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HR-1 (2015-2016)
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No. 1Introduced by Assembly Member GordonDecember 01, 2014Relative to the Standing Rules of the Assembly for the 2015–16 Regular Session.LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTHR 1, as introduced, Gordon.
Digest KeyBill TextResolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the following Rules be, and the same are hereby, adopted as the Standing Rules of the Assembly for the 2015–16 Regular Session; and be it furtherResolved, That these rules shall govern the operations of the Assembly.STANDING RULES OF THE ASSEMBLY2015–16 REGULAR SESSIONI.LEGISLATIVE ORGANIZATIONAssembly General Officers1.(a) The general officers of the Assembly are the following:(1) Speaker(2) Speaker pro TemporeAssistant Speaker pro TemporeMajority Floor LeaderMinority Floor Leader(3) Chief ClerkSergeant at ArmsChaplain(b) Except for the officers listed in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), each officer listed in subdivision (a) shall be elected by a majority vote of the duly elected and qualified Members.(c) The Chief Clerk, subject to the approval of the Committee on Rules, shall determine the names and titles that shall appear on the front page of all publications.Hours of Meeting2.The Speaker, or, in his or her absence, the Speaker pro Tempore, shall determine the time for convening the session, unless otherwise ordered by a majority vote of the Members present and voting.Speaker to
Call Assembly to Order3.The Speaker, or, in his or her absence, the Speaker pro Tempore, shall, at the hour appointed for meeting, call the Assembly to order.Rollcall and Quorum4.Before proceeding with the business of the Assembly, both of the following shall be completed:(1) The roll of the Members shall be called, and the names of those present shall be entered in the Journal. Forty-one Members constitute a quorum.(2) The presiding officer shall announce the names of all Members who will be absent from that day’s session and the reason for their absence.Organization of Assembly5.For the purposes of the organization of any regular session of the Assembly pursuant to Section 9023 of the Government Code, the person who was the Speaker when the previous regular session adjourned sine die, if he or she is reelected to the Assembly, shall be deemed to be the senior member elect.II.RULESAdoption of Standing Rules6.The adoption of the Standing Rules requires an affirmative recorded vote of a majority of the duly elected and qualified Members. When once adopted, the Standing Rules shall remain in effect unless suspended or amended as provided in these rules.Suspension of Rules7.Unless specified otherwise in these rules, any
Standing Rule of the Assembly not requiring more than a majority vote, except Rule 8, may be suspended temporarily by a vote of a majority of the Members of the Assembly. A rule requiring a two-thirds vote may be temporarily suspended by a two-thirds vote of the Members of the Assembly. A temporary suspension applies only to the matter under immediate consideration, and in no case may it extend beyond an adjournment.Amending Standing Rules8.A standing rule of the Assembly may not be amended except by a resolution adopted by an affirmative recorded vote of a majority of the duly elected and qualified Members.Mason’s Manual10.In all cases not provided for by the California Constitution, by the Assembly Rules, by the Joint Rules of the Senate
and Assembly, or by statute, the authority is the latest edition of Mason’s Manual.III.ORGANIZATION OF COMMITTEESStanding Committees11.Thirty-one standing committees of the Assembly are hereby created, upon the several subjects, and titled respectively, as follows:Accountability and Administrative ReviewAging and Long-Term CareAgricultureAppropriationsArts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism, and Internet MediaBanking and FinanceBudgetBusiness and ProfessionsEducationElections and RedistrictingEnvironmental Safety and Toxic MaterialsGovernmental OrganizationHealthHigher EducationHousing and Community DevelopmentHuman ServicesInsuranceJobs, Economic Development, and the EconomyJudiciaryLabor and EmploymentLocal GovernmentNatural
ResourcesPrivacy and Consumer ProtectionPublic Employees, Retirement, and Social SecurityPublic SafetyRevenue and TaxationRulesTransportationUtilities and CommerceVeterans AffairsWater, Parks, and WildlifeOpen Meetings11.3.(a) Except as otherwise provided in this rule, all meetings of the Assembly or a committee thereof shall be open and public, and all persons shall be permitted to attend the meetings. As used in this rule, “meeting” means a gathering of a quorum of the Members of the Assembly or a committee in one place for the purpose of discussing legislative or other official matters within the jurisdiction of the Assembly or committee. As used in this rule, “committee” includes a standing committee, joint committee, conference committee, subcommittee, select committee, special committee, research
committee, or any similar body.(b) Any meeting that is required to be open and public pursuant to this rule, including any closed session held pursuant to subdivision (c), may be held only after full and timely notice to the public as provided by the Joint Rules of the Assembly and Senate.(c) The Assembly or a committee thereof may hold a closed session solely for any of the following purposes:(1) To consider the appointment, employment, evaluation of performance, or dismissal of a public officer or employee, to consider or hear complaints or charges brought against a Member of the Legislature or other public officer or employee, or to establish the classification or compensation of an employee of the Assembly.(2) To consider matters affecting the
safety and security of Members of the Legislature or its employees, or the safety and security of any buildings and grounds used by the Legislature.(3) To confer with, or receive advice from, its legal counsel regarding pending or reasonably anticipated litigation, or whether to initiate litigation, when discussion in open session would not protect the interests of the Assembly or committee regarding the litigation.(d) A caucus of the Members of the Assembly that is composed of members of the same political party may meet in closed session.(e) A closed session may be held pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) under any of the following circumstances:(1) An adjudicatory proceeding before a court, administrative body exercising its adjudicatory
authority, hearing officer, or arbitrator, to which the Assembly or a committee, Member, or employee thereof is a party, has been initiated formally.(2) Based on existing facts and circumstances, a point has been reached where, in the opinion of the Assembly or a committee thereof, on the advice of its legal counsel, litigation against the Assembly or a committee, Member, or employee thereof is reasonably anticipated.(3) Based on existing facts and circumstances, the Assembly or a committee thereof has decided to initiate, or is deciding whether to initiate, litigation.(4) To confer with, or receive advice from, its legal counsel and negotiator prior to the purchase, sale, exchange, or lease of real property by or for the Assembly or a committee thereof regarding the price and terms of payment for the purchase,
sale, exchange, or lease.(f) Prior to holding a closed session pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (c), the presiding officer of the Assembly or the chair of the committee, as appropriate, shall state publicly which paragraph of subdivision (e) is applicable. If the closed session is held pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (e), the presiding officer or chair shall state the title of or otherwise specifically identify the litigation to be discussed, unless the presiding officer or chair states that to do so would jeopardize the ability to effectuate service of process upon one or more unserved parties, or that to do so would jeopardize the ability of the Assembly or the committee to conclude existing settlement negotiations to its advantage. If the closed session is held pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (e), the notice of the closed session shall identify the real property that the negotiations may concern and the person with
whom the negotiations may take place.(g) The legal counsel for the Assembly or the committee shall prepare and submit to the Assembly or the committee a memorandum stating the specific reasons and legal authority for the closed session. If the closed session is held pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (e), the memorandum shall include the title of or other identification of the litigation. If the closed session is held pursuant to paragraph (2), (3), or (4) of subdivision (e), the memorandum shall set forth the existing facts and circumstances on which the closed session is based. The legal counsel shall submit the memorandum to the Assembly or the committee prior to the closed session, if feasible, or, in any case, not later than one week after the closed session. The memorandum is exempt from disclosure under the Legislative Open Records Act contained in Article 3.5 (commencing with Section 9070) of Chapter 1.5 of Part 1 of Division 2
of Title 2 of the Government Code.(h) For purposes of paragraph (3) of subdivision (c), “litigation” includes any adjudicatory proceeding, including eminent domain, before a court, administrative body exercising its adjudicatory authority, hearing officer, or arbitrator.(i) For purposes of this rule, all expressions of the lawyer-client privilege other than those provided in this rule are hereby abrogated. This rule is the exclusive expression of the lawyer-client privilege for the purposes of conducting closed-session meetings pursuant to this rule.(j) Disclosure of a memorandum required under this rule shall not be deemed a waiver of the lawyer-client privilege provided for under Article 3 (commencing with Section 950) of Chapter 4 of Division 8 of the Evidence Code.Conference Committee Meetings11.4.A Member may not participate in a meeting of a conference committee considering any bill that is not open to the public.Assembly Investigating Committees11.5.(a) The standing committees of the Assembly created pursuant to Rule 11, with the exception of the Committee on Rules, are hereby constituted Assembly investigating committees and are authorized and directed to conduct oversight hearings and to ascertain, study, and analyze all facts relating to any subjects or matters which the Committee on Rules shall assign to them upon request of the Assembly or upon its own initiative.(b) Each of the Assembly investigating
committees consists of the members of the standing committee on the same subject as most recently constituted. The chairperson and vice chairperson is the chairperson and vice chairperson of the standing committee. Vacancies occurring in the membership of the committee shall be filled by the appointing authority.(c) Each committee and any subcommittee, and its members, have and may exercise all the rights, duties, and powers conferred upon investigating committees and their members by law and by the Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly and the Standing Rules of the Assembly as they are adopted and amended from time to time, which rules are incorporated herein and made applicable to the committee or subcommittee and their members.(d) In order to prevent duplication and overlapping of studies between the various investigating committees herein created, a committee may not
commence the study of any subject or matter not specifically authorized herein or assigned to it unless and until prior written approval thereof has been obtained from the Committee on Rules.(e) The Committee on Rules shall provide for the expenses of the above committees and their members and for any charges, expenses, or claims they may incur under this rule, to be paid from the Assembly Operating Fund and disbursed, after certification by the Chairperson of the Committee on Rules or his or her authorized representative, upon warrants drawn by the Controller upon the State Treasury.Membership of Standing Committees12.The Speaker shall determine the size, and appoint the membership and the chairperson and vice chairperson, of all standing committees and subcommittees. In appointing Members to serve on
committees, the Speaker shall consider the preferences of the Members.Committee on Rules13.There is a Committee on Rules, which acts as the executive committee of the Assembly. No regular member of the Committee on Rules may simultaneously serve as a chairperson of any standing committee. All meetings of the Committee on Rules that are required to be open and public shall be held in a room of appropriate size, and audio or video transmission of those meetings shall be provided.Organization of Party Caucuses13.1.Within two days after the general election held in November of each even-numbered year, the caucus of the political party having the greatest number of Members in the Assembly, and the caucus of the political party having the second
greatest number of Members, each shall meet for the purpose of selecting their officers for the next regular session. The rules and procedures of each caucus shall be determined by that caucus, but may not be inconsistent with these rules.Powers of the Committee on Rules14.(a) The Committee on Rules has the following powers:(1) To refer each bill and resolution to a committee, as provided by these rules.(2) To appoint all employees of the Assembly not otherwise provided for by statute. It has authority to terminate, to discipline, to establish, and to modify the terms and conditions of employment of, or to suspend, with or without pay, any employee of the Assembly.(3) To make studies and recommendations designed to promote, improve, and expedite the business and procedure of the Assembly and of the committees thereof, and to propose any amendments to the Rules deemed necessary to accomplish these purposes.(4) To adopt additional policies or requirements regarding the use of cameras and other recording equipment at committee hearings or Assembly floor sessions.(5) To contract with other agencies, public or private, as it deems necessary for the rendition and affording of those services, facilities, studies, and reports to the committee that will best assist it to carry out the purposes for which it is created.(6) To cooperate with and secure the cooperation of county, city, city and county, and other local law enforcement agencies in investigating any matter
within the scope of these rules and to direct the sheriff of any county to serve subpoenas, orders, and other process issued by the committee.(7) To report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature and to the people from time to time and at any time.(8) To do any and all other things necessary or convenient to enable it fully and adequately to exercise its powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the objects and purposes of these rules.(9) To make available to the Assembly, or to any Assembly or joint committee, or to any Member of the Assembly assistance in connection with the duties of the committee or other legislative matters as the personnel under direction of the committee or its other facilities permit.(10) To make available to
and furnish to the Assembly, and to Assembly investigating committees created at this session and to each of the members thereof, clerical, secretarial, and stenographic help as may be reasonably necessary for the Assembly to carry out its work, and for the committees and each of the members thereof, to make and carry on the studies and investigations required by or of them by the resolutions creating the committees, and for these purposes to employ additional stenographic and secretarial assistants as may be necessary, assign, reassign, and discharge these assistants and prescribe amounts, times, and methods of payment of their compensation. The committee shall allocate annually an amount for the operation of each investigating committee, which shall constitute the annual budget of the committee.(b) During the times as the Assembly is not in session, the committee is authorized and directed to incur and pay expenses of the Assembly not
