Delegation Resource Manual: Rules and Procedures
Page 115
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If the amendment is germane the chairperson will recognize the sponsor of the amendment, for
consideration by the committee. The time used for considering an amendment shall be
deducted from the time allotted for discussion of the bill by the committee.
Amendments shall be considered according to the following procedure: the sponsor of the
amendment may speak for no more than one and half minutes on the proposed amendment; the
sponsor of the bill may be given one minute to reply; a member in favor of the amendment will
be recognized for one minute; followed by a member in opposition for one minute. Following
the expiration of time for consideration of the amendment, an immediate vote on the proposed
amendment will be taken by either voice vote or a show of hands. The secretary of the
committee will record the votes, and report the result on the Master Bill Flowchart, and if the
amendment passes, will attach the amendment.
Prior to consideration of a germane amendment, according to the procedures above, the
chairperson shall place before the committee for consideration the amendment for a vote by the
committee without any debate. If no member of the committee objects to waiving debate under
consideration of the amendment, the committee shall proceed to immediate vote. The sponsor
of the amendment shall, however, be afforded one minute to explain the amendment before the
vote.
8.
Following the expiration of the time period allowed for discussion of the bill, the committee
chairperson should recognize the bill sponsor for a summary, which shall not be more than one
minute plus any time reserved from the opening presentation.
9.
The committee will vote immediately following the sponsor’s summary and any other business is
out of order until the chairperson announces the committee’s decision. The secretary shall call
the roll, and record the total ayes and nays on the appropriate Master Bill Flowchart. No
member of the committee may abstain from voting, nor may a member be excused during the
voting. The committee chairperson shall remain impartial in leading the committee, and may
not vote on the bill, unless necessary in order to break a tie.
10. If the bill is defeated in committee, the committee may not reconsider it during the committee
meeting in which the bill is defeated. The Master Bill Flowchart with the appropriate
information completed is to be returned to the Bill Coordinator at once. Should a member wish
to have the committee reconsider a defeated bill at a subsequent meeting of the committee, that
member must have voted in the majority or prevailing side of the question and must have
seconds from at least 3 other members of the committee who voted similarly. A majority vote
by the committee shall be required to permit reconsideration of a defeated bill.
If the bill passes and is reported out to the chamber, the secretary of the committee and the
chairperson should complete the Master Bill Flowchart as required, i.e. attaching complete text
of all amendments adopted by the committee and forward at once to the Bill Coordinator. This
is to be done once the committee has taken action on a bill, and is not to be delayed until the
committee session ends. All bills (whether passed or defeated) from committees are to be
handled only by a Bill Coordinator Page to assure that communications with the Bill
Coordinator are complied with fully. The Bill Coordinator may ask that the Bill be re-typed due
to the re-organization by amendments.
