reconsider not made on the same or the succeeding legislative 29 | |
| 283 | - | day when a question has been decided. 30 | |
| 284 | - | (2) A second or subsequent motion to reconsider. 31 | |
| 285 | - | (3) A motion to reconsider: 32 | |
| 286 | - | a. A vote upon a motion to table. 33 | |
| 287 | - | b. A motion to postpone indefinitely. 34 | |
| 288 | - | c. A motion to remove a bill from the unfavorable calendar. 35 | |
| 289 | - | d. A motion that a bill be read twice on the same day. 36 | |
| 290 | - | e. A motion to remove from the table. 37 | |
| 291 | - | (c) A motion to reconsider the vote by which a person has been elected as Speaker 38 | |
| 292 | - | or Speaker Pro Tempore shall not be in order. This subsection of this rule cannot be suspended 39 | |
| 293 | - | except by a vote of three-fifths of all the members of the House. 40 | |
| 294 | - | RULE 19. Previous Question. – (a) The previous question may be called only by: 41 | |
| 295 | - | (1) The Chair of the Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House; 42 | |
| 296 | - | (1a) The Vice-Chair of the Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the 43 | |
| 297 | - | House if the Chair is not in the Chamber or able to participate in debate; 44 | |
| 298 | - | (2) The Majority Leader; 45 | |
| 299 | - | (3) The member submitting the report on the bill or other matter under 46 | |
| 300 | - | consideration; 47 | |
| 301 | - | (4) The member introducing the bill or other matter under consideration; 48 | |
| 302 | - | (5) The member in charge of the measure, who shall be designated by the chair 49 | |
| 303 | - | of the standing committee reporting the same to the House at the time the bill 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 304 | - | House Resolution 1 Page 7 | |
| 305 | - | or other matter under consideration is reported to the House or taken up for 1 | |
| 306 | - | consideration. 2 | |
| 307 | - | (b) When the call for the previous question has been decided in the affirmative by 3 | |
| 308 | - | a majority vote of the House, the question is on the passage of the bill, resolution, or other matter 4 | |
| 309 | - | under consideration. 5 | |
| 310 | - | (c) The call for the previous question shall preclude all motions, amendments, 6 | |
| 311 | - | and debate, except the motion to adjourn, motion to recess, or motion to table. 7 | |
| 312 | - | (d) If the previous question is decided in the negative, the question remains under 8 | |
| 313 | - | debate. 9 | |
| 314 | - | (e) After the previous question is ordered by the House on the main question of 10 | |
| 315 | - | second or third reading, the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader may each allocate three 11 | |
| 316 | - | minutes of debate on the question. The Majority Leader and the Minority Leader may each 12 | |
| 317 | - | designate another member to act under this subsection. 13 | |
| 318 | - | IV. Voting 14 | |
| 319 | - | RULE 20. Use of Electronic Voting System. – (a) Votes on the following questions 15 | |
| 320 | - | shall be taken on the electronic voting system, and the ayes and noes shall be recorded on the 16 | |
| 321 | - | Journal: 17 | |
| 322 | - | (1) The passage as required by Section 23 of Article II of the North Carolina 18 | |
| 323 | - | Constitution on second and third readings of any bill: 19 | |
| 324 | - | a. Raising money on the credit of the State, 20 | |
| 325 | - | b. Pledging the faith of the State for the payment of a debt, 21 | |
| 326 | - | c. Imposing a State tax, or 22 | |
| 327 | - | d. Authorizing a county, municipality, or other local governmental unit 23 | |
| 328 | - | to: 24 | |
| 329 | - | 1. Raise money on its credit, 25 | |
| 330 | - | 2. Pledge its faith for the payment of a debt, or 26 | |
| 331 | - | 3. Impose a local tax. 27 | |
| 332 | - | (2) All questions on which a call for the ayes and noes under Rule 24(a) and 28 | |
| 333 | - | Section 19 of Article II of the North Carolina Constitution has been sustained. 29 | |
| 334 | - | (3) Both second and third readings of bills proposing amendment of the North 30 | |
| 335 | - | Carolina Constitution or ratifying resolutions amending the United States 31 | |
| 336 | - | Constitution. 32 | |
| 337 | - | (4) The passage of a bill, notwithstanding the Governor's veto thereof, pursuant 33 | |
| 338 | - | to Section 22 of Article II of the North Carolina Constitution. 34 | |
| 339 | - | (b) Votes on the following questions shall be taken on the electronic voting 35 | |
| 340 | - | system: 36 | |
| 341 | - | (1) Second reading of all public bills except resolutions, all amendments to public 37 | |
| 342 | - | bills, third reading if a public bill was amended after second reading or if the 38 | |
| 343 | - | reading occurs on a day or days following the second reading, all conference 39 | |
| 344 | - | reports on public bills, all motions to lay public bills on the table, and all 40 | |
| 345 | - | motions to postpone public bills indefinitely. 41 | |
| 346 | - | (2) Upon a call for division. 42 | |
| 347 | - | (3) Any other question upon direction of the Speaker or upon motion of any 43 | |
| 348 | - | member supported by one-fifth of the members present. 44 | |
| 349 | - | (c) When the electronic voting system is used, 15 seconds shall be allowed for 45 | |
| 350 | - | voting on the question before the House, unless the Chair shall direct otherwise. Once the system 46 | |
| 351 | - | is locked, the vote shall be recorded and printed. 47 | |
| 352 | - | (d) The voting station at each member's desk in the Chamber shall be used only 48 | |
| 353 | - | by the member to which the station is assigned. Under no circumstances shall any other person 49 | |
| 354 | - | vote at a member's station. It is a breach of the ethical obligation of a member either to request 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 355 | - | Page 8 House Resolution 1 | |
| 356 | - | that another person vote at the requesting member's station or to vote at another member's station. 1 | |
| 357 | - | The Speaker shall enforce this rule without exception. 2 | |
| 358 | - | (e) When the electronic voting system is used, the Speaker shall state the question 3 | |
| 359 | - | and shall then state substantially the following: "All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'no'; the 4 | |
| 360 | - | Clerk will open the vote." In order to have the vote recorded, the member must vote by the 5 | |
| 361 | - | electronic voting system within the time allowed for that vote, unless the voting station assigned 6 | |
| 362 | - | to a member is malfunctioning. The Speaker shall enforce this rule without exception. After the 7 | |
| 363 | - | allotted time for voting has elapsed, the Speaker shall say: "The Clerk will now lock the machine 8 | |
| 364 | - | and record the vote." After the machine is locked and the vote recorded, the Speaker shall 9 | |
| 365 | - | announce the vote and declare the result. 10 | |
| 366 | - | (f) One copy of the machine printout of the vote record of all votes taken on the 11 | |
| 367 | - | electronic voting system shall be filed in the office of the Principal Clerk, and two copies shall 12 | |
| 368 | - | be filed in the Legislative Library where the copies shall be open to public inspection. A legible 13 | |
| 369 | - | copy of the bill, amendment, or motion on which the vote was taken shall be filed with the 14 | |
| 370 | - | printout of the vote in the Legislative Library. 15 | |
| 371 | - | (g) When the Speaker ascertains that the electronic voting system is inoperative 16 | |
| 372 | - | before a vote is taken or while a vote is being taken on the electronic voting system, the Speaker 17 | |
| 373 | - | shall announce that fact to the House, and any partial electronic voting system voting record shall 18 | |
| 374 | - | be voided. In such a case, if the North Carolina Constitution or the Rules of the House require a 19 | |
| 375 | - | call of the ayes and noes, the Clerk shall call the roll of the House, and the ayes and noes shall 20 | |
| 376 | - | be taken manually and shall be recorded on the Journal. All roll call votes shall be taken 21 | |
| 377 | - | alphabetically. If, after a vote is taken on the electronic voting system, it is discovered that a 22 | |
| 378 | - | malfunction caused an error in the electronic voting system printout, the Speaker shall direct the 23 | |
| 379 | - | Reading Clerk and the Principal Clerk to verify and correct the printout record and so advise the 24 | |
| 380 | - | House. 25 | |
| 381 | - | (h) For the purpose of identifying motions on which the vote is taken on the 26 | |
| 382 | - | electronic voting system, the motions are coded as follows: 27 | |
| 383 | - | (1) To adjourn. 28 | |
| 384 | - | (2) To recess. 29 | |
| 385 | - | (3) To lay on the table. 30 | |
| 386 | - | (4) Previous question. 31 | |
| 387 | - | (5) To postpone indefinitely. 32 | |
| 388 | - | (6) To reconsider. 33 | |
| 389 | - | (7) To postpone to a day certain. 34 | |
| 390 | - | (8) To re-refer. 35 | |
| 391 | - | (9) To amend an amendment. 36 | |
| 392 | - | (10) To amend. 37 | |
| 393 | - | (11) To concur or not concur. 38 | |
| 394 | - | (12) Miscellaneous. 39 | |
| 395 | - | RULE 21. Voice Votes; Stating Questions. – (a) All other votes except those 40 | |
| 396 | - | required to be taken on the electronic voting system may be taken by voice vote. 41 | |
| 397 | - | (b) When a voice vote is taken, the Speaker shall put the question substantially as 42 | |
| 398 | - | follows: "Those in favor (as the question may be) will say 'aye,'" and after the affirmative voice 43 | |
| 399 | - | has been expressed, "Those opposed will say 'no.'" 44 | |
| 400 | - | (c) No statement, explanation, debate, motion, parliamentary inquiry, or point of 45 | |
| 401 | - | order shall be allowed once the voice vote has begun. Any point of order or parliamentary inquiry 46 | |
| 402 | - | may be raised, however, after the completion of the vote. 47 | |
| 403 | - | RULE 22. Determining Questions. – (a) Unless otherwise provided by the North 48 | |
| 404 | - | Carolina Constitution or by these rules, all questions shall be determined by a simple majority of 49 | |
| 405 | - | the members present and voting. 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 406 | - | House Resolution 1 Page 9 | |
| 407 | - | (b) No member may vote unless the member is in the Chamber when the question 1 | |
| 408 | - | is put. This subsection of this rule cannot be suspended. 2 | |
| 409 | - | RULE 23. Voting by Division. – Any member may call for a division of the members 3 | |
| 410 | - | upon the question before the result of the vote has been announced. Upon a call for a division, 4 | |
| 411 | - | the Speaker shall cause the number voting in the affirmative and in the negative to be determined. 5 | |
| 412 | - | Upon a division and count of the House on any question, no member away from the member's 6 | |
| 413 | - | seat shall be counted. 7 | |
| 414 | - | RULE 24. Roll Call Vote. – (a) Before a question is put, any member may call for 8 | |
| 415 | - | the ayes and noes. If the call is sustained by one-fifth of the members present, the question shall 9 | |
| 416 | - | be decided by the ayes and noes upon a roll call vote. 10 | |
| 417 | - | (b) Every member who is in the Hall of the House when the question is put shall 11 | |
| 418 | - | vote upon a call of the ayes and noes, unless excused pursuant to Rule 24.1A. 12 | |
| 419 | - | (c) No member may change a vote without leave of the House, but such leave 13 | |
| 420 | - | shall not be granted if it affects the result or if the session in which the vote was taken has been 14 | |
| 421 | - | adjourned. 15 | |
| 422 | - | RULE 24.1A. Excuse From Deliberations and Voting on a Bill. – (a) Any member 16 | |
| 423 | - | shall, upon request, be excused in advance from the deliberations and voting on a particular bill 17 | |
| 424 | - | at any time that the reason for the request arises in the proceedings on the bill. 18 | |
| 425 | - | (b) The member may make a brief oral statement of the reasons for making the 19 | |
| 426 | - | request. The member shall provide to the Principal Clerk, on a form provided by the Clerk, a 20 | |
| 427 | - | concise written statement of the reason for the request, and the Clerk shall include this statement 21 | |
| 428 | - | in the Journal. 22 | |
| 429 | - | (c) Except as provided in subsection (e) of this rule, the member so excused shall 23 | |
| 430 | - | not debate the bill or any amendment to the bill, vote on the bill, offer or vote on any amendment 24 | |
| 431 | - | to the bill, or offer or vote on any motion concerning the bill, in committee or on the floor of the 25 | |
| 432 | - | House at any reading, or any subsequent consideration of the bill. 26 | |
| 433 | - | (d) A member may request that his or her excuse from deliberations on a 27 | |
| 434 | - | particular bill be withdrawn. 28 | |
| 435 | - | (e) By leave of the House, a member who has been excused from deliberations 29 | |
| 436 | - | and voting on a bill may participate in deliberations and votes on amendments to which that 30 | |
| 437 | - | member does not have any conflict that requires excusal. 31 | |
| 438 | - | RULE 24.1B. Division of Amendments and Questions. – (a) Any member may call 32 | |
| 439 | - | for an amendment to be divided into two or more amendments to be voted on separately. The 33 | |
| 440 | - | motion shall be in writing, must be submitted to the Principal Clerk at the time the motion is 34 | |
| 441 | - | made, and must clearly state how the question is to be divided. The Speaker shall determine 35 | |
| 442 | - | whether the amendment admits of such a division. Upon a majority vote of the members present 36 | |
| 443 | - | and voting, the motion shall be adopted and the body shall debate and vote each amendment 37 | |
| 444 | - | separately. 38 | |
| 445 | - | (b) Any member may call for a bill to be divided into two or more propositions to 39 | |
| 446 | - | be voted on separately, provided the bill is subject to division into separate parts so that each part 40 | |
| 447 | - | states a separate and distinct proposition capable of standing alone. The motion shall be in 41 | |
| 448 | - | writing, must be submitted to the Principal Clerk at the time the motion is made, and must clearly 42 | |
| 449 | - | state how the question is to be divided. The Speaker shall then determine whether the bill admits 43 | |
| 450 | - | of such a division. Upon a majority vote of the members present and voting, the motion shall be 44 | |
| 451 | - | adopted and there shall be no further amendment or debate as to further division of the distinct 45 | |
| 452 | - | propositions. If the question is divided, the body shall debate and vote each proposition 46 | |
| 453 | - | separately. If any proposition fails, the bill shall be removed from the calendar and re-referred to 47 | |
| 454 | - | the committee from which the bill was reported. If all parts of the divided question pass, the 48 | |
| 455 | - | Speaker shall announce that the entire measure has passed second or third reading. No conference 49 | |
| 456 | - | report and no Current Operations Appropriations Bill is eligible to be divided under this 50 | |
| 457 | - | subsection. 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 458 | - | Page 10 House Resolution 1 | |
| 46 | + | to the Majority Leader, the Minority Leader, and the Principal Clerk. 33 | |
| 47 | + | RULE 2. Opening the Session. – The Sergeant-at-Arms shall clear the House 10 34 | |
| 48 | + | minutes before the convening hour. At the convening hour on each legislative day, the Speaker 35 | |
| 49 | + | shall call the members to order and shall have the session opened with prayer. At the convening 36 | |
| 50 | + | H.R. 1 | |
| 51 | + | Jan 8, 2025 | |
| 52 | + | HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 53 | + | Page 2 DRHR30003-MC-7 | |
| 54 | + | hour, the Speaker, or the Speaker's designee, shall lead the members in the Pledge of Allegiance 1 | |
| 55 | + | to the American Flag. 2 | |
| 56 | + | RULE 3. Quorum. – (a) A quorum consists of a majority of the qualified members 3 | |
| 57 | + | of the House. 4 | |
| 58 | + | (b) Should the point of a quorum be raised, the doors shall be closed, and the 5 | |
| 59 | + | Clerk shall call the roll of the House, after which the names of those not responding shall again 6 | |
| 60 | + | be called. In the absence of a quorum, 15 members are authorized to compel the attendance of 7 | |
| 61 | + | absent members and may order that absentees for whom no sufficient excuses are made be taken 8 | |
| 62 | + | into custody wherever they may be found by special messenger appointed for that purpose. 9 | |
| 63 | + | RULE 4. Approval of Journal. – (a) The Chair of the Standing Committee on Rules, 10 | |
| 64 | + | Calendar, and Operations of the House shall cause the Journal of the House to be examined daily 11 | |
| 65 | + | before the hour of convening to determine if the proceedings of the previous day have been 12 | |
| 66 | + | correctly recorded. 13 | |
| 67 | + | (b) Immediately following the Pledge of Allegiance, the Speaker shall call for the 14 | |
| 68 | + | Journal report by the Chair of the Standing Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the 15 | |
| 69 | + | House, or by a Representative designated by the Chair, as to whether the proceedings of the 16 | |
| 70 | + | previous day have been correctly recorded. Without objection, the Speaker shall cause the Journal 17 | |
| 71 | + | to stand approved. 18 | |
| 72 | + | RULE 5. Order of Business of the Day. – After the approval of the Journal of the 19 | |
| 73 | + | preceding day, unless the Speaker varies or alters the order, the House shall proceed to business 20 | |
| 74 | + | in the following order: 21 | |
