Rules

That the following shall be the Joint Rules of the Senate and House of Representatives for the regular sessions of the General Assembly and for interim periods during the 1997-1998 legislative term.

1. Messages, from one house to the other shall be delivered to the presiding officer.

2. Joint conventions shall be held in the Hall of the House. Either house may request a convention stating the purposes thereof in its message. The President of the Senate shall preside. The President and the Speaker shall make reports to their respective houses of the proceedings of the convention which shall be printed in the respective journals.

3. (a) Designation of Committees. There shall be seventeen joint standing committees, which shall consist of not more than nine senators and not more than thirty-five representatives, except that the joint standing committees on Appropriations and Finance, Revenue and Bonding shall consist of not more than nine senators and not more than forty-five representatives; a joint committee on Legislative Management, a joint committee on Executive and Legislative Nominations and a joint committee on Program Review and Investigations, constituted in accordance with and subject to the provisions of subsection (c) of this rule; and three joint select committees constituted in accordance with and with the powers and duties provided in subsection (d) of this rule. Committees shall consider all matters referred to them and report as required by these rules.

(b) Standing Committees. The seventeen joint standing committees shall be divided into Group A and Group B as follows:

(e) Committee Appointments. Appointments of committee members, except to fill a vacancy caused by death or incapacity or by resignation from the General Assembly or a committee of the General Assembly, shall be made on or before the fifth regular session day of the first year of the term and, except as otherwise provided in the rules of each house, shall be for the entire term for which the members were elected. Committee appointments of a member elected after the fifth regular session day of the first year of the term shall be made within five calendar days after the member takes the oath of office, and may be made, at the discretion of the appointing authority, to any committee. Senate and House Committees shall be appointed and organized in accordance with the rules of each house and members of the minority party shall be appointed on nomination of the minority leader of each house.

4. The leaders, pursuant to the rules of each house, shall be ex-officio members of all committees, with the right to be present at all meetings and to take part in deliberations but without the right to vote, except as to those committees to which they were appointed members.

5. (a) Scheduling. Except as hereinafter provided in this Rule and in Rule 15, chairpersons of committees shall jointly schedule meetings during periods when the General Assembly is in session as follows:

(c) Conduct of Meetings. A chairperson or a vice chairperson shall convene all meetings. If a meeting, other than a meeting on the day of the committee's deadline to report bills as provided in Rule 15, is not so convened within fifteen minutes following its scheduled starting time, the meeting shall be deemed cancelled. In all meetings of joint committees, and at all public hearings held by such committees, the Senate and House chairpersons shall mutually agree as to who shall preside and in the absence of agreement the Senate and House chairperson shall alternately preside. A chairperson shall recognize each member wishing to be heard prior to ordering the vote on the final question of a favorable or unfavorable report, a favorable change of reference or the boxing of a bill or resolution. All questions of order, hearings and other proceedings including the raising of bills or resolutions and questions relating to evidence shall be determined by a majority of votes, but if the majority of the committee members present of either house so request, the committee members of each house shall separately determine all questions. A vote of a committee may be reconsidered only at the next regular meeting of the committee, provided any vote on the day of the committee's deadline to report bills as provided in Rule 15 may be reconsidered at the same meeting not later than 5 p.m.

(d) Final Action. Except as otherwise provided, at each legislative committee meeting, the vote on the final question of a favorable or unfavorable report, a favorable change of reference or the boxing of a bill or resolution shall be recorded to show the names of the members voting yea and the members voting nay. No motion to dispense with the recording of the names of the members voting yea and the members voting nay shall be entertained and no bill or resolution shall be reported to either body of the legislature unless the names of the members voting yea and the members voting nay have been recorded and a record of the names of the members voting yea and the members voting nay has been attached to the bill or resolution submitted to the legislative commissioners' office as provided in Rule 13. A copy of the voting record shall be sent to the clerk of the appropriate house, by the legislative commissioners' office, with the favorably or unfavorably reported bill or resolution and retained by the clerks.

(e) Proxies. No member may vote by proxy and no joint committee shall record a vote cast by any member as a proxy for any other member.

(f) Notice. Notice of the time and place of committee meetings during periods when the General Assembly is in session shall be given to the clerk of each house at least one day in advance of the meeting and, when practicable, to the legislative bulletin clerks for inclusion in the next legislative bulletin. The committee clerks shall post notice of the meetings in a conspicuous place in or near their respective committee offices.

(g) Exception to Notice Requirements. A meeting may be held on less than one calendar day's notice, provided announcement of the meeting is made from the floor of the Senate or House during a session and both chairpersons have approved the time, place and agenda for the meeting. Such approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. If the announcement cannot be made in one or both houses because no regular session is being held on that day, an emergency meeting may still be held, provided certification of the need for the meeting is made, in writing, by one of the following: The president pro tempore of the Senate, the speaker of the House, the majority leader of the Senate or the majority leader of the House, and all reasonable efforts have been made to notify each member of the committee of the meeting.

(h) Agendas. An agenda, approved by both chairpersons, shall be prepared for each meeting and made available at least one day before the meeting, except that for a meeting held under subsection (g) of this rule, the agenda shall be prepared and made available prior to the meeting. Items not on the agenda may be considered upon a majority vote of the committee members present.

6. (a) Scheduling. A committee may hold subject matter public hearings on any subject and on specified proposed bills, proposed drafts and proposed resolutions, and on committee and raised bills, during sessions, except that subject matter public hearings on proposed bills, drafts and resolutions shall be held not later than twenty-one calendar days in 1997 and fourteen calendar days in 1998 before the committee's reporting out date designated in the schedule shown in Rule 15. Public hearings shall be scheduled for the convenience of the public and in accordance with the schedule for Group A and Group B committee meetings as provided in Rule 5.

Committees shall group bills and resolutions by subject matter and schedule hearings so that similar bills and resolutions are heard at the same time.

(b) Notice Requirements. During the periods when the General Assembly is in session, notice of the place, time and subject matter of each hearing, together with a list of the numbers and titles of each bill and resolution to be considered shall be published in the legislative bulletin at least five calendar days in advance of the hearing. In no event shall a bill or resolution be listed for a hearing unless copies of the bill or resolution have been made in accordance with section 2-23 of the general statutes, and the original bill or resolution has been returned from the printer and is in the possession of the committee.

For the purpose of meeting the hearing requirements under this rule, the day of publication in the legislative bulletin during the time the General Assembly is in session and the day of the hearing shall both be counted as full days.

(i) Convening and Procedures. A chairperson or a vice chairperson shall convene all hearings. If a hearing is not so convened within fifteen minutes following its scheduled starting time, any member of the committee may convene that hearing. The time of commencement of the public hearings shall be designated in the published notice. The order of testimony and the length of time each witness may testify shall be determined by the presiding chairperson who shall give due regard for the convenience of the public.

(ii) Persons Invited to Testify. A committee may invite legislators who are not members of the committee, representatives of state agencies, and municipal officials testifying in their official capacity to testify during but not beyond the first hour of a public hearing. The public portion of the hearing shall be uninterrupted by testimony from a state agency or a legislator. If any legislators or representatives of state agencies are unable to testify during the first hour, they may testify at the end of the hearing after all members of the public wishing to speak have been heard.

(iii) Written Testimony. Legislators, representatives of state agencies and members of the public may submit to the committee written testimony on a bill or resolution or subject matter at any time and the written testimony may be included by the committee in the transcript of the hearing. If the written testimony is not included in the transcript, it shall be attached to the transcript. Committee chairpersons should encourage a witness to submit a written statement and confine his oral testimony to a summary of that statement, but the full written statement shall be included in or attached to the transcript of the hearing.

(iv) Notifying Other Committees. Each bill or resolution referred by one committee to another with a favorable report shall be accompanied by a notation of the date or dates on which public hearings were held by the first committee. The chairpersons of any committee other than Appropriations or Finance, Revenue and Bonding to which any bill calling for an appropriation or a bond issue is referred shall notify the chairpersons of the committee on Appropriations or Finance, Revenue and Bonding of the time and place of the hearing thereon.

(v) Recessing. The committee may recess any public hearing to a date, time and place specified at the time of the recess, which shall be on a day specified for that committee in Rule 5(a) or 5(b) or on any other day with the approval of the president pro tempore of the Senate, the speaker of the House, the majority leader of the Senate or the majority leader of the House. The committee clerk shall give notice of any hearing recessed to another date to the clerk of each house and, when practicable, to the legislative bulletin clerk for inclusion in the next legislative bulletin, and shall post notice of the recessed hearing in a conspicuous place in or near that committee office.

7. (a) Proposed Bills and Resolutions -- Introduction by Members. Members of the General Assembly may introduce proposed bills, proposed drafts of bills, resolutions or proposed resolutions proposing amendments to the constitution and other substantive resolutions for consideration by the joint standing and select committees for incorporation into a bill or resolution.

(b) Proposed Bills and Resolutions -- Form. A proposed bill or resolution shall be stated in informal language setting forth the substance of the proposal and shall be followed by a statement of purpose in not more than 150 words. At the request of any member of the General Assembly, the legislative commissioners' office shall draft a proposed bill or resolution in proper form. All proposed bills and resolutions shall be filed in triplicate with the clerk of the house of the proposer in the form required by these rules.

A proposed draft shall be stated in full statutory language, and must be submitted on proposed draft forms obtained from the legislative commissioners' office. Proposed drafts shall be processed by the legislative commissioners' office as submitted by the legislator without alteration and assigned an LCO number and entered by that office into the data retrieval system by introducer, title and statement of purpose only.

(c) Proposed Bills and Resolutions -- Sponsors. (1) A proposed bill, proposed draft or resolution may be sponsored by more than one member of the General Assembly and its designation as to house of origin shall be made by the legislative commissioners' office based on the house of the proposer. Any member of the General Assembly may co-sponsor a proposed bill, proposed draft or resolution, committee bill or raised bill by (A) requesting the legislative commissioners' office, in writing, to add his or her name to the proposed bill in its possession or (B) making a request in writing after it has been filed, to the clerk of the house in which the bill has been filed to add his or her name as a co-sponsor of the proposed bill, proposed draft or resolution, committee bill, raised bill or resolution, but not later than the date of the signing of the bill, or the deadline for the signing of the bill, by the Governor, whichever is earlier, or the adoption of the resolution. (2) A member may remove his name as an introducer or a co-sponsor of a bill or resolution by submitting a written notice to the clerk of the house in which the bill or resolution was filed to remove the member's name but not later than the time specified in Rule 7(c)(1)(B). The clerk shall notify the legislative commissioners' office of such removal, and the member's name shall be removed from the legislative data processing records for that bill or resolution.

