INDEX TO RULES OF THE SENATE. AMENDMENTS, ADJOURNMENT, when in order, ABSENCE, BUSINESS, order of, BILLS, passage of. concurrence in amendments by House, appropriations when considered, reference by the chair, prohibited, requirements to pass, requiring a two-thirds vote, to be introduced in triplicate, negative, how to be placed on calendar, BLANKS, filling up of, CALENDAR, referred to on, CHAMBER, care of, CHIEF CLERK, officers and employes, subject to order and direction of, duties of chairman, when discharged, COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, proceedings in, question on report of chairman, CONFERENCE COMMITTEE, printing report of, report to be placed on file, CALL OF SENATE when less than quorum is present, when less than a quorum vote, 856 856 857 858 2 854 858 855 855 858 858 855 856 858 855 856 857 855 855 857 36 857 854 855 858 854 854 857 857 836 may name a member to perform duties of the chair, to see that Rule XL in reference to care of Senate chamber is en- RULES OF THE SENATE OF PENNSYLVANIA. DUTIES OF THE PRESIDENT-TAKING THE CHAIR. 1. The President shall take the chair, each day, at the hour to which the Senate stands adjourned, when he shall call the members to order, and on the appearance of a quorum, shall cause the Journal of the preceding day to be read, which the Senate shall have power then to correct. ORDER OF BUSINESS. NT 2. The order to be observed in taking up business shall be as follows: Second-The receiving of reports of committees, which shall be called for by the President, Third-The reading of bills in place. The President commencing on his left and recognizing all in their order from left to right, and all bills read in place shall be accompanied by two copies of the same. Fourth-The offering of original resolutions. Fifth-The consideration of executive nominations. Seventh-The reading of bills the second time. Eighth-The reading of bills the first time, and in that state shall not be subject to amendment or a vote thereon. ORDER AND DECORUM-PRESIDENT TO PRESERVE. 3. It shall be the duty of the President to preserve order, prevent personal reflections, confine members in debate to the question and when two or more members rise at the same time, decide who shall be the first heard; but an appeal in all such cases shall lie to the Senate, and a member called to order may extenuate or justify. BUSINESS AND DEBATES. 4. Members speaking shall address the President. and when presenting a paper shall first state its import. Members shall not speak more than twice on any question without permission of the Senate, nor be interrupted when speaking, except by a call to order by the President, or by a member through the President, or by a member to explain, or by a call for the previous question. MOTIONS. 5. When a motion is made and seconded, it shall, before debate, be stated by the President. Every motion shall be reduced to writing, if the President or any member require it; but a motion may be withdrawn by the member making it before amendment, postponement, an order to lie on the table, or decision. TO BE ENTERED ON JOURNAL. 6. Every motion shall be entered on the Journal together with the name of the member making it unless it should be subsequently withdrawn. HOW INTERRUPTED. 7. A question regularly before the Senate can be interrupted only by a call for the previous question for amendment, postponement, commitment, or adjournment. MOTION TO ADJOURN-WHEN IN ORDER. 8. A motion to adjourn shall always be in order, excepting when on the call for the previous question, the main question shall have been ordered to be now put, or when a member has the floor, and shall be decided without debate. ORDER OF MOTIONS DEBATE ON THE PREVIOUS QUESTION. 9. The motion for the previous question, for postponement, for commitment, and for amendment, shall take precedence in the order mentioned, and a motion for the previous question shall preclude any of the other motions from being made; a motion to postpone shall preclude a motion to commit; or to amend a motion to commit shall preclude a motin to amend. The motion for the previous question, postponement (other than indefinite postponement) or commitment, shall preclude debate on the original subject. The previous question shall not be moved by less than four members. QUESTIONS FOLLOWING. 10. When a call for the previous question has been made and sustained, the question shall be upon pending amendments and the main question, in their regular order, and all incidental questions of order arising after a motion for the previous question has been made, and pending such motion shall be decided, whether on appeal or otherwise, without debate. DEBATE ON QUESTIONS OF ORDER. 11. No debate shall be allowed on questions of order, unless there be an appeal or reference by the President of the Senate. And on such appeal or reference no member shall speak more than once, unless by leave of the Senate. FILLING UP BLANKS. 12. On filling up blanks, the question shall first be taken on the largest sum, greatest number, and most distant day. POWERS AND DUTIES OF PRESIDENT PRO TEM. 13. In the absence of the President, the President pro tem, shall exercise all the powers and perform all the duties of President. On all questions, the President pro tem. shall vote last when occupying the chair. SIGNING OF BILLS, ETC., BY THE PRESIDENT. 