Adopt Senate Rules

As Adopted by the Senate

136th
General Assembly

Regular
Session
S. R. No. 17

2025-2026

Senator
Reineke

Cosponsors:
Senators Cirino, Koehler, Landis, Lang, Reynolds, Roegner, Schaffer,
Smith, Wilson

A
R E S O L U T I O N

To
adopt the rules of the Senate for the 136th General Assembly.

BE
IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

RESOLVED,
That the following are the Rules of the Senate for the 136th General
Assembly:

RULES
OF THE SENATE

135th

136th

GENERAL
ASSEMBLY

TIME
OF CONVENING; DUTIES OF THE PRESIDENT

Rule
1. (Time of Sessions.) The sessions of the Senate shall be held at
such times as are determined by the President. For the months of
January through June in each year, and for the months of July through
December in each year, the President, at the beginning of each
six-month period, shall establish a schedule of dates and times
according to which the Senate shall hold sessions and at which roll
call votes are taken. Alternatively, the President may establish the
schedule for each calendar year at the beginning of the calendar
year. The schedule and any revision or supplement thereto shall be
published and a copy provided to each senator.

Rule
2. (May Select Senator to Preside.) During a voting session, the
President may name any senator to perform the duties of the chair,
but such substitution shall not extend beyond an adjournment; nor
shall any senator so named attest any document as President or
President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

Rule
3. (Clerk Shall Call Senate to Order.) When both the President and
the President Pro Tempore are absent at the hour to which the Senate
has adjourned or taken a recess, the Clerk shall call the Senate to
order and the Senate shall proceed to select some member to act as
presiding officer until the President or President Pro Tempore is
present, or an adjournment is taken.

Rule
4. (President to Enforce Rules.) The President shall enforce the
rules of the Senate. The President shall preserve order and decorum
in the proceedings of the Senate; and in case of any disturbance or
disorderly conduct in the lobby the President shall have the power to
order the same to be cleared.

Rule
5. (Signing of Acts, etc.) The President or, in the President's
absence, the President Pro Tempore shall sign all acts and joint
resolutions when passed or adopted by both houses; and all writs and
all warrants and subpoenas issued by the action of the Senate shall
be signed by the President and attested to by the Clerk. Initiation
and defense of legal actions by the Senate shall be decided by the
President. The President Pro Tempore, in the absence of the
President, shall have all the rights, privileges, authority, duties,
and responsibilities of the President.

ORDER
OF BUSINESS OF THE DAY

Rule
6. (Daily Order, Prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, and Reading of
Journal.) As soon as the Senate is called to order prayer may be
offered, the pledge of allegiance to the flag may be said, and, a
quorum being present, the Journal of the preceding legislative day
shall be read by the Clerk.

Rule
7. (Order of Business.) As soon as the Journal is read and approved,
the order of business shall be as follows:

1.
Reports of reference and bills for second consideration.

2.
Reports of standing and select committees.

3.
House amendments to Senate bills and resolutions.

4.
Reports of conference committees.

5.
Resolutions, including joint resolutions and concurrent resolutions,
reported by committee.

6.
Bills for third consideration.

7.
Motions.

8.
Introduction and first consideration of bills.

9.
Offering of resolutions and adoption of resolutions not referred to
committee.

Rule
8. (Order of Business, How Changed.) The business of the Senate shall
be disposed of in the order provided by Rule 7. To revert to or
advance to a new order of business requires only a majority vote of
the members of the Senate.

Rule
9. (Message from House and Executive.) Messages from the House,
messages from the President, and communications from any branch of
the executive department of the state may be received by the Clerk at
any time, except when the yeas and nays are being called.

Rule
10. (Majority Constitutes Quorum, Less May Compel Attendance.) A
majority of all members elected to the Senate shall constitute a
quorum, but a less number may compel the attendance of absent members
or adjourn from day to day.

Rule
11. (Absence of Quorum, No Business, Procedure.) Should a roll call
show the absence of a quorum, the President shall direct the
Sergeant-at-Arms to dispatch the Sergeant-at-Arms's assistants for
the absentees and until a quorum is present no business shall be in
order except a motion to adjourn and the enforcement of the
attendance of the absentees.

Rule
12. (Call of Senate, How Demanded.) Any senator may demand a call of
the Senate providing the demand is seconded by three other senators
and upon such call the names of the senators shall be called by the
Clerk in their alphabetical order and the names of the absentees
entered upon the Journal.

Rule
13. (Procedure under Call of Senate.) While the Senate is under call
the doors shall be closed; senators shall take and remain in their
seats and no senator shall be permitted to leave the Chamber unless
by a majority vote of the senators present.

Rule
14. (Call of Senate, Absentees Brought in.) On the completion of the
roll call on the call of the Senate, the President shall direct the
Sergeant-at-Arms to bring in the absentees, if any, and until such
absentees have appeared at the bar of the Senate and answered to
their names, no business shall be in order except a motion to adjourn
and a motion to dispense with further proceedings under the call.

Rule
15. (Call of Senate, Motion to Adjourn if Defeated.) During a call of
the Senate, if a motion to adjourn has been voted down, it shall not
be renewed until a motion to dispense with the call has been voted
upon, or until an additional senator has appeared and answered to the
roll call. A motion to dispense with further proceedings under the
call shall not be made in the absence of quorum.

Rule
16. (After Call of Senate, Senator Cannot Leave.) When a call of the
Senate has been completed and further proceedings under the call have
been dispensed with, no senator shall be permitted to leave the
Chamber until the order of business for which the call was demanded
has been disposed of, except by leave of a majority of the senators
elected.

ADMINISTRATIVE
PROCEDURES

Rule
17. (Absences, Must be Excused.) Any absence of a member from a
voting session of the Senate must be excused. Before a member may be
excused from such an absence from a voting session, the member shall
submit an explanation for the absence in writing to the Clerk. A
member shall be automatically excused from a nonvoting session.

