Bill Text: DE HCR14 | 2013-2014 | 147th General Assembly | Draft

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Bill Title: Urging The Delaware House Of Representatives And The Delaware Senate To Adopt Uniform Rules Relating To Transparency.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 23-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-04-16 - Introduced and Assigned to House Administration Committee in House [HCR14 Detail]

Download: Delaware-2013-HCR14-Draft.html

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SPONSOR:	Rep. Smyk & Sen. Lavelle;
	Reps. D. Short, Hudson, Blakey, Briggs King, Dukes, Gray, Kenton, Miro, Outten, Peterman, Ramone, Spiegelman, Wilson; Sens. Bonini, Cloutier, Hocker, Lawson, Lopez, Pettyjohn, Simpson

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

147th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 14

URGING THE DELAWARE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE DELAWARE SENATE TO ADOPT UNIFORM RULES RELATING TO TRANSPARENCY.

WHEREAS, the Delaware House of Representatives and the Senate each adopt their own set of rules; and

WHEREAS, these rules are not uniform and have different disclosure and notice requirements; and

WHEREAS, these differing requirements are confusing to the public; and

WHEREAS, there is no justifiable reason that both chambers of the General Assembly cannot craft and operate under a mutually-agreeable set of unified rules detailing the protocols for advanced public notification of legislative action and other disclosure; and

WHEREAS, having one set of uniform disclosure standards for both the House of Representatives and Senate would facilitate transparency; and

WHEREAS, in an effort to encourage a more participatory government, the public should have uniform access to most of the proceedings of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the 147^th General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the Senate concurring therein, that the House Rules Committee and the Senate Committee on Permanent Rules are urged to jointly meet to consider and propose uniform rules for each chamber relating to the following:

1.A rule requiring a specified advance public notice of when each bill will be considered in committee; and

2.A rule specifying when bills will be worked on the chamber floor; and

3.A rule requiring the posting of all roll call votes on the internet; and

4.A rule stipulating that, except for certain specifically excluded items, the proceedings of both chambers are subject to the Freedom of Information Act; and

5.Such other matters as the two committees believe should be uniform between the chambers.