14. Acts, orders, addresses, and joint resolutions shall be signed by the President in the presence of the Senate, after their titles have been publicly read, and the fact of signing shall be entered on the Journal; and writs, warrants, and subpoenas issued by the Senate shall be signed by him and attested by the clerk. GENERAL DIRECTION OF HALL. 15. The President shall have the general direction of the hall. He may name a member to perform the duties of the chair but such substitution shall not extend beyond four days. RECONSIDERATION. 16. When a question has been once made and carried in the affirmative or negative, it shall be in order for any two members of the majority, or when the Senate has been equally divided. or a bill shall have failed to pass, by reason of not having a constitutional majority, for any two who voted in the negative to move the reconsideration thereof; but no motion for the reconsideration of any vote shall be in order after a bill, resolution, report, amendment, or motion, upon which the vote was taken, shall have gone out of the possession of the Senate; nor shall any motion for reconsideration be in order unless made on the same day on which the vote was taken, or within the next five days of actual session of the Senate thereafter; and such motion shall take precedence of all other questions, except a motion to adjourn, and no member shall speak on the question more than once, or for a longer time than five minutes. BILLS. 17. Every bill shall be read at length on three different days in open Senate. All amendments thereto shall be printed and laid on the desks of Senators before the final vote is taken on the bill. The final vote shall be taken by yeas and nays, and the names of the persons voting for and against the same be entered on the Journal. No bill shall be declared passed, or signed by the President, unless a majority of all the Senators elected to the Senate shall be recorded as voting for the same. AMENDMENTS. 18. No amendment shall be received by the President which destroys the general sense of the original section, clause, or paragraph. No amendment to bills by the House shall be concurred in by the Senate, except by the vote of a majority of the members elected thereto, taken by yeas and nays, and the names of those voting for and against recorded upon the Journal thereof. COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. 19. All bills shall be considered by a Committee of the Whole, unless the rule be dispensed with by unanimous consent. All amendments made in Committee of the Whole shall be reported by the chairman to the Senate, and shall by him be moved to be inserted, and if adopted, shall then be entered on the Journal. Every bill shall be read at length in Committee of the Whole, and such reading shall be considered one of the readings required by the Constitution. REPORT OF CONFERENCE COMMITTEE. 20. Every report of a committee of conference shall be printed, together with the bill as amended by the committee, before action shall be had on such report. CONCURRENCE IN AMENDMENTS OF THE HOUSE. 21. That the vote on concurring in bills amended by the House or on adopting reports of committees of conference, shall not be taken until said bills and reports have been placed on the files of Senators, and particularly referred to on their calendars. APPROPRIATION BILLS FOR CHARITABLE PURPOSES. 22. No bills appropriating money for charitable or benevolent purposes shall be considered until after the general appropriation bill shall have been reported from committee. STANDING COMMITTEES. 23. The following standing committees shall be appointed at the commencement of each session, until otherwise ordered: A Committee on Agriculture. A Committee on Appropriations. A Committee on Banks and Building and Loan Associations. A Committee on Canals and Inland Navigation. A Committee on City Passenger Railways. A Committee on Congressional Apportionment. A Committee on Corporations. A Committee on Education. A Committee on Elections. A Committee on Exposition Affairs. A Committee on Federal Relations. A Committee on Finance. A Committee on Forestry. A Committee on Game and Fisheries. A Committee on Insurance. A Committee on Judicial Apportionment. A Cimmittee on Judiciary General. A Committee on Judicial Special. A Committee on Law and Order. A Committee on Legislative Apportionment. A Committee on Library. A Comittee on Mines and Mining. A Committee on Military Affairs. A Committee on Municipal Affairs. A Committee on New Counties and County Seats. A Committee on Pensions and Gratuities. A Committee on Public Grounds and Buildings. A Committee on Public Printing. A Committee on Public Health and Sanitation. A Committee on the Public Supply of Light, Heat and Water. A Committee on Railroads. OF WHAT CONSISTING. The several committees shall consist of seven Senators, except the Committees on Corporations, Mines and Mining, Exposition Affairs and Insurance, which shall each consist of eleven Senators, and the Committees on Railroads, City Passenger Railways and Banks and Building and Loan Associations shall each consist of nine Senators, and the Committees on Judiciary General, Judiciary Special, Congressional Apportionment, Legislative Apportionment and Judicial Apportionment shall each consist of thirteen Senators, the Committee on Appropriations shall consist of twenty-one Senators. The President pro tempore shall be ex-officio a member of all special and standing committees. DUTIES OF MEMBERS OF COMMITTEES. 