RHODE ISLAND SENATE CHAMBER Rules of the Senate 2015 - 2016 Legislative Session M. TERESA PAIVA WEED President of the Senate DOMINICK J. RUGGERIO Senate Majority Leader Dennis L. Algiere Senate Minority Leader Adopted by the Senate: FEBRUARY 25TH, 2015 AMENDED BY THE SENATE: MAY 4TH, 2016 AND MAY 10TH, 2016 Senate bill 150 AS AMENDED Senate bill 2856 AS AMENDED Senate bill 2915 SUBSTITUTE A SENATE COMMITTEE ON RULES 2015-2016 Senator Erin Lynch PRATA chairperson Senator Stephen r. archambault Vice chairperson Senator frank s. lombardi secretary Senator daniel dAponte Senator Maryellen goodwin Senator NICHOLAS D. KETTLE Senator frank Lombardo, iii Senator michael J. MCCaffrey John m. roney, ESQ, Parliamentarian of the Senate TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 1 – DEFINITIONS ............................................................................................ 1 1.1 "Bill" ................................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 "Day" ............................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 "Legislative Day" ............................................................................................................ 1 1.4 "Public Bill" .................................................................................................................... 1 1.5 "Prime Sponsor" .............................................................................................................. 2 1.6 "President Pro Tempore" ................................................................................................. 2 1.7 "Deputy President Pro Tempore" .................................................................................... 2 1.8 "Reading Clerk"............................................................................................................... 2 1.9 "Secretary of the Senate" ................................................................................................. 2 1.10 “The Rise of the Senate” ................................................................................................. 2 1.11 “The Senate Chamber” or “Chamber” ............................................................................. 2 1.12 “Calendar Day” ............................................................................................................... 3 1.13 “Vote” or “Majority Vote” .............................................................................................. 3 SECTION 2 – PRESIDING OFFICER .......................................................................... 3 2.1 Presiding Officer ............................................................................................................. 3 2.2 Duties of the Presiding Officer ........................................................................................ 3 2.3 Appealing the Ruling of Presiding Officer ...................................................................... 3 SECTION 3 – ORDER OF BUSINESS ON THE SENATE FLOOR ...................... 4 3.1 Commencement of Daily Session ................................................................................... 4 3.2 Reading the Journal ......................................................................................................... 4 3.3 Daily Business ................................................................................................................. 4 3.4 Final Adjournment .......................................................................................................... 5 3.5 Time for Sessions ............................................................................................................ 5 SECTION 4 – ACTS AND RESOLUTIONS .................................................................. 5 4.1 Form of Bills ................................................................................................................... 5 4.2 Explanation of Bills ......................................................................................................... 6 4.3 Copies of Bills ................................................................................................................. 6 4.4 Prefiling ........................................................................................................................... 6 4.5 Filing with Secretary of the Senate ................................................................................. 7 4.6 Deadline for Introductions ............................................................................................... 7 4.7 Omnibus Claims Against the State .................................................................................. 7 4.8 Resolutions of Congratulations and Condolences ........................................................... 8 4.9 Enactment of Laws .......................................................................................................... 8 4.10 Electronic Availability of Public Bills--Requirements .................................................... 8 4.10-1 Public Bills .................................................................................................................... 8 4.10-2 Committee Amendments ................................................................................................ 8 4.10-3 Materially Altered Bills ................................................................................................. 8 4.11 Copies of Bills and Voting Records ................................................................................ 9 4.12 Requests for Funding of Community Service Objectives ............................................... 9 4.13 Death of a Member .......................................................................................................... 9 4.14 Limitation on Number of Bills Introduced ...................................................................... 9 SECTION 5 – COMMITTEES ......................................................................................... 10 5.1 Standing Committees .................................................................................................... 10 5.1-1 Committee on Judiciary ............................................................................................... 10 5.1-2 Committee on Finance ................................................................................................. 10 5.1-3 Committee on Housing and Municipal Government ................................................... 11 5.1-4 Committee on Labor .................................................................................................... 11 5.1-5 Committee on Special Legislation and Veterans’ Affairs ............................................ 11 - i - TABLE OF CONTENTS 5.1-6 Committee on Health and Human Services ................................................................. 12 5.1-7 Committee on Education ............................................................................................. 12 5.1-8 Committee on Commerce ............................................................................................ 12 5.1-9 Committee on Environment and Agriculture ............................................................... 13 5.1-10 Committee on Government Oversight ......................................................................... 13 5.1-11 Committee on Rules ..................................................................................................... 14 5.2 Committee Membership ................................................................................................ 14 5.3 Vacancies on Committees ............................................................................................. 14 5.4 Officers of Committees ................................................................................................. 14 5.5 Select Committees ......................................................................................................... 14 5.6 Referral to Committee ................................................................................................... 15 5.7 Committees of Conference ............................................................................................ 15 SECTION 6 – PROCEEDINGS IN COMMITTEE .................................................... 16 6.1 Time for Committee Meetings ...................................................................................... 16 6.2 Committee Agenda – Posting ........................................................................................ 16 6.3 Convening of Meeting ................................................................................................... 16 6.4 Public Participation ....................................................................................................... 17 6.4-1 Open Meetings ............................................................................................................ 17 6.4-2 Executive Sessions ....................................................................................................... 17 6.4-3 Public Hearings ........................................................................................................... 17 6.5 Hearing and Consideration of Bills ............................................................................... 18 6.6 Quorum .........................................................................................................................