Legislature joint rules

BE IT RESOLVED, By the Senate of the state of Washington, the 1
House of Representatives concurring, That the following be adopted as 2
the Joint Rules of the Sixty-Ninth Legislature: 3
JOINT RULES4
OF THE SENATE AND THE5
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES6
SIXTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE7
2025-20268
9 JOINT RULE NO.
10 Rule 1 Ethics.
11 Rule 2 Prohibited political activity.
12 Rule 3 Legislative code of conduct.
13 Rule 4 Employee protection.
14 Rule 5 Sessions of the legislature.
15 Rule 6 Joint session.
16 Rule 7 Motions for joint session.
17 Rule 8 Business limited.
18 Rule 9 Joint legislative committees.
S-0169.1
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 8401
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Riccelli, Short, and Dozier
Prefiled 01/03/25. Read first time 01/13/25.
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1 Rule 10 Joint committee meetings.
2 Rule 11 Joint and concurrent resolutions: Memorials.
3 Rule 12 Amendatory bills.
4 Rule 13 Bills, how drawn.
5 Rule 14 Amendments to state Constitution: Action by legislature.
6 Rule 15 Publicity of proposed amendments to state Constitution.
7 Rule 16 Initiative petition before the legislature.
8 Rule 17 Conference committee.
9 Rule 18 Failure to agree.
10 Rule 19 Report of conference committee, how made out; whom returned to.
11 Rule 20 Adoption of reports.
12 Rule 21 Messages between the two houses.
13 Rule 22 Bills to be engrossed.
14 Rule 23 Final action on bills, how communicated.
15 Rule 24 Enrolled bills—Presiding officer to sign.
16 Rule 25 Disposition of enrolled bills.
17 Rule 26 Adjournment.
18 Rule 27 Adjournment sine die.
19 Rule 28 Each house judge of its own membership.
20 Rule 29 Convening special legislative sessions.
21 Rule 30 Convening special legislative sessions solely to reconsider vetoed bills.
22 Rule 31 Amendments to joint rules.
23 Rule 32 Joint rules to apply for biennium.
Ethics24
Rule 1. Legislators and legislative employees are subject to the 25
provisions of the Ethics in Public Service Act, chapter 42.52 RCW. 26
The house of representatives and senate may impose disciplinary 27
action for violations of the act. Disciplinary actions for violation 28
include: In the case of a legislator, reprimand, censure, or 29
expulsion, and when applicable, restitution; and in the case of a 30
legislative employee, reprimand, suspension, or dismissal, and when 31
applicable, restitution. 32
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Prohibited Political Activity1
Rule 2. (1) A legislator shall not knowingly solicit, directly or 2
indirectly, a political contribution from a legislative employee.3
(2) A legislative employee shall not knowingly solicit or accept 4
contributions for any candidate or political committee during working 5
hours. At no time shall a legislative employee directly or indirectly 6
solicit a contribution from another legislative employee for any 7
legislative candidate, caucus political committee, or leadership 8
political committee, nor coerce another employee into making a 9
contribution to any candidate or political committee. No legislative 10
employee, as a condition of becoming or remaining employed, may 11
directly or indirectly be required to make any contribution to a 12
political candidate, committee, or party. 13
Legislative Code of Conduct14
Rule 3. The legislature is committed to maintaining a 15
professional and respectful environment for all members of the 16
legislative community. As stewards of the public trust, each member 17
is expected to: 18
(1) Conduct themselves with self-awareness, self-respect, and 19
professionalism; 20
(2) Treat all others with respect, dignity, and civility, 21
regardless of status or position; and 22
(3) Refrain from engaging in hostile, intimidating, offensive, or 23
unlawful activities or behaviors that may amount to discrimination, 24
harassment, sexual harassment, or bullying. 25
Employee Protection26
Rule 4. No retaliation shall be permitted against any legislative 27
employee for reporting in good faith the violation of any policy or 28
law. 29
Sessions of the Legislature30
Rule 5. The sessions of the legislature shall be held annually, 31
convening on the second Monday of January each year, as provided by 32
RCW 44.04.010 in accordance with Article 2, section 12 of the state 33
Constitution. 34
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Joint Session1
Rule 6. Whenever there shall be a joint session of the two 2
houses, the proceedings shall be entered at length upon the journal 3
of each house. The lieutenant governor or president of the senate 4
shall preside over such joint session, and the clerk of the house of 5
representatives shall act as the clerk thereof, except in the case of 6
the joint session held for the purpose of canvassing the votes of 7
constitutional elective state officers, when the speaker shall 8
