PRINTER'S NO. 1557

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

No.

37

Session of

2021

INTRODUCED BY STURLA, ROZZI, D. WILLIAMS, FREEMAN, HILL-EVANS,

McNEILL, KINSEY, SAMUELSON, HERRIN, SANCHEZ, DELLOSO,

WEBSTER, DeLISSIO, CIRESI AND DEASY, MAY 17, 2021

Each standing committee, subcommittee or select committee to

which a proposed bill, resolution or any matter is referred

shall have full power and authority to study said bill,

resolution or other matter before it, as such committee, shall

determine is necessary to enable it to report properly to the

House thereon. To this end, a standing committee, subcommittee,

or select committee, may as hereinafter provided, conduct public

hearings. No standing committee, subcommittee or select

committee shall hold any public hearings without prior approval

by a majority vote of the members of the standing committee and

Clerk to give written notice thereof to each House Member not

less than five calendar days before the proposed hearings and

post the same in or immediately adjacent to the House Chambers.

Such notice, which shall contain the day, hour and place of the

hearing and the number or numbers of bills or other subject

matter to be considered at such hearing, shall also be given the

supervisor of the news room, and to the news media. In addition,

all provisions of 65 Pa.C.S. Ch. 7 (relating to open meetings),

relative to notice of meetings shall be complied with.

Public hearings held by a standing committee shall be chaired

participate in the hearing proceedings. In the absence of the

subcommittee chair, an acting chair shall be appointed in the

manner prescribed by these rules.

All public hearings shall be open to the public and

reasonable opportunity to be heard shall be afforded to all

interested parties who have requested an appearance before the

committee. The majority and minority chairs shall be given equal

opportunity to invite interested parties to provide testimony at

the public hearing. In addition, it shall be the responsibility

of the committee in conducting its hearing to request the

witnesses appearing before it to file written statements of

their proposed testimony. The chair shall have the right to fix

the order of appearance and the time to be allotted to

witnesses, provided that the invitees of the minority chair are

allotted equal time as invitees of the majority chair.

Witnesses may submit brief pertinent statements in writing for

inclusion in the record. The committee is the sole judge of the

pertinency of testimony and evidence adduced at its hearings.

The chair, in presiding at such public hearings, shall

preserve order and decorum, in and adjacent to his committee

determine which parts of such recorded proceedings, if any,

shall be transcribed and the distribution thereof. Except as

hereinafter provided, no more than four copies of any transcript

shall be made. Such stenographic or electronic records and at

least one copy of any transcription shall be preserved by the

Chief Clerk until authorized to dispose of same by an

affirmative vote of three-quarters of the entire membership of

the Rules Committee and shall be made available to any member

upon written request for the purpose of copying or transcription

at that member's expense. Any transcribed records and any

determined by the Chief Clerk, a person may obtain a copy of

such transcribed records or reports.

All written testimony and all transcribed testimony at

committee hearings shall be posted on the Internet as soon

thereafter as practicable.

The Chief Clerk shall not make payment of any expenses

incurred as a result of a public hearing without the prior

written approval of the Speaker or the Majority Leader of the

House.