otherwise provided for that the committee determines are reasonably necessary, including the repair, alteration, improvement, and equipping of the Assembly Chamber and the offices provided for the Assembly in the State Capitol and the Capitol Annex.(c) The committee shall allocate sufficient moneys from the Assembly Operating Fund to support the Assembly’s share of joint operations.(d) The Chairperson of the Committee on Rules shall appoint a Chief Administrative Officer of the Assembly, subject to the ratification of the Committee on Rules, who has duties relating to the administrative, fiscal, and business affairs of the Assembly that the committee shall prescribe. The Chairperson of the Committee on Rules or a majority of the membership of the Committee on Rules may terminate the services of the Chief Administrative Officer at any time. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
Speaker may appoint a temporary chief administrative officer for up to 90 days following the beginning of the session.(e) The Committee on Rules shall provide for the publication of a compilation of the photographs of accredited press representatives.(f) The Committee on Rules may delegate powers to the Speaker by a majority vote of the membership of the committee.Subcommittee on Sexual Harassment Prevention and Response14.5.(a) The Subcommittee on Sexual Harassment Prevention and Response is created as a subcommittee of the Committee on Rules. The subcommittee is composed of a total of six members, with the following four members appointed by the Chairperson of the Committee on Rules: two members of the Committee on Rules
from the political party having the greatest number of Members in the Assembly and two members of the Committee on Rules from the political party having the second greatest number of Members. The two members from the political party having the second greatest number of Members shall be appointed from a list of nominees that the vice chairperson of the committee provides to the chairperson. The co-chairs of the Assembly Legislative Ethics Committee also shall be members of the subcommittee. The Chairperson of the Committee on Rules shall designate one of the members of the subcommittee to serve as chair of the subcommittee.(b) The subcommittee shall periodically review procedures for the handling of complaints of sexual harassment lodged against a Member of the Assembly or an Assembly employee and submit any recommendations to the Committee on Rules for consideration.(c) Following the submission of the recommendations pursuant to subdivision (b), the chair of the subcommittee may cause the subcommittee to convene to review and recommend further changes in procedures as subsequent events may require.Committee on Rules15.The Committee on Rules shall continue in existence during any recess of the Legislature and after final adjournment and until the convening of the next regular session, and shall have the same powers and duties as while the Assembly is in session. In dealing with any matter within its jurisdiction, the committee and its members have and may exercise all of the rights, duties, and powers conferred upon investigating committees and their members by the Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly as they are adopted and amended from time to time, which rules are incorporated herein and made applicable to the
Committee on Rules and its members.Operating Fund Report15.5.The Committee on Rules shall annually prepare a report to the public of expenditures as required by Section 9131 of the Government Code.Independent Audit of Operating Funds15.6.The Committee on Rules shall contract for an independent audit of the revenues and expenditures, for each fiscal year, from the Assembly Operating Fund. The organization performing the audit shall be selected by a majority of the membership of the Committee on Rules. The contract for the audit shall be awarded through a competitive bidding procedure. The audit shall be prepared in a manner and form to be determined by the organization performing the audit, and shall be consistent with generally accepted
accounting principles.The audit shall be completed and made available to the public within 180 calendar days following the completion of the fiscal year for which the audit is performed.Performance Audit15.7.In addition to the annual financial audit required by Rule 15.6, the Committee on Rules shall contract for an audit of the administrative operations of the Assembly. The administrative departments to be audited shall be determined by the Committee on Rules. An organization performing an audit pursuant to this rule shall be selected by a majority of the membership of the Committee on Rules. A contract for an audit shall be awarded through a competitive bidding procedure. Audits shall be prepared in a manner and form to be determined by the organization performing the audit, and shall be consistent with generally accepted
accounting principles.All findings and recommendations reported by an auditing firm shall be made available to Members and to the public.Rules Committee Resolutions16.The Committee on Rules, acting unanimously by appropriate resolution, on behalf of and in the name of the Assembly, may extend congratulations, commendations, sympathy, or regret to any person, group, or organization, and may authorize the presentation of suitably prepared copies of these resolutions to the persons concerned and to their relatives.Assembly Operating Fund17.The Committee on Rules is the committee identified in Section 9127 of the Government Code. The balance of all money in the Assembly Operating Fund, including
money now or hereafter appropriated, except the sums that are made available specifically for the expense of designated committees or for other purposes, is hereby made available to the Committee on Rules for any charges or claims it may incur in carrying out the duties imposed upon it by these rules or by Assembly or concurrent resolution. The money made available by this rule includes the unencumbered balances of all sums heretofore made available to any Assembly or joint committee by the Assembly, upon the expiration of that committee, and shall be expended as provided in these rules.Expenditures18.A Member or committee may not incur any expense except as authorized pursuant to these rules or the Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly, or as authorized by the Assembly or the Committee on Rules.The Committee on Rules shall
provide, by rules and regulations, for the manner of authorizing expenditures by Members, committees, officers, and employees of the Assembly that are not otherwise authorized by law, these rules, or the Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly. These rules and regulations shall incorporate a provision whereby construction, alteration, improvement, repair, or maintenance of real or personal property, and the purchase of supplies and equipment, shall be governed by competitive bidding. Further, the rules and regulations shall provide for the payment of expenditures, as authorized by these rules and regulations, from the Assembly Operating Fund upon certification of claims therefor to the Controller by the Committee on Rules or its authorized representative.A Member may not be reimbursed for travel outside the State of California without prior approval of the Speaker or the Committee on Rules.Rules and
Regulations Governing Committees20.All claims for expenses incurred by investigating committees of the Assembly shall be approved by the Committee on Rules, or its authorized representative, before the claims are presented to the Controller.All proposed expenditures, other than expenditures of the funds of an investigating committee, shall be approved by the Committee on Rules or its authorized representative before the expenses are incurred, unless the expenditure is specifically exempted from this requirement by the resolution authorizing it.No warrant may be drawn in payment of any claim for expenses until the approval of the Committee on Rules, or its authorized representative, has been obtained in accordance with this rule.The Committee on Rules shall adopt rules and regulations governing the awarding
of any contract by an investigating committee, and rules and regulations limiting the amount, time, and place of expenses and allowances to be paid to employees of Assembly investigating committees or other Assembly committees.These rules may provide for allowances to committee employees in lieu of actual expenses.Mileage is an allowance to a committee employee in lieu of actual expenses of travel. When travel is by private conveyance, mileage may be allowed only to the operator of, and not to passengers in, a private vehicle. Claims for mileage by private conveyance must be accompanied by the license number of the vehicle and the names of state officers and employees riding as passengers.Copies of all rules and regulations adopted pursuant to this rule shall be distributed to the chairperson of every investigating committee and of any other Assembly committee that has
employees.Fees for Witnesses21.Each witness summoned to appear before the Assembly or any of its committees shall be reimbursed at a rate set by the Committee on Rules.Assembly General Research Committee22.(a) The Assembly General Research Committee is hereby continued as a permanent factfinding committee pursuant to Section 11 of Article IV of the California Constitution. The committee is allocated all subjects within the scope of legislative regulation and control, but may not undertake any investigation that another committee has been specifically requested or directed to undertake. The Assembly General Research Committee may act through subcommittees appointed by the Speaker in consultation with the Committee on
Rules, and each of these subcommittees may act only on the particular study or investigation assigned by the Speaker in consultation with the Committee on Rules to that subcommittee. Each subcommittee shall be known and designated as a select committee. The Speaker is the Chairperson of the Assembly General Research Committee and may be a voting member of any subcommittee. Each member of the Assembly General Research Committee is authorized and directed to receive and investigate requests for legislative action made by individuals or groups, and to report thereon to the full committee. The Committee on Rules is authorized to allocate to any subcommittee from the Assembly Operating Fund those sums that the Committee on Rules deems necessary to complete the investigation or study conferred upon that subcommittee. The Committee on Rules shall further allocate, from time to time, to the Assembly General Research Committee from the Assembly Operating Fund those sums that are necessary to permit the Assembly
General Research Committee and the members thereof to carry out the duties imposed on them. The committee has continuous existence until the time that its existence is terminated by a resolution adopted by the Assembly, and the committee is authorized to act both during and between sessions of the Legislature, including any recess.(b) The committee and its members shall have and exercise all the rights, duties, and powers conferred upon investigating committees and their members by the Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly and the Standing Rules of the Assembly as they are adopted and amended from time to time at this session, which provisions are incorporated herein and made applicable to the committee and its members.(c) The committee has the following additional powers and duties:(1) To contract with other
agencies, public or private, for the rendition and affording of services, facilities, studies, and reports to the committee as the committee deems necessary to assist it to carry out the purposes for which it is created.(2) To cooperate with and secure the cooperation of county, city, city and county, and other local law enforcement agencies in investigating any matter within the scope of this rule and to direct the sheriff of any county to serve subpoenas, orders, and other process issued by the committee.(3) To report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature and the people from time to time.(4) To do any and all other things necessary or convenient to enable it fully and adequately to exercise its powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the objects and purposes of this rule.Assembly Legislative Ethics Committee22.5.(a) The Assembly Legislative Ethics Committee is hereby created. The committee shall consist of six Members of the Assembly, appointed by the Speaker. Notwithstanding any other rule of the Assembly, three members of the committee shall be from the political party having the greatest number of Members in the Assembly and three members shall be from the political party having the second greatest number of Members. Any temporary or permanent vacancy on the committee shall be filled within 10 days by a member from the same political party. All appointments, including appointments to fill permanent or temporary vacancies, of members from the political party having the second greatest number of Members in the Assembly shall be made from a list of nominees that the Minority Floor Leader provides to the Speaker. The
Speaker shall designate one member of the committee from the political party having the greatest number of Members in the Assembly and one member of the committee from the political party having the second greatest number of Members to serve as co-chairs of the committee. The Speaker shall designate one of the co-chairs to serve as the presiding officer at any meeting or hearing conducted by the committee.If a verified complaint is filed against a member of the committee, the Speaker shall temporarily replace the member with a Member from the same political party, who shall serve until the complaint is dismissed or the Assembly takes final action on the complaint, whichever occurs first.(b) The provisions of this rule, and of Rule 11.5 related to investigating committees, apply to the committee and govern its proceedings.Prior to the issuance of any
subpoena by the committee with respect to any matter before the committee, it shall, by a resolution adopted by the committee pursuant to a vote in accordance with subdivision (n), define the nature and scope of its investigation in the matter before it.(c) Funds for the support of the committee shall be provided from the Assembly Operating Fund in the same manner that those funds are made available to other committees of the Assembly.(d) (1) The committee has the power, pursuant to this rule and Article 3 (commencing with Section 8940) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 2 of the Government Code, to investigate and make findings and recommendations concerning violations by Members of the Assembly of any provision of Article 2 (commencing with Section 8920) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 2 of the Government Code or of any other
provision of law or legislative rule that governs the conduct of Members of the Assembly, hereafter collectively referred to as “standards of conduct.”(2) The committee may, on its own action pursuant to a vote in accordance with subdivision (n), initiate an investigation of a Member of the Assembly.(e) Any person may file with the committee a verified complaint in writing, which shall state the name of the Member of the Assembly alleged to have violated any standard of conduct, and which shall set forth the particulars thereof with sufficient clarity and detail to enable the committee to make a determination. The person filing the complaint thereafter shall be designated the complainant.If a verified complaint is filed with the committee, the committee promptly shall send a copy of the complaint to the Member of the Assembly alleged