| 75 | + | (1) The receiving of petitions, memorials, and papers addressed to the General 22 | |
| 76 | + | Assembly or to the House; 23 | |
| 77 | + | (2) Messages from the Governor; 24 | |
| 78 | + | (3) Ratification of bills; 25 | |
| 79 | + | (4) Reports of standing committees; 26 | |
| 80 | + | (5) Reports of select committees; 27 | |
| 81 | + | (6) First reading and referral to committee of bills and resolutions; 28 | |
| 82 | + | (7) Messages from the Senate; 29 | |
| 83 | + | (8) Concurrence with Senate amendments or Senate committee substitutes; 30 | |
| 84 | + | (9) The unfinished business of the preceding day; 31 | |
| 85 | + | (10) Calendar (each category in accordance with Rule 40 – House bills first): 32 | |
| 86 | + | a. Resolutions for adoption 33 | |
| 87 | + | b. Conference reports for adoption 34 | |
| 88 | + | c. Local bills (roll call), third reading 35 | |
| 89 | + | d. Local bills (roll call), second reading 36 | |
| 90 | + | e. Local bills, third reading 37 | |
| 91 | + | f. Local bills, second reading 38 | |
| 92 | + | g. Public bills (roll call), third reading 39 | |
| 93 | + | h. Public bills (roll call), second reading 40 | |
| 94 | + | i. Public bills and resolutions, third reading 41 | |
| 95 | + | j. Public bills and resolutions, second reading; 42 | |
| 96 | + | (11) Reading of notices and announcements; 43 | |
| 97 | + | (12) Reading of Representative Statements. 44 | |
| 98 | + | RULE 5.1. Pro Forma Sessions. – (a) The following motions, votes, and matters and 45 | |
| 99 | + | no others are in order during a pro forma session: 46 | |
| 100 | + | (1) A motion and vote to approve the Journal; 47 | |
| 101 | + | (2) The receiving of petitions, memorials, and papers addressed to the General 48 | |
| 102 | + | Assembly or to the House; 49 | |
| 103 | + | (3) Messages from the Governor; 50 | |
| 104 | + | (4) Ratification of bills; 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 105 | + | DRHR30003-MC-7 Page 3 | |
| 106 | + | (5) Reports of standing committees; 1 | |
| 107 | + | (6) First reading and referral to committee of bills and resolutions; 2 | |
| 108 | + | (7) Re-referral to committee of bills and resolutions; 3 | |
| 109 | + | (8) Reading of Representative Statements approved, in writing, for presentation 4 | |
| 110 | + | during the pro forma session by the Chair of the Standing Committee on 5 | |
| 111 | + | Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House; 6 | |
| 112 | + | (9) Messages from the Senate; 7 | |
| 113 | + | (10) Submission of conference reports; 8 | |
| 114 | + | (11) A motion and vote to adjourn subject to the standard stipulations under Rule 9 | |
| 115 | + | 15.1. 10 | |
| 116 | + | (b) As used in these rules, a pro forma session occurs when the Speaker notifies 11 | |
| 117 | + | the body, either by announcement in the chamber or electronically using the General Assembly 12 | |
| 118 | + | email system, that no motions, votes, or matters other than those allowed under subsection (a) of 13 | |
| 119 | + | this rule will be taken during a future designated session. 14 | |
| 120 | + | II. Conduct of Debate 15 | |
| 121 | + | RULE 6. Duties and Powers of the Speaker. – The Speaker shall have general 16 | |
| 122 | + | direction of the Hall, subject to more specific provisions of these rules. The Speaker may name 17 | |
| 123 | + | any member to perform the duties of the chair, but substitution shall not extend beyond one day, 18 | |
| 124 | + | except in the case of sickness or by leave of the House. If the Speaker is absent and has not 19 | |
| 125 | + | designated a member or the Principal Clerk to perform the duties of the chair, the Speaker Pro 20 | |
| 126 | + | Tempore shall preside during such absence. In the case of a vacancy in the office of the Speaker 21 | |
| 127 | + | of the House of Representatives, the Principal Clerk shall preside over the House until the House 22 | |
| 128 | + | elects a Speaker. 23 | |
| 129 | + | RULE 7. Obtaining Floor. – (a) When any member desires recognition for any 24 | |
| 130 | + | purpose, the member shall rise and respectfully address the Speaker. No member shall proceed 25 | |
| 131 | + | until recognized by the Speaker for a purpose. 26 | |
| 132 | + | (b) When a member desires to interrupt a member having the floor, the member 27 | |
| 133 | + | shall first obtain recognition by the Speaker and permission of the member occupying the floor, 28 | |
| 134 | + | and when such recognition and permission have been obtained, he or she may propound a 29 | |
| 135 | + | question to the member occupying the floor; but he or she shall not otherwise interrupt the 30 | |
| 136 | + | member having the floor, except as provided in subsection (c) of this rule; and the Speaker shall, 31 | |
| 137 | + | without the point of order being raised, enforce this rule. 32 | |
| 138 | + | (c) A member who has obtained the floor may be interrupted only for the 33 | |
| 139 | + | following reasons: 34 | |
| 140 | + | (1) A request that the member speaking yield for a question, 35 | |
| 141 | + | (2) A point of order, 36 | |
| 142 | + | (3) A parliamentary inquiry, or 37 | |
| 143 | + | (4) A question of privilege. 38 | |
| 144 | + | RULE 8. Questions of Privilege. – Upon recognition by the Speaker for that purpose, 39 | |
| 145 | + | any member may speak to a question of privilege for a time not to exceed three minutes. 40 | |
| 146 | + | Questions of privilege shall be those affecting, first, the rights of the House collectively, its 41 | |
| 147 | + | safety, dignity, and the integrity of its proceedings; second, the rights, reputation, and conduct of 42 | |
| 148 | + | members, individually, in their representative capacity only; and shall have precedence over all 43 | |
| 149 | + | other questions, except motions to adjourn. Privilege may not be used to explain a vote or debate 44 | |
| 150 | + | a bill. The Speaker shall determine if the question is one of privilege and shall, without the point 45 | |
| 151 | + | of order being raised, enforce this rule. 46 | |
| 152 | + | RULE 8.1. Points of Personal Privilege; Representative Statements; Explanation 47 | |
| 153 | + | of Vote. – Upon recognition by the Speaker for that purpose, any member may speak to a point 48 | |
| 154 | + | of personal privilege for a time not exceeding three minutes. The Speaker shall determine if the 49 | |
| 155 | + | question raised is one of personal privilege and shall, without the point of order being raised, 50 | |
| 156 | + | enforce this rule. A member may use some or all of that time to explain to the House a 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 157 | + | Page 4 DRHR30003-MC-7 | |
| 158 | + | "Representative Statement." Upon motion supported by a majority present and voting, that 1 | |
| 159 | + | statement may be spread upon the Journal. Neither personal privilege nor a Representative 2 | |
| 160 | + | Statement may be used to explain a vote, debate a bill, or in any way disrupt the regular business 3 | |
| 161 | + | of the House, nor shall such opportunities be used to solicit support or sponsors for any bill. The 4 | |
| 162 | + | format of a Representative Statement shall be prescribed by the Chair of the Standing Committee 5 | |
| 163 | + | on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House, but in any case shall speak only in the voice of 6 | |
| 164 | + | the member submitting it. 7 | |
| 165 | + | RULE 9. Points of Order. – (a) The Speaker shall decide questions of order, which 8 | |
| 166 | + | once raised, are not debatable. Any member may appeal from the ruling of the chair on questions 9 | |
| 167 | + | of order; on such appeal no member may speak more than once, unless by leave of the House. A 10 | |
| 168 | + | three-fifths vote of the members present shall be necessary to sustain any appeal from the ruling 11 | |
| 169 | + | of the chair. 12 | |
| 170 | + | (b) When the Speaker calls a member to order, the member shall be seated, except 13 | |
| 171 | + | that a member called to order may clear a matter of fact, or explain, but shall not proceed in 14 | |
| 172 | + | debate so long as the decision stands. If the member appeals from the ruling of the chair and the 15 | |
| 173 | + | decision by a three-fifths vote of the members present be in favor of the member called to order, 16 | |
| 174 | + | the member may proceed; if otherwise, the member shall not; and if the case, in the judgment of 17 | |
| 175 | + | the House, requires it, the member shall be liable to censure by the House. 18 | |
| 176 | + | RULE 10. Limitations on Debate. – (a) No member shall speak on, debate, or solicit 19 | |
| 177 | + | cosponsors for a bill or resolution at its first reading. 20 | |
| 178 | + | (b) No member shall speak more than twice on the main question nor longer than 21 | |
| 179 | + | 15 minutes for the first speech and five minutes for the second speech; nor shall the member 22 | |
| 180 | + | speak more than twice upon an amendment or a motion to reconsider, re-refer, or postpone or 23 | |
| 181 | + | any motion on concurrence, and then not longer than 10 minutes for the first speech and five 24 | |
| 182 | + | minutes for the second speech. 25 | |
| 183 | + | (c) A member may speak only once and for not more than 10 minutes on the 26 | |
| 184 | + | question of the adoption of a minority report. 27 | |
| 185 | + | (d) In computing the time allowed for argument, the time consumed in answering 28 | |
| 186 | + | questions should be considered and is taken out of any time allowed that member. 29 | |
| 187 | + | (e) The House, by consent of a majority of the members present, may suspend the 30 | |
| 188 | + | operation of subsections (b) through (d) of this rule during any debate on any particular question 31 | |
| 189 | + | before the House. 32 | |
| 190 | + | RULE 11. Reading of Papers. – When there is a call for the reading of the text of a 33 | |
| 191 | + | paper which has been presented to the House and there is objection to such reading, the question 34 | |
| 192 | + | shall be determined by a majority vote of the members of the House present. Except for protests 35 | |
| 193 | + | permitted by the Constitution, no member may have material printed in the Journal until said 36 | |
| 194 | + | material has been presented to the House and the printing approved by the House, and said 37 | |
| 195 | + | material shall not exceed 1,000 words. 38 | |
| 196 | + | RULE 12. General Decorum. – (a) The Speaker shall preserve order and decorum. 39 | |
| 197 | + | (b) Decency of speech shall be observed and disrespect to personalities carefully 40 | |
| 198 | + | avoided. 41 | |
| 199 | + | (c) When the Speaker is putting any question or addressing the House, no person 42 | |
| 200 | + | shall speak, stand up, walk out of, or cross the House, nor, when a member is speaking, engage 43 | |
| 201 | + | in disruptive discourse or pass between the member and the chair. 44 | |
| 202 | + | (d) Food shall not be permitted on the floor of the House during the first hour of 45 | |
| 203 | + | the daily session. 46 | |
| 204 | + | (e) The reading of newspapers shall not be permitted on the floor of the House 47 | |
| 205 | + | while the House is in session. 48 | |
| 206 | + | (f) The consumption of food or beverages shall not be permitted in the galleries 49 | |
| 207 | + | at any time. 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 208 | + | DRHR30003-MC-7 Page 5 | |
| 209 | + | (g) Special recitals and performances by musicians or other groups shall not be 1 | |
| 210 | + | permitted on the floor of the House, and special guests of members of the House shall not be 2 | |
| 211 | + | permitted on the floor of the House. 3 | |
| 212 | + | (h) Members shall observe appropriate attire: coat and tie for male members and 4 | |
| 213 | + | dignified dress for female members. 5 | |
| 214 | + | (i) The use of a mobile device or cellular phone for the purpose of making or 6 | |
| 215 | + | receiving a phone call shall not be permitted in the House Chamber while the House is in session. 7 | |
| 216 | + | (j) Placards, stickers, or signs are not permitted in the House Chamber. 8 | |
| 217 | + | III. Motions 9 | |
| 218 | + | RULE 13. Motions Generally. – (a) A motion that is complex, complicated, or 10 | |
| 219 | + | otherwise not easily understood shall be reduced to writing at the request of the Speaker or any 11 | |
| 220 | + | member. No motion relating to a bill shall be in order that does not identify the bill by its number 12 | |
| 221 | + | and short title. 13 | |
| 222 | + | (b) When a motion is made, it shall be stated by the Speaker or, if written, it shall 14 | |
| 223 | + | be handed to the chair and read aloud by the Speaker or Clerk before debate. 15 | |
| 224 | + | (c) After a motion has been stated by the Speaker or read by the Speaker or Clerk, 16 | |
| 225 | + | it shall be in the possession of the House; but it may be withdrawn before a decision or 17 | |
| 226 | + | amendment, except in case of a motion to reconsider, which motion, when made by a member, 18 | |
| 227 | + | shall be in possession of the House and shall not be withdrawn without leave of the House. 19 | |
| 228 | + | RULE 14. Motions, Order of Precedence. – When there are motions before the 20 | |
| 229 | + | House, the order of precedence is as follows: 21 | |
| 230 | + | To adjourn. 22 | |
| 231 | + | To recess. 23 | |
| 232 | + | To lay on the table. 24 | |
| 233 | + | Previous question. 25 | |
| 234 | + | To postpone indefinitely. 26 | |
| 235 | + | To reconsider. 27 | |
| 236 | + | To postpone to a day certain. 28 | |
| 237 | + | To re-refer. 29 | |
| 238 | + | To amend an amendment. 30 | |
| 239 | + | To amend. 31 | |
| 240 | + | To pass the bill. 32 | |
| 241 | + | No motion to lay on the table, to postpone indefinitely, to postpone to a day certain, 33 | |
| 242 | + | to re-refer, to divide the question, or to make a particular amendment, being decided, shall be 34 | |
| 243 | + | again allowed at the same stage of the bill or proposition. 35 | |
| 244 | + | RULE 15. Motion to Adjourn. – (a) A motion to adjourn shall be seconded before 36 | |
| 245 | + | the motion is put to the vote of the House. 37 | |
| 246 | + | (b) A motion to adjourn shall be decided without debate and shall always be in 38 | |
| 247 | + | order, except when the House is voting or some member is speaking; but a motion to adjourn 39 | |
| 248 | + | shall not follow a motion to adjourn until debate or some other business of the House has 40 | |
| 249 | + | intervened. 41 | |
| 250 | + | RULE 15.1. Motion to Adjourn or Stand in Recess; Standard Stipulations. – A 42 | |
| 251 | + | motion to adjourn or stand in recess subject to the standard stipulations shall constitute a motion 43 | |
| 252 | + | to adjourn or stand in recess subject to the ratification of bills, messages from the Senate, 44 | |
| 253 | + | committee reports, conference reports, referral and re-referral of bills and resolutions, 45 | |
| 254 | + | appointment of conferees, introduction of bills and resolutions, committee appointments, and the 46 | |
| 255 | + | reading of Representative Statements. 47 | |
| 256 | + | RULE 16. Motion to Table. – (a) A motion to table shall be seconded before the 48 | |
| 257 | + | motion is put to the vote of the House and is in order except when a motion to adjourn or to recess 49 | |
| 258 | + | is before the House. 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 259 | + | Page 6 DRHR30003-MC-7 | |
| 260 | + | (b) A motion to table shall be decided without debate; however, the proponent of 1 | |
| 261 | + | the matter that is subject of the motion to table shall be given up to two minutes to explain the 2 | |
| 262 | + | matter subject to the motion to table if the proponent has not previously explained the matter 3 | |
| 263 | + | prior to the motion to table. 4 | |
| 264 | + | (c) A motion to table a bill shall constitute a motion to table the bill and all 5 | |
| 265 | + | amendments thereto. 6 | |
| 266 | + | (d) When the question before the House is the adoption of an amendment to a bill 7 | |
| 267 | + | or resolution, a motion to table the bill is not in order; and a motion to table an amendment applies 8 | |
| 268 | + | to the amendment only, and the motion may not expressly or by implication or construction be 9 | |
| 269 | + | expanded to include a motion to table the bill also. 10 | |
| 270 | + | (e) When a question has been tabled, it shall not thereafter be considered, except 11 | |
| 271 | + | on motion to reconsider under Rule 18 or to remove from the table approved by a two-thirds vote. 12 | |
| 272 | + | RULE 17. Motion to Postpone Indefinitely. – A motion to postpone indefinitely is 13 | |
| 273 | + | in order except when a motion to adjourn, or to lay on the table, or for the previous question, or 14 | |
| 274 | + | to recess is before the House. However, after one motion to postpone indefinitely has been 15 | |
| 275 | + | decided, another motion to postpone indefinitely shall not be allowed at the same stage of the bill 16 | |
| 276 | + | or proposition. When a question has been postponed indefinitely, it shall not thereafter be 17 | |
| 277 | + | considered, except on motion to reconsider under Rule 18 or to place on the favorable calendar 18 | |
| 278 | + | approved by a two-thirds vote. 19 | |
| 279 | + | RULE 18. Motion to Reconsider. – (a) When a question has been decided, it is in 20 | |
| 280 | + | order for any member to move for the reconsideration thereof on the same or the succeeding 21 | |
| 281 | + | legislative day; provided that if the vote by which the motion was originally decided was taken 22 | |
| 282 | + | by a recorded vote, only a member of the prevailing side may move for reconsideration. 23 | |
| 283 | + | (b) A motion to reconsider shall be determined by a majority vote, except all of 24 | |