(d) Form and introduction of Bills -- Numbering. Senate bills shall be numbered from 1 to 5000, and House bills from 5001 to 9999 and resolutions shall be numbered starting with 1 in each house. The original number on a proposed bill, proposed draft or resolution shall be retained and shall be used in any reference to it.

(e) Proposed Bills and Resolutions -- Initial Reference to Committee. The legislative commissioners' office shall make a pencil notation, based on subject matter, of the suggested committee reference on proposed bills and resolutions drafted by that office, and proposed drafts processed by that office. The clerks shall, on introduction of each proposed bill, proposed draft, or resolution or proposed resolution proposing an amendment to the constitution or other substantive resolution, make a tentative reference for the speaker or the president pro tempore.

(f) Proposed Bills and Resolutions -- Copies. Sufficient copies of proposed bills, proposed drafts and resolutions shall be reproduced for use of the General Assembly and the public and shall be available in the legislative bill room. The copies shall show the number of the proposed bill, proposed draft or resolution, session of introduction, name of the member or members introducing it and the committee to which it was referred.

(g) Form and Introduction of Bills -- Format. Each proposed bill, proposed draft, committee or raised bill or substantive resolution or resolution proposing an amendment to the constitution shall be typewritten or printed, without interlineation or erasure. At the conclusion of each bill there shall be a statement of its purpose in not more than one hundred fifty words, to be typewritten or printed under the caption "STATEMENT OF PURPOSE"; but the statement of purpose shall not be a part of the bill for consideration and enactment into law. Each committee or raised bill or resolution shall be endorsed with the signature of both chairpersons. The duplicate copies of each bill or resolution shall be made on yellow-colored and blue-colored paper, respectively, of the same size and format as the original.

(h) Form and Introduction of Bills -- Clerks' Certified Copies. The clerks shall certify and keep on file a duplicate copy of each proposed substantive resolution, each resolution or proposed resolution proposing an amendment to the constitution, each proposed bill, each proposed draft and each committee and raised bill. The certified duplicate [Bcopy shall remain at all times in the clerks' office. If the original cannot be located, a copy of the certified duplicate copy shall be made by the clerk and used in lieu of the original. The clerk shall make a notation on the original of the certified duplicate copy of all action taken on the original.

(i) Form and Introduction of Bills -- Alteration. After introduction no bill or resolution shall be altered except by the legislative commissioners, as provided by Rule 13.

8. (a) Proposed Bills and Resolutions -- Proposed Bill Deadline. The time for receiving new business from members shall be limited and shall terminate on January 15, 1997 for the 1997 session and on February 6, 1998 for the 1998 session, in each session at 5 p.m. or at an hour the presiding officer of each house designates. Filing of a request for a proposed bill or resolution or proposed resolution proposing an amendment to the constitution or other substantive resolution with the legislative commissioners' office, or submission of a proposed draft to the legislative commissioners' office shall be deemed compliance with this time requirement. Unless the president pro tempore and the speaker consent, in writing, to a request by a legislative commissioner for an extension of time, the legislative commissioners' office shall prepare and return or file the proposed bill or resolution with the clerk of the appropriate house, not later than ten days after the receipt of the request.

(b) Proposed Bills and Resolutions -- Receipt by Clerk; Delivery to Committee. Each proposed bill, proposed draft or resolution shall be received by the clerk of the Senate or House, who shall cause photo-offset copies to be prepared in accordance with section 2-23 of the general statutes. After the making of photo-offset copies, the bill or resolution shall receive its first reading as set forth in Rule 16 and be referred to the appropriate joint committee by the president pro tempore of the Senate or the speaker of the House and then sent to the other house for concurring reference. The original of the proposed bill, proposed draft or resolution shall be delivered forthwith to the clerk of such appropriate joint committee.

(c) Proposed Bills and Resolutions -- Change of Reference. Subsequent to the initial reference as determined by the speaker and the president pro tempore and prior to final action on the bill or resolution by either house, the chairpersons of a joint standing committee may request that a bill or resolution receive a change of reference to their committee, and if a controversy results, the matter shall be referred by the speaker or the president pro tempore, as the case may be, to the ad hoc committee on reference for the purpose of final determination of the appropriate committee of cognizance. The ad hoc committee on reference shall consist of the president pro tempore of the Senate and the speaker of the House, as cochairpersons, the Senate majority leader, the House majority leader, the Senate minority leader and the House minority leader.

9. (a) Introduction. Committee and raised bills may be introduced only by committees and shall be set forth in formal statutory language. Fully drafted bills accompanying the governor's budget or other message may be introduced by the legislative leaders of the governor's party in the House and the Senate provided one copy of each bill is supplied by the governor to the legislative leaders of both parties.

(b) Definitions. Bills which incorporate the principles expressed in proposed bills, proposed drafts or proposed resolutions or proposed resolutions proposing an amendment to the constitution or other substantive resolutions shall be identified as committee bills or resolutions. Raised bills or resolutions shall be original bills or resolutions in formal statutory language raised by committees without reference to proposed bills, or proposed drafts or resolutions and shall be identified as raised bills or resolutions. Bills certified by the speaker and the president pro tempore to be of an emergency nature and bills accompanying the governor's budget or other message shall be identified simply as bills.

(c) Format. Each bill amending any statute or special act shall set forth in full the section or subsection of the statute or the special act to be amended. Matter to be omitted or repealed shall be surrounded by brackets or overstricken so that the omitted or repealed matter remains readable, and new matter shall be indicated by capitalization or underscoring of all words in the manuscript bill and by capitalization or italics in its printed form. In the case of a section or subsection not amending an existing section of the general statutes but intended to be part of the general statutes, the section or subsection may be in upper and lower case letters preceded by the word (NEW).

(d) Preparation of Committee Bills. A committee upon receiving the proposed bills, proposed drafts or resolutions or proposed resolutions proposing an amendment to the constitution or other proposed substantive resolutions referred to it, shall separate them into subject categories and may vote to have committee bills or resolutions on the subjects prepared by the legislative commissioners' office. The legislative commissioners' office at the request of any committee shall prepare all committee and raised bills, resolutions and amendments thereto. Each committee bill or resolution shall have the same number and house of origin as the proposed bill, proposed draft or proposed resolution on which it is based. When a committee bill is based on two or more proposed bills, proposed drafts or a resolution based on two or more proposed resolutions the members of the committee shall designate the proposed bill, proposed draft or proposed resolution number to be used on the committee bill or resolution. The numbers of any other proposed bills, or proposed drafts or resolutions on which the bill or resolution is based shall be listed at the end of the bill or resolution together with the names of the introducers.

The number of any committee bill or resolution based on proposed bills or proposed drafts or resolutions on which subject matter public hearings are held shall be determined by the committee in the same manner as provided in this subsection.

(e) Proposed Bills and Resolutions -- Additional Information From Members. Members may submit additional information or documentation on any proposed bill, proposed draft or proposed resolution to the committee to which the bill, draft or resolution has been referred at anytime prior to 12 o'clock noon on January 27 in 1997 and February 17 in 1998.

(f) Committee Bill Deadline. The time limit for committees to submit to the legislative commissioners' office requests for drafting committee bills and resolutions, except those based on proposed bills, proposed drafts and proposed resolutions on which subject matter hearings are held, shall be at 5 p.m. on the following dates in 1997.

February 4	February 10	February 13
Aging Banks Energy and Technology Insurance and Real Estate General Law	Transportation Planning and Development	Commerce Legislative Management Labor and Public Employees Human Services Public Health
February 14	February 19	February 21
Environment Education	Government Administration & Elections Judiciary	Finance, Revenue and Bonding Appropriations

In 1998, the time limit shall be 5 p.m. on February 18 for the committees in Group A and on February 17 for the committees in Group B, the Legislative Management committee and the select committees.

(g) Committee Bill Deadline -- Exception. Requests to the legislative commissioners' office for committee bills or resolutions, based on proposed bills, drafts or resolutions on which subject matter public hearings are held shall be submitted not later than 5 p.m. on the seventeenth calendar day in 1997 and the tenth calendar day in 1998 prior to the committee's reporting out date designated in the schedule shown in Rule 15.

(h) Raised Bill Deadline. In 1997, the time limit for committees to submit requests for raised bills to the legislative commissioners' office shall be 5 p.m. on February 26 for the committees in Group A and the Program Review and Investigations Committee, and 5 p.m. on February 25 for the committees in Group B, the Legislative Management Committee, and the select committees. In 1998, the time limit for committees to submit requests for raised bills to the legislative commissioners' office shall be 5 p.m. on February 20 for the committees in Group A and the Program Review and Investigations Committee; and 5 p.m. on February 19 for the committees in Group B, the Legislative Management Committee and the select committees.

(i) Raised Bill Deadline -- Exceptions. Notwithstanding the time limits established in this rule, the following may be raised at any time: (1) Bills to provide for the current expenses of government, (2) bills the speaker of the House and the president pro tempore of the Senate certify in writing to be, in their opinion, of an emergency nature, (3) bills which the governor requests in a special message addressed to the General Assembly, which message sets forth the emergency or necessity requiring the legislation, and (4) the legislative commissioners' revisor's bill and the omnibus validating act.

(j) Form and Introduction of Bills -- Types of Bills in 1998 Session. In the 1998 session only bills and resolutions relating to budgetary, revenue and financial matters, committee bills and resolutions to correct technical defects in the statutes, bills and resolutions raised by committees of the General Assembly and bills and resolutions relating to matters certified in writing by the speaker of the House and the president pro tempore of the Senate to be of an emergency nature may be introduced.

