SR 2

This resolution makes the following changes to the senate rules:

Receipt of messages

Current senate rules require the president or presiding officer to receive

messages from the other branches of government and announce them to the senate.

The resolution clarifies that the president or presiding officer must also receive

messages from the assembly and may announce all messages to the senate.

Consumption of beverages on senate floor

Current senate rules prohibit the consumption of beverages within the senate

chamber. The resolution eliminates this prohibition, but provides that the presiding

officer, at any time, may prohibit or restrict beverage consumption to preserve

decorum. For the purpose of consuming beverages within the senate chamber, the

resolution requires the presiding officer to designate appropriate beverage

containers and places at or on which the containers may be placed or stored. In no

instance may a beverage container be placed or stored on the top of a member's desk

in the senate chamber.

Access to the senate floor

Current senate rules provide that only certain individuals may be admitted to

the senate floor and that all other individuals must specifically be invited on the

senate floor by the Committee on Senate Organization. The resolution authorizes

the presiding officer also to invite other individuals on the senate floor.

Consideration of assembly companion proposals

Current senate rules require that an assembly proposal initially received for

consideration of the senate must be referred. The resolution provides that an

assembly proposal initially received for consideration of the senate that is a

companion proposal to a senate proposal that is on that day's calendar, as determined

by the presiding officer, shall be taken up immediately unless referred by the

presiding officer to a standing committee.

Availability of unintroduced legislation at committee meetings

Current senate rules require that if unintroduced legislation will be considered

at a committee meeting, copies of the unintroduced legislation must be available at

the senate chief clerk's office. The resolution clarifies that this requirement applies

only to unintroduced bills, joint resolutions, and resolutions and not to unintroduced

amendments.

Minority reports

Current senate rules provide that a committee member who objects to a

committee report may file a minority report on the same or next legislative day that

the committee report is filed. The resolution provides instead that a committee

member who objects to a committee report must first notify the committee

chairperson that he or she intends to file a minority report. The minority report must

then be filed with the committee chairperson no later than the second business day