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H.R. 2 Enrolled

             1     

HOUSE RULES CHANGES RESOLUTION

             2     
2011 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Wayne A. Harper

             5     
             6      LONG TITLE
             7      General Description:
             8          This resolution modifies House rules.
             9      Highlighted Provisions:
             10          This resolution:
             11          .    modifies provisions governing who presides at the beginning of a general session;
             12          .    modifies provisions governing the election and responsibilities of the Speaker-elect;
             13          .    requires the House to elect a Speaker within a certain time frame if there is a
             14      vacancy;
             15          .    clarifies the responsibilities of the Sergeant-at-Arms;
             16          .    clarifies and modifies the House rules concerning executive sessions;
             17          .    clarifies and repeals provisions governing the time certain calendar;
             18          .    establishes a postage allowance for House members;
             19          .    modifies access provisions to areas controlled by the House;
             20          .    requires permission to hold a press conference in the House Chamber;
             21          .    changes provisions governing committee reports;
             22          .    removes provisions allowing filing of a minority report;
             23          .    adds provisions related to signing of committee reports;
             24          .    changes the maximum speaking time during debate; and
             25          .    makes technical changes.
             26      Special Clauses:
             27          None
             28      Legislative Rules Affected:
             29      AMENDS:


             30          HR1-2-101
             31          HR1-3-101
             32          HR1-3-103
             33          HR1-4-202
             34          HR1-5-202
             35          HR1-5-301
             36          HR2-4-105
             37          HR3-2-102
             38          HR3-2-402
             39          HR3-2-601
             40          HR4-6-105
             41          HR4-9-102
             42      ENACTS:
             43          HR1-8-101
             44      REPEALS:
             45          HR3-2-303
             46     
             47      Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the state of Utah:
             48          Section 1. HR1-2-101 is amended to read:
             49           HR1-2-101. Calling the House to Order.
             50          [(1) Except as provided in Subsection (2), on] On the first day of each annual general
             51      session of the Legislature during odd-numbered years, [the person whose term as Speaker of
             52      the House most recently expired shall call the House to order and preside until the
             53      Representatives have taken the oath of office and elected a new Speaker. (2) If the
             54      Speaker-elect was Speaker during the previous Legislature or if the former Speaker is
             55      unavailable,] the Speaker-elect shall designate a person to call the House to order and preside
             56      until the Representatives have taken the oath of office and elected a Speaker.
             57          Section 2. HR1-3-101 is amended to read:


             58           HR1-3-101. Election of Speaker.
             59          (1) The House of Representatives shall elect a Speaker from among its members to
             60      perform the duties established by this chapter.
             61          (2) (a) Following a general election and before January 1 of odd-numbered years, the
             62      majority caucus shall elect a Speaker-elect.
             63          (b) Beginning January 1 of odd-numbered years, the Representative elected by the
             64      majority caucus shall serve as Speaker-elect and perform the duties of the Speaker until the
             65      House elects a Speaker as required by Subsection (1).
             66          Section 3. HR1-3-103 is amended to read:
             67           HR1-3-103. Temporary Presiding Officer in Speaker's Absence.
             68          (1) (a) The Speaker shall name a Representative to act as Speaker Pro Tempore during
             69      the absence of the Speaker.
             70          (b) (i) If an interim vacancy in the office of Speaker occurs because of the death,
             71      resignation, or disability of the Speaker, the Speaker Pro Tempore shall conduct the necessary
             72      business of the House only until an election is held by the House to fill the vacancy.
             73          (ii) If a vacancy occurs as described in Subsection (1)(b)(i), the House shall hold an
             74      election to fill a vacancy in the office of Speaker no later than:
             75          (A) five legislative days after the vacancy occurs if the vacancy occurs during the
             76      general session; or
             77          (B) 30 calendar days after the vacancy occurs if the vacancy occurs during the interim.
             78          (2) Notwithstanding Subsection (1), the Speaker may name any other Representative to
             79      perform the duties of presiding officer for a period not to exceed one legislative day.
             80          (3) If the Speaker and the Speaker Pro Tempore are absent at the time the session is
             81      scheduled to convene, and the Speaker has not designated another Representative to perform
             82      the duties of presiding officer, the Representative of the majority party who is senior in House
             83      service shall call the House to order and preside until one of them returns.
             84          (4) The Speaker Pro Tempore, and each Representative authorized to preside by the
             85      Speaker or this rule, has all the powers and responsibilities of the Speaker while presiding.