(k) Signing and Filing Bills with Clerks. When a committee bill or resolution or a raised bill or resolution has been prepared by the legislative commissioners' office, it shall be signed by the appropriate committee chairpersons, as provided in Rule 7. The clerk of the committee shall immediately give the bill or resolution to the clerk of the Senate or the House as designated.

10. A bill or resolution redrafted with a favorable report by a committee shall be reported as a substitute bill or resolution.

Any substitute bill or resolution reported favorably shall be filed in triplicate with the clerk of the house where the bill originated. The yellow-colored copy shall be certified by the clerk and shall be kept at all times in the clerk's office. If the original bill cannot be located, a copy of the certified yellow-colored copy shall be made by the clerk and used in lieu of the original. The clerk shall make a notation on the yellow-colored copy of all action taken on the original.

11. Not later than 5 p.m. on the seventh calendar day after the deadline of a committee to request the drafting of a committee bill, set forth in Rule 9, any member of the General Assembly may present to the clerk of his house, who shall present the same to the legislative commissioners' office, a written petition requesting preparation of a bill or resolution based on a proposed bill, proposed draft or resolution, introduced or co-sponsored by such member and previously referred to such committee, unless the proposed bill, draft or resolution has been scheduled for a subject matter public hearing to be held after the committee's deadline to request a committee bill, in which case the petition may be presented not later than 5 p.m. on the seventh calendar day before the committee's reporting out date designated in the schedule shown in Rule 15. The petition shall be signed in the original by at least fifty-one House members if a House petition and by at least twelve senators if a Senate petition. The legislative commissioners' office shall prepare the requested bill or resolution and forward it to the clerk of the house of origin for processing and referral to the appropriate committee which shall hold a public hearing on the bill or resolution, except that if the committee has already held a subject matter public hearing on the bill or resolution no further public hearing shall be required.

12. All amendments shall be prepared by the legislative commissioners' office and submitted in triplicate, the copies to be on yellow-colored and blue-colored paper of the same size and format as the original. The yellow-colored copy shall be certified by the clerk and shall be kept at all times in the clerk's office.

13. (a) Receipt. When a committee reports a bill or resolution favorably it shall be submitted forthwith to the legislative commissioners' office which shall immediately enter the receipt of the bill or resolution in the legislative data processing system and notify the office of fiscal analysis and the office of legislative research of the bill or resolution number and the committee's action.

(b) Examination and Correction. The legislative commissioners shall examine the bill or resolution and make any correction therein [Bas may be necessary for the purpose of avoiding repetition and unconstitutional provisions, and of insuring accuracy in the text and references, clearness and conciseness in the phraseology and consistency with existing statutes. Whenever the legislative commissioners make any changes in a bill, other than corrections of spelling, grammar, punctuation or typographical errors the correction of which in no way alters the meaning, they shall prepare a statement which describes each change, where it was made, and explicitly why they made the change. This statement shall be entered into the legislative data processing system and printed with the file copy of the bill and shall bear the same file number as the bill.

(c) Deadline. Unless the president pro tempore and the speaker consent, in writing, to a request by a legislative commissioner for an extension of time, the legislative commissioners' office shall complete its examination of the bill or resolution within ten calendar days, excluding holidays, after its receipt. If the bill or resolution is approved by a commissioner he shall notify the office of fiscal analysis and the office of legislative research of his approval and, if a substitute, furnish each office with a copy of the bill or resolution for preparation of a fiscal note and bill analysis, and within five calendar days, excluding holidays, after such notice, shall transmit the bill or resolution with his approval to the clerk of the house in which it originated.

(d) Bills Returned to Committee. If the commissioner finds upon completion of the examination of a bill that the bill is unconstitutional or is already law he shall return the bill to the committee and shall notify the office of fiscal analysis and the office of legislative research of its return. Whenever a bill has been so returned to the committee, it may nevertheless be reported favorably by the committee and be returned to the legislative commissioners' office for completion of the procedures prescribed above, notwithstanding the provisions of Rule 15. If a bill or resolution is returned after the committee's reporting out date designated in the schedule shown in Rule 15, the committee shall take such action before the start of the session on the third regular session day of the chamber making the referral after the bill is returned by the legislative commissioners' office. The clerk shall enter it on the calendar under a heading "Favorable Report, Matter Not Approved by Legislative Commissioner" unless the committee reports a substitute bill or resolution which the legislative commissioners approve.

(e) Change of Reference. Favorable changes of reference shall be treated as provided in this rule except that no fiscal note or bill analysis shall be required. When a committee votes a straight change of reference, the bill or resolution shall be submitted to the legislative commissioners' office which shall prepare the change of reference jacket and deliver the bill or resolution to the clerk of the house of origin. Reading and referral of straight changes of reference shall be by printing in the House and Senate journals.

14. Except as provided in Rules 19 and 20, all bills and joint resolutions reported by any committee shall be first reported to the house of origin, but any bill or resolution favorably reported by only one house shall first be reported to that house regardless of the house of origin.

15. (a) Deadline for Favorable Reports. The time limit for committees to vote to report favorably and submit bills and resolutions proposing amendments to the constitution and other substantive resolutions to the legislative commissioners' office shall be not later than 5 p.m. on the dates designated in the following schedule:

Committee	1997	1998
Aging	March 18	March 5
Children	March 18	March 5
Housing	March 18	March 5
Banks	March 20	March 5
Public Safety	March 20	March 5
Program Review and Investigations	March 24	March 6
Energy & Technology	March 25	March 10
General Law	March 25	March 10
Labor and Public Employees	March 25	March 10
Legislative Management	March 26	March 11
Insurance & Real Estate	March 27	March 12
Commerce	March 27	March 12
Transportation	April 2	March 13
Planning and Development	April 2	March 13
Human Services	April 3	March 17
Environment	April 4	March 16
Government Administration and Elections	April 7	March 20
Public Health	April 8	March 19
Education	April 11	March 20
Judiciary	April 18	March 23
Appropriations	April 24	March 30
Finance, Revenue and Bonding	April 25	March 30

(b) Hearing Requirement for Favorable Report. Except as provided in Rule 32 (2)(A), no bill and no resolution proposing an amendment to the constitution or other substantive resolution shall be reported favorably by a committee unless a public hearing has been held as provided in Rule 6, but no further public hearing shall be required for a favorable report on a substitute for such bill or resolution, provided the substitute is based on or is germane to the subject matter of the original bill or resolution, or for a bill or resolution petitioned under Rule 11 on which a subject matter public hearing has been held.

(c) Fiscal Notes and Bill Analyses. Any bill reported favorably by any committee which if passed, would affect state or municipal revenue, or would require the expenditure of state or municipal funds, shall have a fiscal note attached, as required by section 2-24. The fiscal note and a bill analysis shall be printed with the bill and shall bear the same file number as the bill. Any fiscal note printed with or prepared for a bill and any analysis of a bill printed with or prepared for a bill, are solely for the purpose of information, summarization and explanation for members of the General Assembly and shall not be construed to represent the intent of the General Assembly or either house thereof for any purpose. Each such fiscal note and analysis shall bear the following disclaimer: "The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either house thereof for any purpose." When an amendment is offered to a bill in the House or the Senate, which, if adopted, would require the expenditure of state or municipal funds or affect state or municipal revenue, a fiscal note shall be available at the time the amendment is offered. Any fiscal note prepared for such an amendment shall be construed in accordance with the provisions of this rule and shall bear the disclaimer required under this rule.

All bills unfavorably reported by a committee shall be submitted to the legislative commissioners' office not later than 5 p.m. on the final reporting out date for favorable reports for that committee, designated in the schedule shown in Rule 15.

The legislative commissioners shall prepare a list of the bills submitted to them which at the deadline time for each committee are not printed and in the files and the clerks shall print the same in the House and Senate journals.

(d) Bills Not Acted on by Committee; Bills Not Printed and in Files. All bills not acted on by the committees within the time limits established by this section shall be deemed to have failed in committee, except that (a) a bill shall be reported to the house in which it originated if the speaker of the House and the president pro tempore of the Senate certify, in writing, the facts which in their opinion necessitate its being acted on by the General Assembly or (b) if a majority of the members of either house present to the clerk of such house a written petition as provided by Rule 19, requesting that a bill be reported, it shall be reported to the house in which the petition originated. Any bill not printed and in the files of the members of the General Assembly may be acted upon by the General Assembly if the speaker of the House and the president pro tempore of the Senate certify, in writing, the facts which in their opinion necessitate an immediate vote on the bill, in which case a copy of the bill, accompanied by a fiscal note, shall nevertheless be upon the desks of the members, but not necessarily printed, before it is acted upon.

(e) Bills Authorizing Conveyance of Real Property by State. Notwithstanding any provision of these rules to the contrary (1) no bill authorizing the conveyance of real property, or any interest therein, by the state of Connecticut to any person or entity shall be printed or placed on the calendar or in the files for action unless the bill has received a favorable or unfavorable report from the joint standing committee on government administration and elections, and (2) no bill which has been amended to authorize the conveyance of real property, or any interest therein, by the state of Connecticut to any person or entity shall be passed by either house unless such bill, as amended, has been referred to the joint standing committee on government administration and elections, and that committee has reported favorably or unfavorably on such amended bill to the house from which it was referred, within two regular session days of the date of referral.

(f) Referral of Bill by Chamber to Committee After Deadline. Whenever a bill or resolution favorably or unfavorably reported by one committee is referred by the House or the Senate to another committee after its deadline, that committee, at any time thereafter but before the start of the session on the third regular session day of the chamber making the referral after the date of its referral but no later than ten calendar days after the date of its referral, shall meet to consider the bill or resolution and may report it favorably or unfavorably, box it or take no action. If the committee reports on the bill or resolution favorably or unfavorably, and the bill or resolution has not been amended in either house, the committee may report a substitute bill or resolution, in which case, there shall be a reprinting of the file. If the committee reports favorably or unfavorably, and the bill or resolution has been amended in either house, the committee shall include in its report its recommendation on the adoption or rejection of each amendment, and may submit additional amendments to be offered on the floor. In the latter case there shall be no reprinting of the file. The entry on the calendar in both houses in each case shall indicate the actions and recommendations of the committee.

