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| 5 | 5 | | 2025 -- H 5036 |
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| 6 | 6 | | ======== |
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| 7 | 7 | | LC000534 |
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| 8 | 8 | | ======== |
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| 9 | 9 | | S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D |
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| 10 | 10 | | IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 11 | 11 | | JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025 |
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| 12 | 12 | | ____________ |
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| 13 | 13 | | |
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| 14 | 14 | | H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 15 | 15 | | AMENDING THE RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE YEARS |
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| 16 | 16 | | 2023 AND 2024 |
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| 17 | 17 | | Introduced By: Representatives Tanzi, and Cruz |
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| 18 | 18 | | Date Introduced: January 13, 2025 |
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| 19 | 19 | | Referred To: House Rules |
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| 20 | 20 | | |
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| 21 | 21 | | |
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| 22 | 22 | | RESOLVED, That section (12) of the rules of the House of Representatives adopted by 1 |
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| 23 | 23 | | the House of Representatives at its January session, A.D. 2023, entitled “House Resolution 2 |
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| 24 | 24 | | Adopting the Rules of the House of Representatives for the years 2023 and 2024”, be and the 3 |
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| 25 | 25 | | same is hereby amended to read as follows: 4 |
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| 26 | 26 | | (12)(a) Committees shall take into consideration all such petitions, resolves, bills, matters 5 |
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| 27 | 27 | | or things as may be referred to them by the House with power to report by bill or otherwise; 6 |
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| 28 | 28 | | provided, however, that committees shall, whenever possible, consider all bills of substantially 7 |
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| 29 | 29 | | the same or of a similar nature at the same time in a manner that is otherwise in conformity with 8 |
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| 30 | 30 | | these rules. 9 |
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| 31 | 31 | | (1) Any bill filed before or after the 40th legislative day, but subsequent to the hearing of 10 |
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| 32 | 32 | | a group of bills on the same subject matter pursuant to Rule 12(a), may or may not be assigned 11 |
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| 33 | 33 | | for hearing if it appears from the subject matter that the issues presented would be substantially 12 |
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| 34 | 34 | | similar to those matters already heard, even if a bill hearing request is filed pursuant to Rule 13 |
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| 35 | 35 | | 12(e). If heard, the chair of the committee may limit the testimony to those issues not addressed 14 |
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| 36 | 36 | | in the previous bill hearing. 15 |
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| 37 | 37 | | (b) A committee shall not consider any public bill or resolution not previously distributed 16 |
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| 38 | 38 | | in print or electronically to its members except by a vote of the majority of the members of the 17 |
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| 39 | 39 | | committee. 18 |
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| 40 | 40 | | (c) The Chair of every committee shall post, in print and electronically, at least forty-19 |
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| 41 | 41 | | |
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| 42 | 42 | | |
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| 43 | 43 | | LC000534 - Page 2 of 6 |
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| 44 | 44 | | eight (48) hours prior to any committee meeting, a list by number and title of the bills and 1 |
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| 45 | 45 | | resolutions to be heard at that meeting. Such postings shall be made electronically and on the 2 |
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| 46 | 46 | | Legislative Data Bulletin Board. The electronic posting shall be considered the official date of the 3 |
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| 47 | 47 | | posting. In the event that the electronic posting system is inoperable then the official posting shall 4 |
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| 48 | 48 | | be posted on the Legislative Data Bulletin Board. The Chair shall limit such listings to the 5 |
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| 49 | 49 | | number of bills or resolutions he or she reasonably expects can be taken up by the committee at 6 |
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| 50 | 50 | | that meeting. Any bill or resolution so posted which the committee is not able to take up at the 7 |
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| 51 | 51 | | stated meeting must be re-posted as stated above. Such postings shall be made electronically, and 8 |
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| 52 | 52 | | on the Legislative Data bulletin board. Copies of all posted bills or resolutions shall be provided 9 |
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| 53 | 53 | | in print or electronically to all committee members and principal sponsors. A committee shall not 10 |
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| 54 | 54 | | hear any said bill or resolution without such notice except by the consent of a majority of its 11 |
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| 55 | 55 | | members and with at least one (1) day's notification to the principal House sponsor. The sponsor 12 |