Rule
18. (Mileage Reimbursement, Payment of.) The reimbursement based on
mileage as provided for in section 101.27 of the Revised Code shall
be paid to each qualifying member by the Clerk unless a member is not
present in Columbus during a week.

COMMITTEES

Rule
19. (Appointment of.) (a) At as early a date as practicable after the
organization of the Senate, the President of the Senate, by message,
shall name all standing and select committees and subcommittees and
shall appoint all members and chairs of those committees and
subcommittees. The President may appoint senators who are not members
of a standing committee to a standing subcommittee of that committee.

(b)
The President, by message, may make temporary appointments to
standing and select committees and subcommittees.

(c)
The President, by message, shall name, and may substitute, members of
the Senate to serve on boards, commissions, task forces, and other
bodies created by law and on which Senate members are eligible to
serve, except as otherwise provided.

(d)
The Minority Leader of the Senate may recommend minority party
members for each committee.

Rule
20. (Committee Chairperson; Expenses; Attendance of Witnesses.) The
President shall designate a chairperson and vice-chairperson as well
as a ranking minority member for each committee. The Minority Leader
of the Senate may recommend the ranking minority member for each
committee. In the absence of the chairperson or vice-chairperson, the
committee may designate a chairperson.

The
President may be substituted as a voting member of any committee and
the committee records shall reflect such fact and the committee
member for whom the President has been substituted. The Minority
Leader shall be an ex-officio nonvoting member of each committee and
the President may, at the Minority Leader's request, substitute the
Minority Leader as a voting member of any committee and the committee
records shall reflect such fact and the committee member for whom the
Minority Leader has been substituted.

No
committee or member thereof shall be permitted to incur any expenses
without first receiving the written consent of the President or the
Committee on Rules and Reference. Authorization by the Committee on
Rules and Reference shall be signed by the Chairperson of the
Committee on Rules and Reference.

When
authorized by the President, the chairperson of a standing committee
of the Senate, with respect to any pending or contemplated
legislation, or with respect to any matter committed to the standing
committee, or the chairperson of a select committee of the Senate,
with respect to any matter committed to the select committee, may
issue a subpoena under sections 101.41 to 101.46 of the Revised Code,
or may issue an order under section 101.81 of the Revised Code, to
compel the attendance of witnesses or the production of books,
papers, or other tangible evidence.

Rule
21. (Committee Meetings, Called by, Rules, Record.) Each committee
shall meet upon the call of its chairperson, and in case of the
chairperson's absence, or refusal to call the committee together, a
meeting may be called by a majority of the members of the committee.
At least two days preceding the day bills or joint resolutions to
propose a constitutional amendment are to be given a first hearing,
the Clerk shall post in the Clerk's office the schedule of such bills
and joint resolutions in each standing committee or subcommittee with
the exception of the standing Committee on Rules and Reference. In a
case of necessity, the notice of hearing may be given in a shorter
period than two days by such reasonable method as shall be prescribed
by the Committee on Rules and Reference.

Where
applicable, the rules of the Senate apply to the committee
proceedings of the Senate. In addition, all committee meetings shall
be governed by section 101.15 of the Revised Code. On any occasion
when a majority or more of the members of a standing committee,
select committee, or subcommittee of a standing or select committee
of the Senate meet together for a prearranged discussion of the
public business of the committee or subcommittee, the meeting shall
be open to the public unless closed in accordance with Ohio
Constitution, Article II, Section 13.

Rule
22. (May Not Sit During Session of Senate.) No committee shall sit
during a voting session of the Senate without leave of a majority of
the Senate. A committee may sit during a recess from a voting session
of the Senate.

Rule
23. (Committee Quorum.) A majority of all members of a committee
shall constitute a quorum. A less number may meet to hear a measure,
but unless a quorum is present, no motion except to adjourn shall be
in order.

Rule
24. (Votes Required by Committee; Reconsideration by Committee.) The
affirmative vote of a majority of all members constituting a
committee shall be necessary to agree to any motion to recommend for
passage or to postpone indefinitely further consideration of bills or
resolutions. Every member present shall vote in the affirmative or
the negative except when excused by the committee upon request made
prior to the call of the roll. No proxy vote shall be valid. At the
discretion of the chairperson, the roll call may be continued for a
vote by any member who was present at the meeting prior to the roll
call on a bill, resolution, or appointment for which the roll call
was continued, but the roll shall not remain open later than 10:00
a.m. on the next calendar day.

A
motion to reconsider may be made by any member of a committee, and,
except as provided in Rule 25, such motion, to be in order, must be
made while the matter proposed to be reconsidered remains before the
committee. A motion to reconsider shall not prevail unless it
receives the same number of affirmative votes as were required
originally to pass the matter proposed to be reconsidered.

Rule
25. (Measures Postponed Indefinitely.) Any bill or resolution
postponed indefinitely is rejected and shall not be subject to
further consideration by the committee, except upon the adoption of a
motion for its reconsideration not later than the next meeting of the
committee. Notice shall be given immediately to the Clerk when a bill
or resolution has been indefinitely postponed. Such measure shall not
be reintroduced in the Senate while indefinitely postponed.

Rule
26. (Committee Reports, Presentation of House Bills and Resolutions.)
Any committee of the Senate may report back to the Senate any measure
referred to it, with or without amendments, or may report back a
substitute for any measure referred to it. No committee may report
back any measure referred to it or any substitute for such measure
without recommending its passage or adoption, and the report shall
not be received by the Clerk unless signed by the majority of the
committee who voted in support of the action. The report shall also
contain the signatures of those who voted against adoption or
passage, which shall be included in the Journal. No member shall sign
a committee report who was not present at the meeting.

Rule
27. (Records to be Kept.) Each committee shall keep minutes of its
proceedings, including a record of committee attendance and the names
of all persons who speak before the committee, whether such persons
are a proponent, opponent, or other interested party on the issue on
which they appear, the names of the persons, firms, associations, or
corporations on whose behalf such persons appear, and such other
matters as may be directed by the Committee on Rules and Reference. A
record of motions and the votes thereon shall be kept by the
committee.

