1999
HOUSE RESOLUTION 99-1005
BY REPRESENTATIVE Dean
CONCERNING CHANGES TO THE HOUSE RULES.
Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives
of the Sixty-second General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
That Rule 16 of the Rules of the House of Representatives
is amended to read:
16. PREVIOUS QUESTION
(a) The previous question may be moved upon all recognized
motions or amendments which are debatable; it may be moved upon
a single motion or amendment pending, or upon a series of motions
and amendments pending, or upon part of them.
(b) The previous question shall be stated in this
manner: "Shall the main question be now put?" and,
until it be decided, it shall preclude all amendments or debate;
if decided in the negative, the main question shall be considered
as still remaining under debate, but if decided in the affirmative
by a majority vote of all members elected, it shall put an end
to all debate and bring the House to a direct vote upon all motions
and amendments involved, in the inverse order in which they were
offered.
(c) When a motion for the previous question has prevailed,
and prior to a decision upon the main
question upon which it was ordered,
it shall not be in order to move for a call of the House unless
it shall appear by the ayes and noes on the main question that
a quorum is not present UNTIL THE
MAIN QUESTION HAS BEEN DECIDED. HOWEVER, IF THE MAIN QUESTION
IS NOT DECIDED BECAUSE THE VOTE THEREON INDICATES THAT A QUORUM
IS NO LONGER PRESENT, IT SHALL BE IN ORDER TO MOVE FOR A CALL
OF THE HOUSE.
That Rule 18 of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended to read:
18. ABSENCE
(a) No member shall absent himself from a session
of the House unless he shall be sick and unable to attend, or
unless he shall have secured consent of the House to be excused
from the session. If absent without being sick or having been
excused, the sergeantatarms may be sent for him and
may take him into custody and bring him forthwith to the House
chamber; and the expense thereof shall be assessed to such member,
and a reprimand, fine, or other disciplinary measure may be imposed
upon him.
(b) WHEN ROLL IS CALLED AT THE BEGINNING OF A LEGISLATIVE
DAY, THE CHIEF CLERK SHALL MAKE A NOTE IN THE JOURNAL WHEN A MEMBER
HAS BEEN EXCUSED FOR THE DAY TO ATTEND TO OTHER LEGISLATIVE DUTIES.
IN ADDITION, THE CHIEF CLERK SHALL MAKE A SIMILAR NOTE IN THE
JOURNAL WHEN A MEMBER IS PRESENT FOR THE BEGINNING ROLL CALL BUT
IS SUBSEQUENTLY EXCUSED TO ATTEND TO OTHER LEGISLATIVE DUTIES
AND A RECORDED VOTE IS TAKEN.
That Rule 20 (d) and (e) of the Rules of the House
of Representatives are amended to read:
20. VOTING
(d) When the electric roll call system is utilized
for the taking of the ayes and noes, the presiding officer shall
state the question and announce: "All those in favor shall
vote aye; all those opposed shall vote no. The House members
will proceed to vote."
When sufficient time has been allowed for each member
to vote, the presiding officer shall ask: "Have all members
present voted?" The presiding officer shall then direct
the chief clerk to lock
CLOSE the machine and record the vote. When the vote has been
completely recorded, the presiding officer shall announce the
result to the House.
(e) A member may change his vote until the machine
has been ordered locked
CLOSED by the presiding officer. It shall be the responsibility
of each member to determine the accuracy of his vote as registered
opposite his name on the electric roll call board. EXCEPT AS
OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR IN HOUSE RULE 18 (b), votes of absent or
excused members shall be recorded only as absent or excused.
That Rule 21 of the Rules of the House of Representatives
is amended to read:
21. WHEN MEMBERS SHALL VOTE Ä
PERSONAL INTEREST Ä CHANGING VOTE
(a) Every member who shall be within the House chamber
when a question shall be stated from the chair shall vote thereon,
unless he shall be directly interested in the question or shall
have been excused from voting by the House; but, WHEN A VOTE IS
TAKEN WITHOUT THE USE OF THE ELECTRIC ROLL CALL SYSTEM, no member
shall be obliged to vote upon any question unless he shall be
within the House chamber when his name shall be called.
(b) A request by a member to be excused from voting
shall be made before the call for the ayes and noes has begun;
any member desiring to be excused from voting on a question shall
make a brief statement of his reasons, and the question shall
be put without further debate.
(c) A member who has an immediate personal or financial
interest in any bill or measure proposed or pending before the
General Assembly shall disclose the fact to the House, and shall
not vote upon such bill or measure.
(d) WHEN A VOTE IS TAKEN WITHOUT THE USE OF THE ELECTRIC
ROLL CALL SYSTEM, a member shall be allowed to change his vote
before the result has been announced, but not thereafter.
