HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 7
RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
TIME OF MEETING
2
3 Rule 1. The time of meeting by the House, unless otherwise
4 ordered, shall be 10:00 a.m.
5 ORDER OF BUSINESS
6
7 Rule 2. (1) Administrative Order of Business. The first of each
8 day, after the House is called to order, shall be employed as
9 follows unless otherwise ordered by the House:
10 (a) Introduction of petitions, memorials, remonstrances, and
11 resolutions.
12 (b) Introduction and first reading of House Joint
13 Resolutions.
14 (c) Introduction and first reading of House Bills.
15 (d) First reading of Senate Joint Resolutions and Bills.
16 (e) Second reading of House Bills, Joint Resolutions, and
17 Concurrent Resolutions.
18 (f) Second reading of Senate Bills, Joint Resolutions, and
19 Concurrent Resolutions.
20 (g) Reports of regular standing committees.
21 (h) Reports of special standing committees.
1 22 (i) Messages from the Senate.
23 (2) Regular Order of Business. At the close of the
24 administrative order of business, the Speaker or any member may
25 call for the regular order of business. The administrative order
26 of business may be dispensed with by unanimous consent of the House
27 at any time. The regular order of business shall be employed as
28 follows unless otherwise ordered by the House:
29 (a) Prayer.
30 (b) Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag.
31 (c) Reading and approval of the Journal of the previous day's
32 session.
33 (d) Bills, reports, and other business on the table.
34 (e) House Joint Resolutions to be perfected and printed.
35 (f) House Bills to be perfected and printed.
36 (g) Third reading of House Joint Resolutions and Concurrent
37 Resolutions.
38 (h) Third reading of House Bills.
39 (i) Messages from the Senate.
40 (j) Third reading of Senate Joint Resolutions and Concurrent
41 Resolutions.
42 (k) Third reading of Senate Bills.
43 (l) Adoption of petitions, memorials, remonstrances, and
44 resolutions.
45 (m) Reports of subcommittees.
46 (n) Such other orders of business as deemed necessary
47 pursuant to law.
48 HEADINGS ON HOUSE CALENDAR
2 49
50 Rule 3. The House may keep calendars for organizational purposes
51 and to facilitate the consideration of legislation. Calendars may
52 be created as deemed necessary by the Speaker.
53 FIRST AND SECOND READING OF BILLS
54
55 Rule 4. A bill shall be read the first time by journal entry of the
56 title of the bill on the legislative day of its filing. It shall be
57 second read on the following legislative day by journal entry of
58 the title of the bill. The reading of a bill by its title shall be
59 deemed sufficient reading unless the further reading be called
60 for. If the further reading be called for and no objection made,
61 the bill shall be read at length; if, however, objection be made,
62 the question shall be determined by the majority of the members
63 present.
64 ORDERS OF THE DAY
65
66 Rule 5. Upon recess or adjournment, the Majority Floor Leader
67 shall advise the entire membership of the business anticipated to
68 be conducted during the remainder of the legislative day and during
69 the next legislative day.
70 ELECTION OF OFFICERS
71 GENERALLY
72 Election; Oath; Compensation
73
74 Rule 6. The House shall elect the following officers at the
3 75 commencement of the first regular session of each general
76 assembly: its presiding officer, who shall be called Speaker of the
77 House, a Speaker Pro Tem, a Chief Clerk, a Sergeant-at-Arms, a
78 Doorkeeper, and a Chaplain, who shall hold office during all
79 sessions until the convening of the succeeding General Assembly,
80 unless sooner removed by a vote of the majority of the members.
81 Each shall receive such compensation as may be provided for by law.
82 Each shall take an oath to support the Constitution of the United
83 States and of this State and to faithfully demean himself or
84 herself in office and to keep the secrets of the House. Such oath
85 shall be administered to the Speaker and Speaker Pro Tem by a Judge
86 of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, or a Circuit Court and by
87 the Speaker to the other officers. All other officers of the House
88 shall be appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the Speaker
89 and receive such compensation as provided by law.
90 SPEAKER
91 Speaker to Call Members to Order
92
93 Rule 7. The Speaker shall take the chair at the hour to which the
94 House has been adjourned and immediately call the members to order
95 and, on the appearance of a quorum, shall cause the Journal of the
96 preceding day to be read unless otherwise ordered by the House,
97 which may then be corrected by the House.
98 Parliamentary Rulings; Referral to Parliamentary Committee
99
100 Rule 8. Parliamentary rulings may be made only by the Speaker or
4 101 the Speaker Pro Tem. At his or her option or at the request from a
102 member of the Parliamentary Committee, he or she may refer points
103 of order to the Parliamentary Committee for an advisory opinion.