Rule
28. (Records Open to Examination; Filing of Records.) Committee
voting records for the
135th

136th

General
Assembly shall be open for examination by any citizen of Ohio at
reasonable times and subject to adequate safeguards established by
the chairperson to protect and preserve such records. Upon final
adjournment of the Senate, the committee records shall be filed with
the Clerk. Committee voting records filed with the Clerk shall be
open for examination by any citizen of Ohio at reasonable times and
subject to adequate safeguards established by the Clerk and the
records retention schedule adopted by the Clerk.

Rule
29. (Committee Shall Examine Bills, etc.) Every committee to which a
bill or resolution is referred shall carefully examine the form,
phraseology, punctuation, and arrangement thereof and when necessary
report to the Senate amendments to correct the same.

Rule
31. (Motion to Commit, Cannot Be Amended.) When a motion is made to
commit to a standing committee, it shall not be in order to amend
such motion by substitution of any other committee.

Rule
32. (Motion to Discharge a Committee.) A motion to discharge a
committee of further consideration of a bill or resolution which has
been referred to such committee thirty calendar days or more prior
thereto, shall be in writing and deposited in the office of the
Clerk. Before such motion may be filed with the Clerk, there shall be
attached thereto the signatures of a majority of the members elected
to the Senate, and each member so signing must do so in the office of
the Clerk and in the Clerk's presence, or in the presence of one of
the Clerk's assistants. Such motion, together with the signatures,
shall be printed in the Journal on the day the motion was filed with
the Clerk. Only one motion can be presented for each bill or
resolution.

BILLS

Rule
33. (Introduction of Bills.) Bills to be introduced in the Senate
shall be typewritten, shall be in quadruplicate, shall bear the name
of the author or authors and co-authors, if any, and shall be filed
in the Clerk's office at least one hour prior to the next convening
session of the Senate.

No
bill shall be accepted for filing by the Clerk unless it is presented
for filing by a member of the Senate, or by a member's legislative
aide with authorization of the senator, and it has first been
approved as to form by the Legislative Service Commission and the
face of the bill is marked to indicate that approval.

Rule
34. (Bills, Title of.) Bills shall have noted in their title a
distinct reference to the subject or matter to which they relate, and
if they propose the amendment, enactment, or repeal of any law, to
the section proposed to be amended, enacted, or repealed.

Rule
35. (Bills, Second Consideration and Committee on Rules and
Reference, Public Hearing.) On the second consideration of a bill,
the Committee on Rules and Reference shall, if no motion or order be
made to the contrary, refer the bill to the proper standing committee
in regular order. Further, no bill shall be reported for a third
consideration and passage unless the same shall have been considered
at a meeting of the committee to which the same has been referred.

All
Senate bills and resolutions referred by the Committee on Rules and
Reference on or before the first day of April in an even-numbered
year shall be scheduled by the chairperson of the committee to which
the same has been referred for a minimum of one public hearing.

Rule
36. (House Bills Engrossed When Amended.) House bills, when altered
or amended by the Senate, shall be engrossed in like manner as Senate
bills preparatory to their consideration.

Rule
37. (Recommitment of Bills.) At any time before its passage, a bill
or resolution may be recommitted or rereferred by a majority vote of
the Senate or the Committee on Rules and Reference.

Rule
38. (Recommitment after Reconsideration.) If a bill or resolution be
lost, and the vote reconsidered, such bill or resolution shall be
committed to the standing committee or select committee to which the
bill or resolution was originally referred.

Rule
39. (Special Order, How Made.) A bill or resolution may be made a
special order by a three-fifths vote of the Senate.

Rule
40. (Bills Placed on Calendar, When.) Unless the Senate otherwise
orders, all bills and resolutions reported by a committee with a
recommendation for passage or adoption shall be placed on the
calendar with an indication that the bills and resolutions have been
recommended for passage or adoption by the designated committees.
Bills and resolutions recommended by designated committees may be
arranged on the calendar under the regular order of business by
action of the Committee on Rules and Reference, pursuant to Rule 100.

Rule
41. (How Taken Up for Consideration.) Resolutions taken up on the
calendar under the fifth order of business listed in Rule 7 and bills
standing in order for third consideration shall be taken up and read
without a motion to that effect, and, unless otherwise ordered by the
Senate, the questions shall be, respectively: "Shall the
resolution be adopted?" and "Shall the bill pass?"

Rule
42. (Carried Over to Succeeding Day.) When a bill which has been set
for a third consideration on a particular day shall for any reason
not be reached on that day, it shall stand for third consideration on
the first succeeding day when bills for third consideration shall be
reached in the regular order of business, except as may be otherwise
provided by the Committee on Rules and Reference.

Rule
43. (Bills Taken Up Earlier, How.) When a bill has been ordered for
third consideration on a particular day, or at a certain hour, it
shall not sooner be taken up except upon three-fifths vote of the
senators elected.

Rule
44. (Calendar Must Show Amendments.) If a bill is amended before
being placed upon the calendar for third consideration, the Clerk
shall note on the calendar the fact that it has been amended, and
shall cite the date when such amendment was made and the page of the
Senate or House Journal upon which such amendment appears. At the
time of third consideration, the bill with amendments incorporated
shall be supplied to each senator.

The
Clerk may post on the calendar under the regular order of business
pursuant to Rule 7 the title of bills for which a report of a
committee of conference has been filed with the Clerk.

When
a bill or joint or concurrent resolution has been passed or been
adopted in the Senate, and been amended, passed or adopted, and
returned by the House, it shall lie over one calendar day, unless
otherwise ordered by a majority vote of the Senate.

When
a report of a committee of conference has been filed with the Clerk,
it shall be spread upon the pages of the Journal and lie over one
calendar day unless otherwise ordered by a majority vote of the
Senate.

Rule
45. (Amendments Provided Before Vote.) Before a vote may be taken
upon the question of concurrence in House amendments to a Senate bill
or resolution, or upon the question of agreement to the report of a
conference committee, each member of the Senate shall be supplied
with the amendments made by the House or recommended by the
conference committee and each member of majority leadership, each
member of the minority leadership, and the sponsor or floor sponsor
shall be supplied with the bill or resolution as passed by the
Senate.

