General Assembly House Resolution No. 2
January Session, 2021 LCO No. 512
Referred to Committee on No Committee
Introduced by:
REP. ROJAS, 9th Dist.
REP. CANDELORA, 86th Dist.
RESOLUTION CONCERNING THE HOUSE RULES.
Resolved by this House:
1 That the following shall be the rules to regulate the proceedings of
2 the House of Representatives for the 2021 and 2022 sessions:
3 THE SPEAKER
4 1. The speaker shall take the chair every day at the hour to which the
5 House has adjourned and shall immediately call the House to order and,
6 after prayer and recitation of the pledge of allegiance, proceed to
7 business if a quorum is present in the House Chamber.
8 During a declaration by the Governor of a public health or civil
9 preparedness emergency related to COVID-19, or at any other time
10 deemed necessary by the speaker for public health reasons related to
11 COVID-19, every member logged into the House of Representatives
12 electronic voting system shall be considered present for the purpose of
13 determining whether a quorum is present if the member is present in
14 the State Capitol or Legislative Office Building or has received
15 permission pursuant to Rule 49.
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16 2. In the absence of a quorum, the speaker may adjourn the House to
17 a later time or to the next session day. At all other times an adjournment
18 shall be pronounced by the speaker on motion.
19 3. The speaker shall preserve order and decorum and shall decide all
20 questions of order and discipline, upon which no debate shall be
21 allowed except at the speaker's request, but the decision shall be subject
22 to an appeal to the House, which must be seconded and on which no
23 member shall speak more than once. No other business shall be in order
24 until the disposition of such appeal.
25 4. The speaker shall rise to put a question or to address the House.
26 5. If there is any disturbance, disorderly conduct or other activity in
27 or about the State Capitol or Legislative Office Building which, in the
28 opinion of the speaker, may impede the orderly transaction of the
29 business of the House of Representatives, the speaker may take such
30 action as the speaker deems necessary to preserve and restore order.
31 6. If the speaker wishes to leave the chair, a deputy speaker or a
32 member may be designated by the speaker to perform the duties of the
33 chair.
34 7. If the speaker or a deputy speaker or the member named by the
35 speaker in accordance with the preceding rule, is absent at the hour to
36 which the House has adjourned, the clerk shall call the House to order
37 and first business shall be the election of an acting speaker, which shall
38 be done immediately without debate, by ballot or otherwise, as the
39 House shall determine, also without debate; and the person thus elected
40 shall preside in the House and discharge all the duties of the speaker
41 until the speaker's return. In the case of the death, resignation or
42 permanent disability of the speaker, a deputy speaker shall then call the
43 House to order and the first business shall be the election of a speaker,
44 which the House shall immediately proceed to do without debate. The
45 person thus elected shall immediately assume the duties of speaker
46 during the continuance of the General Assembly.
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47 DEPUTY SPEAKERS
48 8. There shall be such deputy speakers as determined and appointed
49 by the speaker of the House. The speaker shall designate a deputy
50 speaker to assume the duties of the speaker in the speaker's absence.
51 CHAPLAIN AND DEPUTY CHAPLAINS
52 9. Within one week after the appointment of the speaker, the speaker
53 shall nominate a chaplain and up to three deputy chaplains, and if such
54 nominations are confirmed by the House by a majority vote, the
55 candidates so nominated and confirmed shall serve for the regular
56 sessions and any special sessions during the 2021-2022 legislative term.