preside over such joint sessions. The lieutenant governor in no case 9
shall have the right to give the deciding vote. A joint session may 10
be held remotely as provided by concurrent resolution. Members 11
participating remotely shall be considered present for purposes of a 12
quorum and voting. 13
Motions for Joint Session14
Rule 7. All motions for a joint session shall be made by 15
concurrent resolution to be introduced by the house in which such 16
joint session is to be held; and when an agreement has once been 17
made, it shall not be altered or annulled, except by concurrent 18
resolution. 19
Business Limited20
Rule 8. No business shall be considered in joint session other 21
than that which may be agreed upon before the joint session is 22
called. 23
Joint Legislative Committees24
Rule 9. Joint legislative committees may be created by concurrent 25
resolution originating in either house and passed by a majority vote 26
of both houses. 27
Joint legislative committees may have the powers of subpoena, the 28
power to administer oaths, and the power to issue commissions for the 29
examination of witnesses in accordance with the provisions of chapter 30
44.16 RCW. Before a joint legislative committee may issue any 31
process, the committee chairperson shall submit for approval of both 32
the executive rules committee of the house of representatives and the 33
rules committee of the senate, a statement of purpose setting forth 34
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the name or names of those subject to process. The process shall not 1
be issued prior to approval by both the executive rules committee of 2
the house of representatives and the rules committee of the senate. 3
The process shall be limited to the named individuals.4
Joint Committee Meetings5
Rule 10. All meetings held by joint committees or held jointly by 6
house of representatives and senate standing committees must be 7
conducted in accordance with the rules and applicable interim 8
resolutions of both the senate and the house of representatives. 9
Expenditures and meetings may be subject to approval in accordance 10
with such rules and applicable interim resolutions. Remote 11
participation in committee meetings is authorized to the extent it is 12
technologically feasible. When participating remotely, committee 13
members shall be considered present for purposes of a quorum and 14
voting. 15
Joint and Concurrent Resolutions - Memorials16
Rule 11. All memorials and resolutions from the legislature 17
addressed to the President of the United States, to the Congress or 18
either house thereof, to any other branch of the Federal government, 19
to any other branch of state government, or to any unit of local 20
government shall be in the form of joint memorials. Proposed 21
amendments to the state Constitution shall be in the form of joint 22
resolutions. Business between the two houses such as joint sessions, 23
amendments to redistricting plans submitted by a redistricting 24
commission created under chapter 44.05 RCW, adopting or amending 25
joint rules, creating or empowering joint committees, opening and 26
closing business of the legislature and all such related matters 27
shall be in the form of concurrent resolutions. Joint memorials, 28
joint resolutions, and concurrent resolutions, up to and including 29
the signing thereof by the presiding officer of each house, shall be 30
subject to the rules governing the course of bills. Concurrent 31
resolutions may be adopted without a roll call. Concurrent 32
resolutions amending a redistricting plan submitted by a 33
redistricting commission, authorizing investigations or authorizing 34
the expenditure or allocation of any money must be adopted by roll 35
call, and the yeas and nays recorded in the journal. Concurrent 36
resolutions amending a redistricting plan as well as all amendments 37
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to those resolutions must be agreed to by two-thirds of the members 1
elected or appointed to each house. 2
Amendatory Bills3
Rule 12. All amendatory bills shall refer to the section or 4
sections of the official codes and statutes of Washington, and 5
supplements thereto and to the respective Session Laws, to be 6
amended. 7
Bills, How Drawn8
Rule 13. Bills introduced in either house intended to amend 9
existing statutes shall have the words that are amendatory to such 10
existing statutes underlined. Any matter to be deleted from the 11
existing statutes shall be indicated by lining out such matter with a 12
broken line and enclosing the lined out material within double 13
parentheses, and no bill shall be printed or acted upon until the 14
provisions of this rule shall have been complied with.15
New sections need not be underlined but shall be designated "NEW 16
SECTION." in upper case type and such designation shall be 17
underlined. 18
Sections of a bill that repeal a prior enactment shall include 19