16. First reading of all bills and resolutions shall be (1) by the acceptance by each house of a printed list of bills and resolutions, prepared by the clerks of the House and Senate, setting forth numbers, sponsors, titles and committees to which referred or (2) by title, number and reference to a committee.

Third reading shall be passage or rejection of a bill or resolution on the calendar. Each bill and each resolution for a constitutional amendment shall receive three readings in each house prior to passage, and no bill or resolution for a constitutional amendment shall be read twice on the same day.

17. (a) Committee Clerk's Signature. When the House and Senate members of any committee jointly vote to report a committee or raised bill or resolution favorably, the committee clerk shall sign the committee report form.

(b) Resolutions on Appointments and Nominations. A favorable report by a joint standing committee of a resolution concerning a General Assembly appointment, a nomination requiring joint confirmation and favorable reports of any committee to which executive nominations are referred shall be tabled for the calendar and printed by number and title only. The report may be accepted and the resolution adopted after it has appeared on the calendar for two days.

(c) File Copies Distributed to Members. All bills and all resolutions proposing amendments to the constitution and other substantive resolutions reported favorably by the committees to which they have been referred, or by a majority of the members of the Senate or House committee making the report, before third reading, shall be laid upon the table, and five hundred and fifty copies of each bill or resolution together with the number of committee members voting yea and the number voting nay shall be printed under the supervision of the legislative commissioners' office for the use of the General Assembly.

(d) Timing of Action by Chambers. Each bill and each joint resolution proposing an amendment to the constitution and each other substantive resolution so printed shall be in the files and on the calendar with a file number for two session days and shall be starred for action on the session day next succeeding, except that: (1) A bill or resolution certified in accordance with section 2-26 of the general statutes, if filed in the House, may be transmitted to and acted upon first by the Senate with the consent of the speaker; and if filed in the Senate, may be transmitted to and acted upon first by the House with the consent of the president pro tempore, (2) any bill or resolution certified in accordance with section 2-26 of the general statutes may be acted upon immediately and may be transmitted immediately to the second house and may be acted upon immediately when received by the second house, (3) if one house rejects an amendment adopted by the other house, the bill or resolution after final action may be transmitted immediately to and may be placed on the calendar immediately in the second house, (4) during the last five calendar days of the 1997 and 1998 sessions, if one house rejects an amendment adopted by the other house or adopts an amendment to a bill or resolution received from the other house, or takes any action on such bill or resolution requiring further action by the other house, the bill or resolution after final action may be transmitted immediately to the second house and placed immediately on the calendar and may be acted upon immediately in the second house, or (5) during the last five calendar days of the 1997 and 1998 sessions, any bill or resolution, after final action in one house, may be transmitted immediately to the second house and may be placed on the calendar immediately in the second house.

(e) Action on Calendar. All bills and resolutions starred for action shall be acted upon only when reached and any bill or resolution not acted upon shall retain its place on the calendar, unless it is put at the foot of the calendar or unless its consideration is made the order of the day for some specified time.

When the House or Senate members only of a committee vote to report a bill or resolution favorably, the House or Senate chairperson of the committee, as the case may be, shall sign the bill or resolution. When the House members and Senate members of a committee vote to report separate versions of a bill or resolution and each house adopts its own version, both bills or resolutions may be referred by a joint resolution to a committee of conference, appointed as provided in Rule 22, with instructions to report a bill or resolution, as the case may be. If no bill or resolution is reported within three session days following the committee's appointment, the committee shall submit an interim report to both houses and shall continue to report every second session day thereafter until a final decision is reached. If a bill or resolution is agreed upon by the committee it shall be submitted to the legislative commissioners' office as a favorable report for processing as provided in Rule 13. A legislative commissioner shall transmit the bill or resolution with his approval to the clerk of the house which initiated the joint resolution for a committee of conference and the bill or resolution shall thereupon be tabled for the calendar and printing. The report of the committee may be accepted or rejected, but the bill or resolution may not be amended.

No bill or resolution shall appear on the calendar of either house unless it has received a joint favorable or a favorable report of the members of the committee of that house, except as provided in this rule or in Rule 19 or 20.

(f) Roll Call Requirement. Each bill and each resolution proposing an amendment to the constitution and each other substantive resolution appearing on the regular calendar shall be voted upon by a roll call vote.

18. Whenever a bill is substantively amended there shall be no action on passage of the bill until it has been re-examined by the legislative commissioners for the purposes set forth in Rule 13 and it has been reprinted as amended. The house in which the bill is pending shall not take final action thereon until the reprinted bill has been distributed to the members. This rule shall not apply to amendments offered solely for the purposes of correcting clerical defects or imperfections, such as but not limited to, grammatical or spelling errors or mistakes as to form or dates, or to make other changes which do not alter the substance of a bill. Reprinting of amended bills shall not be required for bills passed after May 31, 1997 for the 1997 session and May 2, 1998 for the 1998 session.

19. Upon presentation to the clerk of either house of a petition signed in the original by not less than a majority of the members of either house requesting a joint standing committee to report a bill or resolution in its possession, he shall immediately give notice to the committee of the filing of the petition. The petition may not be presented sooner than the day following the committee's deadline, designated in the schedule shown in Rule 15, to report the bill out of committee and not later than 5 p.m. on the seventh calendar day after that deadline. Within two regular session days thereafter the committee shall report the bill or resolution with or without its recommendations to the house from which the petition was received. If no recommendation is made, the bill or resolution shall be considered as having received an unfavorable report and the procedures in Rule 20 shall be followed. Each petition or page of the petition shall contain a statement of its purpose and may be circulated only by a member of the house whose clerk will receive the petition. If the committee members of one house vote to report a bill favorably, the petition so circulated and presented to the clerk may be signed only by the members of the other house.

Any bill or resolution so petitioned, except those carrying or requiring appropriations, shall not be referred to any other committee without first having been voted upon by the House or Senate. Those carrying or requiring appropriations shall be referred first to the joint standing committee on Appropriations. The Appropriations committee shall, within two session days after such reference, report such bill or resolution back to the house in which the petition originated with either a favorable or unfavorable report thereon and the bill shall then be voted upon. In the event of a conflict between the report of the original committee and that of the Appropriations committee, the vote shall be on the report of the Appropriations committee.

20. All bills and resolutions reported unfavorably shall first be printed under the supervision of the legislative commissioners, without correction and without their approval, and shall be in the files and on the calendar as if favorably reported but shall appear on the calendar under the heading "Unfavorable Reports." If the unfavorable report is rejected by the house of origin, the bill or resolution shall be returned to the legislative commissioners for their approval and reprinting in final form, except that in the case of an unfavorable report of the committee on executive and legislative nominations, or an unfavorable report of the committee on judiciary of a judicial nomination or of a nomination of a workers' compensation commissioner, the resolution shall not be returned to the legislative commissioners and may be acted upon immediately. If the bill or resolution is returned to the legislative commissioners after May 14, 1997 in the 1997 session or April 22, 1998 in the 1998 session, the legislative commissioners shall transmit the bill or resolution, with or without approval, to the clerk of the house from which it was received, not later than five calendar days after it is received. It shall then be in the files, with special marking on the calendar, as if favorably reported with a file number for two session days and starred for action on the session day next succeeding in the house of origin. If the unfavorable report is accepted by the house of origin, the bill or resolution shall be lost.

When an unfavorable report is rejected by the first house and the bill is passed or the resolution adopted by that house it shall then be in the files and on the calendar of the other house, but shall appear on the calendar under the heading "Unfavorable Reports."

21. No resolution or motion to recall a bill, resolution or other matter from the other house shall be allowed for the purpose of reconsideration or amendment after the time has elapsed for the reconsideration of any vote thereon except when there has clearly been a mistake in such vote or an error in the language of the bill, resolution or other matter.

22. (a) Appointment of Committee. When one house rejects an amendment adopted by the other house, the bill or resolution shall be returned to the other house for further action. If that house readopts the rejected amendment, the readoption constitutes a matter for a committee of conference, and a committee of conference shall be appointed by the speaker and the president pro tempore. The committee of conference shall be comprised of three members from each house. If the vote has not been unanimous there shall be at least one member of the committee who was not on the prevailing side in his house, except that in all cases, at least one member in each house shall be a member of the minority party.

(b) Committee Reports. The committee may propose any changes within the scope of the bill or resolution, but any action, including changes, taken by the committee shall be by a majority vote of the members of each house on the committee. The committee report shall be made to both houses at the same time. The committee report shall contain the following information: The bill or resolution number and title, the members of the committee, the action of the committee, indicating the adoption or rejection of each house or Senate amendment previously adopted, identified by schedule letter, which accompanied the bill or resolution, the adoption of a new amendment, if any, and the signature of the members of the committee accepting or rejecting the report. A member's refusal to sign shall be deemed a rejection. Any new amendment shall be prepared by the legislative commissioners' office and shall be attached to and made a part of the report and shall be identified by a schedule letter of the house which created the disagreeing action.

(c) Action by Chambers. Each house shall vote to accept or reject the report. A vote by either house to accept the report of the committee shall be final action by that house on the bill or resolution. If both houses vote to accept the report of the committee, the bill is passed or the resolution adopted as of the time the last house votes to accept the report. If either house rejects the report of the committee, the bill or resolution is defeated and the second house shall not be required to consider the committee report. The report of the committee may be accepted or rejected, but it may not be amended.

23. Whenever a bill has passed both houses of the assembly and has been transmitted to the governor for his approval, or to the legislative commissioners for engrossing, if either house desires its return for further consideration, it may, by resolution adopted by both houses, appoint a joint committee of one senator and two representatives to be sent to the governor or the commissioners to request them to return the bill. In the case of a bill transmitted to the governor, if the governor consents, and in the case of a bill transmitted to the legislative commissioners the bill shall be returned first to that house in which the motion for its return originated, and the bill may then be altered or totally rejected by a concurrent vote of the two houses; but, if not altered or rejected by concurrent vote, it shall be again transmitted to the governor or the legislative commissioners, as the case may be, in the same form in which it was first presented to him or them.

