PRINTER'S NO. 2219
No. 97 Session of 1981
INTRODUCED BY DORR, SEPTEMBER 22, 1981
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, SEPTEMBER 22, 1981
In the House of Representatives, September 22, 1981
1 Bills which do not violate a provision of the Constitution
2 should be introduced in both Houses of the General Assembly as
3 "joint bills" to expedite the passage of legislation and to save
4 money for the taxpayers; therefore be it
5 RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That the Rules of the House
6 of Representatives be amended by adding a rule to read:
7 RULE 28 (a)
8 Joint Bills
9 A joint bill is a bill which is introduced simultaneously in
10 both bodies of the General Assembly. An original copy of a joint
11 bill shall be introduced by at least one member of the House and
12 at least one member of the Senate. A joint bill shall name only
13 one member of the House and one member of the Senate as prime
14 sponsors. The prime sponsors shall designate the bill as a joint
15 bill. The bill shall carry a parenthetical reference to the
16 House in which it is introduced until such time as it is passed
17 by that body.
1 A joint bill shall be governed by all House Rules except as
2 specifically provided in this rule. A conflict between this rule
3 and other House Rules shall be resolved in favor of this rule.
4 A joint bill which passes the House shall be laid on the
5 Speaker's desk where the bill shall lie until the joint bill is
6 passed by the Senate.
7 The Speaker of the House shall refer the joint bill to a
8 Conference Committee upon passage of the joint bill in the
9 Senate in the manner provided by Rule 48.
10 The Conference Committee shall reconcile any differences
11 between the versions of the joint bill passed by the two bodies
12 and present their report initially to the body of the prime
13 sponsor, in accordance with Rule 48. If the Conference Committee
14 finds no differences within the bill, it shall report the same
15 in like manner.
16 After being reported from Conference Committee, a joint bill:
17 (1) shall not be adopted unless considered on three
18 different days;
19 (2) shall not be subject to the automatic tabling provision
20 of Rule 22;
21 (3) shall not be amended; and
22 (4) shall not be debated except upon third consideration.
23 A joint bill shall be sent to the Governor after it has been
24 reported from Conference Committee and subsequently passed by
25 the General Assembly.
26 A separate system shall be established for the issuance of
27 new printer's numbers for joint bills which they shall receive
28 when they are reported from conference. The Speaker of the House
29 shall arrange with the President pro tempore of the Senate for
30 the establishment of the system for the numbering of joint bills
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1 in order that the joint bill may bear the same bill number in
2 the House and Senate.
3 The joint bill shall bear the names of the prime House
4 sponsor and the prime Senate sponsor whose names shall be first
5 listed by agreement between said prime sponsors. The joint bill
6 shall bear the names of all other House and Senate sponsors in
7 alphabetical order.
8 The prime sponsor shall be appointed to the Conference
9 Committee by the Speaker of the House; and be it further
10 RESOLVED, That the concurrence of the Senate in this
11 Resolution shall constitute an adoption of a Senate Rule to
12 read:
13 RULE NO._____
14 Joint Bills
15 A joint bill is a bill which is introduced simultaneously in
16 both bodies of the General Assembly. An original copy of a joint
17 bill shall be introduced by at least one member of the Senate
18 and at least one member of the House. A joint bill shall name
19 only one member of the Senate and one member of the House as
20 prime sponsors. The prime sponsors shall designate the bill as a
21 joint bill. The bill shall carry a parenthetical reference to
22 the House in which it is introduced until such time as it is
23 passed by that body.
24 A joint bill shall be governed by all Senate Rules except as
25 specifically provided in this rule. A conflict between this rule
26 and other Senate Rules shall be resolved in favor of this rule.
27 A joint bill which passes the Senate shall be laid on the
28 desk of the President pro tempore where it shall lie until the
29 joint bill is passed by the House of Representatives.
30 The President pro tempore shall refer the joint bill to a
19810H0097R2219 - 3 -
1 Conference Committee upon passage of the joint bill in the House
2 of Representatives.
3 The Conference Committee shall reconcile any differences
4 between the versions of the joint bill passed by the two bodies
5 and present their report initially to the body of the prime
6 sponsor. If the Conference Committee finds no differences within
7 the bill, it shall report the same in like manner.
8 After being reported from Conference Committee, a joint bill:
9 (1) shall not be adopted unless considered on three
10 different days;
11 (2) shall not be subject to an automatic tabling provision;
12 (3) shall not be amended; and
13 (4) shall not be debated except upon third consideration.
14 A joint bill shall be sent to the Governor after it has been
15 reported from Conference Committee and subsequently passed by
16 the General Assembly.
17 A separate system shall be established for the issuance of
18 new printer's numbers for joint bills which they shall receive
19 when they are reported from conference. The President pro
20 tempore shall arrange with the Speaker of the House for the
21 establishment of the system for the numbering of joint bills in
22 order that the joint bill may bear the same bill number in the
23 Senate and House.
24 The joint bill shall bear the names of the prime Senate
25 sponsor and the prime House sponsor whose names shall be first
26 listed by agreement between said prime sponsors. The joint bill
27 shall bear the names of all other Senate and House sponsors in
28 alphabetical order.
29 The prime sponsor shall be appointed to the Conference
30 Committee by the President pro tempore.
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