2023 -- H 5135
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LC000642
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S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
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H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N
AMENDING THE RULES O F THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE YEARS
2021 AND 2022
Introduced By: Representatives Newberry, and Place
Date Introduced: January 13, 2023
Referred To: House Rules
RESOLVED, That section (7) of the rules for the House of Representatives adopted by 1
the House of Representatives at its January session A.D. 2021 entitled "House Resolution 2
Adopting the Rules of the House of Representatives for the years 2021 and 2022", be and the 3
same hereby amended to read as follows: 4
Rules Pertaining to the Order of Business 5
(7)(a) The Speaker, or the Speaker’s designee, shall prepare the floor calendar for each 6
legislative day. The calendar shall be printed or made available electronically to the members 7
daily. During the legislative session, the House shall convene at 4 p.m. provided that the Speaker, 8
with adequate notice to the members, may convene the House at another time. 9
(b) At the commencement of each day's session the roll shall be called or taken by use of 10
the electronic voting system. If a quorum is determined to be present the Speaker shall seek 11
approval of the previous day’s journal and thereafter proceed to business. The order of business, 12
unless the Speaker determines otherwise, shall be as follows: 13
(i) Reports of standing and select committees. 14
(ii) Introduction and reference of new business. 15
(iii) Communications, including communications from the Senate. 16
(iv) Unfinished business in which the House was engaged at the time of last adjournment. 17
(v) Consent calendar. 18
(vi) Calendar. 19
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(vii) Introduction of guests and announcements. 1
(viii) Matters of personal privilege. 2
(ix) Recess or adjournment. 3
(c) A representative desiring to introduce a bill or resolution shall file the same with the 4
Clerk of the House. At the request of any representative, an announcement presented to the 5
Speaker may be placed directly in the House Journal noting his or her absence from session. The 6
Speaker, in his or her discretion, may authorize the use of electronic signatures to facilitate the 7
legislative process. If the Speaker authorizes the utilization of electronic signatures by members, 8
the following shall apply: 9
(i) Members shall be provided the option to utilize electronic signatures only by means of 10
a secure electronic signature procedure provided by the Speaker to the members; 11
(ii) An electronic signature executed pursuant to this rule shall be deemed and interpreted 12
as the member’s legal and binding signature; 13
(iii) Only a member of the House may execute an electronic signature pursuant to this 14
rule. A member shall be strictly prohibited to request or permit another person to execute an 15
electronic signature on his or her behalf. 16
(d) All bills and resolutions shall be filed no later than February 11, 2021 (for the 2021 17
session) and February 10, 2022 (for the 2022 session). The provisions of this section shall not 18
apply to city or town bills, to bills for the reinstatement of corporate charters, to bills relating to 19
the solemnization of marriages, appropriations and budget bills, or to bills to create or extend the 20
reporting dates of study commissions. Further, a member may introduce a public bill or resolution 21
after this date in February if one day previous to such introduction, the member shall have 22
notified the House of his or her intention to introduce such bill or resolution by reading the title 23
and giving a brief explanation of its purpose. A member may avail himself or herself of the 24
opportunity afforded by this rule three (3) times only in each calendar year, but in no event after 25
the fortieth (40
th
) legislative day unless the matter is submitted with the approval of the Speaker. 26
House Committees may, but shall not be obligated to, hear and consider public bills or resolutions 27
approved for introduction pursuant to this rule. 28
(e) Any bill or resolution introduced on or before April 13, 2021 (for the 2021 session) 29
and on or before April 12, 2022 (for the 2022 session): 30
(i) if filed after the convening of the session, shall be in order for the first reading and 31
where appropriate, assignment to committee, as early as the next legislative day and shall be 32
considered a part of the days business, provided that the Speaker may direct that any given 33
measure may be treated in accord with subparagraph (ii) below, and 34
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(ii) if filed prior to the convening of the session in the instance where the desk has been 1
left open to receive matters, shall be in order for the first reading and, where appropriate, 2
assignment to committee, as early as that day. 3
(iii) All bills or resolutions introduced after April 13, 2021 (for the 2021 session) and 4
after April 12, 2022 (for the 2022 session) shall be in order for the first reading and, may be 5
assigned to committee, as early as the day of introduction. 6
(iv) In the discretion of the Speaker, any bill filed after the convening of the session on 7
the last legislative day of any week shall also be in order for the first reading as early as the next 8
day and assigned to committee as if the desk were left open. 9
(f) The Clerk of the House shall cause the title and numbers of all bills and resolutions 10
introduced, along with the names of up to ten (10) co-sponsors, to be published in the House 11
Journal for the day on which said bill or resolution is deemed, as herein provided, to have been 12
introduced. 13
(g) Whenever a member has requested that the text of a resolution be read into the House 14
Journal, the Speaker may, at his or her discretion, comply with the request and have the resolution 15
read either during a recess, while the House is at ease or following adjournment. The decorum of 16
the House shall be maintained throughout the requested reading of the resolution. 17
(h) The Clerk of the House shall prepare and publish in the House Journal an index of all 18
rulings made by the Speaker. The index shall contain the question decided by the Speaker, the 19
reasons assigned by the Speaker for his rulings which were appealed, the final vote of the House 20
members with respect to each appeal, and the date of the ruling and vote. 21
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N
AMENDING THE RULES O F THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE YEARS
2021 AND 2022
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This resolution would require the Clerk of the House to prepare and publish in the House 1
Journal an index of all rulings made by the Speaker. 2
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