24. (a) Examination and Correction. All bills, and all resolutions proposing amendments to the constitution, when finally passed, shall be examined immediately by the legislative commissioners. If the commissioners find that any correction should be made in the text, they shall report it to the committee on legislative management. If the committee believes that no correction should be made, it shall so inform the commissioners. If the committee believes a correction should be made, it shall so inform the legislative commissioners who shall report the bill to the house which last took action upon it, with the proposed correction in the form of an amendment, within five calendar days, Sundays and holidays excepted, after its passage.

(b) Consideration of Proposed Correction. The report shall be placed at the head of the calendar, and shall take precedence of all other business on the calendar; and the only question on the report shall be, "Shall the proposed amendment be adopted?" If the proposed amendment is adopted by both houses, the bill or resolution shall stand as amended. If the proposed amendment is rejected by either house, the bill or resolution shall not be transmitted to the other house, but shall stand as originally passed. If, in the consequence of the adjournment of the General Assembly subject to reconvening for the consideration of vetoed bills or for any other reason, any bill or resolution which has been passed by both houses fails to be amended as recommended by the commissioners, the bill or resolution shall stand as originally passed.

25. All bills, all resolutions proposing amendments to the constitution and all resolutions memorializing Congress when finally passed shall be engrossed under the direction of the legislative commissioners, and immediately thereafter shall be transmitted to the clerks. The legislative commissioners shall carefully compare all engrossed bills and resolutions with the bills and resolutions as finally passed, and a commissioner shall certify by his signature to the correctness of the engrossed copies. As soon as engrossed and certified, as herein provided, the bill or resolution and amendment shall be presented to the House and Senate clerks, who shall sign the engrossed and certified copies.

26. (a) Transmittal of Copy. On the passage of a bill by both houses, the clerk of the house last taking action thereon shall forthwith cause a copy to be sent to the governor.

(b) Engrossed Bills. Each bill and resolution, with the engrossed copy, shall be transmitted by the clerks of the House and Senate to the secretary as soon as it has been signed, as herein provided, and not later than the twelfth day after the expiration of the time allowed for reconsideration under the rules of the General Assembly, Sundays and legal holidays excepted; and the secretary shall forthwith present the engrossed copy of each bill to the governor for his approval.

(c) Records of Transmittal. The secretary shall give the clerks a receipt for each bill, and shall notify them of the date and hour at which each bill was presented to the governor. The secretary shall give the governor a receipt showing the date and hour at which the governor approved it or returned it to the secretary with a statement of his objections and shall notify the clerks of the dates and hours. The clerks shall record the dates and hours of presentation and approval or return in the journals of the House and Senate.

(d) Immediate Transmittal. The house last taking action on a bill, before engrossing, may order immediate transmittal of the bill to the governor, in which case the clerk of that house shall forthwith present the bill to the governor, taking a duplicate receipt therefor showing the day and hour at which the bill was deposited in the executive office, one of which receipts he shall deliver to the secretary. Except as provided in this subsection, a bill shall be transmitted to the Governor only after engrossing.

27. The official copies of all bills and joint resolutions not reported by committees shall be delivered to the secretary of the state by the clerk of the committee.

28. If there is any disturbance, disorderly conduct or other activity in or about the State Capitol or the grounds thereof which, in the opinion of the president pro tempore and the speaker, may impede the orderly transaction of the business of the General Assembly or any of its committees, they may take whatever action they deem necessary to preserve and restore order.

29. These rules shall not be altered, amended or suspended except by the concurrent vote of at least two-thirds of the members present in each house.

Suspension of the rules shall be for a specified purpose. Upon accomplishment of that purpose, any rule suspended shall be again in force.

30. (a) Smoking. No person shall smoke in the capitol or legislative office building except in a separately designated room which is designated as a smoking area by the joint committee on Legislative Management.

(b) Non-Partisan Offices. Lobbyists shall be prohibited from the legislative commissioners' office, the office of fiscal analysis and the office of legislative research but not from the legislative library.

(c) No person shall conduct a conversation on a cellular telephone or similar device in any room while a committee is meeting or holding a public hearing in that room.

31. When a collective bargaining agreement, negotiated under the provisions of chapter 68 of the general statutes, or a supplemental understanding reached between the parties to such agreement, or an arbitration award resulting from an arbitration proceeding under that chapter, is submitted to the General Assembly for approval as provided in section 5-278 of the general statutes, the following procedures shall apply:

(1) In the case of a collective bargaining agreement or supplemental understanding, the bargaining representative of the employer shall submit one typewritten executed copy and five photostatic copies of the agreement, or of the master agreement and individual working agreements or the supplemental understanding, to the clerk of the House, and one typewritten executed copy and five photostatic copies to the clerk of the Senate. In the case of an arbitration award, the bargaining representative of the employer shall submit five copies of the arbitration award, signed by the arbitrator, and a statement setting forth the amount of funds necessary to implement the award, to the clerk of the House and to the clerk of the Senate. The bargaining representative of the employer shall submit with such agreement, supplemental understanding or award: (A) A list of the sections of the general statutes or state agency regulations, if any, proposed to be superseded, (B) the effective date and expiration date of the agreement, supplemental understanding or award. An agreement shall be deemed executed only when it has been approved, in the case of an executive branch employer, including the division of criminal justice, by the governor's designee, in the case of a judicial branch employer, by the chief administrative officer or his designee, and in the case of a segment of the system of higher education, the chairperson of the appropriate board of trustees, and by the executive committee or officers of the respective bargaining unit or units and has been ratified by the membership of such bargaining unit or units.

(2) (A) During periods when the General Assembly is in session, the agreement or supplemental understanding or the award shall be stamped by the clerks with the date of receipt and, within two calendar days thereafter, the speaker of the House and the president pro tempore of the Senate shall cause separate House and Senate resolutions to be prepared proposing approval of the agreement or supplemental understanding or, in the case of an award, separate House and Senate resolutions concerning the sufficiency of funds for implementation of the award. Each resolution shall be given a first reading in the appropriate house. Resolutions proposing approval of a collective bargaining agreement or a supplemental understanding, together with a copy of the agreement or supplemental understanding, and resolutions concerning the sufficiency of funds for implementation of an arbitration award, together with a copy of the award, shall be referred to the committee on Appropriations. With respect to each resolution referred to the committee on or before the deadline of the committee to report favorably on a bill or resolution as designated in the schedule shown in Rule 15, the committee shall hold a public hearing on each such resolution, and within fifteen days after the referral, shall report the appropriate resolutions approving or disapproving the agreement or supplemental understanding or concerning the sufficiency of funds for implementation of the award to the House and the Senate, notwithstanding the provisions of Rule 15. If the Appropriations committee fails to take action within the time period set forth in this rule, the agreement or supplemental understanding shall nevertheless be deemed approved or, in the case of an award, the sufficiency of funds affirmed and the resolutions shall be reported to the House and the Senate as favorable reports.

(B) If an agreement or supplemental understanding is reached or an arbitration award is made during the interim between sessions, the provisions of subsection (b) of section 5-278 of the general statutes, as amended, shall apply.

(3) Each resolution, favorably or unfavorably reported, shall be read in, and tabled for the calendar and printing, in the appropriate house. Copies of the master agreement and individual working agreements, identified by the resolution numbers, copies of the salary schedules and appendices, and copies of the arbitration awards, identified by the resolution numbers, and the statements setting forth the amount of funds necessary to implement the awards, shall be made available in the clerks' offices.

(4) The office of fiscal analysis shall prepare an analysis of each agreement, supplemental understanding and award and a fiscal note both of which shall be upon the desks of the members, but not necessarily printed in the files, before the resolution is acted upon.

(5) The respective resolutions shall be in the files and on the calendar with a file number for two session days and shall be starred for action on the session day next succeeding unless it has been certified in accordance with section 2-26 of the general statutes. The House and the Senate shall vote to approve or reject each resolution proposing approval of a collective bargaining agreement or a supplemental understanding and each resolution concerning the sufficiency of funds for implementation of an arbitration award within thirty days after the date of the filing of the agreement, supplemental understanding or award with the clerks of the House and Senate.

(6) Notwithstanding the provisions of Rule 15, when a resolution proposing approval of a collective bargaining agreement or a supplemental understanding or a resolution concerning the sufficiency of funds for implementation of an arbitration award is referred to the committee on Appropriations after the deadline of the committee to report favorably on a bill or resolution as designated in the schedule shown in Rule 15, but was filed more than thirty days before the end of a regular session, the committee may act on such resolutions provided it reports such resolutions to the House and Senate not later than twelve days after such referral.

(7) Any award, agreement or supplemental understanding filed with the clerks within thirty days before the end of a regular session and not acted upon before the end of such session shall be deemed to be filed on the first day of the next regular session.

32. When an agreement or stipulation is submitted to the General Assembly as provided in section 3-125a of the general statutes, the following procedures shall apply:

(1) Six copies of the agreement or stipulation shall be submitted to the clerk of the House, and six copies to the clerk of the Senate.

(2) (A) During periods when the General Assembly is in session, the agreement or stipulation shall be stamped by the clerks with the date of receipt and, within two calendar days thereafter, the speaker of the House and the president pro tempore of the Senate shall cause separate House and Senate resolutions to be prepared proposing approval of the agreement or stipulation. Each resolution shall be given a first reading in the appropriate house. The president pro tempore and the speaker shall designate the committees of cognizance and the committees, if any, that will hold a public hearing on each agreement or stipulation.

(B) If an agreement or stipulation is submitted during the interim between regular sessions, it shall be deemed to be submitted on the first day of the next regular session.

(3) Each resolution, favorably or unfavorably reported, shall be read in, and tabled for the calendar and printing, in the appropriate house.

each agreement or stipulation and a fiscal note both of which shall be upon the desks of the members, but not necessarily printed in the files, before the resolution is acted upon.

(5) The resolution shall be in the files and on the calendar with a file number for two session days and shall be starred for action on the session day next succeeding unless it has been certified in accordance with section 2-26 of the general statutes. The House and the Senate may vote to approve or reject each resolution within thirty days of the date of submittal of the agreement or stipulation.

(6) Notwithstanding the provisions of Rule 15, when an agreement or stipulation is referred to a committee of cognizance after the deadline of the committee to report favorably on a bill or resolution as designated in the schedule shown in Rule 15, but not later than the time of submission specified in subdivision (7) of this rule, the committee may act on such resolution provided it reports such resolution not later than twelve days after such referral.