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| 56 | 56 | | may, however, waive such one-day notification. The time requirements of this section shall not 13 |
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| 57 | 57 | | apply to House bills returned from the Senate with amendment, or, after the 50th legislative day, 14 |
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| 58 | 58 | | to any bill originating in the Senate. 15 |
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| 59 | 59 | | (d) Every standing committee shall meet at least once weekly if any requests for hearings 16 |
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| 60 | 60 | | on or consideration of bills or resolutions are pending before it. The right to be heard on any such 17 |
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| 61 | 61 | | bill or resolution may be granted, upon written or electronic request, to the principal sponsor as 18 |
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| 62 | 62 | | provided in these rules. No committee shall hear more than thirty (30) bills (exclusive of city and 19 |
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| 63 | 63 | | town bills, corporate charter reinstatement bills, those to be placed on the consent calendar, and 20 |
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| 64 | 64 | | duplicate senate bills that have previously passed) at any one (1) meeting. 21 |
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| 65 | 65 | | (e) Upon receipt of a written request from the principal House sponsor of a bill or 22 |
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| 66 | 66 | | resolution, a copy of which is to be given to the recording clerk of the committee, the committee 23 |
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| 67 | 67 | | shall grant to said principal House sponsor a hearing on any said bill or resolution within thirty 24 |
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| 68 | 68 | | (30) calendar days of the request, subject to Rule 12(a), and provided further, that said committee 25 |
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| 69 | 69 | | shall grant to the principal House sponsor consideration of his or her bill or resolution prior to the 26 |
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| 70 | 70 | | deadline for committee action on such bill or resolution, also subject to Rule 12(a). The principal 27 |
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| 71 | 71 | | sponsor, with the concurrence of the Chair, may cancel a scheduled hearing with twenty-four (24) 28 |
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| 72 | 72 | | hours’ notice to the Chair, which notice shall be posted electronically. The Chair may cancel a 29 |
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| 73 | 73 | | bill hearing at any time, with the approval of the Speaker if in the Chair's discretion the bill is not 30 |
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| 74 | 74 | | ready to be heard in the committee. A hearing postponed twice at the sponsor’s request need not 31 |
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| 75 | 75 | | be re-scheduled, and shall also be subject to Rule 12(a). For the purpose of the rule, consideration 32 |
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| 76 | 76 | | shall mean a majority vote on one (1) of the following: 33 |
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| 77 | 77 | | (i) a motion to report the bill or resolution to the House with a recommendation of 34 |
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| 78 | 78 | | |
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| 79 | 79 | | |
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| 80 | 80 | | LC000534 - Page 3 of 6 |
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| 81 | 81 | | passage; 1 |
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| 82 | 82 | | (ii) a motion to report the bill or resolution as amended, or in substitute form, to the 2 |
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| 83 | 83 | | House with a recommendation of passage; or 3 |
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| 84 | 84 | | (iii) a motion to report the bill or resolution to the House without recommendation; or 4 |
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| 85 | 85 | | (iv) a motion to report the bill or resolution to the House with a recommendation of no 5 |
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| 86 | 86 | | passage; or 6 |
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| 87 | 87 | | (v) a motion to report the bill or resolution to the House with a recommendation that it be 7 |
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| 88 | 88 | | held for further study.; or 8 |
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| 89 | 89 | | (vi) a motion to report the bill or resolution as introduced and unamended, amended, or in 9 |
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| 90 | 90 | | substitute form, to the House with a recommendation of passage. 10 |
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| 91 | 91 | | In the event of a tie vote on any of the motions specified in (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) or, (v) or (vi) 11 |
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| 92 | 92 | | hereof, the bill or resolution shall be lost. 12 |
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| 93 | 93 | | The originals of bills or resolutions which have failed in committee shall be transmitted 13 |
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| 94 | 94 | | by the committee clerks to the Secretary of State for the State Archives, with an appropriate 14 |
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| 95 | 95 | | notation thereon at the time specified in R.I.G.L. 15 |
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| 96 | 96 | | The originals of bills or resolutions which have passed out of committee pursuant to rule 16 |
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| 97 | 97 | | 12(e)(vi), shall be placed on the House calendar at the sole discretion of the Speaker. 17 |
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| 98 | 98 | | (f) Committee Chairs shall bring reports of committee actions to the floor no later than 18 |
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| 99 | 99 | | two (2) weeks following the committee votes thereon, provided that this shall not apply to the 19 |
