Senate Rule 45

WHEREAS, The Senate adopted permanent rules for the 2025 Regular 1
Session of the sixty-ninth Legislature under Senate Resolution 8603; 2
and 3
WHEREAS, The Senate amended Rule 10 of the Senate Permanent Rules 4
under Senate Resolution 8638; and 5
WHEREAS, The notice requirements set forth in Senate Rule 35 have 6
been satisfied; 7
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That Rule 45 is amended as 8
follows: 9
"Rule 45. 1. At least five days' notice shall be given of all 10
public hearings held by any committee other than the rules committee. 11
Such notice shall contain the date, time and place of such hearing 12
together with the title and number of each bill, or identification of 13
the subject matter, to be considered at such hearing. By a majority 14
vote of the committee members present at any committee meeting such 15
notice may be dispensed with. The reason for such action shall be set 16
forth in a written statement preserved in the records of the meeting.17
2. No committee may hold a public hearing during a regular or 18
extraordinary session on a proposal identified as a draft unless the 19
draft has been made available to the public at least twenty-four 20
hours prior to the hearing. This rule does not apply during the five 21
SENATE RESOLUTION
8654
By Senator Pedersen
p. 1 8654
days prior to any cutoff established by concurrent resolution 1
nor does it apply to any measure exempted from the resolution.2
3. During its consideration of or vote on any bill, 3
resolution or memorial, the deliberations of any committee or 4
subcommittee of the senate shall be open to the public. In case 5
of any disturbance or disorderly conduct at any such 6
deliberations, the chair shall order the sergeant at arms to 7
suppress the same and may order the meeting closed to any person 8
or persons creating such disturbance. 9
4. No committee shall amend a measure, adopt a substitute 10
bill, or vote upon any measure or appointment absent a quorum. A 11
committee may conduct a hearing absent a quorum. A majority of 12
any committee shall constitute a quorum and committees shall be 13
considered to have a quorum present unless the question is 14
raised. Any question as to quorum not raised at the time of the 15
committee action is deemed waived. 16
5. Bills reported to the senate from a standing committee 17
must have a majority report, which shall be prepared upon a 18
printed standing committee report form; shall be adopted at a 19
regularly or specially called meeting during a legislative 20
session and shall be signed by a majority of the committee; and 21
shall carry only one of the following recommendations:22
a. Do pass; 23
b. Do pass as amended; 24
c. That a substitute bill be substituted therefor, and the 25
substitute bill do pass; or 26
d. Without recommendation. 27
In addition to one of the above-listed recommendations, a 28
report may also recommend that a bill be referred to another 29
committee. 30
6. A majority report of a committee must carry the 31
signatures of a majority of the members of the committee. In the 32
event a committee has a quorum pursuant to subsection 4 of this 33
rule, a majority of the members present may act on a measure, 34
subject to obtaining the signatures of a majority of the members 35
of the committee on the majority report. If, after executive 36
p. 2 8654
action on a measure, the signatures of all members are not 1
included on either a majority or minority report, the committee 2
shall hold the signature sheets for the measure for 24 hours, 3
not counting Saturdays or Sundays, from adjournment of the 4
committee hearing at which executive action was taken on the 5
measure. This 24-hour hold period applies even if a majority of 6
the members of the committee has signed the majority report. 7
After the 24-hour hold period, the signature sheets must be 8
submitted to the workroom if there is a majority of signatures 9
on the majority report. Once signature sheets have been 10
submitted to the senate workroom by committee staff, a member 11
may not sign or remove his or her signature from a majority or 12
minority signature sheet. If a majority of members of the 13
committee have not signed the majority report, the measure or 14
appointment remains in the possession of the committee. The 24-15
hour hold period does not apply within the five days preceding 16
any cutoff date or within the 10 days preceding sine die and 17
does not apply to a biennial or supplemental omnibus operating 18
budget, omnibus capital budget, or omnibus transportation 19
budget. 20
7. Any measure, appointment, substitute bill, or amendment 21
still within a committee's possession before it has been 22
reported out to the full senate may be reconsidered to correct 23
an error, change language, or otherwise accurately reflect the 24
will of the committee in its majority and minority reports to 25
the full senate. Any such reconsideration may be made at any 26
time, by any member of the committee, provided that the 27
committee has not yet reported the measure, appointment, 28
substitute bill, or amendment out to the full senate. Any such 29
reconsideration made after a vote has been taken or signatures 30
obtained will require a new vote and signature sheet. Any 31
measure which does not receive a majority vote of the members 32
present may be reconsidered at that meeting and may again be 33
considered upon motion of any committee member if one day's 34
notice of said motion is provided to all committee members.35
8. Any member of the committee not concurring in the 36
majority report may sign a minority report containing a 37
p. 3 8654
recommendation of "do not pass" or "without recommendation," 1
which shall be signed by those members of the committee 2
subscribing thereto, and submitted with the majority report. 3
Unless the signatory of a minority report expressly indicates a 4
"do not pass" recommendation, the member's vote shall be deemed 5
to be "without recommendation." In every case where a majority 6
report form is circulated for signature, a minority report form 7
shall also be circulated. 8
9. When a committee reports a substitute for an original 9