(7) Any agreement or stipulation submitted to the clerks within thirty days before the end of a regular session and not acted upon dispositively before the end of such session shall be deemed to be submitted on the first day of the next regular session.

33. A majority of the total membership of each house shall be required for the calling of a special session by the General Assembly.

34. (a) Meetings. During the interim between sessions, chairpersons of a committee may schedule meetings on any day. Notice of the time and place of committee meetings shall be given to the staff of the joint standing committee on Legislative Management.

(b) Public Hearings. A committee may hold subject matter public hearings on any subject and on specified proposed bills and proposed resolutions, and on committee and raised bills. Notice of any public hearing shall be given, not later than ten calendar days before the hearing, to the office of the joint standing committee on Legislative Management for appropriate publication by that office at least five calendar days in advance of the hearing. The notice shall contain the place, time and the general subject matter of the hearing and the title of the bills or resolutions, if any, to be considered. In no event shall a bill or resolution be listed for a public hearing unless the committee holding the public hearing has copies available for the public. For the purpose of meeting the hearing requirements under this rule, the day of publication by the staff of the Legislative Management committee and the day of the hearing shall both be counted as full days.

(c) Raised Bills - Hearing During Session Required. In the interim between the 1997 and 1998 sessions, a committee may, after October 1, 1997, raise bills and resolutions for public hearing and consideration in the interim but no such bill or resolution shall be reported by any committee unless a public hearing has been held during the 1998 session, notice of which has been given, as provided in subsection (b) of this rule, on or after February 4, 1998.

RULES TO REGULATE
THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE SENATE
OF THE
STATE OF CONNECTICUT

l. The President shall take the chair on each session day, at the hour to which the Senate stands adjourned. The President shall thereupon call the Senate to order and after prayer and recitation of the pledge of allegiance, if a quorum is present, proceed to business.

2. In the absence of a quorum, the President may adjourn the Senate to a subsequent time on that day or to the next session day. At all other times an adjournment shall be pronounced by the President on motion.

3. The President shall preserve order and decorum and shall decide all questions of order, upon which no debate shall be allowed except at the request of the President; but the decision shall be subject to an appeal to the Senate which must be seconded and on which no member shall speak more than once. No other business shall be in order until such appeal is disposed of.

4. The President shall rise to put a question or to address the Senate, but may read sitting.

5. If there is any disturbance, disorderly conduct or other activity in or about the Senate Chamber which, in the opinion of the presiding officer, may impede the orderly transaction of the business of the Senate, the presiding officer may take such action as is deemed necessary to preserve and restore order.

6. If the President while presiding, wishes to leave the chair, the president pro tempore shall preside, or, in the absence of the president pro tempore, the president pro tempore's designee shall preside for a period not exceeding one day.

7. Within one week after appointment, the President Pro Tempore shall nominate a chaplain and up to three deputy chaplains, and if such nominations are confirmed by the Senate by a majority vote, the candidates so nominated and confirmed shall serve for the 1997 and 1998 sessions.

8. The clerk shall keep a journal of the Senate, and shall enter therein a record of each day's proceedings and record any amendment that may be offered to any bill or resolution.

9. Upon acceptance of a Senate agenda, the clerk's office shall act upon the items listed as indicated and shall incorporate the items by reference in the Senate journal and Senate transcript. The clerk shall keep a Calendar on which he shall enter daily (1) all bills and joint resolutions received from the House for action except (a) bills and resolutions which do not have a favorable report of a joint committee which shall, upon being read by the clerk, be referred without further action to the appropriate committee, (b) all bills and joint resolutions received from the House for action by the Senate which have not been referred by the Senate to any committee, and (2) all bills and resolutions favorably reported to the Senate from any committee; and these shall be entered on the Calendar in the order in which they are received. Each joint resolution proposing an amendment to the constitution and each bill so entered shall be printed and in the files and on the Calendar, with a file number for two session days and shall be starred for action on the session day next succeeding, except that: (A) A bill or resolution certified in accordance with section 2-26 of the general statutes, if filed in the House, may be transmitted to and acted upon first by the Senate with the consent of the speaker; and if filed in the Senate, may be transmitted to and acted upon first by the House with the consent of the president pro tempore, (B) any bill or resolution certified in accordance with section 2-26 of the general statutes, may be acted upon immediately in the first house, may be transmitted immediately to the second house and may be acted upon immediately when received by the second house, (C) if the Senate rejects an amendment adopted by the House, the bill or resolution after final action by the Senate may be transmitted immediately to the House, or if the House rejects an amendment adopted by the Senate, the bill or resolution when received from the House may be placed immediately on the Calendar, (D) during the last five days of the session, if the Senate rejects an amendment adopted by the House, or adopts a Senate amendment to a bill or resolution received from the House, or takes any action on the bill or resolution requiring further action by the House, the bill or resolution after final action in the Senate, may be transmitted immediately to the House, or if the House rejects an amendment adopted by the Senate or adopts a House amendment to a bill or resolution received from the Senate, or takes any action on the bill or resolution requiring further action by the Senate, the bill or resolution when received from the House may be placed immediately on the calendar and may be acted upon immediately, or (E) during the last five days of the session, any bill or resolution after final action by the senate may be transmitted immediately to the house. All bills and resolutions starred for action shall be acted upon only when reached in their regular order, and any bill or resolution passed over when so reached shall retain its place on the Calendar unless it is put on the foot of the Calendar or unless its consideration is made the order of the day for some specified time.

10. The clerk shall retain all bills, resolutions and other papers, in reference to which any member has a right to move a reconsideration, until the right of reconsideration has expired, and no longer.

11. The clerk shall also keep a record of all petitions, resolutions, and bills for all acts which are presented for the consideration of the Senate, and said record shall be so kept as to show by a single reference the action of the Senate on each of them to that date.

12. The assistant clerk shall have the same powers and perform the same duties as the clerk, subject to the direction of the clerk. The bill clerk and the journal clerk shall perform such duties as are assigned to them by the clerk.

13. The clerk shall cause the journals and calendars to be distributed on the desks of the members daily, before the opening of the session.

14. No member shall speak more than twice upon the same question without leave of the Senate, except to explain.

15. No member who is interested in the decision of any question in such manner that he or she cannot vote thereon may stay in the Senate when such question is discussed or decided.

16. If a member, in speaking or otherwise, transgresses the rules and order of the Senate, the president shall, or any member may, call such member to order; and if speaking, such member shall sit down, unless permitted to explain; and if a member is guilty of a breach of any of the rules and orders, such member may be required by the Senate, on motion, to make satisfaction therefor, and until satisfaction has been made shall not be allowed to vote or speak except by way of excuse.

17. If a candidate for the Senate notifies the clerk on or before the opening day of the session that such candidate contests the results of the election for his or her district, a committee of three shall be appointed by the President Pro Tempore within the first two days of the session. If a candidate for the Senate in a special election notifies the clerk no later than fourteen days following such election that such candidate contests the results of the election for his or her district, a committee of three shall be appointed by the president pro tempore no later than sixteen days following such election. The committee shall take into consideration such contested election and report the facts with its opinion thereon.

18. The majority leader, other leaders of the majority party in the Senate and the chairperson and vice chairpersons of each standing and select committee shall be appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate. Chairpersons and vice chairpersons shall serve at the pleasure of the president pro tempore and the majority leader. The clerks of the standing and select committees and the chairpersons of the subcommittees thereof shall be appointed by the chairpersons of the respective committees with the approval of the president pro tempore of the Senate. The minority leader shall be elected by the members of the minority party in the Senate and the other leaders of the minority party in the Senate shall be appointed by the minority leader. The minority leader shall appoint ranking minority members to each standing and select committee. Such ranking members shall serve at the pleasure of the minority leader. All standing and select committee members shall be appointed by the president pro tempore by the fifth regular session day of the first year of the term, except to fill a vacancy caused by death or incapacity or resignation from the Senate or from a committee; and except that the president pro tempore may appoint any member elected after the fifth regular session day of the first year of the term to any committee within five calendar days after the member takes the oath of office. Not more than nine senators shall be appointed to any standing committee. The member first named shall be chairperson. The chairperson of each committee may appoint one of the members of the committee as clerk thereof. All Senate leaders, standing committee assignments, chairpersons, vice chairpersons and clerks and subcommittee chairpersons shall serve for both the 1997 and the 1998 sessions.

20. Before any petition or resolution is received, a brief statement of its object shall be made by the introducer.

21. When a motion is made, it shall be stated to the Senate by the president before any debate is had thereon, and every motion shall be reduced to writing if the president so directs or any member desires it.

22. When a motion is stated by the president, or read by the clerk, it shall be deemed to be in the possession of the Senate. It may be withdrawn by the mover at any time before decision or amendment, but not after amendment, unless the Senate gives leave.

23. If the question under debate consists of two or more independent propositions any member may move to have the question divided. The president shall rule on the order of voting on the divisions of a question.

24. The yeas and nays shall be taken on the roll call machine on all final action on bills on the regular calendar and on all other questions at the desire of one-fifth of the members present, expressed at any time before a declaration of the vote.

25. Whenever the result of a vote as stated by the presiding officer is doubted, it shall be taken again by rising.

26. When a vote has been taken, it shall be in order for any senator on the prevailing side to move for a reconsideration thereof on the day of the vote or on the next succeeding session day, if the bill is still in the possession of the Senate; provided also that there shall be no reconsideration of the following motions: To adjourn, for the previous question or to reconsider, and no question shall be twice reconsidered.

27. Pairs may be made by senators whose votes if they were present would be cast on opposite sides of any question, by filing with the clerk of the Senate a memorandum, containing the names of the senators, and their votes, who are thus paired and the subject matter or matters to which such pairs apply. Senators making any such pairs shall be excused from voting upon the merits of the matters involved while the pair continues, but no pairs shall operate while both of the senators paired are present.