the section caption accompanying the section in the Revised Code of 20
Washington. 21
No bill shall be introduced by title only, and, in the event a 22
bill is not complete, at least section 1 shall be set forth in full 23
before the bill may be accepted for introduction. 24
Amendments to bills will be acted upon in the manner provided in 25
the Rules of the Senate and in the Rules of the House of 26
Representatives. No amendment to a bill shall be considered which 27
strikes the entire subject matter of a bill, and substitutes in lieu 28
thereof entirely new subject matter not germane to the original or 29
engrossed bill. 30
Amendments to State Constitution - Action by Legislature31
Rule 14. Amendments to the state Constitution may be proposed in 32
either branch of the legislature by joint resolution; and if the same 33
shall be agreed to by two-thirds of the members elected to each of 34
the two houses, such proposed amendment or amendments shall be 35
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entered on their respective journals with the ayes and nays thereon. 1
(Const., art. 23, sec. 1.) 2
Publicity of Proposed Amendments to State Constitution3
Rule 15. The legislature shall provide methods of publicity of 4
all laws or parts of laws, and amendments to the Constitution 5
referred to the people with arguments for and against the laws and 6
amendments so referred, so that each voter of the state shall receive 7
the publication as soon as possible before the election at which they 8
are to be voted upon. (Const., art. 2, sec. 1e.) 9
Initiative Petition Before the Legislature10
Rule 16. Initiative petitions filed with the secretary of state 11
not less than 10 days before any regular session of the legislature 12
shall take precedence over all other measures in the legislature 13
except appropriation bills and shall be either enacted or rejected 14
without change or amendment by the legislature before the end of such 15
regular session. Upon certification from the secretary of state that 16
an initiative to the legislature has received sufficient valid 17
signatures, the secretary of state shall submit certified copies of 18
the said initiative to the state senate and the house of 19
representatives. Upon receipt of said initiative, each body of the 20
legislature through its presiding officers shall refer the certified 21
copies of the initiative to a proper committee. 22
Upon receipt of a committee report on an initiative to the 23
legislature, each house shall treat the measure in the same manner as 24
bills, memorials and resolutions, except that initiatives cannot be 25
placed on the calendar for amendment. After the action of each body 26
has been recorded on the final passage or any other action by 27
resolution or otherwise which may refer the initiative to the people 28
has been recorded, the president and secretary of the senate and the 29
speaker and chief clerk of the house of representatives will certify, 30
each for its own body, to the secretary of state the action taken. 31
(Const., art. 2, sec. 1a.) 32
Conference Committee33
Rule 17. (1) In every case of difference between the two houses, 34
upon any subject of legislation, either house may request a 35
conference and appoint a committee for that purpose, and the other 36
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house may grant the request for a conference and appoint a committee 1
to confer. The presiding officer of each house shall appoint on each 2
conference committee three members, selecting them so as to 3
represent, in each case, the majority and minority positions to the 4
extent possible as relates to the subject matter, and the majority 5
and minority caucuses. The committees, at the earliest possible hour, 6
shall confer upon the differences between the two houses indicated by 7
the amendment or amendments adopted in one house and rejected in the 8
other. 9
(2) Conference committee deliberations shall be conducted in a 10
manner consistent with the rules of the house of representatives and 11
senate applicable to deliberations of standing committees.12
(3) Public notice of a conference committee meeting shall be 13
given by the secretary of the senate, for house bills, and the chief 14
clerk of the house of representatives, for senate bills, prior to the 15
convening of the meeting by distributing meeting notices via the 16
legislature's email system. 17
(4) The papers shall be left with the conferees of the house of 18
representatives if a senate bill, and with the conferees of the 19
senate, if a house bill, and the holders of the papers shall first 20
present the report of the committee to their house. Every report of a 21
conference committee must be recommended by a majority of the 22
conference committee members of each house. Conference committee 23
reports must be recommended at a meeting duly convened by the chief 24
clerk of the house of representatives for senate bills or the 25