24. Every member of a committee shall attend the call of the chairman, who shail be the first-named person on such committee; and in case of his neglect to call the committee together, or in case of his absence by sickness, or other cause, the committee shall attend the call of the next person named on the committee. RULES IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. 25. The rules and proceedings of the Senate shall be observed, as far as they are practicable, in the Committee of the Whole, excepting that a member may speak oftener than twice on the same subject. In Committee of the Whole, the previous question cannot be called, the yeas and nays required, nor can there be an appeal from the decision of the chairman. ABSENCE. 26. No member shall absent himself without leave of the Senate first obtained, unless prevented from attending by sickness, or other sufficient cause. FILES OF THE SENATE. 27. The files of the Senate may be inspected by the members, but no paper shall be withdrawn therefrom without the consent of the Senate. WHO PRIVILEGED TO THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE. 28. No person shall be admitted within the Senate Chamber (galleries excepted) during its sessions, unless invited by a member of the Senate except the members and officers of the two branches of the Legislature, the Governor, heads of departments, ex-members of the Legislature, and stenographers to report proceedings of the Senate for publication, under the direction of the President pro tempore. No person or persons shall be permitted to occupy the seats of Senators or pass across the floor of the Senate when the Senate is in session; nor shall any person or persons, at any time, be permitted to enter the room of the transcribing clerks or pass before the President. All obstructions in, and passing across the enclosed circle are prohibited. DISPENSING WITH RULES. 29. The consent of two-thirds of the members present shall be necessary to dispense with any rule. DIVISION OF A QUESTION, 30. Any Senator may call for a division of a question, which shall be divided if it comprehends questions so distinct that one being taken away the rest may stand entire for the decision of the Senate. A motion to strike out and insert shall be deemed indivisible; but a motion to strike out being lost, shall preclude neither amendment nor a motion to strike out and insert. REFERENCE OF BILLS. 31. Every bill and joint resolution which may be received from the House of Representatives, or which may be read by a Senator in his place, shall, immediately after being presented to the Chair, be referred by the President to the appropriate committee, unless otherwise ordered. CHARACTER OF BILLS READ IN PLACE, ETC. 32. No member shall read in place, nor shall any committee, either standing or select, report any bill for the action of the Senate, granting corporate powers in any case, when the authority for granting such powers has been conterred upon any of the courts of this Commonwealth; or proposing to legislate upon any of the subjects prohibited by the seventh section of the third article of the Constitution; nor shall any bill be read in place, or reported from a committee, reviving, amending, or extending the provisions of any law, by reference to its title only, but the whole shall be re-enacted in words by such bill. COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE ON A BILL ON THIRD READING. 33. When the Senate shall resolve to go into Committee of the Whole on a bill on third reading, except for special amendment, the question before the Senate, when the President shall have resumed the chair and the chairman of the committee has made a report, shall be, "Will the Senate agree to the report of the committee?" JEFFERSON'S MANUAL TO GOVERN THE SENATE. 34. The rules of parliamentary practice comprised in Jefferson's Manual shall govern the Senate in all cases to which they are applicable, and in which they are not inconsistent with the standing rules and orders of the Senate and the joint rules of the Senate and House of Representatives. WHEN LESS THAN A QUORUM IS PRESENT. 35. When, upon a call, which may be demanded by not less than four Senators, it is found that less than a quorum is present, it shall be the duty of the President to order the doors of the Senate to be closed, and to direct the clerk to call the roll of the Senate, and note the absentees, after which the names of the absentees shall be again called, and those for whose absence no excuse, or an insufficient excuse is made, may, by order of a majority of the Senators present, be sent for and taken into custody by the sergeant-at-arms, or his assistants appointed for the purpose, and brought before the bar of the Senate, where, unless excused by a majority of the Senators present, they shall be reproved by the President for neglect of duty. WHEN LESS THAN A QUORUM VOTE BUT PRESENT. 