28. Persons, other than members of the General Assembly, shall not be permitted on the floor of the Senate while it is in session. This rule shall not apply to the staff of the General Assembly, to any state or municipal official or member of the media who has been given permission to be on the Senate floor by the president of the Senate, president pro tempore, majority leader or minority leader, or to persons invited to the Senate for purposes of recognition or ceremony. Other persons who desire to speak with a member of the Senate while it is in session shall communicate such desire through one of the messengers and shall not converse with such member in the chamber while the Senate is in session. Lobbyists shall be prohibited from the floor of the Senate while it is in session.

These several motions shall have precedence in the order listed in this rule, and no motion to commit or recommit, to continue to the next General Assembly or to postpone indefinitely, having been once decided, shall be again allowed at the same session and at the same state of the bill or subject matter.

30. Amendments shall be filed with the clerk of the Senate before 12 noon on the day the bill is acted upon. Exceptions to this rule shall be allowed (1) upon approval of any two of the following: The president pro tempore, the majority leader of the Senate, the minority leader of the Senate or (2) in the case of bills or resolutions not starred for action or bills or resolutions reported in accordance with subparagraph (a) of paragraph d of Rule 15 of the joint rules for the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Any member who offers an amendment, originating in the Senate which, if adopted, would reduce state revenues or increase state expenditures by a specified amount or which would involve a significant fiscal impact, shall make available to the president, president pro tempore, the majority leader of the Senate and the minority leader of the Senate at the time the amendment is offered, in addition to a fiscal note, a signed and typewritten explanation, of the decrease in expenditures or the source of the increased revenues required to balance the state budget.

Whenever a bill or resolution is substantively amended, it may be referred to the legislative commissioners to be re-examined for the purposes set forth in Rule 13 and to be reprinted as amended. The legislative commissioners' office shall complete its examination of any such bill within three calendar days of its receipt. It shall then be printed in the files with a file number and marked on the calendar starred for action on the session day on which it appears.

31. There shall be a consent calendar on which shall be entered such bills and resolutions as the majority and minority leaders of the respective house shall designate. All bills and resolutions starred for action on the consent calendar shall be passed on motion without discussion unless, at any time before voting has commenced, a member requests removal of a bill or resolution from the consent calendar in which case such bill or resolution shall be so removed.

32. The rules of parliamentary practice comprised in the 1989 edition of Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure shall govern the Senate whenever applicable and whenever they are not inconsistent with the standing rules and order of the Senate or the joint rules of the Senate and House of Representatives.

33. The rules of the Senate shall take precedence over the joint rules of the Senate and House of Representatives or Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure in the event of conflict.

34. No person shall smoke in the Senate chamber or the gallery. The presiding officer shall enforce this rule.

35. These rules shall not be altered, amended or suspended except by vote of at least two-thirds of the members present. Motions to suspend the rules shall be in order on any session day. Suspension of a rule shall be for a specified purpose; after the accomplishment of such purpose, the rule shall remain in force as before.

36. Every member present in the Senate Chamber when a question is put by the presiding officer shall vote, unless excused under Rule 15.

RULES TO REGULATE
THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
OF THE
STATE OF CONNECTICUT

That the following shall be the rules to regulate the proceedings of the House of Representatives for the 1997 and 1998 sessions:

1. The speaker shall take the chair every day at the hour to which the house has adjourned and shall immediately call the house to order and, after prayer and recitation of the pledge of allegiance, proceed to business if a quorum is present.

2. In the absence of a quorum, the speaker may adjourn the house to a later time or to the next session day. At all other times an adjournment shall be pronounced by the speaker on motion.

3. The speaker shall preserve order and decorum and shall decide all questions of order and discipline, upon which no debate shall be allowed except at the speaker's request, but the decision shall be subject to an appeal to the house, which must be seconded and on which no member shall speak more than once. No other business shall be in order until the disposition of such appeal.

5. If there is any disturbance, disorderly conduct or other activity in or about the house chamber which, in the opinion of the speaker, may impede the orderly transaction of the business of the house of representatives, the speaker may take such action as the speaker deems necessary to preserve and restore order.

6. If the speaker wishes to leave the chair, a deputy speaker or a member may be designated by the speaker to perform the duties of the chair.

7. If the speaker or a deputy speaker or the member named by the speaker in accordance with the preceding rule, is absent at the hour to which the house has adjourned, the clerk shall call the house to order and first business shall be the election of an acting speaker, which shall be done immediately without debate, by ballot or otherwise, as the house shall determine, also without debate; and the person thus elected shall preside in the house and discharge all the duties of the speaker until the speaker's return. In the case of the death, resignation or permanent disability of the speaker, a deputy speaker shall then call the house to order and the first business shall be the election of a speaker, which the house shall immediately proceed to do without debate. The person thus elected shall immediately assume the duties of speaker during the continuance of the general assembly.

8. There shall be three deputy speakers appointed by the speaker of the house one of whom shall be designated as the speaker pro tempore. The speaker shall designate a deputy speaker to assume the duties of the speaker in the speaker's absence.

9. Within one week after the appointment of the speaker, the speaker shall nominate a chaplain, and if such nomination is confirmed by the house by a majority vote, the candidate so nominated and confirmed shall be chaplain for the regular sessions and any special sessions during the 1995-1996 legislative term.

10. The clerk shall keep a journal of the house, and shall enter therein a record of each day's proceedings, record any amendment that may be offered to any bill or resolution and record the date of filing of an agreement, award or stipulation that is filed in accordance with Joint Rule 31 or 32.

11. The clerk shall keep a calendar and shall enter daily on such calendar (1) all bills and joint resolutions received from the senate except (a) bills and resolutions which do not have the favorable report of a joint committee which shall, upon being read by the clerk, be referred without further action to the appropriate committee and (b) all bills and joint resolutions received from the senate which have not been referred by the house to any committee; and (2) all bills and resolutions favorably reported to the house from any committee and these shall be entered on the calendar in the order in which they are received. Each joint resolution proposing an amendment to the constitution and each bill so entered shall be printed and in the files and on the calendar for two session days with a file number and shall be starred for action on the session day next succeeding, except that: (A) A bill or resolution certified in accordance with section 2-26 of the general statutes, if filed in the house, may be transmitted to and acted upon first by the senate with the consent of the speaker; and if filed in the senate, may be transmitted to and acted upon first by the house with the consent of the president pro tempore, (B) any bill or resolution certified in accordance with section 2-26 of the general statutes may be acted upon in the house on the next session day following the day it is placed on the desks of the members, or during the last five calendar days of the session may be acted upon immediately, and in either case may be transmitted immediately to the senate, (C) if the house rejects an amendment adopted by the senate, the bill or resolution after final action in the house, may be transmitted immediately to the senate, or if the senate rejects an amendment adopted by the house, the bill or resolution when received from the senate may be placed immediately on the calendar, (D) during the last five calendar days of the session, if the house rejects an amendment adopted by the senate, or adopts a house amendment to a bill or resolution received from the senate, or takes any action on the bill or resolution requiring further action by the senate, the bill or resolution after final action in the house, may be transmitted immediately to the senate, or if the senate rejects an amendment adopted by the house or adopts a senate amendment to a bill or resolution received from the house, or takes any action on the bill or resolution requiring further action by the house, the bill or resolution when received from the senate may be placed immediately on the calendar and may be acted upon immediately, or (E) during the last five calendar days of the session, any bill or resolution, after final action in the house, may be transmitted immediately to the senate. All bills and resolutions starred for action shall be acted upon only when called and any bill or resolution not acted upon shall retain its place on the calendar unless it is put at the foot of the calendar or unless its consideration is made the order of the day for some specified time. When a bill or resolution is removed from the foot of the calendar, it shall not be acted upon before the next regular succeeding session day.

Prior to the convening of the house on each session day, the speaker shall make available on the floor of the house a list of bills and resolutions intended to be acted upon during that session day. Such list shall set forth the action intended to be taken on each bill or resolution so listed. The list shall be for informational purposes only.

12. The clerk shall retain all bills, resolutions and other papers, in reference to which any member has a right to move a reconsideration, until the right of reconsideration has expired, and no longer.

l3. The clerk shall keep a record of all petitions, resolutions, joint resolutions and bills for all acts presented for consideration of the house, and said record shall be so kept as to show by one and a single reference thereto the action of the house on any specified petition, resolution, joint resolution or bill up to the time of such reference.

l4. The clerk shall supervise all clerical work to be done for the house and shall supervise all employees subject to the direction of the speaker. The assistant clerk shall have the same powers and perform the same duties as the clerk, subject to the direction of the clerk. The bill clerk, the journal clerk and the calendar clerk shall perform such duties as are assigned to them by the clerk.

15. The clerk shall cause the journals and calendars to be distributed on the desks of the members daily, before the opening of the session.

16. When any member is about to speak in debate or deliver any matter to the house, the member shall rise and address the chair as "Mr. Speaker" or "Madam Speaker," as the case may be. If two or more rise at the same time, the speaker shall name the member entitled to the floor, preferring one who rises in place to one who does not.

17. No member shall speak on the same question more than twice without unanimous consent of the members of the house present.

18. The speaker shall, or any member may, call to order any member who in speaking or otherwise, transgresses the rules and orders of the house. If speaking, the member shall sit down, unless permitted to explain; and if a member is guilty of a breach of any of the rules and orders, the member may be required by the house, on motion, to make satisfaction therefor, and shall not be allowed to vote or speak except by way of excuse until such satisfaction is made.

19. At the opening of each session a committee on contested elections, consisting of four members, at least two of whom shall be members of the minority party in the house, shall be appointed by the speaker to take into consideration all contested elections of the members of the house and to report the facts, with their opinion thereon in a manner that may be directed by house resolution.

20. (a) Majority Election and Appointments. The majority leader shall be elected by the members of the majority party in the house and the deputy majority leaders shall be appointed by the majority leader and shall serve at the pleasure of the majority leader. The assistant majority leaders and majority whips shall be appointed by the speaker in consultation with the majority leader, and shall serve at the pleasure of the speaker. The chairpersons, and where appropriate, vice-chairpersons, of the standing and select committees shall be appointed by the speaker of the house and shall serve at the pleasure of the speaker, except when a chairperson is designated or appointed by the minority leader pursuant to the joint rules or the general statutes, in which case, the person so designated or appointed shall serve at the pleasure of the minority leader.