Rule
46. (Synopsis of House Amendments before Vote.) Before a vote is
taken on the question of concurrence in House amendments to a Senate
bill or resolution, the staff of the Legislative Service Commission
shall prepare a synopsis of any substantive amendments made by a
House committee to the bill or resolution as passed by the Senate.
The staff of the Legislative Service Commission shall make such a
synopsis available to each senator at the time the Senate votes on
the question of concurrence in the House amendments. The Clerk shall
provide each member of the majority leadership, each member of the
minority leadership, and the sponsor or floor sponsor with any
amendments made by the House during its third consideration of the
bill or resolution.

Rule
47. (Title of Bill after Passage.) When a bill has passed the Senate,
the Clerk shall read its title and the President shall demand if the
Senate agrees thereto. Any senator may then request the addition or
deletion of a senator's name to the title as a co-sponsor. Prior to
passage of a bill, a former senator who no longer is a member of the
General Assembly may present a writing to the Clerk requesting
deletion of the former senator's name from the title of the bill as
sponsor or co-sponsor. The President shall present the request to the
Senate, and the Clerk shall spread the request upon the pages of the
Journal. When the Senate is agreed, the Clerk shall make out the
title accordingly, and certify to the passage of the bill upon its
carrier.

Immediately
after the Senate has voted to concur in House amendments to a bill or
resolution, and immediately after the Senate has voted to accept a
conference committee report, the President shall demand if the Senate
agrees to the co-sponsorship of the bill or resolution. Any senator
may then request the addition or deletion of a senator's name from
the bill or resolution as co-sponsor. Prior to the vote on
concurrence in House amendments to a bill or resolution, and prior to
the vote on a conference committee report, a former senator who no
longer is a member of the General Assembly may present a writing to
the Clerk requesting deletion of the former senator's name from the
bill or resolution as sponsor or co-sponsor. The President shall
present the request to the Senate, and the Clerk shall spread the
request upon the pages of the Journal. When the Senate is agreed, the
Clerk shall make out the title of the bill or resolution accordingly.

AMENDMENTS

Rule
48. (Amendments, Must Be Germane.) No amendment proposed that is not
germane to the subject under consideration shall be considered.

Rule
49. (Same Amendment Not Permitted, Except.) Matters inserted in or
stricken from a bill by amendment, except an amendment reported by a
standing or select committee or subcommittee, may not be subsequently
stricken from or inserted in a bill by amendment. But a motion to
reconsider will, however, be in order.

Rule
50. (Cannot Contain Pending Legislation.) No bill or resolution shall
be amended on the floor of the Senate by annexing or incorporating
the substance of any other bill or resolution pending before the
Senate unless such annexation or incorporation is done by vote of a
majority of the members of the Senate.

Rule
51. (Tabling, Effect on Bill.) When a motion to amend a bill or
resolution is laid upon the table or indefinitely postponed, the bill
or resolution shall be subject to further consideration.

Rule
52. (Amendments to Emergency Bills.) Amendments proposed to emergency
bills shall be offered before the vote is taken on the emergency
section.

Rule
53. (Number of Amendments on Third Consideration.) A senator may
propose not more than two amendments and one omnibus amendment to a
bill or resolution from the floor of the Senate, except that in the
case of a bill that makes an appropriation, a senator may propose not
more than five amendments and one omnibus amendment to the bill from
the floor of the Senate.

This
rule does not apply to the President Pro Tempore, the Majority Floor
Leader, the Minority Leader, or the Assistant Minority Leader of the
Senate.

RESOLUTIONS

Rule
54. (Resolutions, How Offered; Special Committees by.) Resolutions
may be offered by an individual senator, or as a report of a
committee in the regular order of business, or at any time on leave
of the Senate. Any resolution proposing the creation of a special
investigating committee shall be, upon its introduction,
automatically referred to the Committee on Rules and Reference. This
rule shall be dispensed with only by a two-thirds vote of the Senate.

Rule
55. (Resolutions, When Considered.) Resolutions to be introduced in
the Senate shall be typewritten, shall be in quadruplicate, shall
bear the name of the author and co-authors, if any, and shall be
filed in the Clerk's office at least one hour prior to the next
convening session of the Senate. All resolutions offered in the
Senate shall be considered immediately by either being adopted or
referred to the Committee on Rules and Reference, except as provided
in Rules 54 and 56. If so referred, the Committee on Rules and
Reference shall examine and otherwise consider the resolution, and
may indefinitely postpone it, refer it to another standing committee,
or report it back to the Senate.

All
death, commemorative, and congratulatory resolutions shall be printed
by title only unless otherwise ordered by a majority vote of the
members elected.

Upon
reading a resolution from the House, such resolution shall be
considered immediately by either being adopted or referred to the
Committee on Rules and Reference. If so referred, the Committee on
Rules and Reference shall examine and otherwise consider the
resolution, and may indefinitely postpone it, refer it to another
standing committee, or report it back to the Senate.

It
shall be a prerogative of the presiding officer to consolidate into a
single motion for consideration by the Senate some or all
commemorative and congratulatory resolutions offered for adoption on
any particular legislative day. Should the presiding officer exercise
this prerogative, which shall be called a President's Prerogative,
the presiding officer shall direct the Clerk to supply a list
entitled President's Prerogative Resolutions which identifies by
title all resolutions proposed to be adopted by a single vote. This
list shall be supplied to all members prior to a vote on said
resolutions. The presiding officer shall put the following question:
"Shall the resolutions listed under the President's Prerogative
be adopted?"