57 CLERK
58 10. The clerk shall keep a journal of the House, and shall enter therein
59 a record of each day's proceedings, record any amendment that may be
60 offered to any bill or resolution and record the date of filing of an
61 agreement, award or stipulation that is filed in accordance with Joint
62 Rule 31 or 32.
63 11. Subject to Rule 50, the clerk shall keep a calendar and shall enter
64 daily on such calendar (1) all bills and joint resolutions received from
65 the senate except (a) bills and resolutions which do not have the
66 favorable report of a joint committee which shall, upon being read by
67 the clerk, be referred without further action to the appropriate
68 committee, and (b) all bills and joint resolutions received from the senate
69 which have not been referred by the House to any committee; and (2) all
70 bills and resolutions favorably reported to the House from any
71 committee and these shall be entered on the calendar in the order in
72 which they are received. Each joint resolution proposing an amendment
73 to the constitution and each bill so entered shall be printed and in the
74 files and on the calendar for two session days with a file number and
75 shall be starred for action on the session day next succeeding, except
76 that:
77 (A) A bill or resolution certified in accordance with section 2-26 of the
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78 general statutes, if filed in the House, may be transmitted to and acted
79 upon first by the senate with the consent of the speaker; and if filed in
80 the senate, may be transmitted to and acted upon first by the House with
81 the consent of the president pro tempore,
82 (B) (i) Except as provided in subclause (ii) of this subparagraph, any
83 bill or resolution certified in accordance with section 2-26 of the general
84 statutes may be acted upon in the House (I) on the same session day that
85 electronic notice of the filing and number of the bill or resolution is
86 provided to the members of the House, except the bill or resolution may
87 not be acted upon less than six hours after the House is called to order
88 or less than six hours after such notice is provided to the members,
89 whichever is later, (II) at any time on the next session day following the
90 day that such notice is provided to the members, or (III) during the last
91 five calendar days of the session, immediately after such notice is
92 provided to the members, and in any such case may be transmitted
93 immediately to the senate,
94 (ii) The clerk shall immediately provide an electronic notice of the
95 filing, in either chamber, and number of any emergency certified bill
96 introduced by the President Pro Tempore and the speaker, certified in
97 accordance with section 2-26 of the general statutes, that is the biennial
98 budget bill or a bill that amends the biennial budget bill to the members
99 of the House. No such emergency certified bill may be marked ready for
100 action or acted upon less than twelve hours following the provision of
101 such electronic notice.
102 (C) If the House refers a bill or resolution to another committee and
103 that committee favorably reports the bill or resolution not as a substitute
104 on the same session day as the House referral, the clerk shall
105 immediately enter the bill or resolution on the calendar and the House
106 may act upon it on the same session day,
107 (D) If the House rejects an amendment adopted by the senate, the bill
108 or resolution after final action in the House, may be transmitted
109 immediately to the senate, or if the senate rejects an amendment
110 adopted by the House, the bill or resolution when received from the
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111 senate may be placed immediately on the calendar,
112 (E) During the last ten calendar days of the session, if the House
113 rejects an amendment adopted by the senate, or adopts a House
114 amendment to a bill or resolution received from the senate, or takes any
115 action on the bill or resolution requiring further action by the senate, the
116 bill or resolution after final action in the House, may be transmitted
117 immediately to the senate, or if the senate rejects an amendment
118 adopted by the House or adopts a senate amendment to a bill or
119 resolution received from the House, or takes any action on the bill or
120 resolution requiring further action by the House, the bill or resolution
121 when received from the senate may be placed immediately on the
122 calendar and may be acted upon immediately,
123 (F) During the last ten calendar days of the session, any bill or
124 resolution, after final action in the House, may be transmitted
125 immediately to the Senate,
126 (G) During the last five days of the session, any bill or resolution
127 received by the House after final action by the senate may be placed on
128 the calendar immediately and the bill or resolution may be acted upon
129 after it has appeared on the calendar for two session days, or
130 (H) A report by a joint standing committee of a resolution concerning
131 a judicial, workers' compensation commissioner or Board of Pardons
132 and Paroles member nomination may be acted upon after it has
133 appeared on the calendar for two days.
134 All bills and resolutions starred for action shall be acted upon only
135 when called and any bill or resolution not acted upon shall retain its
136 place on the calendar unless it is moved to the foot of the calendar or
137 unless its consideration is made the order of the day for some specified
138 time. When a bill or resolution is removed from the foot of the calendar,
139 it shall not be acted upon before the next regular succeeding session day.
140 Prior to the convening of the House on each session day, the speaker
141 shall make available on the floor of the House a list of bills and
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142 resolutions intended to be acted upon during that session day. Such list
143 shall set forth the action intended to be taken on each bill or resolution
144 so listed. The list shall be for informational purposes only.
145 12. The clerk shall retain all bills, resolutions and other papers, in
146 reference to which any member has a right to move a reconsideration,
147 until the right of reconsideration has expired, and no longer.
148 13. The clerk shall keep a record of all petitions, resolutions, joint
149 resolutions and bills for all acts presented for consideration of the
150 House, and said record shall be so kept as to show by one and a single
151 reference thereto the action of the House on any specified petition,
152 resolution, joint resolution or bill up to the time of such reference.
153 14. The clerk shall supervise all clerical work to be done for the House
154 and shall supervise all employees subject to the direction of the speaker.