36. When less than a quorum vote upon any subject under the consideration of the Senate, not less than four Senators may demand a call of the Senate, when it shall be the duty of the President forthwith to order the doors of the Senate to be closed, the roll of the Senators to be called, and if it is ascertained that a quorum is present, either by answering to their names, or by their presence in the Senate, the President shall again order the yeas and nays, and if any Senator or Senators present refuse to vote, the name or names of such Senator or Senators shall be entered on the Journal as "present but not voting," and such refusal to vote shall be deemed a contempt, and, unless purged, the President shall direct the sergeant-at-arms to bring such Senator or Senators before the bar of the Senate, where he or they shall be publicly reprimanded by the President. PROHIBITED LEGISLATION. 37. No law shall be passed except by bill, and no bill shall be so altered or amended on its passage through the Senate as to change its original purpose. No bill shall be considered unless referred to a committee, returned therefrom, and printed for the use of the members. No local or special bill shall be reported unless the same be accompanied by proof of the publication of the notice thereof, in accordance with law, and of section eight of article three of the Constitution; and proof of such publication shall be certified to by the president or secretary of the committee reporting the bill. EXECUTIVE NOMINATIONS. 38. When nominations shall be made by the Governor to the Senate, they shall after being read by the Chief Clerk, without a motion, be referred by the presiding officer to appropriate committees, and, after having been reported by the committee, the final question on every nomination shall be: "Will the Senate advise and consent to this nomination?" Which question shall not be put on the day on which the nomination or nominations are reported from committee, unless by unanimous consent. All information communicated or remarks made by a Senator when acting upon nominations in committee, concerning the character or qualifications of the person nominated, shall be kept secret. If, however, charges shall be made against a person nominated, the committee may, in its discretion, notify such nominee thereof, but the name of the person making such charges shall not be disclosed. When the consideration of executive nominations is reached in the order of business, a Senator may make a motion to go into executive session for the purpose of confirming the nominations which have been reported from a committee at a previous session and, if unanimous consent be given, also those which may be reported on the day the motion is made; and on the motion being agreed to, such nomination or nominations shall be considered the first order of the day until finally disposed of, unless the same shall be postponed by a majority of the Senate; but such business when once commenced shall not be postponed for more than five days, except in case of an adjournment of the Senate for a longer period. When in executive session, no message shall be received from the Governor, unless it be relative to the nomination under consideration, nor from the House of Representatives, nor shall any other business be considered, except executive business, and the executive session shall not adjourn pending the consideration of the nomination until a time be fixed by a majority vote of those present for the next meeting of the executive session to resume the consideration thereof. When a nomination is confirmed or rejected by the Senate, any two Senators, voting with the majority, may move for a reconsideration on the same day on which the vote was taken, or on either of the next two days of actual session of the Senate; but if a notification of the confirmation or rejection of a nomination shall have been sent to the Governor before the expiration of the time within which a motion to reconsider may be made, the motion to reconsider shall be accompanied by a motion to request the Governor to return such notification to the Senate. A motion to reconsider the vote on a nomination may be laid on the table without prejudice to the nomination, and shall be a final disposition of such motion. RESOLUTIONS. 39. The following resolutions after they have been twice read, shall be referred to an appropriate committee, without debate (unless by unanimous consent the Senate shall otherwise direct) and if favorably reported by the committee, shall lie over one day for consideration after which they may be called up as, of course, under their appropriate order of business: All Senate and House concurrent resolutions, excepting resolutions in reference to adjournments and those recalling bills from the Governor which shall be regarded as privileged; Resolutions containing calls for information from the heads of departments, or to alter the rules; |