             86          Section 4. HR1-4-202 is amended to read:
             87           HR1-4-202. Duties of the Sergeant-at-Arms.
             88          The Sergeant-at-Arms and the employees under the Sergeant's direction shall:
             89          (1) maintain security in areas controlled by the House;
             90          (2) enforce the House Rules at the direction of the presiding officer of the House;
             91          (3) enforce the provision of Utah Code Title 26, Chapter 38, Utah Indoor Clean Air
             92      Act, in areas controlled by the House; and
             93          (4) provide other service as requested by the Chief Clerk or the Speaker.
             94          Section 5. HR1-5-202 is amended to read:
             95           HR1-5-202. Executive Session.
             96          (1) The House of Representatives shall comply with the requirements of Title 52,
             97      Chapter 4, Open and Public Meetings Act, when holding an executive session.
             98          [(1)] (2) When the House of Representatives approves a motion to go into executive
             99      session, the Sergeant-at-Arms shall close the House chamber doors.
             100          [(2)] (3) The presiding officer may require that all persons, except the Representatives,
             101      Chief Clerk, Journal Clerk, and Sergeant-at-Arms leave the chamber, halls, gallery, and lounge.
             102          [(3)] (4) During the executive session, everyone present must remain within the
             103      chamber.
             104          [(4)] (5) Everyone present shall keep all matters discussed in executive session
             105      confidential.
             106          (6) During the executive session, those within the chamber may not communicate with
             107      anyone outside the chamber by verbal, written, electronic, or any other means.
             108          Section 6. HR1-5-301 is amended to read:
             109           HR1-5-301. Special Order of Business -- Time Certain.
             110          (1) (a) [A] Except as provided in Subsection (2), a Representative may make a motion,
             111      or the House Rules committee may recommend, that a piece of legislation become a special
             112      order of business on the time certain calendar.
             113          (b) If the motion is approved by a majority of the members present, the Chief Clerk


             114      shall place the legislation on the time certain calendar.
             115          (2) A motion to place a piece of legislation as a special order of business on the time
             116      certain calendar may not be made if the legislation has not yet been placed on the third reading
             117      calendar.
             118          [(2)] (3) At the time set for consideration of the legislation, the presiding officer shall
             119      place the legislation before the House.
             120          Section 7. HR1-8-101 is enacted to read:
             121     
CHAPTER 8. POSTAGE ALLOWANCE

             122          HR1-8-101. House Postage Allowance.
             123          (1) Each Representative may deposit:
             124          (a) up to 300 letters into the House mail system during the annual general session; and
             125          (b) up to 10 letters per month into the House mail system during the remainder of the
             126      year.
             127          (2) Upon request from an individual Representative, the Speaker may grant an
             128      additional postage allowance.
             129          Section 8. HR2-4-105 is amended to read:
             130           HR2-4-105. News Media.
             131          (1) (a) News media with House press credentials shall be admitted to the House
             132      chamber, halls, [lounge,] and committee rooms.
             133          (b) While the House is convened in House chambers, news media [representatives]
             134      shall remain in the area designated for the news media and may not enter the floor of the
             135      House, the circle, lounge, or the Speaker's dais.
             136          (2) With permission of the Speaker or the Speaker's designee, the news media may
             137      conduct and record interviews in the House lounge, halls, available committee rooms, or in the
             138      House chamber or gallery.
             139          (3) A Representative may not hold a press conference in the house chamber without the
             140      permission of the Speaker of the House.
             141          [(3) The news] (4) News media shall also comply with the other provisions in


             142      HR2-4-102 and HR2-4-103 .
             143          [(4)] (5) The Sergeant-at-Arms, under the direction of the Speaker, shall enforce the
             144      requirements of this rule.
             145          Section 9. HR3-2-102 is amended to read:
             146           HR3-2-102. Standing Committee Review Required -- Exceptions.
             147          (1) The House of Representatives may not pass a bill, joint resolution, or concurrent
             148      resolution during the annual general session that has not been reviewed by a House standing
             149      committee.
             150          (2) This rule does not apply to:
             151          (a) a resolution regarding legislative rules or legislative personnel;
             152          (b) legislation that has been approved by an interim committee;
             153          (c) the revisor's statute; or
             154          (d) if the legislation was reviewed and approved by the Executive Appropriations
             155      Committee, legislation that:
             156          (i) exclusively appropriates monies;
             157          (ii) amends Utah Code Title 53A, Chapter 17a, Minimum School Program Act;
             158          (iii) amends Utah Code Title 67, Chapter 22, State Officer Compensation; [and] or
             159          (iv) authorizes the issuance of general obligation or revenue bonds.
             160          Section 10. HR3-2-402 is amended to read:
             161           HR3-2-402. Voting -- Chair to Verbally Announce the Vote -- Dissenting
             162      Members to Be Reported -- Division of the Question.
             163          (1) A committee member present shall vote on every question.
             164          (2) (a) If requested by a committee member or at the discretion of the chair, the
             165      standing committee chair may direct a roll call vote.
             166          (b) During a vote, the standing committee chair may not take any motions or conduct
             167      any other business.
             168          (3) (a) If a question contains several points, a committee member may, except as
             169      provided in Subsection (3)(d), request to have the question divided for purposes of voting.