| 284 | + | the following shall require a two-thirds vote: 25 | |
| 285 | + | (1) A motion to reconsider not made on the same or the succeeding legislative 26 | |
| 286 | + | day when a question has been decided. 27 | |
| 287 | + | (2) A second or subsequent motion to reconsider. 28 | |
| 288 | + | (3) A motion to reconsider: 29 | |
| 289 | + | a. A vote upon a motion to table. 30 | |
| 290 | + | b. A motion to postpone indefinitely. 31 | |
| 291 | + | c. A motion to remove a bill from the unfavorable calendar. 32 | |
| 292 | + | d. A motion that a bill be read twice on the same day. 33 | |
| 293 | + | e. A motion to remove from the table. 34 | |
| 294 | + | (c) A motion to reconsider the vote by which a person has been elected as Speaker 35 | |
| 295 | + | or Speaker Pro Tempore shall not be in order. This subsection of this rule cannot be suspended 36 | |
| 296 | + | except by a vote of three-fifths of all the members of the House. 37 | |
| 297 | + | RULE 19. Previous Question. – (a) The previous question may be called only by: 38 | |
| 298 | + | (1) The Chair of the Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House; 39 | |
| 299 | + | (1a) The Vice-Chair of the Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the 40 | |
| 300 | + | House if the Chair is not in the Chamber or able to participate in debate; 41 | |
| 301 | + | (2) The Majority Leader; 42 | |
| 302 | + | (3) The member submitting the report on the bill or other matter under 43 | |
| 303 | + | consideration; 44 | |
| 304 | + | (4) The member introducing the bill or other matter under consideration; 45 | |
| 305 | + | (5) The member in charge of the measure, who shall be designated by the chair 46 | |
| 306 | + | of the standing committee reporting the same to the House at the time the bill 47 | |
| 307 | + | or other matter under consideration is reported to the House or taken up for 48 | |
| 308 | + | consideration. 49 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 309 | + | DRHR30003-MC-7 Page 7 | |
| 310 | + | (b) When the call for the previous question has been decided in the affirmative by 1 | |
| 311 | + | a majority vote of the House, the question is on the passage of the bill, resolution, or other matter 2 | |
| 312 | + | under consideration. 3 | |
| 313 | + | (c) The call for the previous question shall preclude all motions, amendments, 4 | |
| 314 | + | and debate, except the motion to adjourn, motion to recess, or motion to table. 5 | |
| 315 | + | (d) If the previous question is decided in the negative, the question remains under 6 | |
| 316 | + | debate. 7 | |
| 317 | + | (e) After the previous question is ordered by the House on the main question of 8 | |
| 318 | + | second or third reading, the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader may each allocate three 9 | |
| 319 | + | minutes of debate on the question. The Majority Leader and the Minority Leader may each 10 | |
| 320 | + | designate another member to act under this subsection. 11 | |
| 321 | + | IV. Voting 12 | |
| 322 | + | RULE 20. Use of Electronic Voting System. – (a) Votes on the following questions 13 | |
| 323 | + | shall be taken on the electronic voting system, and the ayes and noes shall be recorded on the 14 | |
| 324 | + | Journal: 15 | |
| 325 | + | (1) The passage as required by Section 23 of Article II of the North Carolina 16 | |
| 326 | + | Constitution on second and third readings of any bill: 17 | |
| 327 | + | a. Raising money on the credit of the State, 18 | |
| 328 | + | b. Pledging the faith of the State for the payment of a debt, 19 | |
| 329 | + | c. Imposing a State tax, or 20 | |
| 330 | + | d. Authorizing a county, municipality, or other local governmental unit 21 | |
| 331 | + | to: 22 | |
| 332 | + | 1. Raise money on its credit, 23 | |
| 333 | + | 2. Pledge its faith for the payment of a debt, or 24 | |
| 334 | + | 3. Impose a local tax. 25 | |
| 335 | + | (2) All questions on which a call for the ayes and noes under Rule 24(a) and 26 | |
| 336 | + | Section 19 of Article II of the North Carolina Constitution has been sustained. 27 | |
| 337 | + | (3) Both second and third readings of bills proposing amendment of the North 28 | |
| 338 | + | Carolina Constitution or ratifying resolutions amending the United States 29 | |
| 339 | + | Constitution. 30 | |
| 340 | + | (4) The passage of a bill, notwithstanding the Governor's veto thereof, pursuant 31 | |
| 341 | + | to Section 22 of Article II of the North Carolina Constitution. 32 | |
| 342 | + | (b) Votes on the following questions shall be taken on the electronic voting 33 | |
| 343 | + | system: 34 | |
| 344 | + | (1) Second reading of all public bills except resolutions, all amendments to public 35 | |
| 345 | + | bills, third reading if a public bill was amended after second reading or if the 36 | |
| 346 | + | reading occurs on a day or days following the second reading, all conference 37 | |
| 347 | + | reports on public bills, all motions to lay public bills on the table, and all 38 | |
| 348 | + | motions to postpone public bills indefinitely. 39 | |
| 349 | + | (2) Upon a call for division. 40 | |
| 350 | + | (3) Any other question upon direction of the Speaker or upon motion of any 41 | |
| 351 | + | member supported by one-fifth of the members present. 42 | |
| 352 | + | (c) When the electronic voting system is used, 15 seconds shall be allowed for 43 | |
| 353 | + | voting on the question before the House, unless the Chair shall direct otherwise. Once the system 44 | |
| 354 | + | is locked, the vote shall be recorded and printed. 45 | |
| 355 | + | (d) The voting station at each member's desk in the Chamber shall be used only 46 | |
| 356 | + | by the member to which the station is assigned. Under no circumstances shall any other person 47 | |
| 357 | + | vote at a member's station. It is a breach of the ethical obligation of a member either to request 48 | |
| 358 | + | that another person vote at the requesting member's station or to vote at another member's station. 49 | |
| 359 | + | The Speaker shall enforce this rule without exception. 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 360 | + | Page 8 DRHR30003-MC-7 | |
| 361 | + | (e) When the electronic voting system is used, the Speaker shall state the question 1 | |
| 362 | + | and shall then state substantially the following: "All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'no'; the 2 | |
| 363 | + | Clerk will open the vote." In order to have the vote recorded, the member must vote by the 3 | |
| 364 | + | electronic voting system within the time allowed for that vote, unless the voting station assigned 4 | |
| 365 | + | to a member is malfunctioning. The Speaker shall enforce this rule without exception. After the 5 | |
| 366 | + | allotted time for voting has elapsed, the Speaker shall say: "The Clerk will now lock the machine 6 | |
| 367 | + | and record the vote." After the machine is locked and the vote recorded, the Speaker shall 7 | |
| 368 | + | announce the vote and declare the result. 8 | |
| 369 | + | (f) One copy of the machine printout of the vote record of all votes taken on the 9 | |
| 370 | + | electronic voting system shall be filed in the office of the Principal Clerk, and two copies shall 10 | |
| 371 | + | be filed in the Legislative Library where the copies shall be open to public inspection. A legible 11 | |
| 372 | + | copy of the bill, amendment, or motion on which the vote was taken shall be filed with the 12 | |
| 373 | + | printout of the vote in the Legislative Library. 13 | |
| 374 | + | (g) When the Speaker ascertains that the electronic voting system is inoperative 14 | |
| 375 | + | before a vote is taken or while a vote is being taken on the electronic voting system, the Speaker 15 | |
| 376 | + | shall announce that fact to the House, and any partial electronic voting system voting record shall 16 | |
| 377 | + | be voided. In such a case, if the North Carolina Constitution or the Rules of the House require a 17 | |
| 378 | + | call of the ayes and noes, the Clerk shall call the roll of the House, and the ayes and noes shall 18 | |
| 379 | + | be taken manually and shall be recorded on the Journal. All roll call votes shall be taken 19 | |
| 380 | + | alphabetically. If, after a vote is taken on the electronic voting system, it is discovered that a 20 | |
| 381 | + | malfunction caused an error in the electronic voting system printout, the Speaker shall direct the 21 | |
| 382 | + | Reading Clerk and the Principal Clerk to verify and correct the printout record and so advise the 22 | |
| 383 | + | House. 23 | |
| 384 | + | (h) For the purpose of identifying motions on which the vote is taken on the 24 | |
| 385 | + | electronic voting system, the motions are coded as follows: 25 | |
| 386 | + | (1) To adjourn. 26 | |
| 387 | + | (2) To recess. 27 | |
| 388 | + | (3) To lay on the table. 28 | |
| 389 | + | (4) Previous question. 29 | |
| 390 | + | (5) To postpone indefinitely. 30 | |
| 391 | + | (6) To reconsider. 31 | |
| 392 | + | (7) To postpone to a day certain. 32 | |
| 393 | + | (8) To re-refer. 33 | |
| 394 | + | (9) To amend an amendment. 34 | |
| 395 | + | (10) To amend. 35 | |
| 396 | + | (11) To concur or not concur. 36 | |
| 397 | + | (12) Miscellaneous. 37 | |
| 398 | + | RULE 21. Voice Votes; Stating Questions. – (a) All other votes except those 38 | |
| 399 | + | required to be taken on the electronic voting system may be taken by voice vote. 39 | |
| 400 | + | (b) When a voice vote is taken, the Speaker shall put the question substantially as 40 | |
| 401 | + | follows: "Those in favor (as the question may be) will say 'aye,'" and after the affirmative voice 41 | |
| 402 | + | has been expressed, "Those opposed will say 'no.'" 42 | |
| 403 | + | (c) No statement, explanation, debate, motion, parliamentary inquiry, or point of 43 | |
| 404 | + | order shall be allowed once the voice vote has begun. Any point of order or parliamentary inquiry 44 | |
| 405 | + | may be raised, however, after the completion of the vote. 45 | |
| 406 | + | RULE 22. Determining Questions. – (a) Unless otherwise provided by the North 46 | |
| 407 | + | Carolina Constitution or by these rules, all questions shall be determined by a simple majority of 47 | |
| 408 | + | the members present and voting. 48 | |
| 409 | + | (b) No member may vote unless the member is in the Chamber when the question 49 | |
| 410 | + | is put. This subsection of this rule cannot be suspended. 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 411 | + | DRHR30003-MC-7 Page 9 | |
| 412 | + | RULE 23. Voting by Division. – Any member may call for a division of the members 1 | |
| 413 | + | upon the question before the result of the vote has been announced. Upon a call for a division, 2 | |
| 414 | + | the Speaker shall cause the number voting in the affirmative and in the negative to be determined. 3 | |
| 415 | + | Upon a division and count of the House on any question, no member away from the member's 4 | |
| 416 | + | seat shall be counted. 5 | |
| 417 | + | RULE 24. Roll Call Vote. – (a) Before a question is put, any member may call for 6 | |
| 418 | + | the ayes and noes. If the call is sustained by one-fifth of the members present, the question shall 7 | |
| 419 | + | be decided by the ayes and noes upon a roll call vote. 8 | |
| 420 | + | (b) Every member who is in the Hall of the House when the question is put shall 9 | |
| 421 | + | vote upon a call of the ayes and noes, unless excused pursuant to Rule 24.1A. 10 | |
| 422 | + | (c) No member may change a vote without leave of the House, but such leave 11 | |
| 423 | + | shall not be granted if it affects the result or if the session in which the vote was taken has been 12 | |
| 424 | + | adjourned. 13 | |
| 425 | + | RULE 24.1A. Excuse From Deliberations and Voting on a Bill. – (a) Any member 14 | |
| 426 | + | shall, upon request, be excused in advance from the deliberations and voting on a particular bill 15 | |
| 427 | + | at any time that the reason for the request arises in the proceedings on the bill. 16 | |
| 428 | + | (b) The member may make a brief oral statement of the reasons for making the 17 | |
| 429 | + | request. The member shall provide to the Principal Clerk, on a form provided by the Clerk, a 18 | |
| 430 | + | concise written statement of the reason for the request, and the Clerk shall include this statement 19 | |
| 431 | + | in the Journal. 20 | |
| 432 | + | (c) Except as provided in subsection (e) of this rule, the member so excused shall 21 | |
| 433 | + | not debate the bill or any amendment to the bill, vote on the bill, offer or vote on any amendment 22 | |
| 434 | + | to the bill, or offer or vote on any motion concerning the bill, in committee or on the floor of the 23 | |
| 435 | + | House at any reading, or any subsequent consideration of the bill. 24 | |
| 436 | + | (d) A member may request that his or her excuse from deliberations on a 25 | |
| 437 | + | particular bill be withdrawn. 26 | |
| 438 | + | (e) By leave of the House, a member who has been excused from deliberations 27 | |
| 439 | + | and voting on a bill may participate in deliberations and votes on amendments to which that 28 | |
| 440 | + | member does not have any conflict that requires excusal. 29 | |
| 441 | + | RULE 24.1B. Division of Amendments and Questions. – (a) Any member may call 30 | |
| 442 | + | for an amendment to be divided into two or more amendments to be voted on separately. The 31 | |
| 443 | + | motion shall be in writing, must be submitted to the Principal Clerk at the time the motion is 32 | |
| 444 | + | made, and must clearly state how the question is to be divided. The Speaker shall determine 33 | |
| 445 | + | whether the amendment admits of such a division. Upon a majority vote of the members present 34 | |
| 446 | + | and voting, the motion shall be adopted and the body shall debate and vote each amendment 35 | |
| 447 | + | separately. 36 | |
| 448 | + | (b) Any member may call for a bill to be divided into two or more propositions to 37 | |
| 449 | + | be voted on separately, provided the bill is subject to division into separate parts so that each part 38 | |
| 450 | + | states a separate and distinct proposition capable of standing alone. The motion shall be in 39 | |
| 451 | + | writing, must be submitted to the Principal Clerk at the time the motion is made, and must clearly 40 | |
| 452 | + | state how the question is to be divided. The Speaker shall then determine whether the bill admits 41 | |
| 453 | + | of such a division. Upon a majority vote of the members present and voting, the motion shall be 42 | |
| 454 | + | adopted and there shall be no further amendment or debate as to further division of the distinct 43 | |
| 455 | + | propositions. If the question is divided, the body shall debate and vote each proposition 44 | |
| 456 | + | separately. If any proposition fails, the bill shall be removed from the calendar and re-referred to 45 | |
| 457 | + | the committee from which the bill was reported. If all parts of the divided question pass, the 46 | |
| 458 | + | Speaker shall announce that the entire measure has passed second or third reading. No conference 47 | |
| 459 | + | report and no Current Operations Appropriations Bill is eligible to be divided under this 48 | |
| 460 | + | subsection. 49 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 461 | + | Page 10 DRHR30003-MC-7 | |
| 459 | 462 | RULE 25. Voting by Speaker. – In all elections, the Speaker may vote. In all other 1 | |
| 460 | 463 | instances, the Speaker may vote or may reserve this right until there is a tie, in which event the 2 | |
| 461 | 464 | Speaker may vote; but in no instance may the Speaker vote twice on the same question. 3 | |
| 462 | 465 | V. Committees 4 | |
| 463 | 466 | RULE 26. Standing Committees Generally. – (a) The Speaker shall appoint a chair, 5 | |
| 464 | 467 | or cochairs, of every standing committee, and select committee, if any. In the construction of 6 | |
| 465 | 468 | these rules, the word "chair," as applied to a committee, extends to and includes a cochair of the 7 | |
| 466 | 469 | committee. The Speaker shall have the exclusive right and authority to establish select 8 | |
| 467 | 470 | committees, but this does not exclude the right of the House by resolution to establish select 9 | |
| 468 | 471 | committees. 10 | |
| 469 | 472 | (b) The Speaker shall establish the number of members of each standing 11 | |
| 470 | 473 | committee and appoint the members in a manner to reflect the partisan membership of the House, 12 | |
| 471 | 474 | except that the Committee on Ethics shall have an equal number of members of the majority and 13 | |
| 472 | 475 | minority. 14 | |
| 473 | 476 | (c) Before appointing members of committees, the Speaker shall consult with the 15 | |
| 474 | 477 | Minority Leader. The Speaker and Minority Leader shall consider members' committee 16 | |
| 475 | 478 | preferences in making appointments and recommendations. 17 | |
| 476 | 479 | (d) The Chair of the Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House, 18 | |
| 477 | 480 | the Speaker Pro Tempore, the Majority Leader, and the Deputy Majority Leader are ex officio 19 | |
| 478 | 481 | members of each standing committee with the right to vote. The previous sentence does not apply 20 | |
| 479 | 482 | to the Standing Committee on Ethics. Up to two chairs of the Appropriations Committee are 21 | |
| 480 | 483 | entitled to vote in all other Appropriations Committees (Capital, Education, General 22 | |
| 481 | 484 | Government, Health and Human Services, Information Technology, Justice and Public Safety, 23 | |
| 482 | 485 | Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources, and Transportation). 24 | |
