Setting the scope of business for Special Session No. 1; adopting as Special Session No. 1 (2010) Rules for the House of Representatives the Rules of the House of Representatives (2009-2010); and further providing for debate, for time of meeting, for order of business and for standing committees.
RESOLVED, That the business of the House of Representatives during Special Session No. 1 (2010) be confined to the subjects contained in the Governor's Proclamation of a Special and Extraordinary Session on Transportation System Funding, published at 40 Pa.B. (May 8, 2010); and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Rules of the House of Representatives (2009-2010) be adopted as the Rules of the House of Representatives for Special Session No. 1 (2010) of the House of Representatives with the exception of Rules 10, 15, 17 and 43; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the following be adopted as additional Rules of the House of Representatives for Special Session No. 1 (2010) of the House of Representatives:
When a member desires to address the House, the member shall rise and respectfully address the Speaker. Upon being recognized, the member may speak, and shall be confined to the question under consideration and avoiding personal reflections.
When two or more members rise at the same time and ask for recognition, the Speaker shall designate the member who is entitled to the floor.
No member, except the Majority and Minority Leaders, may speak more than twice on any question, without the consent of the House. The sponsor of a bill or an amendment shall be entitled to be recognized twice, and a maker of a debatable motion shall be entitled to be recognized twice; but all other members shall be recognized only once. When recognized, no member except the Majority Leader and Minority Leader may debate on any debatable question for more than five minutes each time the member is recognized.
With the unanimous consent of the House a member may make a statement not exceeding ten minutes in length concerning a subject or matter not pending before the House for consideration, providing the Majority and Minority Leaders have agreed on a time the member is to ask for recognition.
The House shall convene at the discretion of the House. No session of the House may begin before 8:00 A.M. nor end after 11:00 P.M. unless exigent circumstances exist, as determined by an affirmative vote of three-fourths of the members elected to the House, by a roll call vote on a motion to extend session. A motion to extend session may be made to extend session generally or to conclude business on a specific question or questions. If a motion to extend session is made prior to 10:15 P.M. and a roll call vote has not been ordered, the arrival of 10:45 P.M. shall put an end to all debate and shall bring the House to an immediate roll call vote on the question to extend session. Nothing in this rule shall prevent the House from conducting administrative matters, including the making of announcements regarding the House schedule for the benefit of members or in order to comply with 65 Pa.C.S. § 709 (relating to public notice) after 11:00 P.M. Upon the Speaker's determination that all administrative matters are concluded, the Speaker shall adjourn the House.
The daily order of business shall be:
(1) Prayer by the Chaplain.
(2) Pledge of Allegiance.
(3) Correction and approval of the Journal.
(4) Leaves of absence.
(5) Master Roll Call.
(6) Reports of Committee.
(7) First consideration bills.
(8) Second consideration bills.
(9) Third consideration bills, final passage bills (including both third consideration and final passage postponed bills) and resolutions.
(10) Final passage bills recalled from the Governor.
(11) Messages from the Senate and communications from the Governor.
(12) Reference to appropriate committees of bills, resolutions, petitions, memorials, remonstrances and other papers.
(13) Unfinished business on the Speaker's table.
(14) Announcements.
(15) Adjournment.
Any question may, by a majority vote of the members elected, be made a special order of business. When the time arrives for its consideration, the Speaker shall lay the special order of business before the House.
In lieu of offering House Resolutions on topics of importance to members relating to the subjects contained in the Governor's Proclamation of a Special and Extraordinary Session on, published at 40 Pa.B. (2010), any member, without unanimous consent, may address the House on such issue and have his or her remarks entered into the record during a special period of time established each week by the Speaker at the conclusion of House business on a specific day.
Two standing committees of the House, the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Transportation, are hereby created.
The Committee on Appropriations shall consist of 21 members of the majority party and 14 members of the minority party. The Committee on Transportation shall consist of 15 members of the majority party and 11 members of the minority party. The quorum for each of the standing committees shall be no less than the majority of said committees.
The officers and members of the standing committees under this rule shall be the same as those serving on the standing committees during the 2009-2010 Session of the House of Representatives unless removed from the standing committees under this rule pursuant to these rules. Any member removed pursuant to these rules shall be replaced by another member of his or her caucus, who shall be selected by the appropriate caucus leader. The caucus leader shall make the appointment by letter and deliver it to the Speaker.