Rule
56. (Concurrent Resolutions, Agency Rule Review.) The Chairperson or
Vice-Chairperson of the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review shall
offer under the ninth order of business listed in Rule 7, all
concurrent resolutions recommended by that committee for adoption by
the Senate. The resolution shall be offered within three Senate
legislative days after the date of recommendation by the joint
committee, and shall that day be referred to the Committee on Rules
and Reference, which shall place the resolution on the Senate
calendar for consideration within twelve calendar days; but the
resolution shall be offered and taken up for consideration on an
earlier legislative day if necessary to permit its adoption within
the period of time specified by section 119.03 of the Revised Code
for invalidating a proposed rule, amendment, rescission, or any part
thereof.

Rule
57. (Resolutions, Preparation.) Upon adoption, all Senate resolutions
shall be prepared and authenticated by the Clerk and signed by the
President. The Clerk shall also provide a place on all death,
commemorative, and congratulatory resolutions for signature of the
senator whose name first appears on the resolution as author.

VOTING

Rule
58. (Senator Must Vote.) Every senator present when the question is
put shall vote on the question unless excused by the Senate under
Rule 59. The Clerk shall call the roll of the Senate in alphabetical
order with the President called last. The President may direct the
Clerk to call the President Pro Tempore first in the call of the
roll.

A
senator who desires that the yeas and nays be called shall request
that they be called in accordance with Ohio Constitution, Article II,
Section 9.

Rule
59. (How Excused from Voting.) Any senator requesting to be excused
from voting may briefly explain the reason for such request, and the
Senate shall pass upon the request without debate.

A
request from any senator to be excused from voting must be made
before the Senate divides or before the call of the roll begins.

Rule
60. (Explanation of Vote.) A member desiring to explain the member's
vote shall make a request therefor, before the Senate divides or
before the call of the yeas and nays is commenced. If such request is
granted by the Senate, such statement shall not consume more than two
minutes of time.

Rule
61. (Quorum Not Voting, Continue.) When fewer than a quorum vote on
any question, the President shall forthwith order the roll of
senators to be called. If a quorum be present as shown by answering
to their names, or by their presence in the Chamber, the President
shall again order the roll to be called, and if any senator is
present the senator shall be ordered to vote unless the Senate shall
have previously excused the senator.

Rule
62. (Roll May Remain Open.) At the discretion of the President, the
roll may remain open for a vote by any senator who was not present
when the roll was called, but the roll may remain open only until the
Senate adjourns for the day.

Rule
63. (Senator Cannot Vote, When.) No senator shall vote upon any
question while off the floor of the Senate, upon any question
involving the senator's election or the right to the senator's seat,
or vote upon any question in contravention of the Legislative Code of
Ethics or in violation of section 102.031 of the Revised Code.

Rule
64. (Division, When Taken.) After a vote is taken viva voce, if the
President is undecided, or if a division is demanded by any senator
before the result is announced, the Senate shall divide. Those voting
in the affirmative shall arise at the request of the President and
remain standing until counted and the count is announced; then those
voting in the negative shall arise and remain standing until counted
and the count is announced.

Rule
65. (House Amendments, Conference Reports.) The yeas and nays shall
be called upon the question of concurring in amendments made by the
House to all bills or resolutions passed by the Senate, and upon
agreeing to the report of conference committees, except where
amendment is to the title only.

Rule
66. (Only Clerks at Desk During Roll Call.) No person, other than the
Clerk and the Clerk's assistants, shall be permitted at the Clerk's
desk while the yeas and nays are being taken.

Rule
67. (Verification of Vote.) After the roll has been called, any
senator may demand a verification of the vote. The Clerk shall read,
first the names of those senators voting in the affirmative, then of
those voting in the negative.

Rule
68. (Change of Vote.) Any senator, on account of error or for any
other reason, may change his or her vote; but no senator shall be
permitted to change his or her vote, as recorded, after the Senate
has proceeded to the next order of business. No senator may change
his or her vote if that change would alter the disposition of the
question.

DECORUM
AND DEBATE

Rule
69. (Senators Shall Address President.) When a senator desires to
address the Senate or to make a motion, the senator shall arise and
respectfully address "Mr. President," and the President
shall recognize the senator.

A
senator who wishes to question another senator shall, for each
question, first request and receive the President's permission to ask
the question. No senator is required to answer a question put by
another senator.

Rule
70. (President Decides Who Shall Speak.) The prime sponsor of a bill
shall be recognized first. When two or more senators seek recognition
of the chair at the same time, the President shall decide which
senator shall speak first. No senator shall yield the floor to
another senator without consent of the Senate.

Rule
71. (How Often Senator May Speak.) No senator shall speak more than
twice on the same question except by leave of the Senate or
responding to the floor; and the senator speaking shall confine the
speech to the question under debate and avoid personalities.

Rule
72. (May Read from Books, etc.) Any senator while discussing a
question may read, or cause to be read, from books, papers, documents
or any matter pertinent to the subject under consideration for a
period of five minutes without asking leave. Additional time may be
granted by a majority vote of the Senate.

Rule
73. (Statement of Question.) Any senator may call for a statement of
the pending question, whereupon the President shall restate the same.

Rule
74. (Division of Question.) Any senator may call for a division of
the question; the decision of the President as to its divisibility
shall be subject to appeal as in questions of order.

Rule
75. (Questions of Order Decided by.) All questions of order shall be
decided by the President without debate; such decision shall be
subject to appeal to the Senate by any three senators, on which
appeal no senator shall speak more than once, unless by leave of the
Senate; and the President may speak in preference to the senators.

Rule
76. (Senator May Be Called to Order.) If any senator, in speaking or
otherwise, is transgressing the Rules of the Senate, the President
shall, or any member may, call the senator to order; and the senator
called to order shall take the senator's seat until the question of
order is decided.

Rule
77. (If Called to Order.) If the decision be in favor of a senator
called to order, the senator shall be at liberty to proceed; if
otherwise, the senator shall not be permitted to proceed without
further leave of the Senate.

Rule
78. (Personal Privilege.) A senator may file with the Clerk a form
requesting to rise and explain a matter personal to the senator. Upon
the request of the senator, the President may instruct the Clerk to
make note of the point of personal privilege in the Journal. The
Clerk shall prescribe a form for the request that includes a space
for the senator to indicate whether the senator wishes the point of
personal privilege to be noted in the Journal.