to have committed the violation complained of, who thereafter shall be designated the respondent.A complaint may not be filed with the committee after the expiration of 12 months from the date the alleged violation is discovered or three years from the date of the alleged violation, whichever occurs first.(f) (1) If the committee determines that the verified complaint does not allege facts, directly or upon information and belief, sufficient to constitute a violation of any standard of conduct, it shall dismiss the complaint and so notify the complainant and respondent.(2) (i) If the committee determines that the verified complaint does allege facts, directly or upon information and belief, sufficient to constitute a violation of any standard of conduct, the committee promptly shall
investigate the alleged violation and if, after this preliminary investigation, the committee finds that reasonable cause exists for believing the allegations of the complaint, it shall fix a time for a hearing in the matter, which shall be not more than 30 days after that finding. The committee may, however, seek an extension of this period, not to exceed an additional 30 days, which may be granted by a majority vote of the Committee on Rules.(ii) If, after preliminary investigation, the committee does not find that reasonable cause exists for believing the allegations of the complaint, the committee shall dismiss the complaint. In either event, the committee shall notify the complainant and the respondent of its determination.(3) The committee shall make its determination under paragraph (1) or (2) of this subdivision, pursuant to a vote in accordance with subdivision (n), not
later than 90 days after first receiving a complaint that satisfies subdivision (e). The committee may, however, seek an extension, not to exceed 30 days, which may be granted by a majority vote of the membership of the Committee on Rules. If the committee has requested a law enforcement agency to investigate the complaint or if the committee knows the complaint is being investigated by a law enforcement agency, the time limits set forth in this subdivision shall be tolled until the investigation is completed.(4) The committee’s determination under paragraph (1) or (2) of this subdivision shall be stated in writing, with reasons given therefor, and shall be provided to the Assembly, and, in any case concerning an alleged violation of Article 2 (commencing with Section 8920) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 2 of the Government Code, shall be provided to the appropriate law enforcement agency. This written determination is a public
record and is open to public inspection.(5) Any deliberations of the committee from the time of receipt of a complaint until it decides to dismiss the complaint or to set a hearing shall not be open to the public unless the respondent requests a public meeting.(g) After the complaint has been filed, the respondent shall be entitled to examine and make copies of all evidence in the possession of the committee relating to the complaint.(h) If a hearing is held pursuant to subdivision (f), the committee, before the hearing has commenced, shall issue subpoenas and subpoenas duces tecum at the request of any party in accordance with Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 9400) of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 2 of the Government Code. All of the provisions of that chapter, except Section 9410 of the Government Code, shall
apply to the committee and the witnesses before it.(i) At any hearing held by the committee:(1) Oral evidence shall be taken on oath or affirmation.(2) Each party shall have these rights: to be represented by legal counsel; to call and examine witnesses; to introduce exhibits; and to cross-examine opposing witnesses.(3) The hearing shall be open to the public.(j) Any official or other person whose name is mentioned at any investigation or hearing of the committee, and who believes that testimony has been given that adversely affects him or her, shall have the right to testify or, at the discretion of the committee, to testify under oath relating solely to the material relevant to the
testimony regarding which he or she complains.(k) The committee shall have 15 days following the hearing within which to deliberate and reach its final determination on the matter as follows:(1) If the committee finds that the respondent has not violated any standard of conduct, it shall order the action dismissed, shall notify the respondent and complainant thereof, and, in cases concerning an alleged violation of Article 2 (commencing with Section 8920) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 2 of the Government Code, shall transmit a copy of the complaint and the fact of dismissal to the appropriate law enforcement agency. The complaint and the fact of dismissal transmitted pursuant to this paragraph are public records and open to public inspection.(2) If the committee finds that the respondent has
violated any standard of conduct, it shall state its findings of fact and submit a report thereon to the Assembly. This report shall be accompanied by a House Resolution, authored by the committee, which shall be introduced at the Chief Clerk’s desk and then referred by the Committee on Rules to the Ethics Committee. The House Resolution shall include a statement of the committee’s findings and the committee’s recommendation for disciplinary action. Within seven days, the committee shall adopt the final form of the House Resolution and report it to the Assembly for placement on the Daily File. The committee also shall send a copy of those findings and report to the complainant and respondent, and, in cases concerning an alleged violation of Article 2 (commencing with Section 8920) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 2 of the Government Code, shall report thereon to the appropriate law enforcement agency. The report submitted pursuant to this paragraph is a public record and open to public
inspection.After the receipt of a copy of the committee’s final report and House Resolution, the Assembly expeditiously shall take appropriate action with respect to the respondent.(l) The filing of a complaint with the committee pursuant to this rule suspends the running of the statute of limitations applicable to any violation of any standard of conduct alleged in the substance of that complaint while the complaint is pending.(m) The committee shall maintain a record of its investigations, inquiries, and proceedings. All records, complaints, documents, and reports filed with or submitted to or made by the committee, and all records and transcripts of any investigations, inquiries, or hearings of the committee under this rule shall be deemed confidential and shall not be open to inspection, without the express permission of the
committee, by any person other than a member of the committee, or an employee of the committee or other state employee designated to assist the committee, except as otherwise specifically provided in this rule. The committee may, by adoption of a resolution, authorize the release to the Attorney General or a district attorney of the appropriate county of any information, records, complaints, documents, reports, and transcripts in its possession that are material to any matter pending before the Attorney General or that district attorney. All matters presented at a public hearing of the committee and all reports of the committee stating a final finding of fact pursuant to subdivision (k) shall be public records and open to public inspection. Any employee of the committee who divulges any matter that is deemed to be confidential by this subdivision shall be subject to discipline by the Committee on Rules.(n) The committee may take any action
authorized by this rule only upon the vote of not less than two members from the registered political party having the greatest number of Members in the Assembly and two members from the registered political party having the second greatest number of Members. Any vacancy on the committee does not reduce the votes required to take action.(o) The committee may render advisory opinions to Members of the Assembly with respect to the standards of conduct and their application and construction. The committee may secure an opinion from the Legislative Counsel for this purpose or issue its own opinion. Any committee advisory opinion shall be prepared by committee members or staff and shall be adopted by the committee pursuant to subdivision (n).(p) The committee shall conduct, at least semiannually, an orientation course on the relevant statutes and regulations governing official
conduct. The curriculum and presentation of the course shall be established by the Committee on Rules. At least once each biennial session, each Member of the Assembly and each employee of the Assembly shall attend one of these courses.(q) Pursuant to Section 8956 of the Government Code, the committee shall do each of the following:(1) Conduct, at least semiannually, an orientation course on the relevant ethical issues and laws relating to lobbying.(2) Impose fees on lobbyists for attending the course specified in paragraph (1) at an amount that will permit the participation of lobbyists to the fullest extent possible.Printing of Committee Reports23.All requests for the printing
of reports of Assembly committees shall be referred to the Committee on Rules. The Committee on Rules shall determine the number of copies needed, whether the report shall be printed in the Journal, and whether the report shall be distributed electronically. The Committee on Rules shall authorize the distribution of reports electronically whenever possible.Assembly Employees24.Every employee who works for a committee of the Assembly or a subcommittee of a committee, for a Member of the Assembly, for the Chief Clerk’s office, or for the Sergeant at Arms, is an employee of the Assembly. All employees of the Assembly serve at the pleasure of the Assembly and the terms and conditions of their employment may be modified, or their employment may be terminated at will, at any time and without notice, by the Committee on Rules.Every
applicant for employment by the Assembly shall prepare a formal application for employment on forms prescribed by the Committee on Rules. The application shall include a statement of his or her present employment, his or her employment during the preceding two years, and other pertinent information that the Committee on Rules may require. The application shall be certified under penalty of perjury, and any willful false statement or omission of a material fact shall be punishable as perjury. If the application discloses any fact that indicates that the applicant has a personal interest that would conflict with the faithful performance of his or her duties, the applicant shall not be employed. All applications shall be retained in the records of the committee.Every employee shall complete the Assembly ethics course in the first six months of his or her employment. Thereafter, every employee shall take the course in the first six months of every legislative
session.Every employee shall, within the first six months of every legislative session, take a course on sexual harassment prevention. The content of the course shall be determined by the Committee on Rules and shall include the Assembly’s policy on sexual harassment prevention and response.An employee may not engage in any outside business activity or outside employment that is inconsistent, incompatible, or in conflict with his or her functions or responsibilities as an employee of the Assembly. Any employee who engages in any outside business activity or employment that is in any way related to his or her functions or responsibilities as an employee shall promptly notify the Committee on Rules of that business activity or employment.Assembly Proceedings25.Accredited press
representatives may not be excluded from any public legislative meeting or hearing and may not be prohibited from taking photographs of, televising, or recording the committee or house hearings, subject to the following conditions:(1) This rule shall extend to all public legislative meetings.(2) Lights shall be used only when cameras are filming, and, when possible, proceedings in hearing rooms and the Chamber shall be filmed without lights.(3) Every effort should be made to set up filming equipment before hearings or sessions begin.(4) The committee chairperson or the Speaker shall be notified, as far in advance of the proceedings as possible, that recordings and television cameras will be present and filming.(5) To the extent practical, flash cameras shall not be used.(6) Photographs shall be taken in an orderly and expeditious manner so as to cause the least possible inconvenience to the committee or to the Members in the Chamber.IV.ASSEMBLY FUNCTIONSA.Duties of Assembly OfficersDuties of the Speaker26.(a) The Speaker possesses the powers and shall perform the duties prescribed as follows:(1) To preserve order and decorum; he or she may speak to points of order in preference to the other Members, rising from his or her chair for that purpose.(2) To decide all questions of order subject to appeal to the Assembly by any Member. On every appeal, the Speaker shall have the right to assign the reason for his or her decision.(3) To name any Member to perform the duties of the Speaker, except that any substitution may not extend beyond adjournment.(4) To have general direction over the Assembly chamber and rooms set aside for the use of the Assembly, including the rooms for use by Members as private offices.(5) To allocate funds, staffing, and other resources for the effective operation of the Assembly.(6) To appoint the membership of all standing and special committees, including the Committee on Rules, and their respective chairpersons and vice chairpersons. The Speaker has
approval power over the appointment of subcommittees of standing and special committees, except as otherwise provided in Rule 14.5. The Committee on Rules consists of the Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, and other Members who shall be appointed by the Speaker in accordance with the process for appointing the membership of standing committees pursuant to this rule. Two alternate members of the Committee on Rules shall be appointed in accordance with the process for appointing members to the Committee on Rules. Members and alternates so appointed shall remain in office until their successors are selected as provided for in these rules. The Speaker may designate any member in lieu of or in addition to the alternate member to fill a temporary vacancy. An alternate member may serve when a committee member is absent.(7) To establish a schedule of meetings of standing committees or subcommittees and to approve special meetings at a time different from
the scheduled time.(8) To have general control and direction over the Journals, papers, and bills of the Assembly and to establish a procedure in accordance with Rule 118 for admitting employees of the Legislature to the Assembly Chambers, including the Lobby in the rear of the chambers and any hallway or area of the floor that is adjacent to the desks occupied by the assistants to the Chief Clerk.(9) To act as Chairperson of the Committee of the Whole.(10) To order the Lobby and Gallery cleared whenever he or she deems it necessary.(11) To authenticate by his or her signature, when necessary or required by law, all bills, memorials, resolutions, orders, proceedings, writs, warrants, and subpoenas issued by order of the Assembly.(b) The Speaker is an ex officio member of all Assembly and joint committees with all of the rights and privileges of that membership, except the right to vote. In counting a quorum of any of those committees, the Speaker shall not be counted as a member.(c) The Speaker shall, at each regular session, appoint a Member of the Assembly to serve on the Judicial Council pursuant to Section 6 of Article VI of the California Constitution.Funerals and Other Ceremonies and Events27.The Speaker may designate any one or more of the Members of the Assembly as the representatives of the Assembly to attend funerals and other ceremonies and events in appropriate circumstances. The Members so designated shall receive their expenses as provided in Joint Rule