secretary of the senate for house bills. 26
Failure to Agree27
Rule 18. In case of failure of the conferees to agree on matters 28
directly at issue between the two houses, the committee may in 29
addition consider new proposed items within the scope and object of 30
the bill in conference. A report proposing new items shall include 31
all amendments to the bill or resolution agreed upon by the 32
conference committee. The proposed report may be in the form of a new 33
bill or resolution and such report must be recommended by a majority 34
of the members of the committee appointed from each house.35
Report of Conference Committee, How Made Out - Whom Returned to36
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Rule 19. The conference committee shall submit the bill as 1
amended together with three copies of its report to the house of 2
representatives if a senate bill, and to the senate, if a house bill. 3
A copy of the report shall be distributed to each member of the 4
legislature at the time the report is received by this house. If this 5
house acts to approve the report and pass the bill as amended, it 6
shall then transmit its action, the bill, and two copies of the 7
report to the other house. 8
Adoption of Reports9
Rule 20. No floor vote may be taken on any conference committee 10
report without a distribution to all members of a summary of 11
additions, changes, and deletions made by the conference committee 12
that is sufficiently explicit to inform the members of the effect of 13
said additions, changes, and deletions. The chief clerk of the house 14
of representatives and the secretary of the senate shall distribute 15
the reports to the members as soon as possible. 16
Each house shall have 24 hours from the time of proper receipt, 17
by the chief clerk of the house of representatives and the secretary 18
of the senate, and by distribution to the members before considering 19
reports from a conference committee which has proposed new items 20
within the scope and object of the bill in conference.21
The foregoing provision relating to 24 hour intervals may be 22
suspended by the senate or the house of representatives by two-thirds 23
vote of the members present, and such suspension shall apply only to 24
the house voting to suspend this provision. 25
The report must be voted upon in its entirety and cannot be 26
amended. The report of a conference committee may be adopted by voice 27
vote. 28
Passage of a bill as amended by conference report shall be by 29
roll call and ayes and nays shall be entered on the journals of the 30
respective house. Passage requires a constitutional majority in both 31
houses, except in the case of constitutional amendments, which 32
require a two-thirds vote. 33
Messages Between the Two Houses34
Rule 21. Messages from the senate to the house of representatives 35
shall be delivered by the secretary or the secretary's designee, and 36
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messages from the house of representatives to the senate shall be 1
delivered by the chief clerk or the chief clerk's designee.2
Bills to be Engrossed3
Rule 22. Any bill amended in the house of its origin shall be 4
engrossed before being transmitted to the other house. The secretary 5
or clerk of the receiving house, as the case may be, may waive the 6
right to receive an engrossed bill. 7
Final Action on Bills, How Communicated8
Rule 23. Each house shall communicate its final action on any 9
bill or resolution, or matter in which the other may be interested, 10
in writing, signed by the secretary or clerk of the house from which 11
such notice is sent. 12
Enrolled Bills - Presiding Officer to Sign13
Rule 24. After a bill shall have passed both houses and all 14
amendments have been engrossed therein, it shall be signed by the 15
presiding officer of each house in open session, first in the house 16
in which it originated. The secretary of the senate or the chief 17
clerk of the house of representatives shall present the original bill 18
to the governor for signature. 19
Disposition of Enrolled Bills20
Rule 25. Whenever any bill shall have passed both houses, the 21
house transmitting the bill in its final form to the governor shall 22
also file with the secretary of state a copy of the bill together 23
with the history of such bill up to the time of transmission to the 24
governor. 25
Adjournment26
Rule 26. Neither house shall adjourn for more than three days, 27
nor to any place other than that in which they may be sitting, 28
without the consent of the other. (Const., art. 2, sec. 11.)29
Adjournment Sine Die30
Rule 27. Adjournment sine die shall be made only by concurrent 31
resolution. 32
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Each House Judge of Its Own Membership1
Rule 28. Each house of the legislature is the judge of the 2
qualifications and election of its members, and shall try all 3