             170          (b) The committee member requesting division of the question shall clearly state how
             171      the question is to be divided.
             172          (c) (i) The standing committee chair shall determine how many divisions may be made
             173      to any question.
             174          (ii) The committee may seek to overrule the standing committee chair's decision only
             175      once.
             176          (d) A committee member may not request, and the standing committee chair may not
             177      grant, division of the question when the motion directs that language be stricken and new
             178      language be inserted.
             179          (4) After the committee votes on a question, the standing committee chair shall:
             180          (a) determine whether the motion passed or failed;
             181          (b) verbally announce that the motion passed or that the motion failed;
             182          (c) verbally identify by name either the committee members who voted "yes" or the
             183      committee members who voted "no"; and
             184          (d) ensure that the vote is recorded in the minutes.
             185          (5) Members dissenting from a committee report may [file a minority report or may] be
             186      listed on the committee report as dissenting.
             187          Section 11. HR3-2-601 is amended to read:
             188           HR3-2-601. Committee Reports.
             189          (1) (a) When a piece of legislation is acted upon by a committee, the standing
             190      committee chair shall, no later than the next legislative day, submit to the Chief Clerk of the
             191      House:
             192          [(a)] (i) the official version of the legislation; and
             193          [(b)] (ii) a committee report detailing the committee's action signed by the standing
             194      committee chair.
             195          (b) If the standing committee chair is unavailable or unwilling to sign the committee
             196      report, and the legislation and committee report are not submitted to the Chief Clerk of the
             197      House by the next legislative day as required by this Subsection (1), the Chief Clerk of the


             198      House shall ensure that the official version of the legislation and a committee report detailing
             199      the committee's action are submitted to the Chief Clerk of the House no later than the second
             200      legislative day after a piece of legislation is acted upon by a committee.
             201          (2) (a) If a piece of legislation is tabled by a committee and is not lifted from the table
             202      at the next standing committee, the standing committee chair shall, no later than the next
             203      legislative day, submit a committee report to the Chief Clerk of the House informing the House
             204      that the legislation was tabled.
             205          (b) After reading the committee report on the tabled legislation, the Chief Clerk shall
             206      send the legislation to the House Rules Committee.
             207          Section 12. HR4-6-105 is amended to read:
             208           HR4-6-105. Representatives Not to Speak More Than Twice -- Maximum
             209      Speaking Time.
             210          (1) (a) Without permission from the House, a Representative may not speak more than
             211      twice on the same piece of legislation, substitute legislation, or amendment in any one debate
             212      on the same day and on the same reading of the legislation.
             213          (b) (i) Except as provided in Subsection (1)(b)(ii), the presiding officer may not grant a
             214      Representative who has spoken once permission to speak again on the same piece of legislation
             215      or substitute if any Representative who has not spoken wishes to speak.
             216          (ii) The presiding officer may grant a Representative who has spoken once permission
             217      to respond to a question if the Representative consents to a request that the Representative yield
             218      to a question under HR4-6-104.
             219          (2) A Representative may not speak longer than [15] 10 minutes at any time, unless
             220      another Representative yields that Representative's time to the Representative who has the
             221      floor.
             222          (3) Unless extended by a majority vote:
             223          (a) during the first 38 days of an annual general session, the presiding officer may not
             224      allow the House to debate a piece of legislation for more than eight hours; and
             225          (b) during the last seven days of an annual general session, the presiding officer may


             226      not allow the House to debate a piece of legislation for more than two hours.
             227          Section 13. HR4-9-102 is amended to read:
             228           HR4-9-102. Motion to Reconsider -- Procedures.
             229          When a Representative [gives notice that the Representative intends to make] makes a
             230      motion to reconsider, the Chief Clerk or the Chief Clerk's designee shall:
             231          (1) ensure that the [notice] motion is recorded in the House Journal; and
             232          (2) retain the legislation in the possession of the House until the time for
             233      reconsideration has expired or until the legislation has been reconsidered.
             234          Section 14. Repealer.
             235          This resolution repeals:
             236           HR3-2-303, Legislation Scheduled for Time Certain Has Priority in Committee.


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