35.Selection of Officers28.(a) The Speaker shall appoint all nonelected officers of the Assembly except the Minority Floor Leader.(b) The Minority Floor Leader shall be selected by the caucus of the political party having the second greatest number of Members in the Assembly.Duties of the Speaker pro Tempore29.The Speaker pro Tempore shall perform those duties assigned by the Speaker, including the responsibility of presiding over sessions of the Assembly and advising the Members on parliamentary procedures of the house.Duties of the Assistant Speaker pro Tempore29.5.The Assistant Speaker pro Tempore shall perform those duties assigned by the Speaker or Speaker pro Tempore, including the responsibility of presiding over sessions of the Assembly and advising the Members on parliamentary procedures of the house.Majority Floor Leader30.It is the duty of the Majority Floor Leader to make those appropriate motions, points of order, or other arrangements that may be necessary to expedite the proceedings of the Assembly, and he or she is responsible for the presentation of all matters that relate to the order of business, and to the promotion of harmony among the membership.Caucus Chairpersons31.The chairperson of the caucus of the political
party having the greatest number of Members in the Assembly, and the chairperson of the caucus of the political party having the second greatest number of Members in the Assembly, shall perform those duties that are prescribed by their respective party caucuses.Chief Clerk32.The Chief Clerk of the Assembly has the following duties, powers, and responsibilities:(a) To keep the bills, papers, and records of the proceedings and actions of the Assembly and to have charge of the publication and distribution of those publications related thereto.(b) To supervise Assembly employees who are engaged in duties related to subdivision (a).(c) To act as Parliamentarian of the Assembly and to
advise the officers of the Assembly and the Committee on Rules on parliamentary procedure and the Rules of the Assembly when called upon to do so.(d) To prepare all bills, resolutions, histories, journals, and related publications for printing.(e) To refuse to permit any bills, papers, or records to be removed from his or her office or out of his or her custody, except upon duly signed receipts from persons authorized.(f) To send to each Member, upon the request of the Speaker or the Committee on Rules, before the commencement of each regular session of the Legislature, a blank form on which the Member may indicate his or her committee preferences. After the receipt of the forms, all those communications shall be held by the Chief Clerk of the Assembly and the information contained in the forms shall be forwarded
to the Speaker.(g) To perform other duties that are prescribed by law or the Committee on Rules.(h) To make technical changes in measures and amendments pending before the Assembly. The Chief Clerk shall notify the Speaker and the author of the measure of any such change.(i) To compare all bills, ordered or considered engrossed by the Assembly, with the engrossed copies thereof; before they pass out of the possession of the Assembly, to see that each engrossed bill is a true copy of the original, with those amendments that may have been made thereto; and to see that all engrossed bills are reported back in the order in which they were ordered engrossed.(j) To assist the Committee on Rules, upon its request, in recommending the reference of bills to
the appropriate standing committee.The Assistant Chief Clerk shall have the powers and perform the duties of the Chief Clerk during his or her absence.Sergeant at Arms33.The Sergeant at Arms has the following duties, powers, and responsibilities:(a) To attend the Assembly during its session, preserve order, announce all official messengers, and serve all process issued by authority of the Assembly and directed by the Speaker; the Sergeant at Arms shall receive actual expenses for himself or herself, or for an assistant, incurred in executing any process.(b) To see that no person is admitted to the Assembly Chamber except in accordance with these rules.(c) To have general supervision over the Assistant Sergeants at Arms and be responsible for their official acts and their performance of and regular attendance upon their duties.(d) To execute all commands of the Speaker.(e) To perform all other duties pertaining to his or her office as prescribed by law or Assembly rule.The Chief Assistant Sergeant at Arms shall have the powers and perform the duties of the Sergeant at Arms during his or her absence.Filling Interim Vacancies—Assembly Elected Officers34.In the event a vacancy in any office, except Speaker, elected by the membership of the Assembly occurs during joint recesses, the Committee on
Rules shall fill the office until the session reconvenes. If a vacancy occurs in the office of the Speaker during a joint recess, the Committee on Rules shall notify the membership within 15 days from the time the vacancy occurs and shall call a caucus of the membership of the Assembly for the purpose of filling the vacancy. This caucus shall be held at the State Capitol within 30 days from the time the vacancy occurs. Notice of the caucus shall be in writing and shall be mailed not less than 10 days prior to the meeting of the caucus. If the Committee on Rules fails to act within 15 days from the time the vacancy in the office of Speaker occurs, the Chief Clerk of the Assembly shall act in its place, following the procedure set forth in this rule. Any person selected to fill any vacancy pursuant to this rule holds the office until the session reconvenes.An affirmative recorded vote of a majority of the duly elected and qualified Members is required for the
selection by the Assembly caucus of a person to fill a vacancy pursuant to this rule. The procedure for selecting the Speaker at the caucus is the same as the procedure required for the election of the Speaker at a session.B.PrintingAuthority for Printing35.The State Printer may not charge any printing or other work to the Assembly other than as provided by law or Assembly rule, except upon a written order signed by the Chief Clerk of the Assembly or the Chief Administrative Officer of the Assembly. All invoices for printing furnished to the Assembly shall be itemized and rendered by the State Printer within 30 days after completion of the printing. When necessary, the Chief Clerk of the Assembly or the Chief Administrative Officer of the Assembly may order certain printed matter completed in advance of its regular order by the issuance of a rush
order.Ordering of Printing36.The Chief Clerk is authorized to order, and is responsible for ordering, the printing of bills, resolutions, journals, daily files, histories, and related documents.The Chief Clerk of the Assembly, or the Chief Administrative Officer of the Assembly, shall order other printing as directed or authorized by the Committee on Rules, and the written order for that printing shall be countersigned by the Speaker or a person designated by the Speaker. The Chief Clerk of the Assembly or the Chief Administrative Officer of the Assembly shall also order other printing as directed or authorized by resolution or motion of the Assembly.Printing Assembly History and Legislative Handbook37.During the session, the Chief Clerk shall cause to be printed and placed upon each Member’s desk, prior to convening on Monday of each week, a complete history showing all actions taken upon each measure up to and including the legislative day preceding its issuance. For each legislative day intervening between the issuance of each Weekly History, there shall be printed a Daily Supplemental History showing only actions taken upon any measure since the issuance of the preceding Weekly History.The Chief Clerk of the Assembly shall, as soon as practicable, in each even-numbered year, commence to compile a legislative manual or handbook, pursuant to Section 9740 of the Government Code.Transmittal of Assembly Joint Resolutions37.5.Whenever the Chief Clerk is directed to transmit copies of an Assembly Joint Resolution
to Members of the Legislature or Members of Congress, the Chief Clerk may do one or both of the following:(a) Transmit the copies to the designated Members by electronic means.(b) Transmit one physical copy to the appropriate administrative or legislative officer of the designated body.V.LEGISLATIVE PROCEDUREOrder of Business40.(a) The order of business of the Assembly shall be as follows:1. Rollcall2. Prayer by the Chaplain3. Reading of the Previous Day’s Journal4. Presentation of Petitions5. Introduction and Reference of Bills6. Reports of Committees7. Messages From the Governor8. Messages From the Senate9. Motions and Resolutions10. Business on the Daily File11. Announcements12. Adjournment(b) With the exception of Special Orders of Business, the Speaker may determine that a different order of business will result in a
more expeditious processing of the business of the Assembly by ordering resolutions honoring an individual or an organization, introductions, and adjournments in memory of individuals to be taken up in a different order than that listed in subdivision (a).Pledging of Allegiance to the Flag41.At each session, following the prayer by the Chaplain, the Members of the Assembly and its officers and employees present in the Assembly Chamber shall pledge their allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America. The Speaker shall invite guests present in the Assembly Chamber to join in the pledge of allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America.Reading and Correcting Journals42.(a) The reading of the Journal of
the previous day may be dispensed with, on motion, by a majority vote of the Members present and voting.(b) All journals of the Assembly shall be corrected by the Minute Clerk and delivered to the Chief Clerk.(c) A motion to correct any day’s Journal or to print a letter in the Journal shall always be in order and shall require a majority vote of the Members present and voting.Presentation of Petitions43.Whenever petitions, memorials, or other papers are presented by a Member, a brief statement of the contents thereof may be made verbally by the introducer. Petitions are not debatable and shall be filed, or referred to a committee as the Speaker shall determine. Receipt of that presentation and its disposition shall be noted in the Journal.Upon receipt of a petition for the impeachment of any person subject to impeachment by the Legislature, the Speaker shall, without comment or debate, forthwith refer the petition to committee.Messages From the Governor44.Messages from the Governor shall be delivered to the Chief Clerk or an assistant, and shall be read and ordered printed in the Journal unless otherwise ordered by an affirmative recorded vote of 54 or more Members.Messages From the Senate45.Messages from the Senate shall be delivered to the Chief Clerk or an assistant, and shall be read and ordered printed in the Journal. The Committee on Rules shall refer each bill to a committee, unless upon a motion the Assembly, by an affirmative
recorded vote of 41 or more Members, refers it to some other committee. The action to refer a bill is not debatable. The reference shall be entered in the Journal. Assembly bills that have been passed without amendment by the Senate shall be ordered to enrollment.An Assembly bill amended by the Senate shall be placed upon the unfinished business file but shall not be eligible to be acted upon until it is on the unfinished business file for one calendar day, except that when the Assembly bill is placed upon the unfinished business file during the last two legislative days preceding (1) the January 31 bill passage deadline specified by Section 10 of Article IV of the California Constitution, (2) the scheduled commencement of the interim study recess, or (3) the scheduled commencement of the final recess as specified by the Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly, it may be acted upon immediately.Presentation of Guests or Memorials in the Assembly45.5.These rules do not prohibit the Speaker or Speaker pro Tempore from permitting the introduction of a special guest or guests. A request that a session of the Assembly adjourn in memory of a person shall be made in writing. The request shall be read by the presiding officer immediately prior to adjournment.A.Bills and ResolutionsBills Defined46.(a) The word “bill,” as used in these rules, includes a constitutional amendment, a concurrent resolution, and a joint resolution, except as otherwise specifically provided.(b) A concurrent resolution and a joint resolution, other than a resolution ratifying proposed amendments to the United
States Constitution and a resolution calling for a constitutional convention, shall be treated in all respects as a bill except as follows:(1) It shall be given only one formal reading.(2) It shall not be deemed a bill within the meaning of subdivision (a) of Section 8 of Article IV of the California Constitution.Introduction and Reference of Bills47.(a) Each bill shall be signed by each Member who is an author or coauthor of the bill before it is introduced. If any bill is introduced that does not contain the signature of its author or coauthor, the bill, on motion of the Member whose name appears thereon without that signature, shall be stricken from the file by an affirmative recorded vote of 41 or more Members.(b) After the introduction of preprinted bills, and subject to the provisions of the Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly, any Member desiring to introduce a bill, constitutional amendment, or concurrent or joint resolution may at any time during a session send the same to the Chief Clerk’s desk.(c) When received at the Chief Clerk’s desk each bill shall, under the proper order of business, be numbered, read the first time, printed, and referred to a standing committee, and a copy thereof shall be placed upon the desk of each Member before final passage.All bills and constitutional amendments introduced before the standing committees of the Assembly are appointed shall be referred to committee, the references to take effect when the committees are appointed.(d) The
Committee on Budget may introduce a bill germane to any subject within the jurisdiction of the committee in the same manner as any Member. Any other standing committee may introduce a total of five bills in each year of a biennial session that are germane to any subject within the proper consideration of the committee.(e) No committee, except the Committee on Budget, may introduce or author a House Resolution, Concurrent Resolution, or Joint Resolution.(f) A committee bill may not be introduced unless it contains the signatures of a majority of all of the members, including the chairperson, of the committee. If all of the members of a committee sign the bill, at the option of the committee chairperson the committee members’ names need not appear as authors in the heading of the printed bill.(g) Subdivision (d) or