contested elections of its members in such manner as it may direct. 4
(Const., art. 2, sec. 8.) 5
Convening Special Legislative Sessions6
Rule 29. As provided in RCW 44.04.012, the legislature may 7
convene a special legislative session as follows: 8
(1) A resolution calling for convening a special legislative 9
session shall set forth the date and time for convening the session, 10
the duration of the session which shall not exceed 30 days, together 11
with the purpose or purposes for which such session is called. 12
Members of the house of representatives or senate may present a 13
proposed resolution for the convening of a special legislative 14
session to the committee on rules of their respective houses.15
(2) The authority to place a resolution convening a special 16
legislative session before the legislature is vested in the committee 17
on rules of the house of representatives and the committee on rules 18
of the senate. 19
(3) Upon a majority vote of both the committee on rules of the 20
house of representatives and the committee on rules of the senate in 21
favor of a resolution convening a special legislative session, a vote 22
of the house of representatives and senate shall be taken on such 23
resolution. 24
(4) The chief clerk of the house of representatives and the 25
secretary of the senate shall conduct the vote on the resolution by 26
written ballot of the members of their respective houses under such 27
procedures as may be ordered by the committee on rules of their 28
house. The results of such vote shall be transmitted to the members 29
of the legislature and shall be a public record and shall be entered 30
upon the journal of the house of representatives and senate at the 31
convening of the next legislative session. 32
(5) If two-thirds of the members elected or appointed to each 33
house vote in favor of the resolution, then a special legislative 34
session shall be convened in accordance with the resolution. (Const., 35
art. 2, sec. 12.) 36
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Convening Special Legislative Sessions Solely to Reconsider Vetoed 1
Bills2
Rule 30. (1) Any member may petition the legislature to convene a 3
special session in the form of a resolution solely to reconsider the 4
governor's veto on any bill within 45 days next after the 5
adjournment. 6
(2) A resolution calling for convening a special legislative 7
session for this purpose shall set forth the bill or bills that the 8
governor has vetoed that the resolution seeks to reconsider in the 9
special legislative session. Members of the house of representatives 10
or senate may present a proposed resolution for the convening of a 11
special legislative session for this sole purpose to the committee on 12
rules of their respective houses. 13
(3) The authority to place a resolution convening a special 14
legislative session before the legislature is vested in the committee 15
on rules of the house of representatives and the committee on rules 16
of the senate. 17
(4) If the committee receiving the resolution approves it by a 18
majority vote of all members of the committee, it shall set forth the 19
date and time for convening the proposed special session and shall 20
transmit the resolution to the committee on rules of the other 21
chamber through the chief clerk of the house of representatives and 22
the secretary of the senate, as applicable. 23
(5) Upon a majority vote of both the committee on rules of the 24
house of representatives and the committee on rules of the senate in 25
favor of a resolution convening a special legislative session, a vote 26
of the house of representatives and senate shall be taken on such a 27
resolution. 28
(6) The chief clerk of the house of representatives and the 29
secretary of the senate shall conduct the vote on the resolution by 30
written ballot of the members of their respective houses under such 31
procedures as may be ordered by the committee on rules of their 32
house. The results of such a vote shall be transmitted to the members 33
of the legislature and shall be a public record and shall be entered 34
upon the journal of the house of representatives and senate at the 35
convening of the next legislative session. 36
(7) If two-thirds of the members elected or appointed to each 37
house vote in favor of the resolution, then a special legislative 38
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session shall be convened in accordance with the resolution, not to 1
exceed five days in length. (Const., art. 3, sec. 12.)2
Amendments to Joint Rules3
Rule 31. These joint rules may be amended by concurrent 4
resolution agreed to by a majority of the members of each house, 5
provided one day's notice be given of the motion thereof.6
Joint Rules to Apply for Biennium7
Rule 32. The permanent joint rules adopted by the legislature 8
shall govern any session called during the same legislative biennium.9
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