THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY EACHUS, S. H. SMITH, MARKOSEK AND GEIST, MAY 3, 2010

INTRODUCED, MAY 3, 2010  

A RESOLUTION

Setting the scope of business for Special Session No. 1;

adopting as Special Session No. 1 (2010) Rules for the House

of Representatives the Rules of the House of Representatives

(2009-2010); and further providing for debate, for time of

meeting, for order of business and for standing committees.

RESOLVED, That the business of the House of Representatives

during Special Session No. 1 (2010) be confined to the subjects

contained in the Governor's Proclamation of a Special and

Extraordinary Session on Transportation System Funding,

published at 40 Pa.B.     (May 8, 2010); and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Rules of the House of Representatives

(2009-2010) be adopted as the Rules of the House of

Representatives for Special Session No. 1 (2010) of the House of

Representatives with the exception of Rules 10, 15, 17 and 43;

and be it further

RESOLVED, That the following be adopted as additional Rules

of the House of Representatives for Special Session No. 1 (2010)

of the House of Representatives:

RULE 10

Debate

When a member desires to address the House, the member shall

rise and respectfully address the Speaker. Upon being

recognized, the member may speak, and shall be confined to the

question under consideration and avoiding personal reflections.

When two or more members rise at the same time and ask for

recognition, the Speaker shall designate the member who is

entitled to the floor.

No member, except the Majority and Minority Leaders, may

speak more than twice on any question, without the consent of

the House. The sponsor of a bill or an amendment shall be

entitled to be recognized twice, and a maker of a debatable

motion shall be entitled to be recognized twice; but all other

members shall be recognized only once. When recognized, no

member except the Majority Leader and Minority Leader may debate

on any debatable question for more than five minutes each time

the member is recognized.

With the unanimous consent of the House a member may make a

statement not exceeding ten minutes in length concerning a

subject or matter not pending before the House for

consideration, providing the Majority and Minority Leaders have

agreed on a time the member is to ask for recognition.

RULE 15

Time of Meeting

The House shall convene at the discretion of the House. No

session of the House may begin before 8:00 A.M. nor end after

11:00 P.M. unless exigent circumstances exist, as determined by

an affirmative vote of three-fourths of the members elected to

the House, by a roll call vote on a motion to extend session. A

motion to extend session may be made to extend session generally

or to conclude business on a specific question or questions. If

a motion to extend session is made prior to 10:15 P.M. and a

roll call vote has not been ordered, the arrival of 10:45 P.M.

shall put an end to all debate and shall bring the House to an

immediate roll call vote on the question to extend session.

Nothing in this rule shall prevent the House from conducting

administrative matters, including the making of announcements

regarding the House schedule for the benefit of members or in

order to comply with 65 Pa.C.S. § 709 (relating to public

notice) after 11:00 P.M. Upon the Speaker's determination that

all administrative matters are concluded, the Speaker shall

adjourn the House.

RULE 17

Order of Business

The daily order of business shall be:

(1)  Prayer by the Chaplain.

(2)  Pledge of Allegiance.

(3)  Correction and approval of the Journal.

(4)  Leaves of absence.

(5)  Master Roll Call.

(6)  Reports of Committee.

(7)  First consideration bills.

(8)  Second consideration bills.

(9)  Third consideration bills, final passage bills

(including both third consideration and final passage postponed

bills) and resolutions.

(10)  Final passage bills recalled from the Governor.

(11)  Messages from the Senate and communications from the

Governor.

(12)  Reference to appropriate committees of bills,

resolutions, petitions, memorials, remonstrances and other

papers.

(13)  Unfinished business on the Speaker's table.

(14)  Announcements.

(15)  Adjournment.

Any question may, by a majority vote of the members elected,

be made a special order of business. When the time arrives for

its consideration, the Speaker shall lay the special order of

business before the House.

In lieu of offering House Resolutions on topics of importance

to members relating to the subjects contained in the Governor's

Proclamation of a Special and Extraordinary Session on     ,

published at 40 Pa.B.     (2010), any member, without unanimous

consent, may address the House on such issue and have his or her

remarks entered into the record during a special period of time

established each week by the Speaker at the conclusion of House

business on a specific day.

RULE 43

Standing Committees

Two standing committees of the House, the Committee on

Appropriations and the Committee on Transportation, are hereby

created.

The Committee on Appropriations shall consist of 21 members

of the majority party and 14 members of the minority party. The

Committee on Transportation shall consist of 15 members of the

majority party and 11 members of the minority party. The quorum

for each of the standing committees shall be no less than the

majority of said committees.

The officers and members of the standing committees under

this rule shall be the same as those serving on the standing

committees during the 2009-2010 Session of the House of

Representatives unless removed from the standing committees

under this rule pursuant to these rules. Any member removed

pursuant to these rules shall be replaced by another member of

his or her caucus, who shall be selected by the appropriate

caucus leader. The caucus leader shall make the appointment by

letter and deliver it to the Speaker.