MOTIONS

Rule
79. (When Motions Must Be in Writing.) All amendments must be in
writing.

Any
senator offering an amendment to any bill or resolution under
consideration, or any amendment to such an amendment, shall submit it
to the Clerk not less than ninety minutes before the scheduled
beginning of the voting session at which the amendment is to be
offered.

Ninety
minutes before the scheduled beginning of a voting session, or
promptly thereafter, the Clerk shall send a notice concerning the
amendments that have been filed and will be offered for that session
to the chief of staff and legal counsel for the majority and minority
caucuses.

The
amendment deadline does not apply to an amendment to a bill or
resolution that a committee voted to report on the calendar day of
the voting session for which the bill or resolution has been placed
on the calendar or on the immediately preceding calendar day.

Amendments
prepared and distributed in advance of their offering shall identify
the bill or resolution sought to be amended and the name of the
senator proposing to amend; when a senator prepares more than one
amendment to the same bill or resolution, the amendments shall be
numbered sequentially. Unless objection is waived, debate shall cease
until all members are supplied with copies of amendments offered on
the floor.

Rule
80. (Precedence of Motions.) Except as otherwise provided in Rule 85,
motions shall take precedence in the following order:

1.
To informally pass.

2.
To adjourn.

3.
To take a recess.

4.
To lay on the table.

5.
The previous question.

6.
To proceed to the orders of the day.

7.
To postpone to a time certain.

8.
To commit.

9.
To amend.

10.
To postpone indefinitely.

11.
To discharge a committee.

Rule
81. (Decided Without Debate.) The following questions shall be
decided without debate:

1.
To informally pass.

2.
To adjourn.

3.
To take a recess.

4.
To lay on the table.

5.
The previous question.

6.
To go into committee of the whole on orders of the day.

7.
All questions relating to the priority of business.

Rule
82. (Motions, Statement and Withdrawal.) When a motion is made the
question shall be stated by the President; or, being in writing, it
may be read to the Senate by the President or Clerk. After a motion
is stated or read by the President, or read by the Clerk, it shall be
deemed to be in the possession of the Senate, but may be withdrawn,
by leave of the Senate, at any time before a decision or amendment.

PREVIOUS
QUESTION

Rule
83. (Previous Question, How Put.) A motion for the previous question
shall be entertained only upon the demand of three senators. The
President shall put the question in this form: "The question is,
'Shall the debate now close?'" A majority vote of the Senate
shall be required to carry the previous question, and until decided
it shall preclude further debate and all amendments and motions.

Rule
84. (Action after Previous Question.) After the demand for the
previous question has been sustained no call or motion shall be in
order, but the Senate shall be brought to an immediate vote.

RECONSIDERATION

Rule
85. (Reconsideration, How and When.) A motion to reconsider a vote
may be made only by a senator who voted with the prevailing side, and
such motion, to be in order, must be made within the next two
legislative days of the Senate after such vote is taken. A motion to
reconsider shall take precedence over all questions except a motion
to adjourn, and may be called up at any time in the appropriate order
of business after disposal of pending questions.

Rule
86. (Vote Necessary on Reconsideration.) The vote on any question
other than the previous question may be reconsidered by a majority of
those voting, a quorum being present, except when a bill or
resolution has been declared lost, in which case the motion shall not
prevail unless it receives the number of affirmative votes which
would be required to pass such a bill or resolution.

Rule
87. (One Reconsideration Only.) A motion to reconsider, having been
decided, shall not again be entertained unless the question has been
changed in form by amendment.

Rule
88. (Reconsideration, Motion Postponed.) Consideration of a motion to
reconsider may be postponed to a time certain or left pending.
However, if a motion to reconsider is not called up within thirty
days after it was made, the motion is deemed lost.

Rule
89. (Procedure on Reconsideration.) A motion to reconsider action on
a bill, joint resolution, or other paper that may have gone out of
possession of the Senate shall be entertained if made within the time
specified in Rule 85; such motion to reconsider shall be regarded as
an order to the Clerk to request the House to return the bill, joint
resolution, or other paper, but the Senate may vote on the motion to
reconsider without waiting for the return to the Senate of such bill,
joint resolution, or other paper, and the President shall state the
question: "Shall the vote be reconsidered?" Action on the
bill, joint resolution, or other paper, the vote on which has been
reconsidered, may not be taken until such bill, joint resolution, or
other paper has been returned and is in possession of the Senate.

Rule
90. (Effect of Tabling Motion to Reconsider.) When a motion to
reconsider is laid upon the table it shall not carry the bill or
resolution with it; nor shall a motion to reconsider be reconsidered.

POSTPONEMENT

Rule
91. (To Postpone.) A motion to postpone to a time certain, or
indefinitely, being decided, shall not again be allowed at the same
stage of the question.

Rule
92. (Indefinitely Postponed, Effect.) If a bill or resolution is
indefinitely postponed or defeated, such bill or resolution shall be
declared lost in the Senate and it shall not be reintroduced during
either annual session of the same General Assembly.

Rule
93. (Postpone to Time Certain.) A bill or resolution postponed to a
time certain shall not be considered at an earlier time, except upon
the vote of three-fifths of the senators elected.

Rule
94. (To Informally Pass.) A motion to informally pass a bill or
resolution may be made at any time prior to the taking of the roll
call.

RECESS
AND ADJOURNMENT

Rule
95. (Recess and Adjournment.) The interim between any two voting or
nonvoting sessions of the Senate on the same day shall be termed a
recess, and on the reassembling at the appointed hour any question
pending at the time of taking such recess shall be resumed without a
motion to that effect; and unless the Senate shall otherwise order by
resolution or motion, the hour to which it shall adjourn shall be
half past one p.m. the succeeding day; and the hour to which it shall
recess shall be stated in the motion.

Rule
96. (Motion to Adjourn in Order, When.) A motion to adjourn shall be
in order at any time, except while a member is addressing the Senate,
or while a vote is being taken, but cannot be made except by a
senator who has been recognized by the President, and being decided
in the negative shall not again be entertained until some motion,
call, or order shall have been acted upon.