104 In the absence of the Speaker or the Speaker Pro Tem, rulings shall
105 be made by a parliamentary committee. The Committee on
106 Parliamentary Procedure shall be composed of the Speaker, the
107 Majority Floor Leader, and the Minority Floor Leader or their
108 member designees. No member who is temporarily in the chair may
109 rule on points of order, except the Speaker or Speaker Pro Tem,
110 until and unless the Parliamentary Committee has been called and
111 ruled. It shall be the duty of the temporary Speaker to call such
112 Parliamentary Committee at the time the point of order is raised
113 and before any discussion on such point of order takes place. It
114 shall be at the Speaker's discretion whether members may speak on
115 points of order. The Speaker or the Speaker Pro Tem may take
116 points of order under advisement; provided that, he or she rules on
117 the point of order before any other motion to amend is entertained.
118 Speaker May Speak on Points of Order
119
120 Rule 9. The Speaker may speak on points of order in preference to
121 any other member, arising from his or her seat for that purpose,
122 and shall decide questions of order, subject to an appeal to the
123 House. No member shall inquire of another member nor debate with
124 other members on points of order but shall address his or her
125 remarks only to the chair.
126 Appeal from a Ruling of the Chair
5 127
128 Rule 10. Should there be an appeal from any ruling of the chair,
129 the question, "Shall the chair be sustained?" shall be immediately
130 put and determined before the House proceeds to other business.
131 Speaker Has General Supervision of Hall
132
133 Rule 11. The Speaker shall have general direction and supervision
134 of the House and shall preserve decorum and order in the Hall.
135 Supervision of House Employees
136
137 Rule 12. The Speaker shall have general supervision and control
138 over all employees of the House. The Speaker may hire special
139 counsel to assist committees in extraordinary circumstances. The
140 Speaker may make a temporary appointment to fill a vacancy in the
141 office of the Chief Clerk until such time as the House adopts a
142 resolution to fill the vacancy on a permanent basis.
143 Speaker May Substitute Member to Perform Duties
144
145 Rule 13. The Speaker may substitute any member to perform the
146 duties of the chair if the Speaker Pro Tem is absent or otherwise
147 engaged.
148 Speaker Shall Sign Bills
149
150 Rule 14. The Speaker shall sign all bills, and perform all other
151 duties in relation thereto, as required by the Constitution. He or
152 she shall also sign all joint resolutions and addresses; and all
6 153 writs, warrants, and subpoenas issued by order of the House shall
154 be under his or her hand, attested by the Chief Clerk.
155 Speaker May Clear Hall
156
157 Rule 15. In case of disturbance or disorderly conduct in the
158 lobbies or galleries, the Speaker, temporary Speaker, or Chair of
159 the Committee of the Whole House shall have power to order the same
160 cleared. He or she shall not, however, have the power to remove
161 members from the floor of the House, except by a majority vote of
162 those present.
163 Manner of Putting Questions
164
165 Rule 16. The Speaker shall rise to state and put questions.
166 Questions shall be in the following form: "All those in favor (if
167 by electronic roll call) vote 'Aye'. All those opposed (if by
168 electronic roll call) vote 'No'". If by voice vote say "Aye" or
169 "No". If the Speaker doubts on a voice vote, voting shall be
170 ordered by electronic device. The Speaker may require a recorded
171 vote on any motion.
172 OTHER OFFICERS
173 Speaker Pro Tem
174
175 Rule 17. The Speaker Pro Tem shall perform the duties of Speaker
176 during the sickness or absence of the Speaker, except while some
177 member is discharging such duties as a substitute under Rule 13.
178 Chief Clerk
7 179
180 Rule 18. It shall be the duty of the Chief Clerk to serve also as
181 Chief Administrator of the House and to attend the House during its
182 sittings. The Chief Clerk, under the direction of the Speaker,
183 shall prepare and keep the House Journal and seasonably record the
184 proceedings of the House; keep regular files of House papers;
185 attest all writs, warrants, and subpoenas issued by order of the
186 House; keep an account of all fines imposed by the House; maintain
187 a record of the members' attendance; keep an account of the
188 traveling and expense allowances of all the members; transmit to
189 the Senate messages, communications, copies, and documents of the
190 House; keep a docket of proceedings on all bills, resolutions, and
191 acts; and execute the commands of the House from time to time. The
192 Assistant Chief Clerk shall perform the duties of the Chief Clerk
193 in his or her sickness or absence, or upon the Chief Clerk's
194 resignation.
195 Sergeant-at-Arms; Doorkeeper; Chaplain
196
197 Rule 19. (1) Sergeant-at-arms. It shall be the duty of the
198 Sergeant-at-Arms to attend the House during its sittings; to
199 execute the commands of the House from time to time, together with
200 such process issued by authority thereof as shall be directed to
201 him or her by the Speaker; and to oversee the security of the areas
202 within the capitol under the control of the House of
203 Representatives. He or she shall preserve order during committee
204 hearings and in the galleries and lobby and control entry into the
205 Hall and onto the floor during the session of the House. The
8 206 sergeant-at-arms shall have all powers granted to law enforcement
207 officers in this state to apprehend and arrest persons for
208 violations of Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of
209 Missouri, and may carry firearms when necessary for the proper
210 discharge of his or her duties. The sergeant-at-arms may employ
211 additional staff to assist him or her in the performance of his or
212 her duties. The sergeant-at-arms and any such additional
213 employees shall maintain a valid peace officer license for the
214 duration of their employment.