bill with the recommendation that the substitute bill do pass, 10
it shall be in order to read the substitute bill the first time 11
and have the same ordered printed. 12
A motion for the substitution of the substitute bill for the 13
original bill shall not be in order until the committee on rules 14
places the original bill on the second reading calendar.15
10. No vote in any committee shall be taken by secret ballot 16
nor shall any committee have a policy of secrecy as to any vote 17
on action taken in such committee. 18
11. All reports of standing committees must be on the 19
secretary's desk one hour prior to convening of the session in 20
order to be read at said session. During any special session of 21
the legislature or within the three days preceding any cut-off 22
date or sine die, this rule may be suspended by a majority vote 23
of those present. This rule does not apply to reports of 24
biennial or supplemental omnibus operating budget, omnibus 25
capital budget, or omnibus transportation budget bill.26
12. For purposes of this rule, a committee is deemed to have 27
reported a measure, appointment, substitute bill, or amendment 28
out when it has delivered its majority and minority reports to 29
the senate workroom. After such delivery, the committee no 30
longer has possession of the measure, appointment, substitute 31
bill, or amendment and no further committee action, including 32
reconsideration or a member adding or removing his or her 33
signature to a majority or minority report, may be taken.34
13. All committees will rely upon and use the Electronic 35
Bill Book. Committee staff should add all materials relating to 36
p. 4 8654
hearings, work sessions, or executive sessions to the Electronic 1
Bill Book as early as possible or when the material has been 2
made public. Paper copies will not be provided to members. All 3
materials submitted by the public shall be submitted 4
electronically. 5
14. All committees will use the online Committee Sign-In 6
system. All committee members will be able to view the list of 7
individuals who have signed in to testify on each measure or 8
appointment. Members of the public wishing to testify in-person 9
or remotely may sign up remotely no later than one hour before 10
the committee is scheduled to meet. 11
15. With the exception of the ways and means and 12
transportation committees, the chairs of standing committees 13
must publish the list of measures and appointments that may be 14
considered for executive session by 4:00 p.m. two days preceding 15
executive session. The chairs of the ways and means committee 16
and the transportation committee must publish the list of 17
measures and appointments that may be considered for executive 18
session by 7:00 p.m. two days preceding executive session. A 19
chair, with the consent of the ranking member, has discretion to 20
waive this deadline in extraordinary circumstances. A published 21
measure or appointment may be rescheduled for executive action 22
at the committee's next meeting without additional notice, 23
provided no additional amendments are considered. 24
16. Members must have amendment requests to nonpartisan 25
committee staff by 12:00 p.m. the day before scheduled executive 26
action. A chair, with the consent of the ranking member, has 27
discretion to waive this deadline in extraordinary circumstances 28
or to accept technical revisions to perfect an amendment. 29
Members should be considerate of staff and turn in amendment 30
requests earlier if they are long or complex, keeping in mind 31
the final deadline for consideration of amendments.32
17. All amendments, including substitutes, must be sponsored 33
by a committee member. All amendments and effect statements must 34
be either drafted or reviewed, or both, by nonpartisan committee 35
staff. To be eligible for consideration at an executive session 36
p. 5 8654
in a committee meeting scheduled to begin prior to 12:00 p.m., 1
amendments must be released from confidentiality and posted to 2
the Electronic Bill Book for committee members and the public by 3
4:00 p.m. the day before the executive session or the amendments 4
will be considered out of order. To be eligible for 5
consideration at an executive session in a committee meeting 6
scheduled to begin on or after 12:00 p.m., amendments must be 7
released from confidentiality and posted to the Electronic Bill 8
Book for committee members and the public by 7:00 p.m. the day 9
before the executive session or the amendments will be 10
considered out of order. A chair with the consent of the ranking 11
member has discretion to waive this deadline in extraordinary 12
circumstances or to accept technical revisions to perfect an 13
amendment. 14
18. A committee chair may choose to allow committee members 15
to participate remotely in committee meetings. The committee 16
chair shall notify the secretary of the senate prior to the 17
first day of the legislative session if the chair will allow 18
committee members to participate remotely. A chair that 19
initially chooses to allow only in-person participation may 20
later choose to allow remote participation but must provide the 21
secretary of the senate with notice of the change at least 24 22
hours prior to the committee hearing in which the change will 23
become effective. Once a chair has chosen to allow members to 24
participate remotely, this choice cannot be changed during the 25
remainder of the session. If a chair allows committee members to 26
participate remotely, those members will be considered "present" 27
for the purposes of this rule and Senate Rule 49. All committee 28
meetings shall be chaired in person. A chair may participate 29
remotely in a committee meeting when another member of the 30
committee is acting as chair. Members participating remotely 31
shall be allowed to participate in committee activities to the 32
same extent as those attending in person." 33
I, Sarah Bannister, Secretary of the Senate, 34
do hereby certify that this is a true and 35
correct copy of Senate Resolution 8654, 36
p. 6 8654
adopted by the Senate 1
April 16, 2025 2
SARAH BANNISTER 3
Secretary of the Senate 4
p. 7 8654