House Rules, immediate consideration and questions during debate

2025-2026 Bill 5012: House Rules, immediate consideration and questions during debate - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
Download
This Bill
in Microsoft Word Format
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
H. 5012
STATUS INFORMATION
House Resolution
Sponsors: Rules Committee
Document Path: LC-0215AHB-AHB26.docx
Introduced in the House on January 22, 2026
Last Amended on January 22, 2026

Currently residing in the House
Summary: House Rules, immediate consideration and questions during debate
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

1/22/2026

House

Introduced (
House Journal-page 34
)

1/22/2026

House

Amended and adopted (
House Journal-page 34
)

1/22/2026

House

Roll call Yeas-104 Nays-4 (
House Journal-page 39
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
01/22/2026
01/22/2026-A

Indicates Matter Stricken

Indicates New Matter

Amended - Not Printed
Bill for the House

Amt. No. 3 (LC-5012.DG0006H.docx)

January 22, 2026

H. 5012

Introduced
by House Rules Committee

S. Printed 1/22/26--H.

Read the first time January 22, 2026

________

A
house
RESOLUTION

to amend rule 5.16 of the rules of the house of
representatives, relating to immediate consideration of resolutions, so as to
provide that a house or concurrent resolution concerning sine die adjournment
shall be referred to the rules committee, and if the resolution is reported out
favorably from the rules committee, it shall receive immediate consideration;
and to amend rule 5.19, relating to debate on particular questions before the
house and their respective time limits, so as to provide that if a member
accepts questions during the member's speech, the member may not thereafter
refuse to accept questions, and such refusal shall result in the termination of
the member's allotted time.

Amend Title To Conform

B
e it resolved by the
House of Representatives:

T
hat the first
paragraph of Rule 5.16 of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended
to read:

5
.16
Should
any member seek immediate consideration of any House or Concurrent Resolution,
the resolution shall receive immediate consideration unless five members
object. If immediate consideration of such resolution is not sought, or in the
event five members do object where immediate consideration is sought, the
resolution shall be referred to an appropriate committee and shall not be
considered by the House until after the committee has made its report and at
that time shall take its place on the Calendar. Provided, however, a House or
Concurrent Resolution concerning Sine Die Adjournment
under
Article III, Section 21 of the South Carolina Constitution and Section 2 1 180
of the Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, shall receive immediate
consideration, which shall include the motion to commit or recommit
shall be referred to the Rules Committee. If the resolution is
reported favorably out of the Rules Committee, it shall receive immediate
consideration
.

T
hat Rule 5.19 a. of the
Rules of the House of Representatives is amended to read:

5
.19
a. No
member shall speak more than twice on the main question of a bill or resolution
being considered for any reading and not longer than sixty minutes for the
first speech nor longer than thirty minutes for the second speech, unless
allowed to do so by the affirmative vote of a majority of the members present
and voting. No member shall speak more than twice upon an amendment or a
motion to reconsider that is debatable and then not longer than ten minutes
each time. However, if the previous question has been invoked, no member may
speak more than twice on a motion to reconsider that is debatable and then not
longer than the amount of time remaining for debate of the underlying motion;
provided, that proposed amendments announced and introduced by the Reading
Clerk shall be considered prior to a member speaking on the bill. No member
shall speak more than twice on Senate amendments to a House bill and not longer
than sixty minutes for the first speech nor longer than thirty minutes for the
second speech, unless allowed to do so by the affirmative vote of a majority of
the members present and voting. The House may, however, by consent of a
majority of the members present and voting suspend the operation of this rule
during any debate on any particular question before the House.

P
rovided, each
bill or joint resolution, prior to receiving second reading, must be explained
for a minimum of ten minutes or until all questions from House members are
addressed, whichever occurs first. The committee chairman of the committee to
which a bill or joint resolution was referred, the committee chairman's
designee, the sponsor(s) of the bill or joint resolution, and other members of
the House may jointly explain the bill or joint resolution in order to provide
the required explanation.
If a member accepts questions
during the member's speech, either upon the main question of a bill or
resolution or upon an amendment or motion to reconsider that is debatable, the
member may not refuse questions thereafter. Upon agreeing to accept questions,
the member shall spend a reasonable amount of time, at the discretion of the
Speaker, answering each member's questions upon the main question of the bill
or resolution. Refusal to accept questions after agreeing to do so shall result
in the termination of the member's allotted time.

----XX----

This web page was last updated on January 22, 2026 at 1:53 PM