(b) Minority Election and Appointments. The minority leader shall be elected by the members of the minority party in the house and the deputy minority leaders, the assistant minority leaders, the minority whips and the ranking members of each joint standing committee and select committee shall be appointed by the minority leader and shall serve at the pleasure of the minority leader except when a ranking member is designated or appointed by the speaker pursuant to the joint rules or the general statutes, in which case, the person so designated or appointed shall serve at the pleasure of the speaker.

(c) Number of Leaders. The number of members appointed to the positions of deputy speaker, deputy majority leader, assistant majority leader and majority whip shall not exceed twenty-five per cent of the total membership of the majority party in the house. The number of members appointed to the positions of deputy minority leader, assistant minority leader and minority whip shall not exceed twenty-five per cent of the total membership of the minority party in the house. In addition, the chairperson of the bonding subcommittee of the joint standing committee on finance, revenue and bonding shall be an assistant majority leader and the ranking member of said subcommittee shall be an assistant minority leader.

(d) Committees. The staff clerks of the standing and select committees shall be appointed by the chairperson of the respective standing and select committees with the approval of the speaker of the house. Chairpersons of sub-committees may be appointed by the chairpersons of the respective standing and select committees with the approval of the speaker of the house. All standing and select committee members shall be appointed by the speaker on or before the fifth regular session day of the first year of the term, except to fill a vacancy caused by death or incapacity, or resignation or removal from the house or from a committee, and except that the speaker may appoint any member elected after the fifth regular session day of the first year of the term to any committee, within five calendar days after the member takes the oath of office. The member first named shall be chairperson. The chairperson of each committee may appoint one of the members of the committee as legislator clerk thereof. All members of standing and select committees and legislator clerks shall serve for both sessions of the term, except that: (i) The speaker may accept the resignation, for good cause, of a member of a standing or select committee prior to the expiration of the term, and (ii) the speaker may remove a member, provided the speaker's removal of a member of the minority party shall require the concurrence of the minority leader. Chairpersons, vice-chairpersons and sub-committee chairpersons shall serve for both sessions of the term unless removed by the speaker.

(e) Referrals to Committees. The house may refer any matter to a committee either before or after the deadline of that committee (i) at any regular session of the house or (ii) at a technical session of the house provided the majority leader has notified the minority leader or his designee in writing, not later than 5 p.m. the day before the technical session, of the majority leader's intent to move for the referral, and received the approval of the minority leader or his designee for the referral, and provided further that no matter may be recommitted at a technical session.

(f) Meetings in Representatives' Chamber. Committee meetings shall not be held in the representatives' chamber on session days.

22. The rules of parliamentary practice comprised in the 1989 edition of Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure shall govern the house whenever applicable and whenever they are not inconsistent with the standing rules and orders of the house or the joint rules of the senate and the house of representatives.

23. The rules of the house shall take precedence over the joint rules of the house and senate or Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure in the event of conflict.

24. When a motion is made, it shall be stated to the house by the speaker before any debate is had thereon.

25. When a motion is stated by the speaker, or read by the clerk, it shall be deemed to be in the possession of the house. It may be withdrawn by the mover at any time before decision or amendment, but not after amendment, unless the house approves by a majority vote.

27. If the question under debate consists of two or more independent propositions any member may move to have the question divided. If the house adopts the motion to divide, the speaker shall rule on the order of voting on the divisions of a question.

These motions shall have precedence in the order listed in this rule, except that a point of order may be raised at any time.

29. When the consideration of a question regularly on the calendar is interrupted by adjournment, the question comes up in its proper place on the next session day's calendar.

30. A vote can be reconsidered only on the next regular succeeding session day, provided there shall be no reconsideration of the vote upon the following motions: To adjourn, or to reconsider, and no question shall be twice reconsidered.

31. (a) Amendments shall be filed with the clerk of the house before 10 a.m. on the day on which the bill or resolution is to be acted upon, except that (1) the following may each sponsor or authorize amendments at any time: The presiding officer, the majority leader or, in the majority leader's absence, the majority leader's designated deputy majority leader, the minority leader or in the minority leader's absence, the minority leader's designated deputy minority leader; (2) the presiding officer may waive the filing requirement upon the request of the majority leader or the minority leader; (3) after any amendment or amendments have been adopted, any member may offer a further amendment only if it is directly related to the amendment or amendments adopted.

(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this rule, if a bill or resolution has been scheduled for consideration on a date certain pursuant to a special order, all amendments relating to that bill or resolution must be filed with the clerk of the house before 5 p.m. on the last day the clerk's office is open preceding the day on which the bill or resolution has been scheduled for consideration. The only exceptions to this filing requirement shall be: (1) The persons named in subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this rule may each sponsor an amendment at any time; (2) after any amendment or amendments have been adopted, any member may offer a further amendment only if it is directly related to the amendment or amendments adopted.

(c) Members may co-sponsor an amendment that is in the possession of the clerk of the house, or remove their names as co-sponsors, by submitting a written request to the clerk not later than 10 am on the day following adoption or rejection of the amendment, excluding weekends and holidays. Co-sponsorship of an amendment does not constitute co-sponsorship of the bill it would amend unless the member so specifies pursuant to Joint Rule 7(c).

(d) After a motion for passage of a bill or resolution has been made, a motion to amend the bill or resolution is in order. A pending amendment may not be amended. No substitute amendment may be offered for a pending amendment.

(f) Whenever a bill is amended, the speaker may order that it be returned to the legislative commissioners for the purposes of re-examination pursuant to Joint Rule 13 and for reprinting as amended.

32. Immediately after the adoption of these rules the speaker shall appoint a committee of four, who shall assign seats to all members of the house.

33. The seats assigned to members shall be their seats for their term of office.

34. Use of the representatives' chamber shall not be granted for non-legislative use during a general assembly session except by a vote of the house, or by a vote of the legislative management committee or with the permission of the speaker. The speaker shall grant use of the chamber for legislative use and between general assembly sessions.

35. No debate shall be allowed after a question is put and while it remains undecided.

36. In all cases when a voice vote is taken without a division, the speaker shall determine whether it is or is not a vote; and in all doubtful cases the speaker shall state "The chair is in doubt." Whereupon, the speaker shall try the question again by a voice vote or roll call, as the speaker may so order. After the speaker has declared a vote, it shall not be taken again unless by a regular motion for reconsideration, made by a member in the prevailing vote of the house.

37. If a division is called for, the house shall divide, those in the affirmative first rising from their seats and standing until counted, and afterwards those in the negative. For the purpose of more conveniently counting upon the division of the house, the floor thereof shall be divided by aisles into four divisions, to be numbered first, second, third and fourth sections, commencing on the right of the chair; for each of which divisions the speaker shall appoint a member whose seat is in said division to be a teller and to count and report to the chair.

38. In case of a tie vote or an equal division, the question shall not be passed.

39. The yeas and nays shall be taken on the roll call machine on all final action on all bills, resolutions proposing amendments to the constitution and all other substantive resolutions, except bills and resolutions on the consent calendar. On all other questions, a roll call vote shall be taken at the request of one-fifth of the members present, expressed at any time before a declaration of the vote. In the event the roll call machine is not functioning properly, the roll may be called by the clerk.

40. Every member present in the house chamber, when a question is put by the speaker, shall vote, unless excused by the speaker and no member shall absent herself or himself from the house chamber without leave, unless there is a quorum without such member's presence.

Whenever any vote is to be taken, the speaker may order the doors closed and thereupon no member shall leave the house unless by permission of the speaker, or the house, until the vote is declared, but members shall be admitted at any time.

When a vote has been taken, if any member raises a question of an excess of votes cast over the number of members present, a count of the house shall be had, and if it appears that such excess of votes exists, the speaker shall order the vote to be again taken.

41. No representative may vote or change his or her vote on a roll call after the speaker has requested that the clerk announce the tally.

42. While the house is in session, admission to the floor of the house shall be limited to members of the general assembly, authorized members of the press, authorized staff of the general assembly, and such other persons as may be authorized by the presiding officer.

Electronic media equipment and media personnel shall occupy only those areas designated by the presiding officer.

Proper facilities for transmitting messages to members of the house shall be provided by the clerk and administered by the messengers.

The sergeant at arms, doorkeepers and messengers shall enforce this rule and shall see that the aisles and the seats of the members are not occupied by persons other than members of the general assembly, while the house is in session.

43. There shall be a consent calendar on which shall be entered such bills and resolutions as the majority leader and the minority leader or their designees shall agree, and shall be proposed to the house by the majority leader or the designee of the majority leader in the form of a motion to move to the consent calendar. At the request of a member made from the floor any bill or resolution shall be removed from those included in the motion. All bills and resolutions starred for action on the consent calendar shall be passed on motion without discussion unless, at any time prior to the motion for passage, a member requests from the floor removal of a bill or resolution from the consent calendar in which case such bill or resolution shall be so removed and placed on the regular calendar. Any bill or resolution so removed shall be considered as having appeared on the regular calendar for a period of time equivalent to that during which it appeared on the consent calendar.

44. Upon motion made and adopted, the house may schedule consideration of any matter appearing on the calendar for a date certain by special order, but no sooner than the later of (i) the second day, excluding weekends and holidays, after the adoption of the special order or (ii) the day after the matter first appears on the calendar double starred.

45. No person shall smoke in the house chamber or the gallery. No person shall conduct a conversation on a cellular telephone or similar device in the house chamber while the house is meeting. The presiding officer and the sergeant at arms shall enforce this rule.

46. These rules shall not be altered, amended or suspended except by the concurrent vote of at least two-thirds of the members present.

47. Motions to suspend the rules shall be in order on any session day. Suspension of the rules shall be for a specified purpose. Upon accomplishment of that purpose, any rule suspended shall be again in force.

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Send mail to jclm@cga.ct.gov with questions or comments about this web site. Copyright © 1998 Connecticut General Assembly. All State of Connecticut disclaimers and permissions apply. Last modified: July 12, 2013

Top

Send mail to jclm@cga.ct.gov with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 1998 Connecticut General Assembly.
All State of Connecticut disclaimers and permissions apply.
Last modified: July 12, 2013