House Resolution 9

(By Delegate Hanna)

[January 25, 2022]

Amending House Rule 65, relating to remarks by members; amending House Rule 65a, relating to the introduction of guests; and amending House Rule 70, relating to the Special Calendar.

            Resolved by the House of Delegates:

That House Rule 65 be amended to read as follows:

Order of Business, Daily

The daily order of business shall be as follows:

I.                 To read, correct, and approve the Journal.

II.               Introduction of guests.

III.              To receive and consider reports of standing committees.

IV.             To receive and consider reports of select committees.

V.               To receive and consider messages from the Executive, state officials, and other communications and remonstrances.

VI.             To receive messages from the Senate, and consider amendments proposed by the Senate to bills passed by the House.

VII.           To receive (a) resolutions, (b) petitions, (c) motions.

VIII.         Bills introduced on motion for leave and referred to appropriate committees.

IX.             To act on unfinished business of the preceding day, and resolutions lying over from previous day, but no resolution shall lose its place on the calendar by not being acted upon on the day following that on which it was offered.

X.               House and Senate Bills on third reading.

XI.             House and Senate Bills on second reading.

XII.           House and Senate Bills on first reading.

XIII.         To act upon leave of absence for members.

XIV.         Remarks by members of the House.
Item XIV, Remarks by members of the House, shall be held on each Wednesday, unless otherwise directed by the Speaker, following the first day through the fifty-seventh day of session, and the Speaker shall announce a time when the chamber of the House shall be available for remarks by members of the House if such a time is requested by a member of the House of Delegates. The House shall convene at such time to receive such remarks, and the Speaker or a designee of the Speaker shall preside. No quorum is necessary to proceed with the receipt of remarks by members of the House, and nothing herein shall prohibit committees from meeting when the House convenes solely for the purpose of remarks by members. Any member desiring to speak shall seek recognition, and upon recognition by the Presiding Officer, may speak for up to five minutes upon any topic of interest to the House. The Presiding Officer shall preserve order and decorum while the House is in session for the duration of remarks. During this designated time for receipt of remarks by members, no motion shall be in order save for a motion to adjourn remarks by members. Remarks made during the pendency of remarks by members may be entered into the appendix to the journal as provided for herein. The time allotted for remarks by members shall expire: (A) After all member desiring to speak have exhausted their allotted time; or (B) after six hours; or (C) ten p.m., whichever occurs first.

XV.          Introduction of guests.

XVI.         Miscellaneous business. (HR10, Reg. Sess., 2001; HR3, Reg. Sess., 2002; HR1, Reg. Sess., 2019; HR1, Reg. Sess., 2021; HR19, Reg. Sess., 2021)

That House Rule 65a be amended to read as follows:

Introduction of guests.

65a.The House shall observe two opportunities on each day for any member, upon recognition, to introduce to the House citizens seated in the galleries. Provided, That for the duration of the 2021 Regular Session of the 85th Legislature, members wishing guests to be introduced during these times shall submit the names of the individuals to be introduced to the Majority Leader and/or Speaker Pro Tempore who shall introduce all guests during these periods (HR33, Reg. Sess., 1978; HR1, Reg. Sess., 2017; HR1, Reg. Sess., 2019; HR1, Reg. Sess., 2021).

That House Rule 70 be amended to read as follows:

Special Calendar

The Committee on Rules shall arrange a special calendar and the consideration of bills on this calendar shall take precedence over the Regular House calendar.

All bills or resolutions or other matters of business reported from committee, and having no additional committee reference, shall, unless referred to a second committee by the Speaker, automatically be placed by the Clerk on the Special Calendar, and no bill, resolution, or other matter of business shall be removed from the Special Calendar and placed on the regular House Calendar except by a majority vote of the Committee on Rules, a quorum being present. Once removed from the Special Calendar, any resolution, bill or other matter of business may only be again placed on the Special Calendar by a majority vote of the Committee on Rules, a quorum being present.

The Committee on Rules shall cause to be kept a record of all roll call votes on all questions pertaining to preparation of the Special Calendar and removing the same therefrom. This record of votes shall show those voting in the affirmative or those voting in the negative, whichever shall be the smaller number, and those absent and not voting. These vote records shall be prepared and following the adjournment of each meeting made available to House members and to the public. (HR1, Reg. Sess., 2017; HR1, Reg. Sess., 2019; HR1, Reg. Sess., 2021)

NOTE: The purpose of this resolution is to restore the previous language of the rule to allow members to introduce their own guests, to restore remarks by members to language prior to 2021, and to move items from the House Calendar to the Special Calendar by simple majority vote.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.