Rule
97. (If under Consideration When Adjourned.) A bill or resolution
under consideration when adjournment is taken shall be, when its
order of business on the succeeding day is reached, the first
question before the Senate in that order of business, except as
otherwise provided by the Committee on Rules and Reference.

OF
THE RULES

Rule
98. (Rules Altered, How.) These rules shall not be altered except
after due notice of the intention of alteration; and no rule shall be
altered, except by a three-fifths vote of the senators elected. Any
of these rules may be suspended by a three-fifths vote of the members
elected, excepting rules which specifically require otherwise.

Rule
99. (Parliamentary Guide.) Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure
(2020 edition) shall be used by the Senate as authority in all cases
not provided for in the Senate Rules or the Joint Rules of the Senate
and House of Representatives, if any.

Rule
100. (Committee on Rules and Reference.) The standing Committee on
Rules and Reference shall have the power to prescribe the order of
business of the Senate and shall arrange and post the calendar at
least one calendar day in advance. Measures expected to be reported
by committee may be placed conditionally on the calendar for
consideration by the Senate in the regular order of business, and may
be carried over to a succeeding legislative day, subject to favorable
action by committee. In a case of necessity, the Chairperson of the
Committee on Rules and Reference may call a special meeting upon
proper notice to add a bill to the calendar upon a majority vote. One
day's notice shall not be required for calendars during the first
week after an adjournment of more than five calendar days.

EXECUTIVE
APPOINTMENTS

Rule
101. (Executive Appointments.) When executive appointments are
received by the Senate they shall, unless the Senate otherwise
orders, be referred to the Committee on Rules and Reference. The
Committee on Rules and Reference may refer the appointments to
another committee.

Rule
102. (Yeas and Nays, Appointments.) The yeas and nays shall be called
upon advising and consenting to an executive appointment. Failure of
the question to receive the concurrence of a majority of the senators
elected constitutes refusal of the Senate to advise and consent to
the appointment. The Senate may advise and consent to two or more
appointments by a single roll call vote. When a committee to which an
appointment has been referred recommends its rejection, or when a
senator demands that an appointment be separately considered, the
question of its approval shall not be included in a single roll call
vote affecting more than one appointment, but the yeas and nays shall
be separately called on the question of advising and consenting to
such an appointment. When two or more appointments are made the
subject of a single roll call vote, the failure of the question to
receive the concurrence of a majority of the senators elected shall
not constitute refusal to advise and consent to the appointments, but
in such case the yeas and nays shall then be separately called on the
question of advising and consenting to each appointment.

DUTIES
OF OFFICERS

Rule
103. (Clerk Shall Keep Index to Bills, etc.) The Clerk shall keep an
index record of all bills and resolutions introduced in the Senate
regardless of the house of origin, showing the number, title, and
author of each measure, the section sought to be amended, enacted, or
repealed, and the subject or matter affected thereby. The Clerk may
call upon the staff of the Ohio Government Telecommunications to
produce a video of all Senate voting sessions. Such video shall be
accessible as provided by law and the rules of the Ohio Government
Telecommunications Programming Committee.

Rule
104. (Duties of Clerk.) The distribution and receipt of bills,
resolutions, reports, messages from the House and from any branch of
the executive or judicial department of the State, and all other
documents belonging to the Senate shall be under the direction and
control of the Clerk. All records kept by the Clerk are governed by
the records retention schedule adopted by the Clerk. The property and
premises of the Senate shall also be under the direct supervision of
the Clerk.

When
the Clerk is required to print a bill, resolution, report, or other
document belonging to the Senate, the Clerk may use any method of
printing contemplated by sections 101.51 to 101.524 of the Revised
Code.

When
the Senate is recessed or adjourned, the Clerk shall be responsible
for the preservation of order and decorum in the Senate Chamber.

The
Senate by resolution shall prescribe the powers and duties of the
Chief of Staff and Clerk.

In
case of the death or resignation of the Clerk, the President may
designate any individual to perform the Clerk's duties until such
time as the Senate, by vote, fills the vacancy.

PRIVILEGES

Rule
105. (Use of Senate Chamber.) The use of the Senate chamber shall not
be granted at any time, by resolution or otherwise, for any purpose
other than legislative purposes, except by consent of two-thirds of
the members elected. At no time shall food or beverages be allowed in
the Senate chamber.

The
Senate Chamber, Senate offices, Senate committee and conference
rooms, the Members' Lounge, and all adjoining spaces shall be
designated as non-smoking areas. This rule shall be strictly
enforced.

Rule
106. (Use of Committee Rooms.) A person who wishes to use a Senate
committee room for a purpose other than a meeting of a committee,
subcommittee, or other official Senate business shall not do so
without obtaining the Clerk's prior approval. In requesting the
Clerk's approval, the person shall inform the Clerk of the committee
room the person wishes to use and the time and purpose of the
proposed use. Senate committee rooms may be used for only appropriate
purposes. At no time shall food or beverages be allowed in Senate
committee rooms unless otherwise authorized by the Clerk.

Rule
107. (Who Admitted in Chamber, Members' Lounge.) During a voting
session of the Senate, no person shall be admitted within the railing
except members of the two houses, their officers and employees in the
performance of their duties, or persons charged with messages or
papers to the Senate; clergy, by invitation of the President; the
Governor of this or any other state; and representatives of
newspapers or legislative information services who have been granted
the privileges of the Senate by the President. When the Senate is
adjourned or in recess, only senators and their guests and officers
and employees of the Senate in the performance of their duties are
permitted within the railing without the President's permission.

No
person shall be admitted in the Members' Lounge except members of the
Senate and officers or employees of the Senate in the performance of
their duties. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall strictly enforce this rule.

Rule
108. (Posters, Placards, Banners and Signs.) No poster, placard,
banner, sign or other similar material shall be brought into the
Senate Chamber or committee or meeting rooms of the Senate by any
person, and no person shall attach or affix any poster, placard,
banner, sign or other similar material to the doors, walls, rails,
seats or banisters of the Senate Chamber or committee or meeting
rooms of the Senate. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall strictly enforce this
rule.

