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H.R. 2

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HOUSE RULES RESOLUTION - ADMITTANCE

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TO HOUSE CHAMBER

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1997 GENERAL SESSION

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STATE OF UTAH

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Sponsor: John W. Hickman

6    Greg J. Curtis
7    Jeff Alexander
Steve Barth
Neal B. Hendrickson
Raymond W. Short
David Ure


8    A RESOLUTION OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REVISING HOUSE RULES;
9    CLARIFYING AND MODIFYING PROVISIONS GOVERNING ACCESS TO THE HOUSE
10    AREA; MAKING TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE
11    DATE.
12    This resolution affects legislative rules as follows:
13    AMENDS:
14         HR-33.06
15    REPEALS AND REENACTS:
16         HR-33.01
17    Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the state of Utah:
18        Section 1. HR-33.01 is repealed and reenacted to read:
19         HR-33.01. Admittance to House Chamber.
20        (1) As used in this rule:
21        (a) "Former legislator" means a person who is not a current member of the Legislature, but
22    who served in the Utah House or Senate at one time.
23        (b) "Governor's staff" means:
24        (i) a person employed directly by the Office of the Governor or the Office of the
25    Lieutenant Governor; and
26        (ii) the director of the Office of Planning and Budget.
27        (c) "Guest" means a person who is not a legislator, legislative employee, a member of


1    professional legislative staff, an intern, a former legislator, a lobbyist, the governor, the lieutenant
2    governor, or a member of the governor's staff.
3        (d) "House halls" means the passageways that allow access to the House chamber, House
4    lounge, House offices, and other areas behind and adjoining the House chamber.
5        (e) (i) "House offices" means the offices behind and adjacent to the House chamber and
6    the reception areas connected to them.
7        (ii) "House offices" includes the rules committee conference room.
8        (f) (i) "House space" means the House chamber, House lounge, House offices, the House
9    halls, and the other areas behind and adjoining the House chamber.
10        (ii) "House space" does not mean the common public space outside the front of the House
11    chamber.
12        (g) "Immediate family" means any parent, spouse, child, grandparent, grandchild,
13    great-grandparent, great-grandchild, or sibling of a member of the House who is not a lobbyist.
14        (h) "Intern" means a person who is an official participant in the intern program sponsored
15    by the Utah Legislature.
16        (i) (i) "Lobbyist" means either:
17        (A) a person required to register as a lobbyist by Section 36-11-103; or
18        (B) a person who is seeking to influence any legislator to vote for or vote against any
19    legislation.
20        (ii) "Lobbyist" does not mean the governor, lieutenant governor, or the governor's staff.
21        (2) (a) While the House is convened in annual general session or special session and
22    except as provided in Subsections (b), (c), (d), and (e):
23        (i) only legislators, legislative employees, professional legislative staff, interns, former
24    legislators who are not lobbyists, the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the governor's staff,
25    are allowed in the House chamber; and
26        (ii) a representative may have no more than one guest in the House chamber at any one
27    time.
28        (b) A representative may invite only one of the following to sit next to the representative
29    in the House chamber:
30        (i) a member of the representative's immediate family;
31        (ii) another legislator;

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1        (iii) a legislative employee;
2        (iv) a member of professional legislative staff; or
3        (v) an intern.
4        (c) The Speaker may authorize special guests to be present in the chamber or to sit with
5    a legislator.
6        (d) (i) Except as provided in Subsection (d)(ii), lobbyists do not have access to the floor
7    of the House.
8        (ii) (A) Notwithstanding Subsection (d)(i), the representative sponsoring a bill being
9    debated by the House may invite one lobbyist with expertise on the bill being considered to be
10    present in the chamber.
11        (B) The representative shall inform the sergeant-at-arms that the lobbyist is present.
12        (C) The representative shall ensure that the lobbyist is seated on a bench in the rear of the
13    chamber during the presentation and debate on the bill.
14        (D) If, during the course of debate on the bill, the representative needs the assistance of
15    the lobbyist, the representative may request the permission of the Speaker to have the lobbyist
16    approach the representative sponsoring the bill to provide the needed information.
17        (E) When the House moves to another item of business, the lobbyist shall leave the House
18    floor.
19        (e) Representatives who invite guests who are not lobbyists into the chamber shall:
20        (i) unless the guest is authorized by this rule to sit next to the representative, ensure that
21    the guest sits on a bench in the rear of the chamber; and
22        (ii) inform the guest that they may only stay for a short visit not to exceed one hour.
23        (f) Representatives who are visited by groups shall arrange with the sergeant-at-arms for
24    them to be seated in the gallery.
25        (3) (a) While the House is convened in annual general session or special session and
26    except as provided in Subsection (b), only legislators, legislative employees, professional
27    legislative staff, immediate family, interns, former legislators who are not lobbyists, the governor,
28    the lieutenant governor, and the governor's staff are allowed in the House lounge.
29        (b) (i) A representative may invite a small number of lobbyists or guests to meet with the
30    representative in the House lounge to educate them about the legislative process or to discuss
31    specific legislative issues.

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1        (ii) The representative shall ensure that the lobbyists and guests leave the House space
2    when the meeting is over.
3        (4) (a) While the House is convened in annual general session or special session and
4    except as provided in Subsection (b), only legislators, legislative employees, professional
5    legislative staff, immediate family, interns, and former legislators who are not lobbyists are
6    allowed in the House offices.
7        (b) (i) A representative may invite a small number of lobbyists or guests to meet with the
8    representative in the representative's House office or the rules committee conference room to
9    discuss specific legislative issues.
10        (ii) The representative shall ensure that the lobbyists and guests leave the House space
11    when the meeting is over.
12        (5) (a) While the House is convened as a body in House chambers and except as provided
13    in Subsection (b), only the following persons are allowed in the House halls:
14        (i) legislators;
15        (ii) legislative employees;
16        (iii) professional legislative staff;
17        (iv) interns;
18        (v) former legislators who are not lobbyists;
19        (vi) the governor;
20        (vii) the lieutenant governor; and
21        (viii) the governor's staff.
22        (b) Immediate family, lobbyists, and guests in transit to the House chamber, House lounge,
23    or House offices may pass through the House halls.
24        (6) The sergeant at arms, under the direction of the Speaker, shall enforce the requirements
25    of this rule.
26        Section 2. HR-33.06 is amended to read:
27         HR-33.06. News Media.
28        (1) News media representatives with House press credentials shall be admitted to the
29    House chamber, halls, lounge, and committee rooms.
30        (2) With permission of the Speaker or the Speaker's designee, the news media may
31    conduct and record interviews in the House lounge, halls, available committee rooms, or in the

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1    House chamber or gallery.
2        (3) The news media shall also comply with the other provisions in [HR-33.01 to]
3    HR-33.02 and HR-33.03.
4        Section 3. Effective date.
5        This resolution takes effect upon approval by a constitutional majority vote of all members
6    of the House of Representatives.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 1-17-97 5:05 PM


A limited legal review of this bill raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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