(e) of this rule may be suspended with respect to a particular bill or resolution by approval of the Committee on Rules.Bills Authored by a Former Member47.1.Whenever the author of a bill in the Assembly is no longer a Member of the Legislature, upon a request of a committee or current Member of the house in which the bill was introduced, the Assembly Committee on Rules may authorize that committee or Member to be the author of that bill. Absent that authorization, an action may not be taken by a committee or the Assembly with respect to a bill authored by a former Member.Limitation on the Introduction of Bills49.(a) A Member may introduce not more than 40 bills in the regular session. As used in this rule, “bills”
includes constitutional amendments.(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a) of this rule, a Member may introduce not more than five resolutions in the regular session. As used in this rule, “resolutions” include House, Concurrent, and Joint Resolutions, but do not include resolutions introduced by a Member for the specific purpose of organizing a session that is convened pursuant to Article IV, Section 3(a) of the State Constitution or resolutions introduced by the Speaker as part of a session honoring a retiring Assembly Member.(c) This rule may be suspended with respect to a particular bill or resolution by approval of the Committee on Rules.Reference of Bills to Committee51.Except as otherwise provided in this rule, the Committee on Rules shall
refer each bill to a committee by a majority vote of the membership of the committee, unless upon a motion the Assembly, by an affirmative recorded vote of 41 or more Members, refers it to some other committee. A motion to refer a bill is not debatable, except as to the propriety of the motion, and it may not open the main question to debate.The Committee on Rules may require that, if a bill is reported out of the committee to which it has been referred, it shall be re-referred to another committee that shares jurisdiction of the subject matter of the bill.Spot Bills51.5.A bill that upon introduction makes no substantive change in or addition to existing law, and would not otherwise affect the ongoing operations of state or local government, except a bill stating legislative intent to make necessary statutory changes to implement
the Budget Bill, may not be referred to a committee by the Committee on Rules. If the author subsequently proposes to the Committee on Rules to make substantive changes in the bill as introduced, the Committee on Rules may refer the bill to a committee, together with the proposed changes for consideration as author’s amendments. A vote on passage of the bill may not be taken, however, until the bill with its amendments, if adopted, has been in print for at least 15 days.Delivery of Bills to State Printer52.After introduction and first reading, all bills shall be delivered to the State Printer.Resolutions53.All resolutions shall be numbered and may be referred to the appropriate committee by the Committee on Rules.Each resolution shall be signed by each Member who is an author or coauthor of the resolution before it is introduced.Resolutions by Member54.A concurrent resolution or a house resolution may be introduced relating to a present or former state or federal elected official or a member of his or her immediate family. Other resolutions for the purpose of commendation or congratulation of any person, group, or organization, or for the purpose of expressing sympathy, regret, or sorrow on the death of any person, shall be prepared as a Rules Committee Resolution and presented to the committee for appropriate action.The Committee on Rules may approve exceptions to this rule for house resolutions. The Chief Clerk may not accept for introduction any house resolution that is contrary to this rule
unless it is accompanied by the approval of the Committee on Rules.B.Standing Committee FunctionsStanding Committee Rules55.Subject to the Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly, the Rules of the Assembly shall govern the conduct of all committee and subcommittee meetings.Meetings of Standing Committees and Subcommittees56.All standing committees and subcommittees shall meet at the hour and place provided by the schedule established by the Speaker, unless permission for a different hearing time is granted by the Speaker. A committee or subcommittee may not meet during any session of the Assembly, nor may any Member of the Assembly attend a conference committee meeting on any bill during any session of the
Assembly without first obtaining permission from the Assembly.When an unscheduled meeting of a standing committee or subcommittee has been so ordered, the meeting shall convene in an area that is readily accessible to the public and the Assembly shall take care that every effort is made to inform the public that a meeting has been called. An unscheduled meeting of a committee or subcommittee may not be held in the Assembly Chamber.No bill may be set for hearing, nor may any notice thereof be published by any Assembly committee or subcommittee, until the bill has been referred to the committee or subcommittee. Nothing in this paragraph shall prevent a committee or subcommittee from acting with regard to a bill referred to it where the only action taken is to cause the bill to be reported to the Assembly with the recommendation that amendments be adopted and the bill be reprinted as amended and re-referred to the committee
or subcommittee.The several standing committees and subcommittees and their chairpersons may adopt a procedure under which bills are scheduled for hearing on the basis of like subject matter groupings.Setting and Hearing Bills in Committee56.1.All bills referred to a standing committee pursuant to Rule 51 shall be set and heard, if requested by the author, as specified by the Joint Rules. If the analysis of an author’s amendment that is subsequently adopted pursuant to Rule 68 discloses that the amendment makes a substantial substantive change to the original bill as referred by the Rules Committee, the bill as amended shall either be set and heard by the committee having jurisdiction of the bill as amended or re-referred to the Committee on Rules pursuant to the Assembly Rules.Committee Analyses56.5.Except as otherwise provided in this rule, each standing committee and subcommittee shall prepare an analysis of every bill it has set for hearing, which shall be available to the public in the office of the committee or subcommittee one working day prior to the date on which the hearing is to be held. In the case of a special meeting, or a meeting of the Committee on Appropriations or the Committee on Budget, or their subcommittees, the analysis shall be available to the public at the beginning of the hearing. No question concerning a committee’s compliance with this rule with regard to any bill shall be in order following a vote on passage of the bill in that committee. As used in this rule, a “working day” is any day on which a house file is published.A copy of each committee analysis shall be transmitted by
the committee secretary to the Assembly Floor Analysis Unit at the same time it is made available to the public.Committee Consultants: Floor Analyses56.6.Except as otherwise provided in this rule, the consultants of a standing committee or subcommittee are responsible for monitoring bills assigned to their respective committee or subcommittee throughout the entire legislative process. Except for resolutions and bills on the Consent Calendar, a consultant of the appropriate standing committee shall prepare, in a timely fashion, an analysis of every bill on third reading or the unfinished business file, and of any amendment to a bill that is on the Assembly floor, as directed by the Assembly Floor Analysis Unit.The committee consultant who prepares the analysis shall transmit a copy of the completed analysis to the Assembly Floor
Analysis Unit. The Assembly Floor Analysis Unit is responsible for final editing for grammar and format of all floor analyses.Consent Calendar56.7.If the chairperson of a committee or subcommittee, in advance of a hearing, proposes to recommend any bills for consideration on the Consent Calendar without hearing testimony on those bills in committee, a list of those bills shall be made available to the public at the same time as the committee analysis required under Rule 56.5.Committee Quorum57.Except as otherwise provided in this rule, a majority of the membership of any standing committee constitutes a quorum for the transaction of its business, including the decision to recommend the adoption of any amendments to any bill. A majority of
the membership of the committee, or a subcommittee thereof, is required to report a bill out of the committee or subcommittee, respectively. Any vacancy on a standing committee shall not reduce the votes required to take action on a bill in that committee.Whenever a member is disqualified pursuant to Joint Rule 44 or the Political Reform Act of 1974 (Title 9 (commencing with Section 81000) of the Government Code) from voting or taking any other action related to the passage, defeat, or amendment of a bill in committee, that disqualification shall be treated the same as a vacancy. The member shall advise the chairperson of a disqualification, and the chairperson shall announce which members are so disqualified at the commencement of the hearing on the bill.Reconsideration57.1.After a committee has voted on a bill, reconsideration
may be granted only one time. Pursuant to subdivision (a) of Joint Rule 62, reconsideration may be granted within 15 legislative days or prior to the interim study joint recess, whichever occurs first. A vote on reconsideration may not be taken without the same notice required to set a bill for hearing unless that vote is taken at the same meeting at which the vote to be reconsidered was taken and the author is present. An action taken by a committee may not be reconsidered except by a majority vote of the membership of the committee.Bills Reported Back to Assembly58.All committees shall act upon bills referred to them as soon as practicable, and when acted upon each bill shall be reported back to the Assembly forthwith; the chairperson of each committee is charged with the observance of this rule. The chairperson of each committee shall, insofar as practicable, report back
bills in the same order as they were acted upon by the committee.Appropriations Suspense File58.2.The Committee on Appropriations may maintain a suspense file, to which bills may be referred by vote of a majority of the members of the committee present and voting, pending further consideration by the committee. A bill may be taken off the suspense file and heard, upon two days’ notice published in the file, by a vote of a majority of the members of the committee present and voting. A bill removed from the suspense file for the purpose of amendment only, pursuant to Rule 68, shall be re-referred to the committee and shall be placed on the suspense file pending further consideration by the committee.Voting in Committee58.5.When a standing
committee or subcommittee takes action on a bill, including reconsideration, the vote may be by rollcall vote only. All rollcall votes taken in a standing committee or subcommittee shall be recorded by the committee secretary on forms provided by the Chief Clerk of the Assembly. The record of a rollcall vote shall show, for each proposal voted upon: all votes for and against, all members absent, and all members not voting. The chairperson of each standing committee or subcommittee shall promptly transmit a copy of the record of the rollcall votes to the Chief Clerk of the Assembly, who shall cause the votes to be published in an appendix to the Journal on a monthly basis.The committee secretary of each standing committee or subcommittee shall promptly transmit a copy of the record of the rollcall votes to the Assembly Floor Analysis Unit.A member may submit a written explanation of his or her vote, absence, or failure to
vote on any bill or resolution, and that explanation shall be printed in the appendix to the Journal in the appropriate place, provided that no explanation may exceed 50 words in length.At the request of the author or any member of the committee, the committee shall hold the roll open on any bill until the adjournment of the committee meeting. At no time may a bill be passed out by a committee without a quorum being present.This rule does not apply to any of the following:(a) Adoption of author’s amendments to a bill.(b) Withdrawal of a bill from a committee calendar at the request of an author.(c) Return of bills to the house where the bills have not been voted on by the committee.(d) Votes of subcommittees of the Committee on Budget when considering the Budget Bill.(e) Votes of the Committee on Rules when referring bills to committees.Subject Matter of Bill Recommended for Interim Study59.Whenever it is the decision of a standing committee that a bill referred to that committee shall not be given a do-pass recommendation, but that the subject matter of the bill should be referred for study, that standing committee shall retain the bill in its possession and report its recommendation to the Assembly that the subject matter of the bill be referred to the Committee on Rules for that committee’s assignment of the subject matter to an appropriate committee.Nothing in this rule shall be
construed to prohibit a committee from subsequently reporting the bill to the Assembly with a do-pass or do-pass as amended recommendation or from reporting it out of committee without further action on the final day of the session.Committee Chairperson as Author60.A chairperson of a standing committee may not preside at a committee hearing to consider a bill of which he or she is the sole author or the lead author, except that the Chairperson of the Committee on Budget may preside at the hearing of the Budget Bill by the Committee on Budget.Reports of Committees61.Specially prepared reports of standing and special committees shall be delivered to the Chief Clerk or an assistant, and shall be read and ordered printed in the Journal unless
otherwise ordered by the Speaker or a majority vote of the Members present and voting.When a report of a joint legislative committee is delivered to the Assembly Desk, the Speaker shall refer it to a standing committee for review and appropriate action.Constitutional Amendments62.5.All constitutional amendments shall be referred to the policy standing committee having jurisdiction of that subject matter and, upon being reported out of that committee, shall be re-referred to the committee having constitutional amendments within its jurisdiction.C.Passage of BillsDaily File63.There shall be printed an Assembly Daily File for each legislative day. The following listing
shall constitute the order of business on the Daily File:1. Special Orders of the Day2. Second Reading, Assembly Bills3. Second Reading, Senate Bills4. Unfinished Business5. Third Reading, Assembly Bills6. Third Reading, Senate BillsAll bills on the Daily File shall be called for consideration, provided that Rule 58 has been complied with in the order of their listing. All scheduled committee hearings, together with the list of bills to be heard, shall be published in the Daily File.Copies of Bills for Action on
Floor64.A bill may not be considered or acted upon on the floor of the Assembly unless and until a copy of the bill as introduced, and a copy of each amended form of the bill, has been distributed to the desk of each Member in hard copy or in portable document format (PDF) via computer.Second Reading of Bills66.All bills shall be read by title the second time in the order of their appearance upon the second reading file. Upon second reading, Assembly bills reported without amendments shall be ordered engrossed, and Senate bills reported without amendments shall be ordered to third reading. All bills reported out of committee shall be placed on the second reading file for the next legislative day, and may not be read a second time until the next legislative day under that order of business. As used in