155 The assistant clerk shall have the same powers and perform the same
156 duties as the clerk, subject to the direction of the clerk. The bill clerk, the
157 journal clerk and the calendar clerk shall perform such duties as are
158 assigned to them by the clerk.
159 15. Upon the request of any member, the clerk shall provide a
160 calendar to such member on each session day.
161 MEMBERS
162 16. When any member is about to speak in debate or deliver any
163 matter to the House, the member shall rise and address the chair as "Mr.
164 Speaker" or "Madam Speaker," as the case may be.
165 If two or more rise at the same time, the speaker shall name the
166 member entitled to the floor, preferring one who rises in place to one
167 who does not.
168 During a declaration by the Governor of a public health or civil
169 preparedness emergency related to COVID-19, or at any other time
170 deemed necessary by the speaker for public health reasons related to
171 COVID-19, any member may rise and address the chair through the
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172 House of Representatives electronic voting system and shall be entitled
173 to the floor when named by the speaker.
174 17. No member shall speak on the same question more than twice
175 without unanimous consent of the members of the House present.
176 18. The speaker shall, or any member may, call to order any member
177 who in speaking or otherwise, transgresses the rules and orders of the
178 House. If speaking, the member shall sit down, unless permitted to
179 explain; and if a member is guilty of a breach of any of the rules and
180 orders, the member may be required by the House, on motion, to make
181 satisfaction therefor, and shall not be allowed to vote or speak except by
182 way of excuse until such satisfaction is made.
183 COMMITTEES AND LEADERS
184 19. At the opening of each session a committee on contested elections,
185 consisting of four members, at least two of whom shall be members of
186 the minority party in the House, shall be appointed by the speaker to
187 take into consideration all contested elections of the members of the
188 House and to report the facts, with their opinion thereon in a manner
189 that may be directed by House resolution.
190 20. (a) Majority Election and Appointments. The majority leader shall
191 be elected by the members of the majority party in the House and the
192 deputy majority leaders shall be appointed by the majority leader and
193 shall serve at the pleasure of the majority leader. The assistant deputy
194 speaker, majority caucus chairperson, deputy majority caucus
195 chairperson, assistant majority leaders and majority whips shall be
196 appointed by the speaker in consultation with the majority leader, and
197 shall serve at the pleasure of the speaker.
198 The chairpersons, and where appropriate, vice-chairpersons, of the
199 standing committees shall be appointed by the speaker of the House and
200 shall serve at the pleasure of the speaker, except when a chairperson is
201 designated or appointed by the minority leader pursuant to these rules
202 or the joint rules, in which case, the person so designated or appointed
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203 shall serve at the pleasure of the minority leader. Notwithstanding any
204 provision of the general statutes, during the 2021-2022 biennium, the
205 chairperson of the Legislative Regulation Review Committee shall be
206 appointed by the minority leader.
207 (b) Minority Election and Appointments. The minority leader shall be
208 elected by the members of the minority party in the House and the
209 deputy minority leaders, the minority caucus chairperson, the assistant
210 minority leaders, the minority whips and the ranking members of each
211 joint standing committee shall be appointed by the minority leader and
212 shall serve at the pleasure of the minority leader except when a ranking
213 member is designated or appointed by the speaker pursuant to these
214 rules or the joint rules, in which case, the person so designated or
215 appointed shall serve at the pleasure of the speaker. Notwithstanding
216 any provision of the general statutes, during the 2021-2022 biennium,
217 the ranking member of the Legislative Regulation Review Committee
218 shall be appointed by the speaker of the House.
219 (c) Number of Leaders. The number of members appointed to the
220 positions of assistant majority leader and majority whip shall not exceed
221 thirty-three per cent of the total membership of the majority party in the
222 House. The number of members appointed to the positions of assistant
223 minority leader shall not exceed thirty-three per cent of the total
224 membership of the minority party in the House. Notwithstanding the
225 provisions of this subsection, the chairpersons of the bonding
226 subcommittees of the joint standing committee on finance, revenue and
227 bonding may be assistant majority leaders and the ranking members of
228 said subcommittees may be assistant minority leaders.
229 (d) Committees. The staff clerks of the standing committees shall be
230 appointed by the speaker of the House. Chairpersons of subcommittees
231 may be appointed by the chairpersons of the respective standing
232 committees with the approval of the speaker of the House.
233 All standing