07-R013

2007 -- H 5029

Enacted 01/09/07

H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N

AMENDING THE 2005-2006 RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PENDING THE ADOPTION OF NEW RULES FOR THE 2007-2008 SESSION

Introduced By: Representatives Fox, Watson, Kilmartin, and Naughton

Date Introduced: January 09, 2007

     RESOLVED, That the rules for the House of Representatives adopted by the House of

Representatives at its January session, A.D. 2005, entitled "House Resolution Adopting Rules of

the Houses of Representatives for the Years 2005-2006", as amended in 2006 by House

Resolutions No. 82 and 83 be and the same is hereby amended by amending rule 25 to read as

follows:

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

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

A committee on constituent services

     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 separation of powers

     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.

     (c) A committee shall not vote upon 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 may limit

the length of a witness' testimony in order to afford all witnesses the opportunity to be heard.

     (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.

     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 brief but

thorough 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.

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LC00429

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