The senate rules

Senate meeting times Provides that a senate session that is convened pursuant to the constitutional requirement that neither house of the legislature shall, without consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days need not meet at 10 a.m. if the session is convened on a Tuesday or Thursday. Current rules, with exceptions, require the senate to meet at this time.

Roll calls Requires that a senator who is present during any part of a roll call day must be included in the official attendance roll call for that day.

Orders of business Reverses the sixth and seventh orders of business. The new sixth order of business now deals with referrals and receipt of committee reports concerning proposed administrative rules. The new seventh order of business now deals with the advice and consent of the senate.

Conduct of committee executive sessions by ballot and polling Eliminates the ability of a committee to conduct an executive session on a proposal, amendment, appointment, or proposed administrative rule by ballot if the chairperson of the committee determines that voting by ballot is necessary in an emergency for the preservation of the public peace, health, safety, or welfare.

Instead, a committee may conduct such an executive session by ballot if the proposal, amendment, appointment, or proposed administrative rule has lain over for at least 24 hours, unless the Committee on Senate Organization determines that for good cause such notice is impossible or impractical. In no case, however, may notice be provided less than two hours before a ballot is circulated. The resolution does not change the use of polling in emergency situations.

Public notices for committee meetings Provides that public notice of a committee meeting may be amended at any time to delay the commencement of the meeting or to delete items from the agenda of the meeting. Generally, public notice of a committee meeting must be given at least 24 hours before the commencement of the meeting.

Schedule of committee activities Requires that the chairperson of each senate committee file with the chief clerk a copy of each notice of a public hearing or executive session before that committee in accordance with current public notice requirements under the senate rules and requires that the notices be published, on a daily basis, on the legislature's committee Internet Web site.

Contents of history files for proposals Authorizes the inclusion of any other appropriate information in the history file for a proposal, as determined by the senate chief clerk.

Guests entered on daily journal Permits senators to submit to the chief clerk a list of individuals who witnessed a part of the day's meeting and requires them to be entered at the end of the day's journal. Previously, for this purpose, senators could only submit a listing of visitors from their districts.

Referral and withdrawal of proposals from the Joint Committee on Finance Allows the Committee on Senate Organization, with the consent of the senate cochairperson of the Joint Committee on Finance, to withdraw a proposal from the Joint Committee on Finance and make the proposal available for scheduling.

Currently, the Committee on Senate Organization may withdraw a bill from the Joint Committee on Finance and place the bill on the calendar.

Use of phrase "by majority vote" Clarifies that the phrase "by majority vote" in the senate rules means by majority vote of members present.

Presentation of enrolled bills to governor Provides that the chief clerk must present all correctly enrolled bills to the governor as provided in the session schedule unless any of the following occur: upon motion of the senate, the chief clerk must present a correctly enrolled bill to the governor as provided in the motion; upon directive of the majority leader, unless otherwise provided by the session schedule or motion of the senate, the chief clerk must present a correctly enrolled bill to the governor as provided in the directive; and upon the call of the governor, unless otherwise provided by the session schedule, motion of the senate, or directive of the majority leader, the chief clerk must immediately present a correctly enrolled bill to the governor.

Regulation of conduct in the senate gallery Regulates the conduct of individuals in the senate gallery. Under the rules, unless otherwise provided by the presiding officer, individuals in the gallery must be quiet at all times; must be seated at all times; may not lean over or put any object over the balcony; may not display signs; may not read books or newspapers; may not consume food or beverages; may not use tobacco products; must turn off all cellular telephones and pagers; may not use a laptop or other computer; and may not photograph any of the proceedings in the chamber.

Definition of "partisan caucus" The resolution defines "partisan caucus" as a conference convened by 2 or more members of a political party to discuss business related to the organization or agenda of that party within the legislature or to discuss any matter pending in or proposed for introduction in the legislature. In this conference, to facilitate bipartisan cooperation, the members who convened the conference may permit members of another political party to attend.