| 483 | 486 | (e) Either the chair or acting chair, designated by the chair or by the Speaker, and 25 | |
| 484 | 487 | five other members of the standing committee, or a majority of the standing committee, 26 | |
| 485 | 488 | whichever is fewer, shall constitute a quorum of that standing committee. A quorum of less than 27 | |
| 486 | 489 | a majority of all the members must include at least one member of the minority party. For 28 | |
| 487 | 490 | purposes of determining a quorum, the Chair of the Standing Committee on Rules, Calendar, and 29 | |
| 488 | 491 | Operations of the House, the Speaker Pro Tempore, the Majority Leader, and the Deputy 30 | |
| 489 | 492 | Majority Leader, when serving only as ex officio members under subsection (d) of this rule, shall 31 | |
| 490 | 493 | be counted among the membership of the committee only when present. 32 | |
| 491 | 494 | (f) In any joint meeting of the Senate and House committees, the House standing 33 | |
| 492 | 495 | committee reserves the right to vote separately. 34 | |
| 493 | 496 | RULE 26.1. Mentions of Standing Committee Includes Select Committee. – Any 35 | |
| 494 | 497 | reference in these rules to standing committees shall extend to select committees unless the 36 | |
| 495 | 498 | context requires otherwise. 37 | |
| 496 | 499 | RULE 27. List of Standing Committees. – The standing committees are: 38 | |
| 497 | 500 | Committees 39 | |
| 498 | 501 | 40 | |
| 499 | 502 | Agriculture 41 | |
| 500 | 503 | 42 | |
| 501 | 504 | Alcoholic Beverage Control 43 | |
| 502 | 505 | 44 | |
| 503 | 506 | Appropriations 45 | |
| 504 | 507 | 46 | |
| 505 | 508 | Appropriations, Agriculture and Natural 47 | |
| 506 | 509 | and Economic Resources 48 | |
| 507 | 510 | 49 | |
| 508 | 511 | Appropriations, Capital 50 | |
| 509 | 512 | 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 510 | - | ||
| 513 | + | DRHR30003-MC-7 Page 11 | |
| 511 | 514 | Appropriations, Education 1 | |
| 512 | 515 | 2 | |
| 513 | 516 | Appropriations, General Government 3 | |
| 514 | 517 | 4 | |
| 515 | 518 | Appropriations, Health and Human Services 5 | |
| 516 | 519 | 6 | |
| 517 | 520 | Appropriations, Information Technology 7 | |
| 518 | 521 | 8 | |
| 519 | 522 | Appropriations, Justice and Public Safety 9 | |
| 520 | 523 | 10 | |
| 521 | 524 | Appropriations, Transportation 11 | |
| 522 | 525 | 12 | |
| 523 | 526 | Banking 13 | |
| 524 | 527 | 14 | |
| 525 | 528 | Commerce 15 | |
| 526 | 529 | 16 | |
| 527 | 530 | Disaster Recovery and Homeland Security 17 | |
| 528 | 531 | 18 | |
| 529 | 532 | Education – Community Colleges 19 | |
| 530 | 533 | 20 | |
| 531 | 534 | Education – K-12 21 | |
| 532 | 535 | 22 | |
| 533 | 536 | Education – Universities 23 | |
| 534 | 537 | 24 | |
| 535 | 538 | Election Law and Campaign Finance Reform 25 | |
| 536 | 539 | 26 | |
| 537 | 540 | Energy and Public Utilities 27 | |
| 538 | 541 | 28 | |
| 539 | 542 | Environment 29 | |
| 540 | 543 | 30 | |
| 541 | 544 | Ethics 31 | |
| 542 | 545 | 32 | |
| 543 | 546 | Families, Children, and Aging Policy 33 | |
| 544 | 547 | 34 | |
| 545 | 548 | Federal Relations and American Indian Affairs 35 | |
| 546 | 549 | 36 | |
| 547 | 550 | Finance 37 | |
| 548 | 551 | 38 | |
| 549 | 552 | Health 39 | |
| 550 | 553 | 40 | |
| 551 | 554 | Insurance 41 | |
| 552 | 555 | 42 | |
| 553 | 556 | Judiciary 1 43 | |
| 554 | 557 | 44 | |
| 555 | 558 | Judiciary 2 45 | |
| 556 | 559 | 46 | |
| 557 | 560 | Judiciary 3 47 | |
| 558 | 561 | 48 | |
| 559 | 562 | Local Government – Land Use, Planning and Development 49 | |
| 560 | 563 | 50 | |
| 561 | 564 | Local Government 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 562 | - | Page 12 | |
| 565 | + | Page 12 DRHR30003-MC-7 | |
| 563 | 566 | 1 | |
| 564 | 567 | Marine Resources and Aquaculture 2 | |
| 565 | 568 | 3 | |
| 566 | 569 | Military and Veterans Affairs 4 | |
| 567 | 570 | 5 | |
| 568 | 571 | Oversight and Reform 6 | |
| 569 | 572 | 7 | |
| 570 | 573 | Pensions and Retirement 8 | |
| 571 | 574 | 9 | |
| 572 | 575 | Redistricting 10 | |
| 573 | 576 | 11 | |
| 574 | 577 | Regulatory Reform 12 | |
| 575 | 578 | 13 | |
| 576 | 579 | Rules, Calendar, and 14 | |
| 577 | 580 | Operations of the House 15 | |
| 578 | 581 | 16 | |
| 579 | 582 | State Government 17 | |
| 580 | 583 | 18 | |
| 581 | 584 | State Personnel 19 | |
| 582 | 585 | 20 | |
| 583 | 586 | Transportation 21 | |
| 584 | 587 | 22 | |
| 585 | 588 | UNC Board of Governors Nominations 23 | |
| 586 | 589 | 24 | |
| 587 | 590 | Unemployment Insurance 25 | |
| 588 | 591 | 26 | |
| 589 | 592 | Wildlife Resources 27 | |
| 590 | 593 | RULE 28. Standing Committee Meetings. – (a) Standing committees shall be 28 | |
| 591 | 594 | furnished with suitable meeting places pursuant to a schedule established by the Chair of the 29 | |
| 592 | 595 | Standing Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House. Select committees shall 30 | |
| 593 | 596 | be furnished with suitable meeting places as their needs require by the Chair of the Standing 31 | |
| 594 | 597 | Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House. 32 | |
| 595 | 598 | (b) Subject to the provisions of subsection (c) of this rule, standing committees 33 | |
| 596 | 599 | thereof shall permit other members of the General Assembly, the press, and the general public to 34 | |
| 597 | 600 | attend all sessions of said standing committees. 35 | |
| 598 | 601 | (c) The chair or other presiding officer shall have general direction of the meeting 36 | |
| 599 | 602 | place of the standing committee, and, in case of any disturbance or disorderly conduct therein, or 37 | |
| 600 | 603 | if the peace, good order, and proper conduct of the legislative business is hindered by any person 38 | |
| 601 | 604 | or persons, the chair or presiding officer shall have power to exclude from the session any 39 | |
| 602 | 605 | individual or individuals so hindering the legislative business. 40 | |
| 603 | 606 | (d) Procedure in the standing committees shall be governed by the rules of the 41 | |
| 604 | 607 | House, so far as the same may be applicable to such procedure. Before a question is put, any 42 | |
| 605 | 608 | member may call for the ayes and noes. The chair shall ask, "Is the call sustained?" If the call is 43 | |
| 606 | 609 | sustained by one-fifth of the members present and standing, the question shall be decided by the 44 | |
| 607 | 610 | ayes and noes upon a roll call vote. All roll call votes shall be taken alphabetically and shall be 45 | |
| 608 | 611 | subject to Rule 21(c). 46 | |
| 609 | 612 | (d1) The committee chair shall set the agenda for each committee meeting. After 47 | |
| 610 | 613 | April 1, 2025, a committee may, provided there is a written request signed by at least two-thirds 48 | |
| 611 | 614 | of the members of the committee, place a bill on the committee's agenda for the next regularly 49 | |
| 612 | 615 | scheduled meeting of the committee. 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 613 | - | ||
| 616 | + | DRHR30003-MC-7 Page 13 | |
| 614 | 617 | (e) No standing committee shall meet on any day when the House shall not 1 | |
| 615 | 618 | convene except by permission of the Speaker or by approval of the House by resolution adopted 2 | |
| 616 | 619 | by a majority vote of the House. 3 | |
| 617 | 620 | (f) No standing committee shall meet during any session of the House that is not 4 | |
| 618 | 621 | a pro forma session. Standing committees shall meet at their regularly scheduled hour. Standing 5 | |
| 619 | 622 | committees may meet at other times as authorized by the Chair of the Standing Committee on 6 | |
| 620 | 623 | Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House in order to assure the availability of the meeting 7 | |
| 621 | 624 | room and that no conflicts will exist with the meetings of other bodies. Except for a meeting of 8 | |
| 622 | 625 | a standing committee for which the Speaker has given notice that the House will be at ease until 9 | |
| 623 | 626 | the adjournment of that standing committee, all standing committee meetings shall adjourn no 10 | |
| 624 | 627 | later than: 11 | |
| 625 | 628 | (1) 15 minutes preceding a regular session of the House, and 12 | |
| 626 | 629 | (2) 10 minutes preceding the hour of the next regularly scheduled standing 13 | |
| 627 | 630 | committee meeting. 14 | |
| 628 | 631 | Action taken by a committee in violation of this rule is voidable unless taken by 15 | |
| 629 | 632 | unanimous consent at a meeting at which a majority of all the members of the committee are 16 | |
| 630 | 633 | present, and at which at least one member present is of the minority party. 17 | |
| 631 | 634 | (g) Any call or notice of a standing committee meeting between legislative 18 | |
| 632 | 635 | sessions shall be sent by electronic mail to each member of the standing committee at least five 19 | |
| 633 | 636 | days prior to such meeting. If a member of the body so requests in writing to the chair of the 20 | |
| 634 | 637 | standing committee, the member shall also be notified of the meetings by mail at a designated 21 | |
| 635 | 638 | address. 22 | |
| 636 | 639 | (h) During standing committee meetings, the chair may exercise the right to vote, 23 | |
| 637 | 640 | or may reserve this right until there is a tie, in which event the chair may vote, but in no instance 24 | |
| 638 | 641 | may the chair vote twice on the same question. 25 | |
| 639 | 642 | RULE 28.1. Ethics Committee Investigations Into Violations of the Open 26 | |
| 640 | 643 | Meetings Law. – (a) On its own motion, or in response to signed and sworn complaint of any 27 | |
| 641 | 644 | individual filed with the Standing Committee on Ethics, the Committee shall inquire into any 28 | |
| 642 | 645 | alleged violation by members of the House of the Open Meetings Law (Article 33C of Chapter 29 | |
| 643 | 646 | 143 of the General Statutes), as the same may be amended in the future. 30 | |
| 644 | 647 | (b) If, after such preliminary investigation as it may make, the Committee 31 | |
| 645 | 648 | determines to proceed with an inquiry into the conduct of any individual, the Committee shall 32 | |
| 646 | 649 | notify the individual as to the fact of the inquiry and the charges against the individual and shall 33 | |
| 647 | 650 | schedule one or more hearings on the matter. The individual shall have the right to present 34 | |
| 648 | 651 | evidence, cross-examine witnesses, and be represented by counsel at any hearings. 35 | |
| 649 | 652 | (c) After the Committee has concluded its inquiries into the alleged violations, 36 | |
| 650 | 653 | the Committee shall dispose of the matter by taking one of the following actions: 37 | |
| 651 | 654 | (1) Dismiss the complaint and take no further action. 38 | |
| 652 | 655 | (2) Issue a private letter of reprimand to the legislator, if the legislator 39 | |
| 653 | 656 | unintentionally violated the provisions of the Open Meetings Law. 40 | |
| 654 | 657 | (3) Issue a public letter of reprimand if the violation of the Open Meetings Law 41 | |
| 655 | 658 | was intentional or if the legislator has previously received a private letter of 42 | |
| 656 | 659 | reprimand. The Chair of the Committee on Ethics shall have the public letter 43 | |
| 657 | 660 | of reprimand spread on the pages of the House Journal. 44 | |
| 658 | 661 | (4) Refer the matter to the House for appropriate action. 45 | |
| 659 | 662 | RULE 28.2. Committee Meetings; Use of Remote Participation. – (a) At times 46 | |
| 660 | 663 | when Rule 58.1 is not in effect, a standing committee may conduct meetings with members 47 | |
| 661 | 664 | participating remotely provided all of the following requirements are met: 48 | |
| 662 | 665 | (1) The Speaker has not disallowed remote participation for the standing 49 | |
| 663 | 666 | committee. 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
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| 667 | + | Page 14 DRHR30003-MC-7 | |
| 665 | 668 | (2) Each member is able to communicate, in real time, with all other members by 1 | |
| 666 | 669 | (i) in-person communication, (ii) remote communication using devices or 2 | |
| 667 | 670 | programs that transmit audio or audio and video, or (iii) both. 3 | |
| 668 | 671 | (3) All documents considered by the committee are provided to members. 4 | |
| 669 | 672 | (4) The committee otherwise complies with G.S. 143-318.13(a). 5 | |
| 670 | 673 | (b) A committee member who is participating remotely shall be counted as 6 | |
| 671 | 674 | present for quorum purposes and may vote on any measure or motion before the committee. An 7 | |
| 672 | 675 | ex officio member under Rule 26(d) shall be counted among the membership of the committee 8 | |
| 673 | 676 | only when present or participating remotely. 9 | |
| 674 | 677 | RULE 29. Notice of Standing Committee Meetings and Hearings. – (a) Notice of 10 | |
| 675 | 678 | meetings of standing committees that will occur at the regularly scheduled meeting times shall 11 | |
| 676 | 679 | be given by one or both of the following methods: 12 | |
| 677 | 680 | (1) Notice given openly at a session of the House; or 13 | |
| 678 | 681 | (2) Notice mailed or sent by electronic mail to those who have requested notice, 14 | |
| 679 | 682 | and to the Legislative Services Office, which shall post the notice on the 15 | |
| 680 | 683 | General Assembly website. 16 | |
| 681 | 684 | (b) Notice of all other meetings shall be given in the House. If the meeting is 17 | |
| 682 | 685 | scheduled to occur after adjournment, notice shall also be given by electronic mail and posting 18 | |
| 683 | 686 | on the General Assembly website. 19 | |
| 684 | 687 | (c) The chair of the standing committee shall notify or cause to be notified the 20 | |
| 685 | 688 | sponsor of each bill that is set for hearing or consideration before the standing committee as to 21 | |
| 686 | 689 | the date, time, and place of that meeting. 22 | |
| 687 | 690 | RULE 29.1. Public Hearings. – (a) The chair of the standing committee may 23 | |
| 688 | 691 | schedule a time to receive public comments for the standing committee as a whole during the 24 | |
| 689 | 692 | meeting of the standing committee or after the adjournment of a regular daily House session. 25 | |
| 690 | 693 | (b) Persons desiring to provide public comments during a meeting of a standing 26 | |
| 691 | 694 | committee shall submit their requests to the chair of the standing committee. The standing 27 | |
| 692 | 695 | committee chair may designate one or more members to arrange the order of appearance of 28 | |
| 693 | 696 | interested parties. A brief written statement of testimony may be submitted without oral 29 | |
| 694 | 697 | presentation and shall be incorporated into the minutes of the public hearing. 30 | |
| 695 | 698 | RULE 29.2. Minutes to Legislative Library. – The chair of a standing committee 31 | |
| 696 | 699 | shall ensure that written minutes are compiled for each of the body's meetings. The minutes shall 32 | |
| 697 | 700 | indicate the members present and the actions taken at the meeting. Not later than 10 days after 33 | |
| 698 | 701 | the adjournment of each session of the General Assembly, the chair or the chair's designee shall 34 | |
| 699 | 702 | deliver the minutes to the Legislative Library. The Speaker of the House may grant a reasonable 35 | |
| 700 | 703 | extension of time for filing said minutes upon written application of the chair. 36 | |
| 701 | 704 | RULE 30. Committee of the Whole House. – (a) A Committee of the Whole House 37 | |
| 702 | 705 | shall not be formed, except by leave of the House. 38 | |
| 703 | 706 | (b) After passage of a motion to form a Committee of the Whole House, the 39 | |
| 704 | 707 | Speaker shall appoint a chair to preside in the committee, and the Speaker shall leave the dais. 40 | |
| 705 | 708 | (c) The rules of procedure in the House shall be observed in the Committee of the 41 | |
| 706 | 709 | Whole House, so far as they may be applicable, except the rule limiting the time of speaking and 42 | |
| 707 | 710 | the previous question. 43 | |
| 708 | 711 | (d) In the Committee of the Whole House, a motion that the standing committee 44 | |
| 709 | 712 | rise shall always be in order, except when a member is speaking, and shall be decided without 45 | |
| 710 | 713 | debate. 46 | |
| 711 | 714 | (e) When a bill is submitted to the Committee of the Whole House, it shall be 47 | |
| 712 | 715 | read and debated by sections, leaving the preamble to be last considered. The body of the bill 48 | |
| 713 | 716 | shall not be defaced or interlined, but all amendments, noting the page and line, shall be duly 49 | |
| 714 | 717 | entered by the Principal Clerk on a separate paper as the same shall be agreed to by the standing 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 715 | - | ||
| 718 | + | DRHR30003-MC-7 Page 15 | |
| 716 | 719 | committee and be so reported to the House. After report, the bill shall again be subject to be 1 | |
| 717 | 720 | debated and amended by sections before a question on its passage be taken. 2 | |
| 718 | 721 | VI. Handling of Bills 3 | |
| 719 | 722 | RULE 31. Introduction of Bills and Resolutions. – (a) All bills and resolutions shall 4 | |
| 720 | 723 | be introduced by submitting same to the Principal Clerk's office on the legislative day prior to 5 | |
| 721 | 724 | the first reading and referral thereof according to the following schedule: by 15 minutes after 6 | |
| 722 | 725 | adjournment each Monday; and by 3:00 P.M. each Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. 7 | |
| 723 | 726 | The Clerk shall number all bills and resolutions in the order in which they are introduced. 8 | |
| 724 | 727 | (b) Bills shall not become resolutions provided the Senate has a similar rule. 9 | |