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| 100 | 100 | | Committee on Finance, nor shall it apply to bills being held for further study under subdivision 20 |
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| 101 | 101 | | (e)(v). A committee member may move reconsideration of any vote taken under Rule 12(e)(i)-(iv) 21 |
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| 102 | 102 | | so long as the bill or resolution which was the subject of the vote remains in the possession of the 22 |
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| 103 | 103 | | committee and that the motion is made by a member voting in the majority. A motion to 23 |
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| 104 | 104 | | reconsider in committee shall not be debated. 24 |
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| 105 | 105 | | Bills or resolutions concerning appropriations, revenue or expenditures shall not be 25 |
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| 106 | 106 | | subject to the above time limits. 26 |
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| 107 | 107 | | (g) In the event a committee fails to afford consideration to any bill or resolution within 27 |
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| 108 | 108 | | the prescribed time where such consideration has been properly requested, and where no other 28 |
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| 109 | 109 | | exceptions or considerations apply by the rules herein, the principal sponsor may report such 29 |
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| 110 | 110 | | failure in writing to the Speaker of the House and the Speaker thereupon may order the immediate 30 |
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| 111 | 111 | | discharge of the bill or resolution from a committee to the House floor. 31 |
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| 112 | 112 | | (h) All bills or resolutions reported from committee shall be placed on the calendar or, 32 |
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| 113 | 113 | | pursuant to the restrictions of these rules, on the consent calendar for the required period of time 33 |
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| 114 | 114 | | according to these rules before House consideration. Bills and resolutions reported from 34 |
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| 115 | 115 | | |
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| 116 | 116 | | |
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| 117 | 117 | | LC000534 - Page 4 of 6 |
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| 118 | 118 | | committees and received by the Clerk of the House prior to the convening of the session on a 1 |
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| 119 | 119 | | given legislative day shall be deemed to have been received, and therefore in order to be placed 2 |
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| 120 | 120 | | upon the appropriate calendar, as of that day. Bills and resolutions so received after the convening 3 |
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| 121 | 121 | | of the session on a given legislative day shall be deemed to have been received, and therefore in 4 |
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| 122 | 122 | | order to be placed upon the appropriate calendar, on the next legislative day and shall be 5 |
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| 123 | 123 | | considered a part of that day’s business. 6 |
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| 124 | 124 | | House Rule 12(e) regarding the necessity to hold a hearing at the sponsor’s request 7 |
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| 125 | 125 | | through 12(h) pertaining to the timing of placing a bill onto the floor calendar shall not apply to 8 |
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| 126 | 126 | | any bill or resolution which shall have originated in the Senate. 9 |
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| 127 | 127 | | (i) No public bill or resolution which originated in the House shall be considered by a 10 |
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| 128 | 128 | | House committee unless the committee has held a hearing on that bill or resolution by April 11, 11 |
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| 129 | 129 | | 2023 (for the 2023 session) and on or before April 10, 2024 (for the 2024 session), and 12 |
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| 130 | 130 | | thereafter the committees of the House shall not consider public bills or resolutions except those 13 |
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| 131 | 131 | | which have been acted upon by the Senate and transmitted by the Senate to the House of 14 |
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| 132 | 132 | | Representatives, provided however, that the committee on finance may hear and consider such 15 |
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| 133 | 133 | | House bills, acts or resolutions as it deems to have a fiscal impact after April 11, 2023 (for the 16 |
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| 134 | 134 | | 2023 session) and after April 10, 2024 (for the 2024 session), except as provided in section (j) 17 |
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| 135 | 135 | | hereof, and provided further, that each other House committee may complete consideration of not 18 |
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| 136 | 136 | | more than three (3) House bills or resolutions after such date, on which such committee had not 19 |
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| 137 | 137 | | been able to complete action, upon approval by the Speaker of a written request from the Chair. 20 |
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| 138 | 138 | | All such requests must be filed with the Clerk of the House no later than April 11, 2023 (for the 21 |
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| 139 | 139 | | 2023 session) and on or before April 10, 2024 (for the 2024 session). The provisions of this 22 |
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| 140 | 140 | | paragraph shall not apply to House bills of which Senate duplicates have passed the House. 23 |
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| 141 | 141 | | (j) No House bill which relates to an individual's pension or retirement shall be accepted 24 |
