THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY WATSON, BOYD, CLYMER, KILLION, VULAKOVICH, BEAR, CREIGHTON, CUTLER, EVERETT, GINGRICH, GROVE, HARRIS, HUTCHINSON, MELIO, MILLARD, MUSTIO, PAYNE, PERRY, PICKETT, RAPP, ROAE, ROCK AND SWANGER, FEBRUARY 2, 2009

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, FEBRUARY 2, 2009  

A RESOLUTION

Amending the Temporary Rules of the House of Representatives by

providing for limits on bill introduction and for the

consideration of bills.

RESOLVED, That Temporary House Rule 18 be amended to read:

RULE 18

Introduction and Printing of Bills

Bills shall be introduced in quadruplicate, signed and dated

by each member who is a sponsor of the bill, and filed with the

Chief Clerk on any day that the offices of the House of

Representatives are open for business. A sponsor may be added or

withdrawn upon written notice to the Speaker, Majority Leader,

Minority Leader and the prime sponsor. In the case of

withdrawals, the names shall be withdrawn if and when the bill

is reprinted. Additional sponsors may be added only by the prime

sponsor by providing written notice to the Speaker, Majority

Leader and Minority Leader.

Bills introduced when received at the Chief Clerk's desk

shall be numbered consecutively and delivered to the Speaker,

who shall refer each bill to an appropriate committee on any day

whether or not the House is in session. If the resolution

creating a select committee authorizes the referral of bills to

that committee, the Speaker may refer bills, within the scope of

the resolution, to such select committee. Insofar as applicable,

the select committee shall consider and report bills in

accordance with the rules governing the consideration and

reporting of bills by standing committees. The Speaker shall

report to the House the committees to which bills have been

referred, either on the day introduced or received or on the

next two legislative days the House is in session, unless the

House is in recess for more than four consecutive days in which

case the Speaker shall provide a list to the Majority Leader and

the Minority Leader, within two calendar days, of all bills

which were referred during such period when the House was not in

session.

If the Speaker neglects or refuses to refer to committee any

bill or bills (whether House or Senate) as above after

introduction or presentation by the Senate for concurrence, any

member may move for the reference of the bill to an appropriate

committee. If the motion is carried, said bill or bills shall be

immediately surrendered by the Speaker to the committee

designated in said motion.

The first copy of each bill introduced shall be for the

committee, the second copy shall be for the printer, the third

copy shall be for the news media and the fourth copy shall be

for the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Every bill, after introduction and reference to committee,

shall be printed and shall also be posted on the Internet with

the hyperlink to the web page for the members of the House of

Representatives.

[Bills may not be withdrawn after reference to committee.]

RESOLVED, That the Temporary Rules of the House of

Representatives be amended by adding Temporary Rules to read:

RULE 18 (a)

Limitation on Bill Introductions

(1)  All members are authorized to introduce, prime sponsor,

eight bills in each legislative session.

(2)  Limitations on bills shall not apply to:

(a)  Resolutions of any kind.

(b)  Majority committee Chair bills pertaining to the Chair's

committee.

(c)  Additional bills authorized by the Speaker for:

(i)  Emergency situations.

(ii)  Extension of sunset provisions.

(iii)  Requested by Governor.

(iv)  Legislation required to fund debt obligations or

current budget appropriations.

(d)  Amendments of any kind.

(3)  Any member may withdraw the member's bills for cause and

replace it with another bill as authorized by the Speaker for:

(a)  Action by Senate on same or similar subject.

(b)  Change in Federal law.

(c)  Regulatory change.

(d)  Apparent unconstitutionality.

(4)  No bill may be introduced after June 1 of the second

year in the session, subject to same nonapplicable limits in

subsection (2).

RULE 21 (a)

Legislative Consideration of Priority Bills

(1)  Priority designation of bills.

(a)  Each member may designate one bill in each session as

priority.

(b)  Priority designation shall not be applicable to

resolutions.

(2)  Management of priority bills.

(a)  Request for priority designation must be made when the

bill is introduced.

(b)  The Speaker shall identify in a unique manner all bills

with a priority designation.

(c)  Priority bills shall be referred only to the standing

committee to which they are germane and may not be re-referred

without the consent of the prime sponsor.

(d)  Priority bills must receive consideration and vote by

the standing committee within 120 calendar days from the date of

introduction.

(e)  Priority bills passed by the standing committee shall

receive third consideration by the full House within 30 session

days of committee approval.

(f)  The prime sponsor of any priority bill may request, at

any time, an extension of time for consideration by a standing

committee or by the full House.

(g)  The prime sponsor of any priority bill may withdraw the

priority designation at any time, but shall not be allowed to

place the designation on any other bill.

(h)  Priority designations may not be transferred to any

other member.