| 725 | 728 | Resolutions shall not become bills. Resolutions are not law but may be used when a law is not 10 | |
| 726 | 729 | necessary for the purpose contained therein. Resolutions shall not be used to appropriate funds 11 | |
| 727 | 730 | for any purpose, but may be used to create study commissions or committees or establish 12 | |
| 728 | 731 | investigative committees, to honor deceased members of the General Assembly, to express to 13 | |
| 729 | 732 | Congress the opinions of the House and the General Assembly, and to adopt House rules and 14 | |
| 730 | 733 | internal affairs. Resolutions cannot amend, repeal, or modify a statute; nor do they have life 15 | |
| 731 | 734 | beyond the term of the session during which they are adopted. 16 | |
| 732 | 735 | (c) Every bill or resolution shall be read in regular order of business, except upon 17 | |
| 733 | 736 | permission of the Speaker or on the report of a standing committee. 18 | |
| 734 | 737 | (d) All bills and resolutions shall show in their captions a brief descriptive 19 | |
| 735 | 738 | statement of the true substance of same, which captions may thereafter be amended. Amendments 20 | |
| 736 | 739 | to captions of bills are in order only if the amendment is germane to the bill. Third reading shall 21 | |
| 737 | 740 | not be had on any bill or resolution on the same day that such caption is amended. 22 | |
| 738 | 741 | (e) A Substitute Bill shall be covered with the same color jacket as the original 23 | |
| 739 | 742 | bill and shall be prefaced as follows: "House Committee Substitute for______." 24 | |
| 740 | 743 | (f) House resolutions need not be read more than twice. 25 | |
| 741 | 744 | (g) All memorializing, celebration, commendation, and commemoration 26 | |
| 742 | 745 | resolutions, except those honoring the memory of deceased members of the General Assembly 27 | |
| 743 | 746 | or expressing to Congress the opinions of the House or the General Assembly, shall be excluded 28 | |
| 744 | 747 | from introduction and consideration in the House. The mention of a deceased member of the 29 | |
| 745 | 748 | General Assembly as a pretext to honor an institution or a living person is prohibited. Members 30 | |
| 746 | 749 | should utilize a Representative Statement, as provided in Rule 8.1, as the preferred alternative to 31 | |
| 747 | 750 | House simple resolutions that memorialize, celebrate, commend, and commemorate, other than 32 | |
| 748 | 751 | for those relating to deceased members of the General Assembly or expressing to Congress the 33 | |
| 749 | 752 | opinions of the House or the General Assembly. 34 | |
| 750 | 753 | (h) Any reference in these rules to bills shall extend to resolutions unless the 35 | |
| 751 | 754 | context requires otherwise. 36 | |
| 752 | 755 | RULE 31.1. Deadlines on Introduction and Receipt; No Blank Bills; 15 Bill Limit. 37 | |
| 753 | 756 | – (a) All local bills must be submitted to the Legislative Drafting Division or the Legislative 38 | |
| 754 | 757 | Analysis Division of the Legislative Services Office by 4:00 P.M. on Thursday, February 20, 39 | |
| 755 | 758 | 2025, and must be introduced not later than 3:00 P.M. on Thursday, March 6, 2025. 40 | |
| 756 | 759 | (b) All public bills or resolutions must be submitted to the Legislative Drafting 41 | |
| 757 | 760 | Division or the Legislative Analysis Division of the Legislative Services Office by 4:00 P.M. on 42 | |
| 758 | 761 | Thursday, March 6, 2025, and must be introduced not later than 3:00 P.M. on Thursday, April 3, 43 | |
| 759 | 762 | 2025. 44 | |
| 760 | 763 | (c) A bill containing no substantive provisions may not be introduced in the 45 | |
| 761 | 764 | House. 46 | |
| 762 | 765 | (d) No member may introduce more than 15 public bills. For the purpose of this 47 | |
| 763 | 766 | subsection, the introducer is the member who is listed as the first sponsor. A member may assign 48 | |
| 764 | 767 | a portion of this limit to another member electronically using the procedures established and 49 | |
| 765 | 768 | published by the Principal Clerk. This subsection does not apply to the following: 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
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| 769 | + | Page 16 DRHR30003-MC-7 | |
| 767 | 770 | (1) Bills or resolutions recommended by commissions or committees authorized 1 | |
| 768 | 771 | or directed by act or resolution of the General Assembly (i) to report to the 2 | |
| 769 | 772 | 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly, or to report prior to convening 3 | |
| 770 | 773 | of that session, or (ii) that are recommended to the Regular Session of the 4 | |
| 771 | 774 | General Assembly by a commission or committee established directly by 5 | |
| 772 | 775 | Chapter 120 of the General Statutes. 6 | |
| 773 | 776 | (2) Joint resolutions or House resolutions. 7 | |
| 774 | 777 | (3) Bills introduced by the Chair of the Committee on Rules, Calendar, and 8 | |
| 775 | 778 | Operations of the House providing for action on gubernatorial nominations or 9 | |
| 776 | 779 | appointments or for action on appointments by the General Assembly 10 | |
| 777 | 780 | pursuant to G.S. 120-121. 11 | |
| 778 | 781 | (e) In order to be eligible for consideration by the House during the first Regular 12 | |
| 779 | 782 | Session, all Senate bills other than (i) finance or appropriations bills that would be required to be 13 | |
| 780 | 783 | re-referred to the Appropriations or Finance Committee under Rule 38, (ii) those providing for 14 | |
| 781 | 784 | action on gubernatorial nominations or appointments, (iii) those providing for action on 15 | |
| 782 | 785 | appointments by the General Assembly pursuant to G.S. 120-121, (iv) those providing for 16 | |
| 783 | 786 | amendments to the North Carolina Constitution, (v) those containing statutory amendments 17 | |
| 784 | 787 | necessary to implement proposed amendments to the North Carolina Constitution, (vi) those 18 | |
| 785 | 788 | establishing districts for Congress or State or local entities, (vii) those addressing election laws, 19 | |
| 786 | 789 | (viii) those ratifying an amendment or amendments to the Constitution of the United States, and 20 | |
| 787 | 790 | (ix) adjournment resolutions must be received and read on the floor of the House as a message 21 | |
| 788 | 791 | from the Senate no later than Thursday, May 8, 2025; provided that a message from the Senate 22 | |
| 789 | 792 | received by the next legislative day stating that a bill has passed its third reading and is being 23 | |
| 790 | 793 | engrossed shall comply with the requirements of this subsection and provided that the Senate has 24 | |
| 791 | 794 | a similar rule. 25 | |
| 792 | 795 | (f) This rule, other than subsections (c) and (d), does not apply to bills (i) 26 | |
| 793 | 796 | establishing districts for Congress or State or local entities, (ii) introduced on the report of the 27 | |
| 794 | 797 | Committees on Appropriations, Finance, or Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House, (iii) 28 | |
| 795 | 798 | ratifying an amendment or amendments to the Constitution of the United States, (iv) providing 29 | |
| 796 | 799 | for action on gubernatorial nominations or appointments, or (v) providing for action on 30 | |
| 797 | 800 | appointments by the General Assembly pursuant to G.S. 120-121. This rule does not apply to 31 | |
| 798 | 801 | resolutions pertaining to the internal affairs of the House or adjourning the General Assembly 32 | |
| 799 | 802 | sine die or to a day certain. 33 | |
| 800 | 803 | RULE 32. Referral to Standing Committees; Serial Referrals; Re-referral of Bills 34 | |
| 801 | 804 | From One Standing Committee to Another Standing Committee; Re-referral to Committee 35 | |
| 802 | 805 | on Rules. – (a) Each bill not introduced on the report of a standing committee shall immediately 36 | |
| 803 | 806 | upon its first reading be referred by the Speaker to such standing committee, select committee, 37 | |
| 804 | 807 | or committee of the whole as the Speaker deems appropriate. The Speaker at the same time may 38 | |
| 805 | 808 | order that, if the bill is reported with any favorable recommendation or without prejudice, it be 39 | |
| 806 | 809 | re-referred automatically upon the committee report to another committee designated in the 40 | |
| 807 | 810 | order. Each joint resolution or House resolution not introduced on the report of a standing 41 | |
| 808 | 811 | committee shall immediately upon its first reading either be referred by the Speaker to a standing 42 | |
| 809 | 812 | committee or be calendared on the date designated by the Speaker, as the Speaker deems 43 | |
| 810 | 813 | appropriate. 44 | |
| 811 | 814 | (a1) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this rule, any bill establishing districts for 45 | |
| 812 | 815 | Congress or State Senators or State Representatives may be placed on the calendar without being 46 | |
| 813 | 816 | referred by the Speaker to a committee and on the same legislative day of its introduction or 47 | |
| 814 | 817 | receipt from the Senate. 48 | |
| 815 | 818 | (b) Upon consent of the sponsor of the bill, the Speaker, the chair of the standing 49 | |
| 816 | 819 | committee from which the bill is to be re-referred, and the chair of the standing committee to 50 | |
| 817 | 820 | which the bill is to be re-referred, the chair of the standing committee from which the bill is to 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 818 | - | ||
| 821 | + | DRHR30003-MC-7 Page 17 | |
| 819 | 822 | be re-referred or the Chair of the Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House 1 | |
| 820 | 823 | may move for a re-referral to another standing committee, and the bill shall be re-referred upon 2 | |
| 821 | 824 | vote of the majority present during a regular session of the House. 3 | |
| 822 | 825 | (c) The Speaker may remove a bill from the committee to which the bill has been 4 | |
| 823 | 826 | referred and may re-refer the bill to another committee. 5 | |
| 824 | 827 | (d) All public bills and resolutions reported by any standing committee must have 6 | |
| 825 | 828 | also been reported by the Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House prior to 7 | |
| 826 | 829 | being calendared for consideration by the House. This rule may be waived by leave of the House. 8 | |
| 827 | 830 | RULE 33. Papers Addressed to the House. – Petitions, memorials, and other papers 9 | |
| 828 | 831 | addressed to the House shall be presented by the Speaker. A brief statement of the contents 10 | |
| 829 | 832 | thereof may be made orally by the introducer before referral to a committee, but such papers shall 11 | |
| 830 | 833 | not be debated or decided on the day of their first being read unless the House shall direct 12 | |
| 831 | 834 | otherwise. 13 | |
| 832 | 835 | RULE 34. Introduction of Resolutions and Bills. – (a) House Bills shall be 14 | |
| 833 | 836 | designated as "H.B.___." (No. following). A Joint Resolution shall be designated as "H.J.R.___." 15 | |
| 834 | 837 | (No. following). A House Resolution shall be designated as "H.R.___." (No. following). 16 | |
| 835 | 838 | Whenever any resolution or bill is filed for introduction, it shall comply with the 17 | |
| 836 | 839 | procedures established and published by the Principal Clerk. 18 | |
| 837 | 840 | (b) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this rule, no bill may be filed for 19 | |
| 838 | 841 | introduction if the draft contains names preprinted on the bill jacket and body of the bill (either 20 | |
| 839 | 842 | as primary sponsors or cosponsors) unless each such member has signed or initialed the jacket. 21 | |
| 840 | 843 | (c) A bill may be filed for introduction without the signature or initial of each 22 | |
| 841 | 844 | member whose name appears on the preprinted bill jacket as a primary sponsor if each such 23 | |
| 842 | 845 | member has approved being included as a primary sponsor using the member's electronic 24 | |
| 843 | 846 | dashboard. 25 | |
| 844 | 847 | RULE 35. Public and Local Bills. – (a) The Legislative Services Officer shall cause 26 | |
| 845 | 848 | such bills as are introduced to be duplicated in such numbers as may be specified by the Speaker. 27 | |
| 846 | 849 | Copies shall be available in the Printed Bills Room and made available to the committees to 28 | |
| 847 | 850 | which the bill is referred, to individual members on request, and to the general public. 29 | |
| 848 | 851 | (b) A public bill is a bill affecting 15 or more counties. A local bill is one affecting 30 | |
| 849 | 852 | fewer than 15 counties. 31 | |
| 850 | 853 | RULE 35.1. Municipal Incorporation Reports. – Every legislative proposal 32 | |
| 851 | 854 | introduced in the House or received in the House from the Senate, proposing the incorporation 33 | |
| 852 | 855 | of a municipality shall have attached to the jacket of the original bill at the time of its 34 | |
| 853 | 856 | consideration on second or third readings by the House or by any committee of the House prior 35 | |
| 854 | 857 | to a favorable report, a recommendation from the Municipal Incorporations Subcommittee of the 36 | |
| 855 | 858 | Joint Legislative Committee on Local Government, established by Article 20 of Chapter 120 of 37 | |
| 856 | 859 | the General Statutes. The recommendation of the Municipal Incorporations Subcommittee of the 38 | |
| 857 | 860 | Joint Legislative Committee on Local Government shall be made in accordance with the 39 | |
| 858 | 861 | provisions and criteria set forth in Article 20 of Chapter 120 of the General Statutes and shall 40 | |
| 859 | 862 | include the findings required to be made by G.S. 120-166 through G.S. 120-170. 41 | |
| 860 | 863 | RULE 36. Report by Standing Committee. – (a) Reports. – Bills and resolutions 42 | |
| 861 | 864 | may be reported from the standing committee to which referred with such recommendations as 43 | |
| 862 | 865 | the standing committee may desire to make. 44 | |
| 863 | 866 | (b) Favorable Report. – When a standing committee reports a bill with the 45 | |
| 864 | 867 | recommendation that it be passed, the bill shall be placed on the favorable calendar on the day 46 | |
| 865 | 868 | designated by the Chair of the Standing Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the 47 | |
| 866 | 869 | House, but not on the same day that it is reported except by leave of the House, and no later than 48 | |
| 867 | 870 | the fourth legislative day after submission of the report or Senate message under Rule 43.2 or 49 | |
| 868 | 871 | Rule 43.3(a), unless: 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 869 | - | Page 18 | |
| 872 | + | Page 18 DRHR30003-MC-7 | |
| 870 | 873 | (1) The bill is re-referred to the Committee on Appropriations or Committee on 1 | |
| 871 | 874 | Finance under Rule 38 or was serially referred under Rule 32; or 2 | |
| 872 | 875 | (2) The bill has not yet been placed on the calendar, and the Speaker refers the 3 | |
| 873 | 876 | bill to another committee. 4 | |
| 874 | 877 | In order to place a bill on the calendar for a legislative day, notice shall be given by the Chair of 5 | |
| 875 | 878 | the Standing Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House orally in the House or 6 | |
| 876 | 879 | in writing to the Principal Clerk. When a committee substitute is adopted and receives a favorable 7 | |
| 877 | 880 | report by the standing committee, the chair shall submit to the standing committee the question 8 | |
| 878 | 881 | of an unfavorable report on the original bill. The standing committee's action, if any, on the 9 | |
| 879 | 882 | original bill shall be reported at the same time the committee substitute is reported. 10 | |
| 880 | 883 | (b1) Favorable Report of Bills Proposing Congressional or State Districts. – 11 | |
| 881 | 884 | Notwithstanding subsection (b) of this rule, a bill establishing districts for Congress or State 12 | |
| 882 | 885 | Senators or State Representatives that is reported favorably by a committee may be placed on the 13 | |
| 883 | 886 | favorable calendar on the same day it is reported. 14 | |
| 884 | 887 | (c) Report Without Prejudice. – When a standing committee reports a bill 15 | |
| 885 | 888 | without prejudice, the bill shall be placed on the favorable calendar in the same manner as 16 | |
| 886 | 889 | provided in subsection (b) of this rule. 17 | |
| 887 | 890 | (d) Postponed Indefinitely. – When a standing committee reports a bill with the 18 | |
| 888 | 891 | recommendation that it be postponed indefinitely and no minority report accompanies it, the bill 19 | |
| 889 | 892 | shall be placed on the unfavorable calendar. 20 | |
| 890 | 893 | (e) Unfavorable Report. – When a standing committee reports a bill with the 21 | |
| 891 | 894 | recommendation that it not be passed and no minority report accompanies it, the bill shall be 22 | |
| 892 | 895 | placed on the unfavorable calendar. 23 | |
| 893 | 896 | (f) Minority Report. – When a bill is reported by a standing committee with a 24 | |
| 894 | 897 | recommendation that it not be passed or that it be postponed indefinitely but it is accompanied 25 | |
| 895 | 898 | by a minority report signed by at least one-fourth of the members of the standing committee who 26 | |
| 896 | 899 | were present and voting when the bill was considered in standing committee, the question before 27 | |
| 897 | 900 | the House shall be: "The adoption of the minority report." If the minority report is adopted by 28 | |
| 898 | 901 | majority vote, the bill shall be placed on the favorable calendar for consideration. If the minority 29 | |
| 899 | 902 | report fails of adoption by a majority vote, the bill shall be placed on the unfavorable calendar. 30 | |
