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A02860
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
165
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY SCARNATI, CORMAN AND COSTA, JULY 7, 2017
REFERRED TO RULES AND EXECUTIVE NOMINATIONS, JULY 7, 2017
A RESOLUTION
Amending the Rules of the Senate, further providing for order of
business, for committee officers and for resolutions; and
providing for citations.
RESOLVED, That Rules 9, 15 and 29 of the Rules of the Senate
of Pennsylvania be amended to read:
Rule 9. Order of Business.
(a) General rule.--The Order of Business to be observed in
taking up business shall be as follows:
First Call to Order.
Second Prayer by the Chaplain and
Pledge of Allegiance.
Third Reading of Communications.
Fourth Receiving reports of committees.
Fifth Asking of leaves of absence. No
Senator shall absent himself
without leave of the Senate,
first obtained, unless prevented
from attendance by sickness, or
other sufficient cause.
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Sixth Approval of Journals of
preceding session days.
Seventh Offering of original
resolutions.
Eighth Introduction of Guests.
Ninth Consideration of the Calendar.
Any bill or resolution on the
Calendar not finally acted upon
within 10 legislative days shall
be removed from the Calendar and
laid on the table, unless the
Senate shall otherwise direct.
Tenth Consideration of Executive
Nominations.
Eleventh Unfinished Business. Reports of
Committees. Unanimous consent
resolutions. [Congratulatory and
condolence resolutions.]
Twelfth First consideration of bills
reported from committee, which,
at this time, shall not be
subject to amendment, debate or
a vote thereon.
Thirteenth Announcements by the Secretary-
Parliamentarian.
Fourteenth Introduction of Petitions and
Remonstrances.
Fifteenth Recess.
(b) Special order of business.--Any subject may, by a vote
of a majority of the Members present, be made a special order;
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and when the time so fixed for its consideration arrives, the
presiding officer shall lay it before the Senate.
Rule 15. Committee officers.
(a) Chair-ex-officio.--The Chair of each standing committee
shall be ex-officio a member of each subcommittee that may be
established as part of the standing committee, with the right to
attend meetings of the subcommittee and vote on any matter
before the subcommittee.
(b) Calling committee to order.--The Chair or, if authorized
by the Chair, the Vice Chair, shall call the committee to order
at the hour provided by these Rules. Upon the appearance of a
quorum, the committee shall proceed with the order of business.
Any member of the committee may question the existence of a
quorum.
(c) Chair control of the committee room.--The Chair or, if
authorized by the Chair, the Vice Chair, shall preserve order
and decorum and shall have general control of the committee
room. In case of a disturbance or disorderly conduct in the
committee room, the Chair or, if authorized by the Chair, the
Vice Chair, may cause the same to be cleared. The use of cell
phones and similar portable communication devices within any
Senate committee room by individuals other than members of the
Senate or their staffs is strictly prohibited.
(d) Chair's authority to sign documents and decide questions
of order.--The Chair shall sign all notices, vouchers, subpoenas
or reports required or permitted by these Rules. The Chair shall
decide all questions of order relative to parliamentary
procedure, subject to an appeal by any member of the committee.
(e) Vote of Chair, Vice Chair.--The Chair and Vice Chair
shall vote on all matters before such committee; Provided, That
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the name of the Chair shall be called last.
(f) Performance of duties by Vice Chair.--Upon the death of
the Chair, the Vice Chair shall perform the duties of the office
until and unless the President Pro Tempore shall appoint a
successor. Upon and during disability, or incapacity of the
Chair, the Vice Chair shall perform the Chair's duties.
(g) Chair's duty to report.--The Chair shall report any bill
to the Floor of the Senate not later than the next occurring
legislative day after the committee's vote to report it.
(h) Amendments.--Upon reporting the bill from committee, the
Chair shall submit all amendments adopted in committee to the
Secretary-Parliamentarian of the Senate for posting on the
Internet website maintained by the Senate.
Rule 29. Resolutions.
(a) Introduction.--All resolutions, Senate and concurrent,
shall be introduced by presenting five copies of the Resolution,
with the sponsor identified, to the presiding officer.
(b) Consideration.--The following resolutions, after being
read, shall be referred to an appropriate committee without
debate unless by unanimous consent the Senate shall otherwise
direct and, if favorably reported by the committee, shall lie
over one day for consideration, after which the resolutions may
be called up under the appropriate order of business:
(1) All Senate concurrent resolutions and House
concurrent resolutions, excepting resolutions in reference to
adjournment sine die, recesses and resolutions recalling
bills from the Governor, which shall be regarded as
privileged.
(2) Resolutions containing calls for information from
the heads of departments or to alter the Rules.
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(3) Resolutions giving rise to debate, except those that
relate to the disposition of matters immediately before the
Senate, those that relate to the business of the day on which
they were offered, and those that relate to adjournment sine
die or a recess.
(c) Printing in Senate History.--
(1) [Congratulatory resolutions and condolence
resolutions shall be given to the Secretary-Parliamentarian
and shall be considered under the order of unfinished
business in the daily order of business.] (Reserved).
(2) All resolutions shall be adopted by a majority vote
of the Senators present except as specifically provided for
in these Rules.
(d) Joint Resolutions.--
(1) Joint resolutions shall be limited to constitutional
amendments and shall be adopted by a vote of a majority of
the Senators elected to the Senate.
(2) A Joint resolution when passed by both Houses shall
not be transmitted to the Governor for approval or
disapproval but shall be filed in the Office of the Secretary
of the Commonwealth in accordance with Article XI, section 1
of the Constitution of Pennsylvania.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Rules be amended by adding a rule
to read:
Rule 29.1. Citations.
(a) Preparation.--A member making a request that a Senate
Citation be issued to a particular person or on a specified
occasion shall provide the Legislative Reference Bureau with the
facts necessary for the preparation of the citation on a
suitable form.
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(b) Filing.--The citation request shall be filed with the
Secretary-Parliamentarian of the Senate and automatically
referred to the President Pro Tempore, who may approve and sign
the citation on behalf of the Senate.
(c) Issuance.--One original citation shall be issued by the
Secretary-Parliamentarian of the Senate.
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