PRINTER'S NO. 1859
No. 135 Session of 1977
INTRODUCED BY DORR, HOEFFEL, DOMBROWSKI, STAPLETON AND
S. E. HAYES JR., JULY 26, 1977
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, JULY 27, 1977
In the House of Representatives, July 26, 1977
1 RESOLVED, That the Rules of the House of Representatives be
2 amended by adding a rule to read:
3 RULE 28 (a)
4 JOINT BILLS
5 A joint bill is a bill which is introduced simultaneously in
6 both bodies of the General Assembly. An original copy of a joint
7 bill must be introduced by at least one member of the House and
8 at least one member of the Senate. A joint bill shall name only
9 one member of the House and one member of the Senate as prime
10 sponsors. The prime sponsors shall designate the bill as a joint
11 bill. The bill shall carry a parenthetical reference to the
12 House in which it is introduced until such time as it is passed
13 by that body.
14 A joint bill shall be governed by all House Rules except as
15 specifically provided in this rule. Any conflict between this
16 rule and other House Rules shall be resolved in favor of this
17 rule.
1 A joint bill which passes the House shall be laid on the
2 Speaker's desk where the bill shall lie until the joint bill is
3 passed by the Senate.
4 The Speaker of the House shall refer the joint bill to a
5 Conference Committee upon passage of the joint bill in the
6 Senate in the manner provided by Rule 48.
7 The Conference Committee shall reconcile any differences
8 between the versions of the joint bill passed by the two bodies
9 and present their report initially to the body of the prime
10 sponsor, in accordance with Rule 48. If the Conference Committee
11 finds no differences within the bill, it shall report the same
12 in like manner.
13 After being reported from Conference Committee, a joint bill:
14 (1) shall not be adopted unless considered on three
15 different days;
16 (2) shall not be subject to the automatic tabling provision
17 of Rule 22;
18 (3) shall not be amended; and
19 (4) shall not be debated except upon third consideration.
20 A joint bill shall be sent to the Governor after it has been
21 reported from Conference Committee and subsequently passed by
22 the General Assembly.
23 A separate system shall be established for the issuance of
24 new printer's numbers for joint bills which they shall receive
25 when they are reported from conference. The Speaker of the House
26 shall arrange with the President pro tempore of the Senate for
27 the establishment of the system for the numbering of joint bills
28 in order that the joint bill may bear the same bill number in
29 the House and Senate.
30 The joint bill shall bear the names of the prime House
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1 sponsor and the prime Senate sponsor whose names shall be first
2 listed by agreement between said prime sponsors. The joint bill
3 shall bear the names of all other House and Senate sponsors in
4 alphabetical order.
5 The prime sponsor shall be appointed to the Conference
6 Committee by the Speaker of the House.
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