| 900 | 903 | RULE 36.1. Fiscal Notes. – (a) The Chair or Cochair of the Appropriations 31 | |
| 901 | 904 | Committee, of the Finance Committee, or of the Standing Committee on Rules, Calendar, and 32 | |
| 902 | 905 | Operations of the House, upon the floor of the House, may request that a fiscal analysis be made 33 | |
| 903 | 906 | of a bill, a resolution, or an amendment to a bill or resolution which is in the possession of the 34 | |
| 904 | 907 | House and that a fiscal note be attached to the measure, which request shall be allowed when, in 35 | |
| 905 | 908 | the opinion of the Speaker, the fiscal effects of that measure are not apparent from the language 36 | |
| 906 | 909 | of the measure. When a request is properly made under this subsection, the bill is removed from 37 | |
| 907 | 910 | the calendar until such time that the fiscal note is attached to the measure. 38 | |
| 908 | 911 | (b) The fiscal note shall be filed and attached to the bill or amendment within two 39 | |
| 909 | 912 | legislative days of the request, and a copy shall be sent by electronic mail to each member. If it 40 | |
| 910 | 913 | is impossible to prepare a fiscal note within two legislative days, the Director of Fiscal Research 41 | |
| 911 | 914 | shall, in writing, so advise the Speaker, the Principal Clerk, the Majority Leader, the Minority 42 | |
| 912 | 915 | Leader, and the member introducing or proposing the measure and shall indicate the time when 43 | |
| 913 | 916 | the fiscal note will be ready. 44 | |
| 914 | 917 | (c) The fiscal note shall be prepared by the Fiscal Research Division on a form 45 | |
| 915 | 918 | approved by the Chair of the Standing Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the 46 | |
| 916 | 919 | House as to content and form and signed by the staff member or members preparing it. If no 47 | |
| 917 | 920 | estimate in dollars is possible, the fiscal note shall indicate the reasons that no estimate is 48 | |
| 918 | 921 | provided. The fiscal note shall not comment on the merit, but may identify technical problems. 49 | |
| 919 | 922 | The Fiscal Research Division shall make the fiscal note available to the membership of the 50 | |
| 920 | 923 | House. 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 921 | - | ||
| 924 | + | DRHR30003-MC-7 Page 19 | |
| 922 | 925 | (d) A sponsor of a bill or amendment may deliver a copy of the bill or amendment 1 | |
| 923 | 926 | to the Fiscal Research Division for the preparation of a fiscal note. The sponsor shall attach the 2 | |
| 924 | 927 | fiscal note to the bill when filed or to the amendment when its adoption is moved. 3 | |
| 925 | 928 | (e) The sponsor of a bill or amendment to which a fiscal note is attached who 4 | |
| 926 | 929 | objects to the estimates and information provided may reduce to writing the objections. These 5 | |
| 927 | 930 | objections shall be appended to the fiscal note attached to the bill or amendment and to the copies 6 | |
| 928 | 931 | of the fiscal note available to the membership. 7 | |
| 929 | 932 | (f) Subsection (a) of this rule shall not apply to the Current Operations 8 | |
| 930 | 933 | Appropriations Bill or the Capital Improvement Appropriations Bill. This rule shall not apply to 9 | |
| 931 | 934 | a bill or amendment requiring an actuarial note under these rules. 10 | |
| 932 | 935 | RULE 36.1A. Distribution of Proposed Committee Substitutes. – (a) No proposed 11 | |
| 933 | 936 | committee substitute may be considered by a standing committee unless the proposed committee 12 | |
| 934 | 937 | substitute shall have been distributed electronically no later than 9:00 P.M. of the preceding 13 | |
| 935 | 938 | calendar day to the members of the committee and to the member who is listed as the first primary 14 | |
| 936 | 939 | sponsor. This requirement may be waived by leave of the standing committee. 15 | |
| 937 | 940 | (b) Subsection (a) of this rule does not apply to a proposed committee substitute 16 | |
| 938 | 941 | establishing districts for Congress or State Senators or State Representatives. 17 | |
| 939 | 942 | RULE 36.2. Actuarial Notes. – (a) Every bill or resolution proposing any change in 18 | |
| 940 | 943 | the law relative to any: 19 | |
| 941 | 944 | (1) State, municipal, or other retirement system funded in whole or in part out of 20 | |
| 942 | 945 | public funds; or 21 | |
| 943 | 946 | (2) Program of hospital, medical, disability, or related benefits provided for 22 | |
| 944 | 947 | teachers and State employees, funded in whole or in part by State funds; 23 | |
| 945 | 948 | shall have attached to it at the time of its consideration by any standing committee a brief 24 | |
| 946 | 949 | explanatory statement or note which shall include a reliable estimate of the financial and actuarial 25 | |
| 947 | 950 | effect of the proposed change to that retirement or pension system. The actuarial note shall be 26 | |
| 948 | 951 | attached to the jacket of each proposed bill or resolution which is reported favorably by any 27 | |
| 949 | 952 | standing committee, shall be separate therefrom, and shall be clearly designated as an actuarial 28 | |
| 950 | 953 | note. A bill described in subdivision (a)(1) of this rule shall be referred to the Committee on 29 | |
| 951 | 954 | Pensions and Retirement upon its introduction in accordance with G.S. 120-111.3. 30 | |
| 952 | 955 | (b) The sponsor of the bill or resolution shall present a copy of the measure, with 31 | |
| 953 | 956 | a request for an actuarial note, to the Fiscal Research Division, which shall prepare the actuarial 32 | |
| 954 | 957 | note as promptly as possible but not later than two weeks after the request is made, unless an 33 | |
| 955 | 958 | extension of time is agreed to by the sponsor as being necessary in the preparation of the note. 34 | |
| 956 | 959 | Actuarial notes shall be prepared in the order of receipt of request and shall be transmitted to the 35 | |
| 957 | 960 | sponsor of the measure. The actuarial note of the Fiscal Research Division shall be prepared and 36 | |
| 958 | 961 | signed by an actuary. 37 | |
| 959 | 962 | (c) The sponsor of the bill or resolution shall also present a copy of the measure 38 | |
| 960 | 963 | to the actuary employed by the system or program affected by the measure. Actuarial notes shall 39 | |
| 961 | 964 | be prepared and transmitted to the sponsor of the measure not later than two weeks after the 40 | |
| 962 | 965 | request is received, unless an extension of time is agreed to by the sponsor as being necessary in 41 | |
| 963 | 966 | the preparation of the note. The actuarial note shall be attached to the jacket of the measure. The 42 | |
| 964 | 967 | provisions of this subsection may be waived by the measure's sponsor for a measure affecting 43 | |
| 965 | 968 | local government retirement or pension plans not administered by the State or any local 44 | |
| 966 | 969 | government program of hospital, medical, disability, or related benefits for local government 45 | |
| 967 | 970 | employees not administered by the State. 46 | |
| 968 | 971 | (d) The note shall be factual and shall, if possible, provide a reliable estimate of 47 | |
| 969 | 972 | both the immediate effect and, if determinable, the long-range fiscal and actuarial effect of the 48 | |
| 970 | 973 | measure. If, after careful investigation, it is determined that no dollar estimate is possible, the 49 | |
| 971 | 974 | note shall contain a statement to that effect, setting forth the reasons why no dollar estimate can 50 | |
| 972 | 975 | be given. No comment or opinion shall be included in the actuarial note with regard to the merits 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 973 | - | Page 20 | |
| 976 | + | Page 20 DRHR30003-MC-7 | |
| 974 | 977 | of the measure for which the note is prepared. Technical and mechanical defects in the measure 1 | |
| 975 | 978 | may be noted. 2 | |
| 976 | 979 | (e) When any standing committee reports a measure to which an actuarial note is 3 | |
| 977 | 980 | attached at the time of committee consideration, with any amendment of such nature as would 4 | |
| 978 | 981 | substantially affect the cost to or the revenues of any retirement or pension system, or program 5 | |
| 979 | 982 | of hospital, medical, disability, or related benefits for teachers or State employees, the chair of 6 | |
| 980 | 983 | the standing committee reporting the measure shall obtain from the Fiscal Research Division an 7 | |
| 981 | 984 | actuarial note of the fiscal and actuarial effect of the proposed amendment. The actuarial note 8 | |
| 982 | 985 | shall be attached to the jacket of the measure. An amendment to any bill or resolution shall not 9 | |
| 983 | 986 | be in order if the amendment affects the costs to or the revenues of a State-administered 10 | |
| 984 | 987 | retirement or pension system, or program of hospital, medical, disability, or related benefits for 11 | |
| 985 | 988 | teachers or State employees, unless the amendment is accompanied by an actuarial note, prepared 12 | |
| 986 | 989 | by the Fiscal Research Division, as to the actuarial effect of the amendment. 13 | |
| 987 | 990 | (f) The Fiscal Research Division shall make all relevant actuarial notes available 14 | |
| 988 | 991 | to the membership of the House. 15 | |
| 989 | 992 | RULE 36.3. Local Legislation Affecting State Highway System. – A local bill 16 | |
| 990 | 993 | affecting the State Highway System shall be referred to the Committee on Transportation. 17 | |
| 991 | 994 | RULE 36.4. Content of Appropriations Bills. – No provision shall be contained in 18 | |
| 992 | 995 | any of the following bills unless it pertains to the appropriation of money or the raising or 19 | |
| 993 | 996 | reducing of revenue: (i) the Current Operations Appropriations Bill; (ii) the Capital Improvement 20 | |
| 994 | 997 | Appropriations Bill; (iii) any bill generally revising appropriations for the second fiscal year of 21 | |
| 995 | 998 | a biennium. If a point of order is made against such a provision and is sustained, the presiding 22 | |
| 996 | 999 | officer shall refer the bill to the committee from which it came, with instructions for the chair of 23 | |
| 997 | 1000 | the committee to immediately report out a substitute or amendment removing the offending 24 | |
| 998 | 1001 | provision. 25 | |
| 999 | 1002 | RULE 37. Removing Bill From Unfavorable Calendar. – A bill may be removed 26 | |
| 1000 | 1003 | from the unfavorable calendar upon motion carried by a two-thirds vote. A motion to remove a 27 | |
| 1001 | 1004 | bill from the unfavorable calendar is debatable. 28 | |
| 1002 | 1005 | RULE 38. Reports on Appropriation and Revenue Bills. – (a) All standing 29 | |
| 1003 | 1006 | committees, other than the Standing Committees on Appropriations, when favorably reporting 30 | |
| 1004 | 1007 | any bill or resolution that: 31 | |
| 1005 | 1008 | (1) Carries an appropriation from the State; or 32 | |
| 1006 | 1009 | (2) Requires or will require in the future substantial additional State monies from 33 | |
| 1007 | 1010 | the General Fund or Highway Fund to implement its provisions shall indicate 34 | |
| 1008 | 1011 | same in the report, and said bill or resolution shall be referred to the Standing 35 | |
| 1009 | 1012 | Committees on Appropriations for a further report before being acted upon by 36 | |
| 1010 | 1013 | the House. 37 | |
| 1011 | 1014 | (b) All standing committees, other than the Standing Committee on Finance, 38 | |
| 1012 | 1015 | when favorably reporting any bill that in any way or manner raises revenue, reduces revenue, 39 | |
| 1013 | 1016 | levies a tax, authorizes the levying of a tax, an assessment, or a fee, or authorizes the issue of 40 | |
| 1014 | 1017 | bonds or notes, whether public or local, shall indicate same in the report, and said bill shall be 41 | |
| 1015 | 1018 | referred to the Standing Committee on Finance for a further report before being acted upon by 42 | |
| 1016 | 1019 | the House. This subsection shall not apply to bills only imposing fines, forfeitures, or penalties. 43 | |
| 1017 | 1020 | RULE 39. Discharge Petition. – (a) A motion to discharge a committee from 44 | |
| 1018 | 1021 | consideration of a bill may be filed with the Principal Clerk by a primary sponsor of that measure 45 | |
| 1019 | 1022 | if accompanied by a petition asking that the committee be discharged from further consideration 46 | |
| 1020 | 1023 | of the bill. No motion may be filed until 10 legislative days after the bill has been referred to the 47 | |
| 1021 | 1024 | committee. No petition may be filed until notice has been given on the floor of the House that 48 | |
| 1022 | 1025 | the petition is to be filed and the primary sponsor giving notice has obtained a fiscal note from 49 | |
| 1023 | 1026 | the Fiscal Research Division on the bill, which note shall be attached to the petition. Members 50 | |
| 1024 | 1027 | may sign the petition only in the office of the Principal Clerk, and when the signatures of 61 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 1025 | - | ||
| 1028 | + | DRHR30003-MC-7 Page 21 | |
| 1026 | 1029 | members appear on the petition, the Principal Clerk shall place that motion on the calendar for 1 | |
| 1027 | 1030 | the next legislative day as a special order of business. Members may withdraw their names at any 2 | |
| 1028 | 1031 | time until 61 names appear. If the motion is adopted by the House, then the committee to which 3 | |
| 1029 | 1032 | the bill or resolution has been referred is discharged from further consideration of the bill, and 4 | |
| 1030 | 1033 | that bill is placed on the calendar for the next legislative day as a special order of business. The 5 | |
| 1031 | 1034 | Principal Clerk shall provide a form for discharge petitions. 6 | |
| 1032 | 1035 | (b) This rule shall not be temporarily suspended without one day's notice on the 7 | |
| 1033 | 1036 | motion given in the House and delivered in writing to the chair of the standing committee, and 8 | |
| 1034 | 1037 | to sustain that motion two-thirds of the members shall be required. 9 | |
| 1035 | 1038 | RULE 40. Calendars and Schedules of Business. – The Clerk of the House shall 10 | |
| 1036 | 1039 | prepare a daily schedule of business, including the Calendar of Bills and Resolutions for 11 | |
| 1037 | 1040 | consideration and debate that day, in accordance with the Order of Business of the Day (Rule 5). 12 | |
| 1038 | 1041 | RULE 41. Reading of Bills. – (a) Every bill shall receive three readings in the House 13 | |
| 1039 | 1042 | prior to its passage. The Speaker shall give notice at each subsequent reading whether it is the 14 | |
| 1040 | 1043 | second or third reading. 15 | |
| 1041 | 1044 | (a1) The first reading and referral to standing committee of a House bill shall occur 16 | |
| 1042 | 1045 | on the next legislative day following its introduction. The first reading and referral to standing 17 | |
| 1043 | 1046 | committee of a Senate bill shall occur on the next legislative day following its receipt on 18 | |
| 1044 | 1047 | messages from the Senate. This subsection does not apply to any bill establishing districts for 19 | |
| 1045 | 1048 | Congress or State Senators or State Representatives. 20 | |
| 1046 | 1049 | (b) Except for bills establishing districts for Congress or State Senators or State 21 | |
| 1047 | 1050 | Representatives, no bill shall be read more than once on the same day without the concurrence 22 | |
| 1048 | 1051 | of two-thirds of the members present and voting; provided, no bill governed by Section 23 of 23 | |
| 1049 | 1052 | Article II of the North Carolina Constitution herein shall be read twice on one day under any 24 | |
| 1050 | 1053 | circumstance. 25 | |
| 1051 | 1054 | RULE 42. Effect of a Defeated Bill. – (a) Subject to the provisions of subsections 26 | |
| 1052 | 1055 | (b) and (c) of this rule, after a bill has: 27 | |
| 1053 | 1056 | (1) Been tabled, 28 | |
| 1054 | 1057 | (2) Been postponed indefinitely, 29 | |
| 1055 | 1058 | (3) Failed to pass on any of its readings, or 30 | |
| 1056 | 1059 | (4) Been placed on the unfavorable calendar, 31 | |
| 1057 | 1060 | the contents of that bill or the principal provisions of its subject matter shall not be considered in 32 | |
| 1058 | 1061 | any other measure originating in the Senate or originating thereafter in the House. Upon the point 33 | |
| 1059 | 1062 | of order being raised and sustained by the chair, that measure shall be laid upon the table and 34 | |
| 1060 | 1063 | shall not be taken therefrom except by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting. 35 | |
| 1061 | 1064 | (b) No local bill shall be held by the chair to embody the contents of or the 36 | |
| 1062 | 1065 | principal provisions of the subject matter of any statewide measure which has been laid on the 37 | |
| 1063 | 1066 | table, has failed to pass on any of its readings, or has been placed on the unfavorable calendar. 38 | |
| 1064 | 1067 | (c) Subsection (a) of this rule does not apply to a bill that has received an 39 | |
| 1065 | 1068 | unfavorable report from a committee if the committee has also in the same report reported 40 | |
| 1066 | 1069 | favorable to the bill as amended or to a proposed committee substitute to the bill. 41 | |
| 1067 | 1070 | RULE 43. Amendments. – (a) No amendment to a measure before the House shall 42 | |
| 1068 | 1071 | be in order unless the amendment is germane to the measure under consideration. 43 | |
| 1069 | 1072 | A House amendment deleting a previously adopted House amendment shall not be in 44 | |
| 1070 | 1073 | order. No amendment that is clearly unconstitutional shall be in order. 45 | |
| 1071 | 1074 | Only one principal (first degree) amendment shall be pending at any one time. If a 46 | |