this rule, “bill” does not include a joint or concurrent resolution, but does include a constitutional amendment.Bills Requiring General Fund Appropriation66.6.Until the Budget Bill has been enacted, the Assembly may not send to the Governor for consideration any bill appropriating funds for expenditure during the fiscal year for which the Budget Bill is to be enacted, except emergency bills recommended by the Governor or appropriations for the salaries and expenses of the Legislature.Passage of Budget Bill66.7.The Budget Bill may not be voted upon for final passage on the floor of the Assembly unless it complies with subdivision (g) of Section 12 of Article IV and Sections 1.3 and 20 of Article XVI of the California Constitution.Committee Amendments67.Committee amendments reported with bills shall be considered upon their second reading, and the amendments may be adopted by majority vote of the Members present and voting. Assembly and Senate bills amended on second reading by committee amendment shall be ordered reprinted and returned to the second reading file. Assembly bills so amended shall be engrossed after printing.Committee amendments reported with bills shall be prepared, or approved as to form, by the Legislative Counsel. Five copies of the committee amendments to Assembly bills and five copies of the committee amendments to Senate bills shall be delivered to the Chief Clerk’s desk.The Chief Clerk shall cause to be transmitted to the Assembly Floor Analysis Unit a copy of each committee report and committee
amendment, unless the committee report or committee amendment is relative to a joint, concurrent, or house resolution.Adoption of amendments to any bill in the Assembly prior to third reading, other than by a rollcall, shall not preclude subsequent consideration in committee, or on the third reading by the Assembly, of the bill, those amendments, or any part thereof.Author’s Amendments68.Upon request of the author of a bill, the chairperson of the committee to which the bill has been referred may, by his or her individual action taken independently of any committee meeting, cause the bill to be reported to the Assembly with the recommendation that amendments submitted by the author be adopted and the bill be reprinted as amended and re-referred to the committee.Notwithstanding any other
rule, a bill to be amended pursuant to this rule may not be placed on the second reading file for the adoption of those amendments.Vote on Passage of Bill as Amended68.5.Except as otherwise provided in this rule, a vote on passage of any bill in a standing committee or subcommittee shall be taken only when the bill is in print, including any previously adopted amendments to the bill. A vote on passage of an amended bill, when the amended form of the bill is not in print, may be taken only if the sole effect of the amendment is to add coauthors to the bill or if the committee determines that the effect of the amendment upon the bill can be readily understood by all of the members and audience present at the hearing. In that circumstance, any member may require that the amendments be in writing at the time of their adoption.Bill Analysis Prior to Third Reading68.6.A bill, concurrent resolution, or joint resolution may not be considered on third reading unless and until an analysis of the measure has been distributed by the Assembly Floor Analysis Unit and placed upon the desks of the Members, unless otherwise ordered by the Speaker.Analysis of Conference Committee Amendments68.7.A report of a conference committee on any bill, other than the Budget Bill, that recommends the substantive amendment of a bill may not be considered unless and until an analysis of the proposed amendment has been distributed by the Assembly Floor Analysis Unit and placed upon the desks of the Members, unless otherwise ordered by the Speaker.Printing of Conference Committee Reports68.8.A conference report may not be heard by the Assembly until it has been in print for two days prior to being taken up by the house.Conference Committee: Substantial Policy Change68.9.(a) A conference committee on any bill, other than the Budget Bill or a bill that is making statutory changes to implement the Budget Bill, may not approve any substantial policy change in any bill if that substantial policy change has been defeated in a policy committee of the Assembly within the current legislative session. For purposes of this rule, the most recent action of a policy committee with regard to a substantial policy change is deemed the only action taken when the policy committee has
taken inconsistent actions with respect to a substantial policy change.(b) For purposes of subdivision (d) of Joint Rule 29.5, the term “heard” means that a printed bill with substantially similar language was before the appropriate committee and taken up at a regular or special hearing of the committee during the current legislative session; or that an amendment, which was drafted and given a request number or approved as to form by the Legislative Counsel, was before the committee and taken up at a regular or special hearing of the committee.Amendments From the Floor69.(a) Any Member may move to amend a bill during its second or third reading, and that motion to amend may be adopted by a majority vote of the Members present and voting.Amendments to a bill offered from the floor, except committee amendments reported with bills, amendments offered with a motion to amend and re-refer a bill to committee, amendments deleting any number of words, or amendments previously printed in the Journal, are not in order unless and until a copy of the proposed amendments has been placed upon the desks of the Members. A copy of a bill that has been amended only to add coauthors to the bill is not required to be placed upon the desks of the Members if both the Speaker and Minority Leader grant an exemption.Amendments offered from the floor during a bill’s second or third reading shall be prepared, or approved as to form, by the Legislative Counsel.Before debate five copies of the proposed amendment to Assembly bills, and five copies of the proposed amendments to Senate bills, shall be delivered to the Chief Clerk’s desk. One copy of
the proposed amendment shall be transmitted by the Chief Clerk to the Assembly Floor Analysis Unit. Bills so amended upon second or third reading shall be reprinted and re-engrossed. The Chief Clerk shall order printed as many copies of all amended bills as he or she may determine to be necessary.(b) (1) Amendments from the floor during a bill’s second or third reading that would make a substantive change in the bill shall be submitted to the Chief Clerk’s desk by 5:00 p.m. or the time of adjournment, whichever is later, the business day before the start of session on the legislative day at which they are to be considered.(2) Upon receipt of the proposed amendments by the Chief Clerk, an analysis shall be prepared by the committee of origin in conjunction with the Assembly Floor Analysis Unit, and a copy of that analysis shall be distributed to each
Member’s desk prior to the beginning of debate on adoption of the proposed amendments, unless otherwise ordered by the Speaker.(3) As used in this subdivision, “bill” does not include a joint or concurrent resolution, but does include a constitutional amendment.(c) Paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) does not apply to (1) amendments to a bill taken up without reference to file, (2) amendments to a bill to add or delete an urgency clause, (3) amendments to a bill that are identical to other amendments submitted to the Chief Clerk’s desk in accordance with the requirements of this rule, (4) amendments to the Budget Bill or to a bill that is making statutory changes necessary to implement the Budget Bill, or (5) amendments to a bill to make the bill contingent upon the enactment of another bill, or to incorporate one or more statutory amendments proposed in another bill to avoid
superseding those amendments.(d) Any bill amended on the second or third reading file shall be ordered reprinted and returned to the third reading file, and may not be acted on by the Assembly until the bill, as amended, has been on the Daily File for one calendar day. This subdivision does not apply to a bill that is amended to add or delete an urgency clause or to a bill that is amended to make statutory changes to implement the Budget Bill.(e) A motion to amend a bill on the second or third reading file, other than committee amendments reported pursuant to Rule 57, is not in order on (1) the last two legislative days preceding the January 31 bill passage deadline specified by Section 10 of Article IV of the California Constitution or (2) the last seven days preceding the scheduled commencement of the interim study recess or the scheduled commencement of the final recess as
specified by the Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly. This subdivision may be suspended temporarily by two-thirds vote of the Members present and voting. This subdivision does not apply to amendments to a bill pursuant to Joint Rule 23.5, amendments to a bill to add or delete an urgency clause, or amendments to a bill to incorporate one or more statutory amendments proposed in another bill to avoid superseding those amendments.Consideration of Political Reform Act Bills69.1.Pursuant to Section 81012 of the Government Code, any bill that would amend the Political Reform Act of 1974 (Title 9 (commencing with Section 81000) of the Government Code) may not be passed until, 12 days prior to being considered for passage, the bill in its final form has been delivered by the Chief Clerk to the Fair Political Practices Commission for distribution to the news media and to every
person who has requested the commission to send a copy of any such bill to him or her.Consideration of Bills Amending the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act69.2.Pursuant to Section 8 of the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act (Proposition 71 of the November 2, 2004, statewide general election), the following requirements apply to a bill that would amend the provisions of that act:(a) The bill may not be passed until, 14 days prior to the date of passage, copies of the bill in its final form are made available by the Chief Clerk to the public and the news media.(b) Passage of the bill requires the affirmative votes of 56 Members.Electronic Distribution of Bills,
Conference Reports, Amendments, and Analyses69.5.Any requirement that bills, conference reports, amendments, or an analysis be placed on the desks of the Members is satisfied by electronic distribution of the same information in portable document format (PDF) via computer to the desk of the Members through the Assembly Floor System, unless otherwise ordered by the Speaker.Consideration of Bills Re-referred to Committee70.Whenever a bill that has been amended and re-referred to committee is reported out by that committee, it shall be placed on the second reading file and may not be transferred therefrom to the third reading file until the following day.Uncontested Bills71.A bill may not be placed on the Assembly Consent Calendar unless it has met the requirements of Joint Rule 22.1 with respect to each Assembly standing committee to which the bill has been referred.Consideration of Concurrent and Joint Resolutions73.A concurrent or joint resolution may be amended by a majority vote of the Members present and voting. The ayes and noes may not be called upon the adoption of concurrent resolutions, except those authorizing expenditures of money, unless regularly demanded, or required by statute or the California Constitution.Adoption of Resolutions74.Any resolution upon which a rollcall vote is demanded requires an affirmative recorded vote of 41 or more Members for adoption.The adoption of any resolution authorizing the expenditure of money requires an affirmative recorded vote of 41 or more Members.Printing of Resolutions75.When any previously printed house resolution is before the Assembly for adoption, it may be printed in the Journal only if amendments to it have been adopted, in which case it shall be printed as amended. In the absence of those amendments, house resolutions before the Assembly for adoption shall be referred to by day and page of the Journal as printed upon introduction. For the purposes of this rule, the adding of a coauthor shall not be deemed an amendment.Concurrence in Senate Amendments77.Concurrence in any Senate Amendment to an Assembly bill
requires the same affirmative recorded vote as the vote required by the California Constitution for the passage of the bill. A vote on concurrence may not be taken until the bill has been on the unfinished business file for one calendar day, except that when the bill is placed upon the unfinished business file during the last two legislative days preceding (1) the January 31 bill passage deadline specified by Section 10 of Article IV of the California Constitution, (2) the scheduled commencement of the interim study recess, or (3) the scheduled commencement of the final recess as specified by the Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly, it may be acted upon immediately. The vote on concurrence shall be deemed the vote upon final passage of the bill.Senate amendments to Assembly bills may not be concurred in unless and until an analysis of the measure has been distributed by the Assembly Floor Analysis Unit and a copy placed upon the desks of the Members, unless
otherwise ordered by the Speaker. As used in this rule, “bill” does not include a joint or concurrent resolution, but does include a constitutional amendment.Digest of Bills Amended in Senate77.1.Whenever the Senate amends and passes an Assembly bill, the Legislative Counsel shall, within one day after the bill is passed by the Senate, prepare and transmit to the Chief Clerk and the Speaker a brief digest summarizing the effect of the Senate amendment. Upon receipt from the Legislative Counsel, the Chief Clerk shall cause the digest to be printed in the Daily File immediately following any reference in the file to the bill covered by the digest.Substantially Amended Bills77.2.If the analysis of an amendment adopted on the floor discloses
that the amendment makes a substantial substantive change to a bill as passed by the last committee of reference, the bill, as amended, may be referred by the Speaker to the appropriate committee.A bill that was previously reported from a policy or fiscal committee of reference in compliance with Joint Rule 61 is not subject to the deadlines in Joint Rule 61 if the bill is subsequently referred to a policy or fiscal committee pursuant to this rule.If the digest to an Assembly Bill that has been returned to the Assembly by the Senate for concurrence in Senate amendments discloses that the Senate has made a substantial substantive change in the bill as first passed by the Assembly, the bill may be referred by the Speaker to the appropriate committee.Inactive File78.Whenever a bill has been
passed twice on the third reading file on two successive legislative days, it shall be placed forthwith upon a special file to be known as the inactive file. A bill also may be placed on the inactive file at the request of the author. When a bill has been placed on the inactive file, it may be returned to the third reading file by request of the author. Notice of the request to return the bill to the third reading file shall be published one day in advance in the Assembly File. The bill, when returned to the third reading file, shall then be placed at the foot of the third reading file.When a bill, placed on the inactive file from the second reading file or the unfinished business file, is removed from the inactive file, it shall be returned to the foot of the second reading file or the unfinished business file, respectively, in the next published Daily File.Engrossing and Enrolling Bills79.The Engrossing and Enrolling Clerk shall engross and enroll all bills that come to his or her hands for that purpose, in compliance with the provisions of Section 9503 of the Government Code, and in the order of time in which the same shall be acted upon by the Assembly.After final passage by both houses, any Assembly bill not amended by the Senate shall be ordered by the Speaker forthwith to be enrolled, as provided in Sections 9508 and 9509 of the Government Code. The Chief Clerk shall report both the day and hour each enrolled bill is presented to the Governor, which report shall be entered in the Journal.VI.PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDUREA.Motions and QuestionsPrecedence of Motions During Debate80.When a question
