2021 -- H 5010

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LC000275

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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 (12)(e) 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:

     (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.

     (1) Any bill filed before or after the 40th legislative day, but subsequent to the hearing of

a group of bills on the same subject matter pursuant to Rule 12(a), may or may not be assigned

for hearing if it appears from the subject matter that the issues presented would be substantially

similar to those matters already heard, even if a bill hearing request is filed pursuant to Rule

12(e). If heard, the chair of the committee may limit the testimony to those issues not addressed

in the previous bill hearing.

      (b) A committee shall not consider any public bill or resolution not previously

distributed in print or electronically to its members except by a vote of the majority of the

members of the committee.

     (c) The Chair of every committee shall post, in print and electronically, at least forty-

eight (48) hours prior to any committee meeting, a list by number and title of the bills

and resolutions to be heard at that meeting. Such postings shall be made electronically and on the

Legislative Data Bulletin Board. The electronic posting shall be considered the official date of the

posting. In the event that the electronic posting system is inoperable then the official posting shall

be posted on the Legislative Data Bulletin Board. The Chair shall limit such listings to the

number of bills or resolutions he or she reasonably expects can be taken up by the committee at

that meeting. Any bill or resolution so posted which the committee is not able to take up at the

stated meeting must be re-posted as stated above. Such postings shall be made electronically, and

on the Legislative Data bulletin board. Copies of all posted bills or resolutions shall be provided

in print or electronically to all committee members and principal sponsors. A committee shall not

hear any said bill or resolution without such notice except by the consent of a majority of its

members and with at least one (1) day's notification to the principal House sponsor. The sponsor

may, however, waive such one-day notification. The time requirements of this section shall not

apply to House bills returned from the Senate with amendment, or, after the 50th legislative day

(May 14, 2019 (for the 2019 session) and May 13, 2020 (for the 2020 session), to any bill

originating in the Senate.

     (d) Every standing committee shall meet at least once weekly if any requests for hearings

on or consideration of bills or resolutions are pending before it. The right to be heard on any such

bill or resolution may be granted, upon written or electronic request, to the principal sponsor as

provided in these rules. No committee shall hear more than thirty (30) bills (exclusive of city and

town bills, corporate charter reinstatement bills, those to be placed on the consent calendar, and

duplicate senate bills that have previously passed) at any one (1) meeting.

     (e) Upon receipt of a written request from the principal House sponsor of a bill or

resolution, a copy of which is to be given to the recording clerk of the committee, the committee

shall grant to said principal House sponsor a hearing on any said bill or resolution within thirty

(30) calendar days of the request, subject to Rule 12(a), and provided  further, that said committee

shall grant to the principal House sponsor  consideration of his or her bill or resolution prior to the

deadline for committee action on such bill or resolution, also subject to Rule 12(a). The principal

sponsor, with the concurrence of the Chair, may cancel a scheduled hearing with twenty-four (24)

hours’ notice to the Chair, which notice shall be posted electronically. The Chair may cancel a

bill hearing at any time, with the approval of the Speaker if in the Chair's discretion the bill is not

ready to be heard in the committee. A hearing postponed twice at the sponsor’s request need not

be re-scheduled, and shall also be subject to Rule 12(a). For the purpose of the rule, consideration

shall mean a majority vote on one (1) of the following:

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     (i) a motion to report the bill or resolution to the House with a recommendation of

passage;

     (ii) a motion to report the bill or resolution as amended, or in substitute form, to the

House with a recommendation of passage; or

     (iii) a motion to report the bill or resolution to the House without recommendation; or

     (iv) a motion to report the bill or resolution to the House with a recommendation of no

passage; or

     (v) a motion to report the bill or resolution to the House with a recommendation that it be

held for further study. Provided, however, any bill reported under section (b) of this section, at the

request of the prime sponsor, shall be reconsidered and acted upon as described in subsections (i)-

(iv) of this section. Under no circumstances shall "held for further study" be construed to

constitute final action on a bill without consent from the prime sponsor.

     In the event of a tie vote on any of the motions specified in (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) or (v)

hereof, the bill or resolution shall be lost.

     The originals of bills or resolutions which have failed in committee shall be transmitted

by the committee clerks to the Secretary of State for the State Archives, with an appropriate

notation thereon at the time specified in R.I.G.L.

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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 provide that bills that are held for further

study may be reconsidered unless the prime sponsor consents to the bill being permanently held

for further study.

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