| 1072 | 1075 | subsequent or substitute principal amendment shall be offered, the Speaker shall rule it out of 47 | |
| 1073 | 1076 | order. However, any member desiring to offer a subsequent or substitute principal amendment in 48 | |
| 1074 | 1077 | opposition to the pending amendment may inform the House by way of argument against the 49 | |
| 1075 | 1078 | pending amendment that if it is defeated the member proposes to offer another principal 50 | |
| 1076 | 1079 | amendment, and the member may then read and explain such proposed amendment. 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 1077 | - | Page 22 | |
| 1080 | + | Page 22 DRHR30003-MC-7 | |
| 1078 | 1081 | Perfecting (or second degree) amendments may be offered and considered without 1 | |
| 1079 | 1082 | limitation as to number, and in the event of multiple perfecting amendments, they shall be voted 2 | |
| 1080 | 1083 | upon in inverse order. 3 | |
| 1081 | 1084 | (b) The following rules apply when considering: (i) the Current Operations 4 | |
| 1082 | 1085 | Appropriations Bill; (ii) the Capital Improvement Appropriations Bill; (iii) any bill generally 5 | |
| 1083 | 1086 | revising appropriations for the second fiscal year of a biennium: 6 | |
| 1084 | 1087 | (1) Amendments cannot increase total spending within a committee area beyond 7 | |
| 1085 | 1088 | the total for that committee as shown in the committee report. 8 | |
| 1086 | 1089 | (2) Amendments can only affect appropriations within the departments, agencies, 9 | |
| 1087 | 1090 | or programs within the jurisdiction of the committee. 10 | |
| 1088 | 1091 | (3) Amendments cannot increase total spending, from any source, beyond the 11 | |
| 1089 | 1092 | total amount shown in the committee report. 12 | |
| 1090 | 1093 | (4) Amendments that cause the budget to be unbalanced are not in order. 13 | |
| 1091 | 1094 | (5) Amendments cannot spend reversions. 14 | |
| 1092 | 1095 | (6) Amendments cannot make nonrecurring reductions to fund recurring items. 15 | |
| 1093 | 1096 | (c) When offering an amendment, the member shall deliver the signed original 16 | |
| 1094 | 1097 | amendment to the Principal Clerk and a copy to the Chair of the Committee on Rules, Calendar, 17 | |
| 1095 | 1098 | and Operations of the House. 18 | |
| 1096 | 1099 | RULE 43.1. Engrossment. – Bills and resolutions which originate in the House and 19 | |
| 1097 | 1100 | which are amended, shall be engrossed before being sent to the Senate. 20 | |
| 1098 | 1101 | RULE 43.2. House Concurrence in Senate Amendments to House Bills. – When 21 | |
| 1099 | 1102 | the House receives a Senate amendment to a bill originating in the House, it shall be placed on 22 | |
| 1100 | 1103 | the calendar in accordance with Rule 36(b). 23 | |
| 1101 | 1104 | RULE 43.3. Committee Substitutes Adopted by the Senate to Bills Originating in 24 | |
| 1102 | 1105 | the House; Procedure for Treatment of Material Amendments Thereto. – (a) Whenever the 25 | |
| 1103 | 1106 | Senate has adopted a committee substitute for a bill originating in the House and has returned the 26 | |
| 1104 | 1107 | bill to the House for concurrence in that committee substitute, it shall be placed on the calendar 27 | |
| 1105 | 1108 | in accordance with Rule 36(b). 28 | |
| 1106 | 1109 | (b) The Speaker shall rule whether the committee substitute is a material 29 | |
| 1107 | 1110 | amendment under Section 23 of Article II of the North Carolina Constitution which reads: 30 | |
| 1108 | 1111 | "Revenue bills. – No law shall be enacted to raise money on the credit of the State, or to 31 | |
| 1109 | 1112 | pledge the faith of the State directly or indirectly for the payment of any debt, or to impose any 32 | |
| 1110 | 1113 | tax upon the people of the State, or to allow the counties, cities, or towns to do so, unless the bill 33 | |
| 1111 | 1114 | for the purpose shall have been read three several times in each house of the General Assembly 34 | |
| 1112 | 1115 | and passed three several readings, which readings shall have been on three different days, and 35 | |
| 1113 | 1116 | shall have been agreed to by each house respectively, and unless the yeas and nays on the second 36 | |
| 1114 | 1117 | and third readings of the bill shall have been entered on the journal." 37 | |
| 1115 | 1118 | If the committee substitute was referred to standing committee, the standing 38 | |
| 1116 | 1119 | committee shall: 39 | |
| 1117 | 1120 | (1) Report the bill with the recommendation either that the House do concur or 40 | |
| 1118 | 1121 | that the House do not concur; and 41 | |
| 1119 | 1122 | (2) Advise the Speaker as to whether or not that committee substitute is a material 42 | |
| 1120 | 1123 | amendment under Section 23 of Article II of the North Carolina Constitution. 43 | |
| 1121 | 1124 | (c) If the committee substitute for a bill is not a material amendment, the question 44 | |
| 1122 | 1125 | before the House shall be concurrence. 45 | |
| 1123 | 1126 | (d) If the committee substitute for a bill is a material amendment, the receiving of 46 | |
| 1124 | 1127 | that bill on messages shall constitute first reading, and the question before the House shall be 47 | |
| 1125 | 1128 | concurrence on second reading. If the motion is passed, the question then shall be concurrence 48 | |
| 1126 | 1129 | on third reading on the next legislative day. 49 | |
| 1127 | 1130 | (e) No committee substitute adopted by the Senate for a bill originating in the 50 | |
| 1128 | 1131 | House may be amended by the House. 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 1129 | - | ||
| 1132 | + | DRHR30003-MC-7 Page 23 | |
| 1130 | 1133 | RULE 44. Conference Standing Committees. – (a) Whenever the House shall 1 | |
| 1131 | 1134 | decline or refuse to concur in amendments put by the Senate to a bill originating in the House, or 2 | |
| 1132 | 1135 | shall refuse to concur in a substitute adopted by the Senate for a bill originating in the House, or 3 | |
| 1133 | 1136 | whenever the Senate shall decline or refuse to concur in amendments put by the House to a bill 4 | |
| 1134 | 1137 | originating in the Senate, or shall refuse to concur in a substitute adopted by the House for a bill 5 | |
| 1135 | 1138 | originating in the Senate, a conference committee may be appointed by the Speaker upon the 6 | |
| 1136 | 1139 | Speaker's own motion and shall be appointed upon request by the principal sponsor of the original 7 | |
| 1137 | 1140 | bill, the chair of the House standing committee that reported the bill, or the sponsor of the 8 | |
| 1138 | 1141 | amendment in which the Senate refused to concur; and the bill under consideration shall 9 | |
| 1139 | 1142 | thereupon go to and be considered by the joint conferees on the part of the House and Senate. In 10 | |
| 1140 | 1143 | appointing members to conference committees, the Speaker shall appoint no less than a majority 11 | |
| 1141 | 1144 | of members who generally supported the House position as determined by the Speaker. 12 | |
| 1142 | 1145 | (b) The conference report may be made by a majority of the House members of 13 | |
| 1143 | 1146 | such conference committee and shall not be amended. If the Senate has a similar rule, only such 14 | |
| 1144 | 1147 | matters as are in difference between the two houses shall be considered by the conferees and the 15 | |
| 1145 | 1148 | conference report shall deal only with such matters. If the Senate does not have a similar rule, a 16 | |
| 1146 | 1149 | conference committee report which includes significant matters that were not in difference 17 | |
| 1147 | 1150 | between the houses shall be referred to a standing committee for its recommendation before 18 | |
| 1148 | 1151 | further action by the House. 19 | |
| 1149 | 1152 | (c) If the conferees fail to agree or if either house fails to adopt the report of its 20 | |
| 1150 | 1153 | conferees, new conferees may be appointed. 21 | |
| 1151 | 1154 | (d) Except by leave of the House and except as otherwise provided in this 22 | |
| 1152 | 1155 | subsection, no vote shall be taken on adoption of a conference report until the next legislative 23 | |
| 1153 | 1156 | day following the report. Except by leave of the House, no vote shall be taken on adoption of a 24 | |
| 1154 | 1157 | conference report on either the Current Operations Appropriations Bill or a bill generally revising 25 | |
| 1155 | 1158 | the Current Operations Appropriations Act until the second legislative day following the report. 26 | |
| 1156 | 1159 | (e) Notwithstanding subsection (d) of this rule, a conference report for a bill 27 | |
| 1157 | 1160 | establishing districts for Congress or State Senators or State Representatives may be placed on 28 | |
| 1158 | 1161 | the calendar for the legislative day the report is submitted. 29 | |
| 1159 | 1162 | RULE 44.1. Transmittal of Bills to Senate. – Unless ordered by the Speaker or 30 | |
| 1160 | 1163 | two-thirds vote of the members present and voting, no bill shall be sent from the House on the 31 | |
| 1161 | 1164 | day of its passage, except on the last day of the session. 32 | |
| 1162 | 1165 | RULE 44.2. Veto Override. – A vote on overriding a gubernatorial veto may be taken 33 | |
| 1163 | 1166 | up on the legislative day it is received in the House from the Senate or Governor or any other 34 | |
| 1164 | 1167 | legislative day it is printed on the calendar published by the Clerk of the House pursuant to Rule 35 | |
| 1165 | 1168 | 40. 36 | |
| 1166 | 1169 | VII. Legislative Officers and Employees 37 | |
| 1167 | 1170 | RULE 45. Elected Officers. – (a) The House shall elect its Speaker from among its 38 | |
| 1168 | 1171 | membership. 39 | |
| 1169 | 1172 | (b) The House shall elect its Speaker Pro Tempore from among its membership 40 | |
| 1170 | 1173 | who shall perform such duties as the Speaker may assign. 41 | |
| 1171 | 1174 | (c) The House shall elect a Principal Clerk, who shall continue in office until 42 | |
| 1172 | 1175 | another is elected. The Speaker may appoint a Reading Clerk and shall appoint a 43 | |
| 1173 | 1176 | Sergeant-at-Arms, both of whom shall serve at the Speaker's pleasure. The Principal Clerk, 44 | |
| 1174 | 1177 | Reading Clerk, and Sergeant-at-Arms shall have and perform duties and responsibilities, not 45 | |
| 1175 | 1178 | inconsistent with these rules, as the Speaker may assign. Unless directed otherwise by the 46 | |
| 1176 | 1179 | Speaker on behalf of the House, the Principal Clerk or an employee designated by the Principal 47 | |
| 1177 | 1180 | Clerk shall receive House bills not approved by the Governor. 48 | |
| 1178 | 1181 | RULE 46. Assistants to Principal Clerk and Sergeant-at-Arms. – The Principal 49 | |
| 1179 | 1182 | Clerk and the Sergeant-at-Arms may appoint, with the approval of the Speaker, such assistants 50 | |
| 1180 | 1183 | as may be necessary to the efficient discharge of the duties of their respective offices. 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 1181 | - | Page 24 | |
| 1184 | + | Page 24 DRHR30003-MC-7 | |
| 1182 | 1185 | RULE 47. Speaker's Staff; Chaplain; and Pages. – (a) The Speaker may appoint 1 | |
| 1183 | 1186 | one or more staff members to the Speaker, a Chaplain of the House, and pages to wait upon the 2 | |
| 1184 | 1187 | sessions of the House. 3 | |
| 1185 | 1188 | (b) When the House is not in session, the pages shall be under the supervision of 4 | |
| 1186 | 1189 | the Supervisor of Pages. 5 | |
| 1187 | 1190 | (c) The Speaker, at the request of a member, may appoint honorary pages. 6 | |
| 1188 | 1191 | RULE 48. Member's Staff. – (a) Each standing committee shall have a committee 7 | |
| 1189 | 1192 | assistant. The committee assistant to a standing committee shall serve as staff to the chair of the 8 | |
| 1190 | 1193 | standing committee. 9 | |
| 1191 | 1194 | (b) Each member shall be assigned a legislative assistant, unless the member has 10 | |
| 1192 | 1195 | a committee assistant to serve as legislative assistant. 11 | |
| 1193 | 1196 | (c) The selection and retention of legislative assistants shall be the sole 12 | |
| 1194 | 1197 | prerogative of the individual member or members. Such staff shall file initial applications for 13 | |
| 1195 | 1198 | employment with the Director of Legislative Assistants and shall receive compensation as 14 | |
| 1196 | 1199 | prescribed by the Legislative Services Commission. Their period of employment shall comply 15 | |
| 1197 | 1200 | with the period as established by the Legislative Services Commission unless employment for an 16 | |
| 1198 | 1201 | extended period is approved by the Speaker. The legislative assistants shall adhere to such 17 | |
| 1199 | 1202 | uniform rules and regulations not inconsistent with these rules regarding hours and other 18 | |
| 1200 | 1203 | conditions of employment as the Legislative Services Commission shall fix by appropriate 19 | |
| 1201 | 1204 | regulations. The Director of House Legislative Assistants shall be appointed by the Speaker. 20 | |
| 1202 | 1205 | RULE 49. Compensation of Legislative Assistants. – No person employed, serving, 21 | |
| 1203 | 1206 | or appointed under Rules 46, 47, and 48 shall receive during such employment, appointment, or 22 | |
| 1204 | 1207 | service any compensation from any department of the State government, and there shall not be 23 | |
| 1205 | 1208 | voted, paid, or awarded any additional pay, bonus, or gratuity to any of them; but they shall 24 | |
| 1206 | 1209 | receive only the pay now provided by law for such duties and services. 25 | |
| 1207 | 1210 | VIII. Privileges of the Hall 26 | |
| 1208 | 1211 | RULE 50. Admittance to Floor. – (a) No person except members, officers, and 27 | |
| 1209 | 1212 | designated employees of the General Assembly who have been issued identification tags as 28 | |
| 1210 | 1213 | provided by this rule, and former members of the General Assembly who are not registered under 29 | |
| 1211 | 1214 | the provisions of Article 2 of Chapter 120C of the General Statutes, shall be allowed on the floor 30 | |
| 1212 | 1215 | of the House during its session, unless permitted by the Speaker or otherwise provided by law. 31 | |
| 1213 | 1216 | Employees of the General Assembly shall wear identification tags, approved by the Legislative 32 | |
| 1214 | 1217 | Services Officer, when on the floor of the House. 33 | |
| 1215 | 1218 | (b) Except when a committee is meeting on the floor of the House, a person who 34 | |
| 1216 | 1219 | is not authorized to be admitted to the floor under subsection (a) of this rule shall not be allowed 35 | |
| 1217 | 1220 | to enter the Chamber until at least five minutes after adjournment or recess of the House. 36 | |
| 1218 | 1221 | RULE 51. Admittance of Press. – Reporters wishing to take down debates may be 37 | |
| 1219 | 1222 | admitted by the Speaker, who shall assign such places to them on the floor or elsewhere, to effect 38 | |
| 1220 | 1223 | this object, as shall not interfere with the convenience of the House. Reporters admitted to the 39 | |
| 1221 | 1224 | floor of the House shall observe the same requirements of attire for members contained in Rule 40 | |
| 1222 | 1225 | 12(h). 41 | |
| 1223 | 1226 | RULE 52. Extending Courtesies. – Courtesies of the floor, galleries, or lobby shall 42 | |
| 1224 | 1227 | be extended at the discretion of the Speaker and only by the Speaker. Requests by members to 43 | |
| 1225 | 1228 | extend these courtesies shall be delivered to the Speaker. No member shall orally ask the Speaker 44 | |
| 1226 | 1229 | to extend these courtesies during the daily session. 45 | |
| 1227 | 1230 | RULE 53. Order in House Chamber, Galleries, and Lobby. – In case of any 46 | |
| 1228 | 1231 | disturbance or disorderly conduct in the House Chamber, galleries, or lobby, the Speaker or other 47 | |
| 1229 | 1232 | presiding officer is empowered to order the same to be cleared to the extent they deem necessary. 48 | |
| 1230 | 1233 | IX. General Rules 49 | |
| 1231 | 1234 | RULE 54. Attendance of Members. – Members and officers of the House shall 50 | |
| 1232 | 1235 | request leaves from the service of the House with the Principal Clerk. 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 1233 | - | ||
| 1236 | + | DRHR30003-MC-7 Page 25 | |
| 1234 | 1237 | RULE 55. Documents to Be Signed by the Speaker. – All acts, addresses, and 1 | |
| 1235 | 1238 | resolutions and all warrants and subpoenas issued by order of the House shall be signed by the 2 | |
| 1236 | 1239 | Speaker or other presiding officer. 3 | |
| 1237 | 1240 | RULE 56. Printing or Reproducing Materials. – There shall be no printing or 4 | |
| 1238 | 1241 | reproducing of paper(s) that are not legislative in essence except upon approval of the Speaker. 5 | |
| 1239 | 1242 | RULE 57. Placement or Circulation of Materials. – Persons other than members of 6 | |
| 1240 | 1243 | the House shall not place or cause to be placed any materials on members' desks in the House 7 | |
| 1241 | 1244 | Chamber without obtaining approval of the Speaker. Any material placed on members' desks in 8 | |
| 1242 | 1245 | the House Chamber, or circulated to House members anywhere in the Legislative Building or the 9 | |
| 1243 | 1246 | Legislative Office Building, shall bear the name of the originator. 10 | |
| 1244 | 1247 | RULE 58. Rescission and Alteration of the Rules. – (a) These rules shall not be 11 | |
| 1245 | 1248 | permanently rescinded or altered except by House simple resolution passed by a two-thirds vote 12 | |
| 1246 | 1249 | of the members present and voting. The introducer of the resolution must on the floor of the 13 | |
| 1247 | 1250 | House give notice of intent to introduce the resolution on the legislative day preceding its 14 | |
| 1248 | 1251 | introduction. 15 | |
| 1249 | 1252 | (b) Except as otherwise provided herein, the House upon two-thirds vote of the 16 | |