Rule
109. (Applause, Outbursts or Demonstrations.) No applause, outburst
or other demonstration by any spectator shall be permitted during a
voting session of the Senate and during any meeting of a committee.

Rule
110. (Distribution of Printed Materials.) No general distribution of
printed material to the members of the Senate shall be permitted in
the Senate Chamber during a voting session of the Senate unless
authorized by a senator or the Clerk. The printed material shall bear
the name of the person authorizing its distribution. The
Sergeant-at-Arms shall strictly enforce this rule.

Rule
111. (Mobile Telephones, Prohibitions.) The use of a mobile telephone
or any other audible wireless electronic telecommunication device is
prohibited during voting sessions of the Senate and during any
meeting of a committee.

Rule
112. (Press Privileges, How Obtained.) Representatives of the press
desiring the privileges of the press area of the Senate floor shall
make application to the President of the Senate and shall state in
writing for what paper or papers or legislative information services,
magazines, or their affiliates they are employed; and shall further
state that they are not engaged in the prosecution of claims pending
before the General Assembly and will not become so engaged while
allowed the privileges of the floor; and that they are not in any
sense the agents or representatives of persons or corporations having
legislation before the General Assembly, and will not become either
while retaining their privileges. Visiting newspaper writers and
editors may be allowed, temporarily, the privileges herein mentioned,
but they must conform to the restrictions prescribed.

The
application required by the above rule shall be authenticated in a
manner that shall be satisfactory to the Executive Committee of the
Ohio Legislative Correspondents' Association, who shall see that the
privileges of the floor be granted to representatives of the press
association serving newspapers of general circulation, bona fide
correspondents of reputable standing in their profession who
represent newspapers of general circulation or magazines, or
representatives of daily legislative information services of known
standing and integrity, or their affiliates; organized for that one
purpose and not controlled by or connected with an association, firm,
corporation, or individual representing any trade, profession, or
other commercial enterprise, and which have been in continuous and
bona fide operation for such a period of years immediately prior to
the date of making application for floor privileges as will have made
possible the establishment of a reputation for honesty and integrity;
and it shall be the duty of the Executive Committee of the Ohio
Legislative Correspondents' Association, at its discretion, to report
violations of the privileges herein granted, to the Committee on
Rules and Reference.

Rule
113. (Representative of Radio and Television Stations and
Broadcasting Networks, How Admitted.) Representatives of radio and
television stations and broadcasting networks desiring the privileges
of the radio and television area of the Senate floor shall make
application to the President, and shall state, in writing, by what
stations or broadcasting network they are employed; and further shall
state that they are not engaged in the promotion of legislation or
the prosecution of claims pending before the General Assembly, and
will not become so engaged while allowed the privileges of the floor;
and that they are not in any sense, the agents or representatives of
persons or corporations having legislation before the General
Assembly, and will not become either while retaining their
privileges. Visiting correspondents and editors may be allowed,
temporarily, the privileges herein mentioned, but they must conform
to the restrictions prescribed.

The
application required by the above rule shall be authenticated in a
manner that shall be satisfactory to the Radio and Television
Correspondents' Association of Ohio. It shall be the duty of the
Radio and Television Correspondents' Association of Ohio to see that
the privileges of the floor shall be granted only to the
representatives of stations and broadcasting networks serving radio
and television stations, or networks serving such radio and
television stations as have been duly licensed by the Federal
Communications Commission. It shall be the duty of the Radio and
Television Correspondents' Association of Ohio, at their discretion,
to report violations of the privileges herein granted to the
President. Persons whose chief attention is not given to radio and
television broadcasting shall not be entitled to the privileges of
the floor.

Rule
114. (Privileges, How Revoked.) Upon complaint that any person has
abused the privileges granted the person under Rule 112 or 113, such
complaint shall be submitted to the standing Committee on Rules and
Reference for investigation, and such Committee shall notify the
person so charged of the time and place for hearing, and if such
accusation be sustained, such person or persons, upon the report of
the Committee, shall be debarred from the privileges theretofore
granted.

Rule
115. (Filming or Taping of the Senate.) Filming, video taping, or
audio taping during a voting or nonvoting session shall be done under
the conditions designated by the President of the Senate.

Taping
or filming of a member or members of the Senate in the Senate chamber
or in committee rooms when the Senate is not in session is
permissible with the prior consent of all members taped or filmed and
with the prior notification of the Clerk.

Taping
or filming of meetings of committees of the Senate is permissible
with the prior consent of the chairperson of the committee involved.
Such approved filming or taping may be for specific time periods set
by the chairperson, if such taping or filming interferes with the
orderly procedure of the hearing.

Taping
or filming in the Senate chamber or in committee rooms when no member
of the Senate is present is permissible with the prior consent of the
Clerk.

Rule
116. (Letters of Commendation, etc.) When requested by any member of
the Senate, the President of the Senate may, on behalf of the Senate,
in its name and in the President's discretion, sign letters or simple
resolutions conveying messages of commendation, congratulation,
recognition, and condolence to persons or organizations named in such
request.

The
President of the Senate shall keep a record of the disposition of all
such letters or simple resolutions, which record shall be open for
inspection by any member of the Senate.

Rule
117. (Use of the Senate Coat of Arms.) Use of the Senate Coat of Arms
shall be limited to members of the Senate, employees of the Senate in
the performance of their duties, the Chief of Staff of the Senate and
the Clerk. No other person shall use or permit to be used any
reproduction or facsimile of the Senate Coat of Arms or a counterfeit
or non-official version of the Senate Coat of Arms for any purpose
not authorized by the Clerk.

Rule
118. (Application to
136th

137th

General
Assembly.) The Rules of the Senate for the
135th

136th

General
Assembly shall be effective until the Senate of the
136th

137th

General
Assembly adopts Rules of the Senate for the
136th

137th

General
Assembly.