is under debate or before the Assembly, no motions shall be received but the following, which shall take precedence in the order named:First—To adjourn;Second—To recess to a time certain;Third—To lay on the table;Fourth—For the previous question;Fifth—To set as a special order;Sixth—To postpone indefinitely;Seventh—To refer to or to re-refer;Eighth—To amend.Questions of Order Decided Without Debate81.All incidental questions of order, arising after a motion is made for any of the questions named in Rule 80 and pending that
motion, shall be decided by the Speaker without debate, whether on appeal or otherwise.Appeal From Decision of the Speaker82.Any Member may appeal from a decision of the Speaker without waiting for recognition by the Speaker, even though another Member has the floor. An appeal is not in order when another is pending, or when other business has been transacted by the Assembly prior to the appeal being taken. Upon the appeal being seconded, the Speaker may give his or her reasons for the decision, and the Member making the appeal may give his or her reasons for the appeal, and the Speaker forthwith shall put one of the following questions to the Assembly:(1) “Shall the decision of the Speaker be sustained?”(2) “Shall the decision of the Speaker
be overruled?”An appeal may not be amended and yields only to a motion to recess or adjourn, or to lay on the table, or a question of personal privilege. If an appeal is laid on the table, that action shall have no effect on the pending question.An appeal may not be debated when relating to indecorum, the transgression of rules, or the priority of business. A majority vote of the Members present and voting decides any appeal. In the event of a tie vote, the appeal is lost.Speaker Explains Order of Business83.The Speaker may, on his or her own motion or the motion of any Member, explain the order of business when the motion pending before the Assembly is not debatable. That explanation may not consume more than two minutes.To Adjourn84.A motion to adjourn is not debatable and may not be amended, and is always in order, except: (a) when another Member has the floor; (b) when the Assembly is voting; or (c) during a call of the Assembly. The name of any Member moving an adjournment, and the hour at which the motion was made and adjournment taken, shall be entered in the Journal. A motion to adjourn shall be adopted by a majority vote of the Members present and voting.When a motion to adjourn is made and seconded, it shall be in order for the Speaker, before putting the question, to permit any Member to state to the Assembly any fact relating to the condition of the business of the Assembly which would seem to render it improper or inadvisable to adjourn. That statement may not occupy more than two minutes and is not debatable.An affirmative recorded vote of a majority of the duly elected and qualified Members is required to adjourn any session of the Assembly sine die.To Recess to a Time Certain85.A motion to recess to a time certain is treated the same as a motion to adjourn, except that the motion is debatable when no business is before the Assembly, and can be amended as to the time and duration of the recess. It yields only to a motion to adjourn.To Lay on the Table86.A motion to lay on the table is not debatable and may not be amended.A motion to table a bill, constitutional amendment, or concurrent or joint resolution is adopted by an affirmative recorded vote of 41 or
more Members.Any motion to lay on the table, if carried by 41 or more votes, carries with it the main question and everything that adheres to it, except that a motion to lay an amendment on the table, if adopted, does not carry with it a bill, constitutional amendment, or concurrent, joint, or house resolution.A motion to lay an amendment on the table is adopted by a majority vote of the Members present and voting.A motion to lay on the table may not be applied with respect to reconsideration.The Previous Question87.The previous question shall be put only when demanded by five Members, and its effect, when sustained by a majority vote of the Members present and voting, shall be to put an end to all debate and bring the Assembly to a vote only
on the question then pending, except that the proponent of the matter pending shall be allowed not more than five minutes to close the debate.Motion to Set Special Order88.A motion to set any matter before the Assembly as a special order of business is adopted by an affirmative recorded vote of 54 or more members. The motion is debatable only as to the propriety of setting the main question as a special order of business, and may be amended only as to the time.Motion to Postpone to a Time Certain89.A motion to postpone to a time certain is deemed and treated as a motion to set as a special order.Motion to Postpone Indefinitely90.The making of a motion to postpone indefinitely any bill, motion, or amendment opens the main question to debate. If the motion to postpone indefinitely prevails by an affirmative recorded vote of 41 or more Members, the main question may not be acted upon again during the session.Motion to Amend91.A motion to amend may itself be amended, but an “amendment to an amendment” may not be amended. A motion to substitute is deemed to be a motion to amend and is considered the same as an amendment.Only one substitute is in order when an amendment is pending. A motion to amend or to substitute is debatable, except where the main question to be amended is not debatable. Any motion to amend may be adopted by a majority vote of the Members present and voting.A motion to amend that is decided in the negative is not again in order on the same day, or at the same stage of proceeding. The fact that a motion to amend by striking out certain words is decided in the negative does not preclude a motion to amend by adding words, or a motion to amend by striking out and inserting words, except that in no case may a further amendment be substantially the same as the one rejected.Subject to the above provisions of this rule and Rule 69, a motion to amend is in order during the second or third reading of any bill.Amendment To Be Germane92.An amendment to any bill, other than a bill stating legislative intent to make necessary statutory changes to implement the Budget Bill, whether reported by a committee or offered by a Member, is not in order when the
amendment relates to a different subject than, is intended to accomplish a different purpose than, or requires a title essentially different than, the original bill.A motion or proposition on a subject different from that under consideration may not be admitted as an amendment.An amendment is not in order that changes the original number of any bill.A Member may not be added or deleted as an author or coauthor of a bill or resolution without his or her consent.Consideration of Motions93.A motion, whether oral or written, may not be adopted until it is seconded and distinctly stated to the Assembly by the Speaker.Motions in Writing94.Upon request of the Speaker, all motions shall be reduced to writing and shall be read to the Assembly by the Speaker before being acted upon.Withdrawal of Motions95.After a motion is stated by the Speaker, or a bill, resolution, or petition is read by the Chief Clerk, it is in the possession of the Assembly.Motion to Withdraw or Re-refer Bills96.(a) A motion to withdraw a bill or resolution from committee, or to re-refer a bill or resolution from one committee to another committee, may be made during the regular order of business. A motion to re-refer may be debated only as to the propriety of the reference, and shall require an affirmative recorded vote
of 41 or more Members.(b) A bill or resolution may not be withdrawn from committee and placed upon the file, unless a motion to withdraw has been heard by, and has been approved by a majority vote of, the Committee on Rules. This subdivision does not apply to a bill in a fiscal committee that has been amended so as not to require its reference to a fiscal committee, as indicated by the Legislative Counsel’s Digest.(c) A motion to continue a motion to withdraw a bill or resolution from committee requires a majority of those members present and voting. A motion to withdraw a motion to withdraw is not in order.Re-reference of Measures on File97.A motion to re-refer a bill or resolution that is on the Assembly Daily File to committee may be made
during the regular order of business. The motion is debatable only as to the propriety of that reference and shall require an affirmative recorded vote of 41 or more Members.Bills Stricken From File98.A motion to strike from the file any bill or resolution requires an affirmative recorded vote of 41 or more Members. That bill or resolution may not be acted upon again during the session.Motion to Rescind Action or Expunge Record99.Previous to the approval of the Journal by the Assembly, any action may be rescinded and its record ordered expunged by the affirmative recorded vote sufficient to take that action originally, except that an action may not be rescinded and the record expunged by a vote less than an affirmative recorded vote of 41
or more Members. A motion to rescind the action and expunge the record may not be made twice on the same proposition.A motion to rescind is not in order on any matter upon which a vote to reconsider has previously been taken in the Assembly.Whenever any action of the Assembly is rescinded and its record ordered expunged, the record of the action expunged may not appear in any form whatsoever, except that the record of the proceedings on the motion to rescind and expunge shall appear in the Journal as and when printed.Reconsideration of Vote100.(a) A motion to reconsider a vote on the next legislative day shall be made on the same day the vote to be reconsidered was taken. A motion to reconsider may not be adopted unless it receives an affirmative recorded vote of 41
or more Members. A motion to reconsider may be voted on without a second.A motion to reconsider a vote shall be made by a Member voting on the question, and takes precedence over all motions, except a motion to adjourn. Upon that motion being made, the matter to be reconsidered forthwith shall be placed upon the unfinished business file, and further action may not be taken prior to the next legislative day. When a motion to reconsider has once been made, the motion is the property of the Assembly. When reconsideration is granted, the matter to be reconsidered shall be before the Assembly in the same status it had prior to the vote being reconsidered.(b) (1) Interim Study Recess:No motion to reconsider the vote whereby amendments are concurred in on Assembly bills, the vote whereby a Senate bill is passed and returned to the Senate, or
the vote whereby a conference committee report is adopted is in order on the last two legislative days preceding the interim study recess.A motion to reconsider the vote whereby amendments are refused concurrence on Assembly bills, the vote whereby Senate bills are refused passage, or the vote whereby a conference committee report is refused adoption is in order on the last legislative day preceding the interim study recess. The motion may be taken up before the end of that legislative day.As used in this paragraph, “bill” does not include a joint or concurrent resolution.(2) January 31—Even-numbered Year:A motion to reconsider the vote whereby an Assembly bill is passed to the Senate is not in order on the last two legislative days preceding January 31 of the even-numbered year.A motion to reconsider the vote whereby an Assembly bill is refused passage on its third reading is in order on the last legislative day preceding January 31 of the even-numbered year. The motion must be taken up before the end of that legislative day.As used in this paragraph, “bill” does not include a Senate bill, a constitutional amendment, or a joint or concurrent resolution.(3) Spring or Summer Recess:A motion to reconsider the vote whereby a bill is passed is not in order on the last two legislative days preceding the Spring or Summer Recess as established by the Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly.(4) Deadline for Passage by House:A motion to reconsider the vote whereby an Assembly bill is passed to
the Senate is not in order on the last two legislative days preceding the last day for the Assembly to pass a bill introduced in the Assembly, as set forth in the Joint Rules of the Senate and the Assembly.As used in this paragraph, “bill” does not include a Senate bill, a constitutional amendment, or a joint or concurrent resolution.(5) Final Recess:A motion to reconsider the vote whereby a bill is passed is not in order on the last two legislative days preceding the final recess.A motion to reconsider the vote whereby a bill is defeated is in order on the day of the final recess. The motion must be taken up before the end of that legislative day.(c) Any Member voting on any matter may move to take up on the same day the motion, previously made by
another Member, to reconsider the vote on that matter. A motion to take up on the same day a motion to reconsider the vote on a bill requires an affirmative recorded vote of at least 41 Members. A motion to take up on the same day a motion to reconsider the vote on any motion, amendment, Assembly resolution, or proposition other than a bill requires an affirmative vote of a majority vote of the Members present and voting. The motion to take up the reconsideration on the same day takes precedence over the motion to reconsider and, upon demand of any Member, the motion to take up the reconsideration on the same day shall be put to an immediate vote. If the motion to take up the reconsideration on the same day is adopted, the motion to reconsider is the next order of business before the Assembly.(d) A second motion to reconsider the same question is not in order, nor is a motion to reconsider reconsideration in order.(e) A motion to continue a motion to reconsider requires a majority vote of those Members present and voting.Call of Assembly101.After the roll has been called, and prior to the announcement of the vote, any Member may move a call of the Assembly. The Members present may order a call of the Assembly by a majority vote of the Members present and voting, and the Speaker shall immediately order the Sergeant at Arms to lock all doors and direct the Chief Clerk to prepare a list of absentees as disclosed by the last rollcall. The list of absentees shall be furnished to the Sergeant at Arms, whereupon no Members shall be permitted to leave the Assembly Chamber except by written permission of the Speaker, and a person may not be permitted to enter except Members, Senators, or officers, or employees of the Legislature in
the official performance of their duties.Each Member who is found to be absent, and for whom a leave of absence has not been granted, shall be forthwith taken into custody wherever found by the Sergeant at Arms, his or her assistants, or any person designated by the Sergeant at Arms, including members of the California Highway Patrol, and sheriffs or their deputies, and brought to the Assembly Chamber.A recess or adjournment may not be taken during a call of the Assembly. Additional business may be conducted and calls placed regardless of the number of calls in effect. A call of the Assembly may be dispensed with at any time upon a majority vote of the Members present, that action to become effective upon the completion of the rollcall and the announcement of the vote upon the matter for which the call was ordered, unless, prior to the announcement of the vote, the call is continued by a majority vote of the Members