215 (2) Doorkeeper. It shall be the duty of the Doorkeeper,
216 subject to the orders of the Speaker, to attend the sittings of the
217 House. The Doorkeeper shall allow no person to come or remain
218 within the Hall or galleries except as are admitted by the rules or
219 orders of the House. He or she shall execute the commands of the
220 Speaker in relation to his or her duties and shall obey such other
221 orders as may be made by the House.
222 (3) Chaplain. It shall be the duty of the Chaplain, or a
223 member, former member, or employee of the House, as designated by
224 the Speaker, to attend at the commencement of each day's sitting of
225 the House, to open the sessions thereof with a prayer, visit any
226 member who may be sick, and to preach in the Hall of the House of
227 Representatives whenever requested by a vote of the House.
228 Employees
229
230 Rule 20. The House may employ, and the Speaker appoint, such
231 employees as are necessary to perform the duties of the House. No
232 person shall be initially hired by the House who is related to any
9 233 member of the House within the fourth degree, by consanguinity or
234 by affinity.
235 COMMITTEES
236 By Whom Appointed; Composition of Membership
237
238 Rule 21. (1) All regular standing, select, conference, interim,
239 and statutory committees shall be appointed by the Speaker who,
240 when appointing a committee, shall designate a member thereof as
241 chair, designate another member as vice chair, and designate the
242 total number of members to serve on each committee, except the
243 minority members of each regular standing committee shall be
244 appointed by the Minority Floor Leader. The vice chair or a
245 designee of the chair shall preside at all committee meetings in
246 the absence of the chair.
247 (2) The Speaker of the House, the Speaker Pro Tem, the
248 Majority Floor Leader, the Assistant Majority Floor Leader, the
249 Majority Whip, the Minority Floor Leader, the Assistant Minority
250 Floor Leader, and the Minority Whip shall be ex-officio members of
251 all committees of the House, the chair and the vice chair of the
252 Committee on Budget and one member of the committee designated by
253 the Minority Floor Leader shall be ex-officio members of all
254 subcommittees of the Committee on Budget, and the chair of each
255 regular and special standing committee shall be an ex-officio
256 member of each subcommittee of such regular or special standing
257 committee for the purpose of a quorum and inquiry but shall have no
258 vote unless they are duly appointed members of the committee.
10 259 (3) The membership of all regular standing committees and all
260 other committees and commissions, unless otherwise provided by the
261 act or resolution creating them, shall be composed as nearly as may
262 be, of majority and minority party members in the same proportion
263 as the number of majority and minority party members in the House
264 bears to the total elected membership of the House, except for the
265 Ethics Committee. The Ethics Committee shall consist of an equal
266 number of members from the majority and minority party.
267 (4) The Speaker may appoint such special standing committees
268 as he or she deems necessary. Any special standing committee shall
269 have the authority and duties of a regular standing committee if so
270 designated by the Speaker. The Minority Floor Leader may make
271 recommendations to the Speaker regarding minority membership of
272 special standing committees.
273 (5) The Speaker may dissolve or discharge the members of any
274 conference, interim, or special standing committee at any time and
275 reappoint the members thereof.
276 Time of Sitting
277
278 Rule 22. No committee shall meet except during those times so
279 designated by the Speaker. No committee shall sit during the
280 session of the House without leave of the House, except for during
281 the administrative order of business.
282 The Regular Standing Committees Enumerated
283
284 Rule 23. The regular standing committees of the House shall be as
11 285 follows:
286 (1) Administration and Accounts.
287 (2) Agriculture Policy.
288 (3) Budget.
289 (4) Children and Families.
290 (5) Consent and House Procedure.
291 (6) Conservation and Natural Resources.
292 (7) Corrections and Public Institutions.
293 (8) Crime Prevention and Public Safety.
294 (9) Economic Development.
295 (10) Elections and Elected Officials.
296 (11) Elementary and Secondary Education.
297 (12) Emerging Issues.
298 (13) Ethics.
299 (14) Financial Institutions.
300 (15) Fiscal Review.
301 (16) General Laws.
302 (17) Government Efficiency and Downsizing.
303 (18) Health and Mental Health Policy.
304 (19) Healthcare Reform.
305 (20) Higher Education.
306 (21) Insurance Policy.
307 (22) Judiciary.
308 (23) Legislative Review.
309 (24) Local Government.
310 (25) Pensions.
311 (26) Professional Registration and Licensing.
12 312 (27) Rules - Administrative Oversight.
313 (28) Rules - Legislative Oversight.
314 (29) Rules - Regulatory Oversight.
315 (30) Rural Community Development.
316 (31) Transportation Accountability.
317 (32) Transportation Infrastructure.
318 (33) Utilities.
319 (34) Veterans