2021 -- H 5009

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LC000274

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2021

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

AMENDING THE RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE YEARS

2019 AND 2020

     Introduced By: Representative Rebecca M. Kislak

     Date Introduced: January 12, 2021

     Referred To: House Rules

     RESOLVED, That section (11)(g) and (12)(a) of the rules for the House of

Representatives adopted by the House of Representatives at its January session A.D. 2019

entitled "House Resolution Adopting the Rules of the House of Representatives for the years

2019 and 2020", be and the same is hereby amended to read as follows:

     Rules Pertaining to Committees

     (11)(a) The following standing committees shall be appointed each year in the month of

January or as soon as convenient after the adoption of the House Rules:

     A committee on conduct

     A committee on corporations

     A committee on environment and natural resources

     A committee on finance

     A committee on health, education and welfare

     A committee on judiciary

     A committee on labor

     A committee on municipal government

     A committee on rules

     A committee on oversight

     A committee on small business

     A committee on special legislation

     A committee on veterans’ affairs.

     (b) The Speaker shall appoint all standing committees and create such other

subcommittees and committees as may be required from time to time and appoint thereto. All

subcommittees and committees shall have proportionate minority membership when feasible. The

Speaker, in consultation with the Minority Leader, shall be the appointing authority for minority

membership on standing committees and subcommittees thereof, joint committees, boards and

commissions. All vacancies occurring in any committee and subcommittee after they have once

been named shall be filled in like manner by the Speaker. The Speaker, Majority Leader and

Minority Leader shall be ex officio members with voting rights of all House committees but shall

not be counted for purposes of determining a quorum. The Speaker shall have the authority to

appoint the chair, first vice chair and second vice chair of each committee. In the event that the

chair of a committee is unable to serve due to incapacity for medical or other reasons, the Speaker

may appoint an acting chair for the period of such incapacity, which acting chair shall have all of

the powers and duties of the chair. The chair shall determine all questions of procedure before the

committee in cases not provided for in these rules.

     (c) A committee shall not consider any bill in the absence of a quorum, which shall

consist of a majority of the committee's membership.

     (d) All committee meetings shall be open to the public, but public participation shall be

limited to testimony on the matters before the committee. The chair of any committee shall have

the authority to limit the length of a witness’s testimony in order to afford all witnesses the

opportunity to be heard, to limit repetitiveness and duplication, or to maintain order and decorum.

     (e) It shall be the duty of the committee on finance to take into consideration all

propositions relative to the revenue, to inquire into the state of the public debt and to report from

time to time their opinion thereon and such propositions relative thereto as to them shall

seem expedient.

     (f) Upon introduction of the annual state budget to the House on behalf of the Governor,

the budget shall be referred to the finance committee. Within two (2) weeks following receipt

thereof, the finance committee's fiscal advisor shall provide to each member of the House a

concise summary of budget issues. Within three (3) weeks following the receipt of the budget,

the committee shall schedule such meetings as it deems necessary to receive comment on the

budget as a whole from all House members who wish to appear before it for that purpose.

     (g) The Speaker Committee Chair may appoint from time to time subcommittees of a

given standing committee, which shall consist only of members of the committee from which it

was appointed. The chair of each standing committee shall be considered a member of each

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subcommittee of such committee. Each subcommittee may hear testimony on bills and

resolutions falling within the subject matter of its charge and shall report to the committee from

which it was appointed. Subcommittees will otherwise conduct themselves in conformity with

these rules. The Speaker Committee Chair shall appoint the chair of each subcommittee.

     (12)(a) Committees shall take into consideration all such petitions, resolves, bills, matters

or things as may be referred to them by the House with power to report by bill or otherwise;

provided, however, that committees shall, whenever possible, consider all bills of substantially

the same or of a similar nature at the same time in a manner that is otherwise in conformity with

these rules. Upon the passing of any petition, resolve, bills, matters or things referred to them,

those matters shall be placed on the floor calendar within seven (7) legislative days.

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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 OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE YEARS

2019 AND 2020

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     This resolution would amend the house rules to require that bills passed out of committee

be placed on the floor calendar within seven (7) days.

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