present.Division of Question102.Any Member may call for a division of the question, and the Speaker shall order the question divided if it comprehends propositions in substance so distinct that, one being taken away, a substantive proposition would remain for the decision of the Assembly. This rule does not apply to an individual bill or resolution.B.VotingMembers Voting104.Every Member in the Assembly Chamber when a rollcall is required shall record his or her vote openly and without debate, unless the Assembly excuses that member by a majority vote of the Members present and voting.A Member may not operate the voting switch of any other Member, except that a Member
presiding at the time of a rollcall, who is not the Speaker or the Speaker pro Tempore, may direct another Member on the floor to operate the voting switch of the presiding Member, and any Member so presiding, including the Speaker and the Speaker pro Tempore, may also operate the voting switches at the rostrum of the Speaker and the Speaker pro Tempore, at their direction.The name of any Member who refuses to vote as required by this rule, after being requested by the Speaker to do so, shall be entered in the Journal, together with a statement that he or she was present and did so refuse to vote. Any Member who refuses so to vote may, if he or she so desires, and immediately after the announcement of the vote, submit a written explanation of the failure to vote and that explanation shall be printed in the Journal, provided that no explanation may exceed 50 words in length.In addition to the entry of his or her name in
the Journal, any Member who refuses so to vote when required, and who has not been excused from doing so, may, immediately after the announcement of the vote, at the discretion of the Speaker or upon demand of any Member, be summoned to appear before the bar of the Assembly for public censure by the Speaker or by any Member designated by the Speaker. Censure of a Member as provided by this rule does not constitute a bar to proceedings for his or her expulsion from the Assembly pursuant to Section 5 of Article IV of the California Constitution.A Member may submit a written explanation of his or her vote on any bill or house resolution, and that explanation shall be printed in the Journal immediately following the vote, provided that no explanation may exceed 50 words in length.A Member, prior to adjournment on the same legislative day, in the absence of any objection, may instruct the Chief Clerk to add his or her vote to
any previously announced vote that had been taken during his or her absence, so long as the outcome of the vote is not thereby changed. The Chief Clerk shall record any vote additions or vote changes in the order signed by the Members at the Clerk’s desk.Ayes and Noes105.The ayes and noes shall be recorded by the electrical voting system on the final passage of all bills, when an affirmative recorded vote of 41 Members or any vote above that number is required, when demanded by three Members, or when ordered by the Speaker. The names of the Members so voting shall be entered in the Journal.Voting and Vote Changes106.When once begun, voting may not be interrupted, except that, before the vote is announced, any Member may have the total
pending vote flashed on the visible vote recorder. Prior to the announcement of the vote, the presiding officer shall instruct the Chief Clerk to record verbal votes from Members not at their desks. Any Member may move a call of the Assembly after the completion of the roll. A Member, prior to adjournment on the same legislative day, and in the absence of any objection, may instruct the Chief Clerk to change his or her recorded vote after the vote is announced, so long as the outcome of the vote is not thereby changed. The Chief Clerk may record any vote change only after the Member making the change has announced it to the Assembly.Tie Vote107.In case of an equal division, or tie vote, the question shall be lost.VII.MEMBERS’ DECORUM AND PRIVILEGESOrder in Speaking to
Questions108.When a Member desires to address the Assembly, the Member shall rise from his or her seat and respectfully address himself or herself to “Mr. Speaker” or “Madame Speaker.” Upon being recognized, the Member may speak, confining himself or herself to the question under consideration. When two or more Members rise at the same time, the Speaker shall designate the Member who is entitled to the floor.A Member may not speak more than once during the consideration of any one question on the same day and at the same stage of proceeding, except that the author of a bill or resolution or the mover of a question has the right to open and close the debate thereon. A Member may not be allowed to speak more than five minutes to open and five minutes to close the debate on any question, including amendments, and no Member other than the author or the mover of the question may be allowed to speak
more than five minutes thereon. A Member may not yield to any other Member the time for which he or she is entitled to speak on any matter.Rules of Decorum108.1.(a) In accordance with Rule 10, Members of the Assembly shall conduct themselves in accordance with the rules of decorum specified in Sections 120 to 126, inclusive, of Mason’s Manual of Legislative Procedure.(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), the Committee on Rules may adopt additional rules of decorum by majority vote of the membership of the committee.Motions109.When a Member desires to make a motion, the Member shall obtain recognition as provided in Rule 108. Upon being recognized, the
Member shall open by stating his or her motion, except in the case of a nomination, and in any other case may not speak to the merits of the motion at that time, but shall confine his or her remarks to those necessary to explain the motion. If the motion is in order and is seconded, it shall be stated to the Assembly by the Speaker. If the motion is debated, the Member who made it shall then be entitled to recognition to open the debate on the motion.When a Member obtains the floor during debate upon any question that is pending before the Assembly and addresses the Assembly regarding the merits of the pending question, the Member may not be permitted to conclude his or her debate by making any motion or by demanding the previous question.Leave of Absence110.A Member may not absent himself or herself from attendance at any session
of the Assembly without leave of the Assembly. A Member may not obtain that leave of absence or be excused for nonattendance except by a vote of 54 or more Members or by unanimous consent. A Member who obtains a leave of absence for personal business, or is excused for nonattendance for personal business, thereby waives his or her per diem allowance for attendance upon any session of the Legislature for which he or she secures that leave of absence or excuse. A Member may not obtain a leave of absence for legislative business or be excused for nonattendance for legislative business unless the Member has filed with the Speaker a statement of the legislative business for which he or she seeks that leave of absence or excuse. That statement shall be printed in the Journal.If a Member is not recorded on the attendance roll within 30 minutes after the scheduled start of the session, the Member shall stand up before the Assembly and explain the reason he or she is late
before he or she is recorded on the rollcall for any vote. If a Member does not explain his or her reason for being late, any other Member may raise a point of order under this rule, whereupon the tardy Member’s vote may not be recorded until an explanation is made.Personal Privilege111.Any Member may rise to explain a matter of personal privilege. A matter of personal privilege is a matter involving the Member’s integrity, dignity, or honor. Upon rising to explain such a matter, the Member forthwith shall be recognized by the Speaker, but may not discuss a question in that explanation. Matters of personal privilege yield only to a motion to recess or adjourn.Objection to Reading of Any Paper112.Any Member, upon recognition by the Speaker,
may object to the reading of any paper before the Assembly. When that objection is made, the question of reading shall be determined without debate by a majority vote of the Members present and voting, upon a brief statement by the Speaker of the substance of the objection.Members at Chief Clerk’s Desk113.A Member or other person may not be allowed at the Chief Clerk’s desk while the ayes and noes are being recorded or the votes counted.Members Called to Order for Transgressing Rules114.If any Member transgresses the Rules of the Assembly, the Speaker shall, or any Member may, call the offending Member to order. The Member so called to order immediately shall take his or her seat, until the Speaker, without debate, has determined whether
the Member is in order. That decision by the Speaker shall be subject to an appeal to the Assembly.If any Member is called to order for offensive words spoken in debate, the person calling him or her to order shall state to the Assembly the words to which exception is taken. No Member may be held to answer, or be subject to censure by the Assembly, for language used in debate if other business has been transacted by the Assembly prior to exception being taken to the words spoken.VIII.MISCELLANEOUSCommittee of the Whole115.The Assembly may resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole at any time by a majority vote of the Members present and voting. While sitting as that committee, persons other than Members may address the committee. The Speaker of the Assembly, or any Member named by the Speaker, shall
preside as Chairperson of the Committee of the Whole.A motion that the Committee of the Whole “do now rise and report back to the Assembly,” shall always be in order and shall be decided without debate. All actions of the Committee of the Whole shall be reported to the Assembly by the chairperson, but may not be entered in the Journal except upon motion and a majority vote of the Members present and voting.Use of Assembly Chamber116.The Assembly Chamber may not be used for any public or private business, other than legislative matters, except upon approval of the Speaker or the Chair of the Committee on Rules.Use of Assembly Facilities: Smoking117.The smoking of tobacco products is prohibited
within any building, or portion of a building, occupied or used by Assembly Members or employees if the building or portion of the building is under the jurisdiction or control of the Assembly. This smoking prohibition shall apply to any outdoor area within five feet of an entrance or exit to any building or portion of a building subject to this rule. This smoking prohibition shall apply to the Assembly Chamber, Assembly hearing rooms, and Assembly offices, and to hallways, stairways, and bathrooms within any building or portion of a building subject to this rule.Telephones and Text Messages117.5.While on the floor of the Assembly during any session of the Assembly, or while serving on a committee during any hearing of that committee, a Member may not do either of the following:(a) Use a cellular telephone to
make or receive calls.(b) Send text messages to, or receive text messages from, any lobbyist.Meeting of the Assembly: Firearms117.7.A person, except a peace officer acting within the scope of his or her employment, may not carry or possess a firearm on the floor of the Assembly during any session of the Assembly or in a committee hearing room during any meeting of a committee or subcommittee.Persons Admitted to Floor of the Assembly118.A person other than Members of the Legislature, officers, employees of the Legislature, accredited members of the press, and guests may not be admitted to the floor of the Assembly during any session of the Assembly. A guest of any Member may
be admitted only upon presentation of a guest card of the Member countersigned by the Speaker. A guest card is valid only on the legislative day for which it is issued. A lobbyist, as defined by Section 82039 of the Government Code, may not, under any circumstances, be admitted to the Assembly Chamber while the Assembly is in session.Persons admitted to the Assembly Chamber, other than Members, may not be permitted to stand in the Lobby in the rear of the Assembly Chamber while the Assembly is in session, but shall be required to occupy the seats provided for them.Guests may be seated only in the chairs in the back of the rail in the rear of the Assembly Chamber, and may not be permitted to sit at the desks of the Members. No person other than an accredited newspaper representative may be permitted to sit at the press desks. A special section in the balcony may be reserved for those holding guest cards. Neither any person
mentioned in this rule nor any other person, except a Member of the Legislature, may engage in influencing the passage or defeat of legislation in the Assembly Chamber.A person other than a Member of the Legislature, the Sergeant at Arms or his or her assistants, the Chief Clerk or his or her assistants, or the Legislative Counsel or his or her representatives, may not be permitted in the area of the floor of the chamber which is occupied by the desks of the Members.Floor Attire118.1.Notwithstanding any other provision of these Rules, Members of the Legislature, officers or employees of the Legislature, accredited members of the press, or any other persons may be restricted from admission to the floor of the Assembly during any session if they are inappropriately attired. The Committee on Rules may, as necessary, adopt policies to
implement this rule.Qualifications and Elections of Members119.An affirmative vote of 41 or more Members shall be required to determine the qualifications and election of any Member pursuant to Section 5 of Article IV of the California Constitution. A motion to disqualify a Member is not in order at the convening of a legislative session until a Speaker has been elected in accordance with Section 9023 of the Government Code.Compensation and Expenses of Member Convicted of Felony120.If a Member of the Assembly is convicted of a felony by a superior court, his or her right to further compensation or expenses is thereupon suspended, and his or her membership on any committee is thereupon suspended. If the conviction becomes final, the right
of the Member to further compensation or expenses shall terminate and any compensation or expenses withheld shall be forfeited to the state. If the conviction is reversed by an appellate court or a motion for a new trial is granted, and the Member is thereafter found not guilty or the charges against him or her are dismissed, the amounts of the withheld compensation or expenses shall be paid to the Member and the suspension of his or her committee membership shall terminate.Whenever a Member is convicted of a felony in the superior court, the Committee on Rules shall give written notice thereof to the Controller, directing him or her to discontinue any further payments to the Member unless and until the Committee on Rules notifies the Controller that the Member has been found not guilty or that the charges against him or her are dismissed. The Controller may not draw any warrant payable to that Member except as provided in this rule.The Seal of the Assembly121.The Seal of the Assembly may be used only by or on behalf of a Member of the Assembly, or when specifically authorized by the Committee on Rules.Agency Reports: Electronic Copies122.Pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code, any report required or requested by law to be submitted by a state or local agency to the Members, or to the Legislature generally, shall be submitted as an electronic copy to the Chief Clerk.