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| 142 | 142 | | as a committee report from the committee on finance unless it shall have been considered by the 25 |
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| 143 | 143 | | committee on or before April 11, 2023 (for the 2023 session) and on or before April 10, 2024 26 |
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| 144 | 144 | | (for the 2024 session), and shall have been heard in the committee no later than one (1) week 27 |
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| 145 | 145 | | prior to that date. 28 |
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| 146 | 146 | | (k) Transfers –The Speaker or the Speaker’s designee may direct the transfer of a bill or 29 |
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| 147 | 147 | | resolution from one committee to another at any time. The committee receiving the transferred 30 |
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| 148 | 148 | | bill or resolution must comply with the posting and time requirements of this section. 31 |
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| 149 | 149 | | (l) Members of a committee shall, if present, cast a vote on legislation before the 32 |
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| 150 | 150 | | committee, unless prior to the discussion of the bill and vote, the member has recused in 33 |
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| 151 | 151 | | accordance with the provisions of the Code of Ethics, RIGL §36-14-6. The member shall sign a 34 |
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| 152 | 152 | | |
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| 153 | 153 | | |
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| 154 | 154 | | LC000534 - Page 5 of 6 |
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| 155 | 155 | | recusal form, and the Clerk of the Committee shall note the member's recusal on the bill vote 1 |
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| 156 | 156 | | sheet. 2 |
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| 157 | 157 | | (m) Any proposed committee amendment to a bill, in a substitute amended bill format, 3 |
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| 158 | 158 | | shall be posted in print and electronically by the chair of the committee hearing the bill at least 4 |
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| 159 | 159 | | twenty-four (24) hours prior to its committee consideration. Such postings shall be made on the 5 |
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| 160 | 160 | | legislative data bulletin board and electronically. The electronic posting shall be considered the 6 |
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| 161 | 161 | | official date of the posting. In the event that the electronic posting system is inoperable, then the 7 |
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| 162 | 162 | | official posting shall be posted on the legislative data bulletin board. The chair of the committee 8 |
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| 163 | 163 | | may waive this twenty-four (24) hours posting requirement, if he or she deems the proposed 9 |
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| 164 | 164 | | amendment either technical, grammatical, or not substantive or substantial in nature. This section 10 |
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| 165 | 165 | | shall not apply to the budget bill. 11 |
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| 166 | 166 | | (n) Any member, with respect to three (3) bills, shall be permitted to require that the chair 12 |
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| 167 | 167 | | of any committee, after conducting a hearing on a bill which the member was the sponsor and has 13 |
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| 168 | 168 | | been subsequently held for further study, either: 14 |
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| 169 | 169 | | (1) Authorize a substitute bill at the request of the bill's sponsor; or 15 |
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| 170 | 170 | | (2) Require the committee to conduct a vote on whether the bill may be sent to the House 16 |
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| 171 | 171 | | floor for a vote at the request of the bill's sponsor. Any bill voted out of committee pursuant to 17 |
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| 172 | 172 | | this subsection may be held and be subject to placement on the floor calendar by the Speaker. 18 |
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| 173 | 173 | | ======== |
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| 174 | 174 | | LC000534 |
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| 175 | 175 | | ======== |
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| 176 | 176 | | |
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| 177 | 177 | | |
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| 178 | 178 | | LC000534 - Page 6 of 6 |
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| 179 | 179 | | EXPLANATION |
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| 180 | 180 | | BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL |
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| 181 | 181 | | OF |
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| 182 | 182 | | H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 183 | 183 | | AMENDING THE RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE YEARS |
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| 184 | 184 | | 2023 AND 2024 |
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| 185 | 185 | | *** |
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| 186 | 186 | | This resolution would amend the House Rules to enable any member to have up to three 1 |
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| 187 | 187 | | (3) bills that are held for further study either substituted in committee or allowed to have a 2 |
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| 188 | 188 | | committee vote for placement on the floor calendar exclusively at the discretion of the Speaker. 3 |
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| 189 | 189 | | ======== |
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| 190 | 190 | | LC000534 |
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| 191 | 191 | | ======== |
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