(e) A member shall not be compelled by a majority
of a political caucus to cast his vote for or against any legislative
measure.
That Rule 23 of the Rules of the House of Representatives
is amended to read:
23. DECORUM
(a) No member shall walk across or out of the House
chamber while the Speaker is putting the question.
(b) No member shall engage in loud private discourse
or commit any other act tending to distract the attention of the
House from the business before it.
(c) Should any member, in speaking or otherwise,
transgress the rules of the House, the Speaker on his own initiative,
or upon the objection of another member, may call him to order
whereupon, subject to his right to appeal from a decision of the
chair as in other cases, he shall immediately sit quietly in his
place.
(d) When speaking or debating before the House, a
member shall confine his remarks to the question under discussion
or debate, avoiding personalities.
(e) WHEN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS IN SESSION, MEMBERS
AND SUCH EMPLOYEES AS AUTHORIZED BY THE CHIEF CLERK SHALL BE THE
ONLY PERSONS TO USE THE CENTER AISLE OF THE HOUSE CHAMBERS, THE
AISLES BETWEEN THE MEMBER'S DESKS, AND THE WELL OF THE HOUSE
CHAMBERS IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE FRONT DESK. THE CENTER
AISLE OF THE HOUSE CHAMBERS AND THE WELL OF THE HOUSE CHAMBERS
MAY ALSO BE USED DURING JOINT SESSIONS BY SENATORS AND BY SUCH
GUESTS AS MAY BE AUTHORIZED BY THE SPEAKER.
(f) MEMBERS SHALL BE THE ONLY PERSONS TO USE THE
CHAIRS PROVIDED FOR THE USE OF THE MEMBERS IN THE HOUSE CHAMBERS.
HOWEVER, A MEMBER MAY AUTHORIZE A SENATOR TO USE HIS OR HER CHAIR
DURING JOINT SESSIONS OR AN IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBER TO USE HIS
OR HER CHAIR DURING SPECIAL CEREMONIES.
(g) WHENEVER THE HOUSE IS CONDUCTING BUSINESS IN
THE HOUSE CHAMBERS, GENTLEMEN MEMBERS SHALL BE REQUIRED TO WEAR
A SUIT COAT OR SPORT COAT. THE REQUIREMENT TO WEAR A SUIT COAT
OR SPORT COAT MAY BE SUSPENDED BY THE CHAIR WHEN THE HOUSE IS
SITTING AS A COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE OR BY THE SPEAKER WHEN THE
SPEAKER DEEMS SUSPENSION APPROPRIATE. THE MAJORITY PARTY LEADER
SHALL DEVELOP GUIDELINES FOR PROPER DRESS FOR MEMBERS AND STAFF
ATTENDING TO LEGISLATIVE BUSINESS IN THE HOUSE CHAMBERS AND ASSURE
THAT SUCH GUIDELINES ARE COMMUNICATED TO THE MEMBERS AND STAFF.
That Rule 25 (j) of the Rules of the House of Representatives
is amended BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW PARAGRAPH to read:
25. COMMITTEES
(j) All committees of reference, as listed in (a)
above, shall observe the following rules of procedure:
(1.5) THE CHAIRMAN OF A COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE MAY
DELEGATE ANY DUTY OR RESPONSIBILITY PROVIDED FOR IN THIS SUBSECTION
(j) TO THE VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE.
That Rule 29 (b) of the Rules of the House of Representatives
is amended to read:
29. COURSE OF BILLS
The course of every bill in its introduction, reference,
consideration, and passage through the House shall be as follows:
(b) Reference of the bill by the Speaker, by number
only, to the appropriate committee of reference, not later than
the close of the next day
of actual session ON THE THIRD CALENDAR DAY FOLLOWING DEPOSIT
OF THE BILL WITH THE CHIEF CLERK. The Speaker may refer the bill
to two separate committees of reference in succession if in his
judgment the subject matter of the bill so requires.
That Rule 51 of the Rules of the House of Representatives
is amended to read:
51. CONTROL OF SMOKING
(a) Smoking is prohibited in the House chambers,
rooms adjoining the House chambers, House lounge, House rest
rooms, House gallery, House committee rooms, lobbies adjacent
to such committee rooms, and all areas that provide immediate
access to such chambers, adjoining rooms, lounge, rest rooms,
gallery, porch area,
committee rooms, and lobbies. WHEN THE HOUSE IS NOT IN SESSION
OR IS IN A RECESS, SMOKING IS PERMITTED IN THE PORCH AREA.
(b) As used in this rule, "smoking" includes
the carrying of a lighted pipe, lighted cigar, or lighted cigarette
of any kind and includes the lighting of a pipe, cigar, or cigarette
of any kind.
_________________________ _________________________
Judith M. Rodrigue Russell George
CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES OF REPRESENTATIVES