| 1250 | 1253 | members present and voting may temporarily suspend any rule. 17 | |
| 1251 | 1254 | RULE 58.1. Temporary Modifications Due to State of Emergency. – (a) The 18 | |
| 1252 | 1255 | following modifications to these rules shall apply 24 hours after receipt by the Majority Leader, 19 | |
| 1253 | 1256 | the Minority Leader, and the Principal Clerk of written notification filed by the Speaker: 20 | |
| 1254 | 1257 | (1) RULE 12(i) shall read as follows: "(i) The use of a mobile device or 21 | |
| 1255 | 1258 | cellular phone for the purpose of making or receiving a phone call shall not 22 | |
| 1256 | 1259 | be permitted in the House Chamber while the House is in session, except the 23 | |
| 1257 | 1260 | Majority Leader, the Minority Leader, and a designee of a Leader under Rule 24 | |
| 1258 | 1261 | 22.1(c) may use a mobile device or cellular phone during a vote to 25 | |
| 1259 | 1262 | communicate in real time with members who have filed a voting designation 26 | |
| 1260 | 1263 | pursuant to Rule 22.1, provided the use does not otherwise disrupt the 27 | |
| 1261 | 1264 | decorum of the chamber." 28 | |
| 1262 | 1265 | (2) RULE 13(a) shall read as follows: "RULE 13. Motions Generally. – (a) A 29 | |
| 1263 | 1266 | motion that is complex, complicated, or otherwise not easily understood shall 30 | |
| 1264 | 1267 | be reduced to writing at the request of the Speaker or any member. No motion 31 | |
| 1265 | 1268 | relating to a bill shall be in order that does not identify the bill by its number 32 | |
| 1266 | 1269 | and short title. No motion may be made, nor business presented, by a member 33 | |
| 1267 | 1270 | who has filed a voting designation pursuant to Rule 22.1 affirming the member 34 | |
| 1268 | 1271 | will not be present in the House during the time the designation is in effect 35 | |
| 1269 | 1272 | and has not been revoked." 36 | |
| 1270 | 1273 | (3) The rules are amended by adding a new rule to read: "RULE 22.1. Designated 37 | |
| 1271 | 1274 | Voting. – (a) A member who is not present may designate either the Majority 38 | |
| 1272 | 1275 | or the Minority Leader to cast the member's vote if the member has filed a 39 | |
| 1273 | 1276 | voting designation with the Principal Clerk and at least 61 members have 40 | |
| 1274 | 1277 | voted in the House Chamber when the question is put, after which the Speaker 41 | |
| 1275 | 1278 | shall call upon the Majority and Minority Leaders to cast the votes of members 42 | |
| 1276 | 1279 | who have made a designation pursuant to this Rule. 43 | |
| 1277 | 1280 | (b) A designation shall be in writing and on a form made available by the 44 | |
| 1278 | 1281 | Principal Clerk. In order to be effective for that legislative day, the 45 | |
| 1279 | 1282 | designation must be received by the Principal Clerk at least one hour 46 | |
| 1280 | 1283 | prior to the time the House is scheduled to convene. The designation 47 | |
| 1281 | 1284 | shall state the member will not be present in the House, shall identify 48 | |
| 1282 | 1285 | either the Majority or Minority Leader as the member's voting 49 | |
| 1283 | 1286 | designee, and shall include both a commencement and expiration date. 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 1284 | - | Page 26 | |
| 1287 | + | Page 26 DRHR30003-MC-7 | |
| 1285 | 1288 | A designation may be revoked at any time by notifying the Principal 1 | |
| 1286 | 1289 | Clerk. 2 | |
| 1287 | 1290 | (c) The designated Leader may appoint another member to cast all votes 3 | |
| 1288 | 1291 | designated to that Leader." 4 | |
| 1289 | 1292 | (4) RULE 22(b) shall read as follows: "(b) Except as provided in Rule 22.1, no 5 | |
| 1290 | 1293 | member may vote unless the member is in the Chamber. This subsection of 6 | |
| 1291 | 1294 | this rule cannot be suspended." 7 | |
| 1292 | 1295 | (4a) RULE 24(c) shall read as follows: "(c) No member may change a vote 8 | |
| 1293 | 1296 | without leave of the House, but such leave shall not be granted if it affects the 9 | |
| 1294 | 1297 | result or if the session in which the vote was taken has been adjourned. 10 | |
| 1295 | 1298 | No member who cast a vote using the designated voting procedure allowed 11 | |
| 1296 | 1299 | under Rule 22.1 may change that vote without leave of the House, but such 12 | |
| 1297 | 1300 | leave shall not be granted if it affects the result or if the session in which that 13 | |
| 1298 | 1301 | vote was taken has been adjourned. A member who voted using the designated 14 | |
| 1299 | 1302 | voting procedure allowed under Rule 22.1 may request a vote change by 15 | |
| 1300 | 1303 | submitting a written request to the Leader the member originally designated 16 | |
| 1301 | 1304 | who shall deliver the request to the Principal Clerk who shall officially receive 17 | |
| 1302 | 1305 | it. The Principal Clerk shall provide a form to be used by members to request 18 | |
| 1303 | 1306 | a change to a vote cast pursuant to Rule 22.1." 19 | |
| 1304 | 1307 | (5) RULE 26(e) shall read as follows: "(e) The chair or acting chair, designated 20 | |
| 1305 | 1308 | by the chair or by the Speaker, and five other members of the standing 21 | |
| 1306 | 1309 | committee, or a majority of the standing committee, whichever is fewer, shall 22 | |
| 1307 | 1310 | constitute a quorum of that standing committee. A quorum of less than a 23 | |
| 1308 | 1311 | majority of all the members must include at least one member of the minority 24 | |
| 1309 | 1312 | party. For purposes of determining a quorum, the Chair of the Standing 25 | |
| 1310 | 1313 | Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House; the Speaker Pro 26 | |
| 1311 | 1314 | Tempore; the Majority Leader; and the Deputy Majority Leader, when serving 27 | |
| 1312 | 1315 | only as ex officio members under subsection (d) of this rule, shall be counted 28 | |
| 1313 | 1316 | among the membership of the committee only when present or participating 29 | |
| 1314 | 1317 | remotely pursuant to Rule 28(a). A committee member who is participating 30 | |
| 1315 | 1318 | remotely under Rule 28(a) shall be counted as present for quorum purposes." 31 | |
| 1316 | 1319 | (6) RULE 28(a) shall read as follows: "RULE 28. Standing Committee 32 | |
| 1317 | 1320 | Meetings. – (a) Standing committees shall be furnished with suitable meeting 33 | |
| 1318 | 1321 | places pursuant to a schedule established by the Chair of the Standing 34 | |
| 1319 | 1322 | Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House. Select 35 | |
| 1320 | 1323 | committees shall be furnished with suitable meeting places as their needs 36 | |
| 1321 | 1324 | require by the Chair of the Standing Committee on Rules, Calendar, and 37 | |
| 1322 | 1325 | Operations of the House. Committees may conduct meetings with members 38 | |
| 1323 | 1326 | participating remotely and such members may vote on any measure or motion 39 | |
| 1324 | 1327 | before the committee provided all of the following requirements are met: 40 | |
| 1325 | 1328 | (1) Each member is able to communicate, in real time, with all other 41 | |
| 1326 | 1329 | members by (i) in-person communication, (ii) remote communication 42 | |
| 1327 | 1330 | using devices or programs that transmit audio or audio and video, or 43 | |
| 1328 | 1331 | (iii) both. 44 | |
| 1329 | 1332 | (2) All documents considered by the committee are provided to members. 45 | |
| 1330 | 1333 | (3) The committee otherwise complies with G.S. 143-318.13(a)." 46 | |
| 1331 | 1334 | (7) RULE 32(d) is repealed. 47 | |
| 1332 | 1335 | (8) RULE 36(b) shall read as follows: "(b) Favorable Report. – When a 48 | |
| 1333 | 1336 | standing committee reports a bill with the recommendation that it be passed, 49 | |
| 1334 | 1337 | the bill shall be placed on the favorable calendar on the day designated by the 50 | |
| 1335 | 1338 | Chair of the Standing Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 1336 | - | ||
| 1339 | + | DRHR30003-MC-7 Page 27 | |
| 1337 | 1340 | House, but no later than the fourth legislative day after submission of the 1 | |
| 1338 | 1341 | report or Senate message under Rule 43.2 or Rule 43.3(a), unless: 2 | |
| 1339 | 1342 | (1) The bill is re-referred to the Committee on Appropriations or 3 | |
| 1340 | 1343 | Committee on Finance under Rule 38 or was serially referred under 4 | |
| 1341 | 1344 | Rule 32; or 5 | |
| 1342 | 1345 | (2) The bill has not yet been placed on the calendar, and the Speaker refers 6 | |
| 1343 | 1346 | the bill to another committee. 7 | |
| 1344 | 1347 | In order to place a bill on the calendar for a legislative day, notice shall be 8 | |
| 1345 | 1348 | given by the Chair of the Standing Committee on Rules, Calendar, and 9 | |
| 1346 | 1349 | Operations of the House orally in the House or in writing to the Principal 10 | |
| 1347 | 1350 | Clerk. When a committee substitute is adopted and receives a favorable report 11 | |
| 1348 | 1351 | by the standing committee, the chair shall submit to the standing committee 12 | |
| 1349 | 1352 | the question of an unfavorable report on the original bill. The standing 13 | |
| 1350 | 1353 | committee's action, if any, on the original bill shall be reported at the same 14 | |
| 1351 | 1354 | time the committee substitute is reported." 15 | |
| 1352 | 1355 | (9) RULE 41 shall read as follows: "RULE 41. Reading of Bills. – Every bill 16 | |
| 1353 | 1356 | shall receive three readings in the House prior to its passage. The Speaker 17 | |
| 1354 | 1357 | shall give notice at each subsequent reading whether it is the second or third; 18 | |
| 1355 | 1358 | provided, no bill governed by Section 23 of Article II of the North Carolina 19 | |
| 1356 | 1359 | Constitution herein shall be read twice on one day under any circumstance." 20 | |
| 1357 | 1360 | (10) Notwithstanding Rule 44(d), a conference report may be placed on the 21 | |
| 1358 | 1361 | calendar for the legislative day on which the report is received. The Speaker 22 | |
| 1359 | 1362 | shall provide notice as soon as practicable to the Majority Leader and the 23 | |
| 1360 | 1363 | Minority Leader if the Speaker anticipates a conference report will be placed 24 | |
| 1361 | 1364 | on the favorable calendar the same day the report is received. 25 | |
| 1362 | 1365 | RULE 59. Cosponsorship of Bills and Resolutions, Removal of Sponsorship. – (a) 26 | |
| 1363 | 1366 | Except by leave of the primary sponsor, or as provided in subsection (d) of this rule, no member 27 | |
| 1364 | 1367 | may be listed as an additional primary sponsor on a bill after the bill has been filed. Except as 28 | |
| 1365 | 1368 | provided in subsection (d) of this rule, any member not listed as a preprinted cosponsor on the 29 | |
| 1366 | 1369 | computer-generated draft edition who wishes to cosponsor a bill or resolution which has been 30 | |
| 1367 | 1370 | introduced may do so by 5:00 P.M. of the calendar day following the adjournment of the session 31 | |
| 1368 | 1371 | during which such bill or resolution was first read and referred, but only electronically under 32 | |
| 1369 | 1372 | procedures approved by the Principal Clerk. 33 | |
| 1370 | 1373 | (b) Members wishing to cosponsor legislation prior to preparation of the draft 34 | |
| 1371 | 1374 | should indicate such to the drafter at the time the bill is requested and before filing the bill with 35 | |
| 1372 | 1375 | the Principal Clerk's office. The names of the members who are the primary sponsors shall be 36 | |
| 1373 | 1376 | listed in the order requested by them, followed by the words (Primary Sponsors); and the 37 | |
| 1374 | 1377 | remaining names of such members cosponsoring shall follow on the draft edition and first edition. 38 | |
| 1375 | 1378 | No more than four members may be listed as primary sponsors. Names of persons cosponsoring 39 | |
| 1376 | 1379 | bills thereafter under subsection (a) of this rule do not appear on subsequent editions but shall be 40 | |
| 1377 | 1380 | listed in the bill status system as cosponsors. 41 | |
| 1378 | 1381 | (c) No member shall permit anyone, other than that member's committee 42 | |
| 1379 | 1382 | assistant, legislative assistant, office assistant, or another member, to have possession of and 43 | |
| 1380 | 1383 | solicit for bill or resolution sponsorship, the jacket of a bill or resolution. 44 | |
| 1381 | 1384 | (d) Should any member wish to remove the member's sponsorship of a bill that is 45 | |
| 1382 | 1385 | substantially changed by a Senate amendment or a Senate committee substitute, the member shall 46 | |
| 1383 | 1386 | notify the House Principal Clerk before the bill is considered for concurrence. If no sponsors 47 | |
| 1384 | 1387 | remain on the bill, the House Principal Clerk shall notify the Chair of the Standing Committee 48 | |
| 1385 | 1388 | on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House who may request that other members sponsor 49 | |
| 1386 | 1389 | the bill. Removal of the first primary sponsor's name from a bill does not reduce the total number 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 | |
| 1387 | - | Page 28 | |
| 1390 | + | Page 28 DRHR30003-MC-7 | |
| 1388 | 1391 | of bills introduced by the member under Rule 31.1(d), and sponsorship of a bill after removal of 1 | |
| 1389 | 1392 | all sponsors is subject to Rule 31.1(d). 2 | |
| 1390 | 1393 | RULE 60. Correcting of Typographical Errors. – The Legislative Services Officer 3 | |
| 1391 | 1394 | may correct typographical errors appearing in House bills or resolutions or House amendments 4 | |
| 1392 | 1395 | to Senate bills provided that such corrections are made before ratification and do not conflict 5 | |
| 1393 | 1396 | with any actions or rules of the Senate and provided further that such correction be approved by 6 | |
| 1394 | 1397 | the Chair of the Standing Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House, the 7 | |
| 1395 | 1398 | Speaker, or other presiding officer. 8 | |
| 1396 | 1399 | RULE 61. Assignment of Seats. – After initial assignment of seats, a member shall 9 | |
| 1397 | 1400 | continue to occupy the seat to which initially assigned until assigned a permanent seat; once 10 | |
| 1398 | 1401 | assigned a permanent seat, the member shall occupy it for the entire biennial session. In event of 11 | |
| 1399 | 1402 | vacancy, the Speaker or the Chair of the Standing Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations 12 | |
| 1400 | 1403 | of the House may assign such permanent seats as are necessary to maintain seating. 13 | |
| 1401 | 1404 | RULE 61.1. Office Assignments. – The Chair of the Standing Committee on Rules, 14 | |
| 1402 | 1405 | Calendar, and Operations of the House shall assign to each member an office space. When 15 | |
| 1403 | 1406 | available, chairs of standing committees shall be assigned an office adjacent to the room in which 16 | |
| 1404 | 1407 | the standing committee generally meets if the Chair so desires. The Speaker shall be assigned an 17 | |
| 1405 | 1408 | office of his or her choice. 18 | |
| 1406 | 1409 | RULE 61.2. Convening and Assigning Seats in the New House. – (a) The Principal 19 | |
| 1407 | 1410 | Clerk of the previous House of Representatives shall convene the House of Representatives at 20 | |
| 1408 | 1411 | 12:00 P.M. on the date established by law for the convening of each regular session and preside 21 | |
| 1409 | 1412 | over the body until the members elect a Speaker. In the case of a vacancy, inability, or refusal to 22 | |
| 1410 | 1413 | so serve, the duty shall devolve upon the Sergeant-at-Arms of the prior House, and in the case of 23 | |
| 1411 | 1414 | a vacancy in that office, or inability or refusal to so serve, the duty shall devolve upon the Reading 24 | |
| 1412 | 1415 | Clerk of the prior House. 25 | |
| 1413 | 1416 | (b) It shall be the duty of the Chair of the Standing Committee on Rules, Calendar, 26 | |
| 1414 | 1417 | and Operations of the House of the prior House to assign temporary seats to the members of the 27 | |
| 1415 | 1418 | House of Representatives in its Chamber. In the case of the inability or refusal to serve of the 28 | |
| 1416 | 1419 | Chair of the Standing Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House, the Speaker 29 | |
| 1417 | 1420 | of the prior House of Representatives shall appoint a person to assign seats to members of the 30 | |
| 1418 | 1421 | House of Representatives in its Chamber. In the event that the party that had a majority of 31 | |
| 1419 | 1422 | members in the prior House will no longer have a majority of members in the new House, then 32 | |
| 1420 | 1423 | the duty assigned in this subsection to the Chair of the Committee of the prior House shall instead 33 | |
| 1421 | 1424 | be the duty of the person nominated as Speaker by the majority party caucus for the new House, 34 | |
| 1422 | 1425 | or some member-elect designated by the Speaker-nominee. In the event no party will have a 35 | |
| 1423 | 1426 | majority, then the duty assigned in this subsection to the Chair of the Committee of the prior 36 | |
| 1424 | 1427 | House shall instead be the joint duty of one person chosen each by the caucuses of the two parties 37 | |
| 1425 | 1428 | having the greatest numbers of members. 38 | |
| 1426 | 1429 | RULE 61.3. Livestreaming Sessions. – To the extent any session of the House is 39 | |
| 1427 | 1430 | livestreamed, the methods used for the livestreaming shall comply with the policies and 40 | |
| 1428 | 1431 | procedures established and published by the Principal Clerk. 41 | |
| 1429 | 1432 | RULE 62. Matters Not Covered in These Rules. – Except as herein set out, the rules 42 | |
| 1430 | 1433 | of Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure shall govern the operation of the House. 43 | |
| 1431 | 1434 | SECTION 2. This resolution is effective upon adoption. 44 |