What is the significance of general court

The Republican Party controls the office of governor, while the Democratic Party controls both chambers of the state legislature. Charlie Baker R signed the state's new legislative maps into law on November 4, The state Senate approved the legislative plans on October 27, by a vote of The legislature began consideration of the state's redistricting plans on October 19, Click here for more information.

Elections for the Massachusetts State Senate will take place in The general election is on November 8, Elections for the Massachusetts House of Representatives will take place in Elections for the office of Massachusetts State Senate took place in The general election was held on November 3, A primary was scheduled for September 1, The local filing deadline was May 5, , and the state filing deadline was June 2, Elections for the office of Massachusetts House of Representatives took place in Elections for the Massachusetts State Senate took place in The semi-closed primary election took place on September 4, , and the general election was held on November 6, The candidate filing deadline was June 5, Filing deadline for primary candidates.

Elections for the Massachusetts House of Representatives took place in The primary election took place on September 8, , and the general election was held on November 8, The candidate filing deadline was June 7, A primary election was held on September 9, , and a general election was held on November 4, The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 3, The primary election was held on September 18, , and the general election was held on November 6, The candidate filing deadline was May 29, The primary election was held on September 14, The candidate filing deadline was May 4, , for partisan candidates and August 3, , for independents.

The primary election was held on September 14, , and the general election was held on November 2, The Massachusetts Constitution contains provisions regarding when the General Court is to meet.

This subject has been the focus of several amendments to the Constitution. Then, Amending Article X called for legislative sessions to convene yearly on the first Wednesday of January.

Article X calls for the General Court to convene its regular session on the first Wednesday of January. The session does not dissolve until a new regular session convenes in the next year. Article X specifies that it does not prevent the General Court from meeting at any time that it judges necessary. In , the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 6, , and adjourn on January 4, In , the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 1, , and adjourn on January 5, Several state legislatures had their sessions impacted as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

No modifications to state legislative activity in Massachusetts were made. In , the legislature was in session from January 3, , through July 31, formal December 31, informal. To read about notable events and legislation from this session, click here. In , the legislature was in session from January 4, , through November 15, The legislature held an informal session from November 16, , to January 2, Major issues in the legislative session included charter schools, energy, early education, and taxes.

Major issues in the legislative session included the state budget deficit. Major issues in the legislative session included the minimum wage, unemployment insurance reform, gun control, and assisted suicide.

Major issues in the legislative session included revenue shortfalls, transportation financing, firearm regulation, and health care costs. Leading the agenda was the regulation of special education collaboratives in the state. Other issues included controlling health costs and a sentencing bill that would bar parole for prisoners convicted of more than two violent crimes.

In August , Sen. Mike Rush D and Rep. Ed Coppinger D wrote a list of legislative accomplishments from the session. Among the major policy items addressed were the passage of balanced FY and state budgets, a health care cost containment bill, strategic economic development legislation, and the legalization of casino gaming.

In , the legislature convened its session on January 6th, and it remained in session throughout The state operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows: [14].

Massachusetts is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority. The governor is legally required to submit a balanced budget proposal. Likewise, the legislature is legally required to pass a balanced budget. In Massachusetts, congressional and state legislative district lines are drawn by the state legislature.

The lines drawn by the state legislature are subject to veto by the governor. State statutes require that state legislative district boundaries be contiguous and "reasonably preserve counties, towns, and cities intact, where otherwise possible. After the redistricting plans were enacted, Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin D issued a statement expressing concern regarding how the maps would be implemented: "I am extremely disappointed that these bills were signed into law in their current form and I think it is a devastating blow to the voters of Massachusetts.

With local precincts divided multiple ways, it will inevitably lead to chaos at the polls and make it impossible for voters to understand who their elected representatives are. This map takes effect for Massachusetts' legislative elections. According to the U. Census Bureau, Massachusetts experienced a 3. Specifically, the population rose from approximately 6. However, the nation as a whole saw a population increase of 9.

Massachusetts lost a Congressional seat as a result of the relatively slow growth. The Special Joint Committee on Redistricting conducted the redistricting process. Massachusetts legislators assume office the first Wednesday in January after the election. There are 40 senatorial districts in Massachusetts, named for the counties in which they are located. Each member represented an average of , residents , as of the Census. Click here for a list of members of this chamber. The table below shows the partisan history of the Massachusetts State Senate following every general election from to Data after was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

Democrats maintained control of the Massachusetts State Senate from to The intervener submits a statement in intervention, supporting or opposing the claims of one of the parties, to which the parties may then respond.

During thepossible oral phase of the proceedings a public hearing is held. When the lawyers are heard, the Judges can put questions to the parties' representatives. The Judge-Rapporteur summarises, in a report for the hearing, the facts relied on and the arguments of each party and, if applicable, of the interveners. This document is available to the public in the language of the case.

The Judges then deliberate on the basis of a draft judgment prepared by the Judge-Rapporteur and the judgment is delivered at a public hearing. The procedure before the General Court is free of court fees. However, the costs of the lawyer entitled to appear before a court in a Member State, by whom the parties must be represented, are not paid by the General Court. Even so, any person who is not able to meet the costs of the case may apply for legal aid.

An action brought before the General Court does not suspend the operation of the contested act. The Court may, however, order its suspension or other interim measures. The President of the General Court or, if necessary, the Vice President, rules on the application for interim measures in a reasoned order. The order is provisional in nature and in no way prejudges the decision of the General Court in the main proceedings. In addition, an appeal against it may be brought before the Vice President of the Court of Justice.

This procedure allows the General Court to rule quickly on the substance of the dispute in cases considered to be particularly urgent. The expedited procedure may be requested by the applicant or by the defendant. It may also be adopted of the General Court's own motion. The EU has banned the saleof seal products unless they come from traditional Inuit hunts for subsistence purposes.

In , the General Court upheld this ban. It decided that, taking account of the different rules adopted by the Member States concerning trade in seal products, the EU had the right to harmonise the rules relating to the sale of those products in order to avoid market disruption, also taking into account the issue of animal welfare. In , the Commission authorised the sale of the genetically-modified potato Amflora after receiving a scientific opinion indicating that the Amflora potato did not present a risk to human health or to the environment.

The General Court annulled this authorisation on the basis of procedural errors; in particular that the Commissionhad failed to submit the draft authorisation to the competent committees. According to EU law, events that a Member State judges to be of major social importance cannot be shown only on pay television but must also be broadcast on free-to-air television.

That advertisement was written only in German, English and French. The General Court annulled the call for expressions of interest on the basis of linguistic discrimination. Its publication in three languages prevented some potential candidates from being aware of it and it favoured German-, English- and French-speaking candidates.

The consumer could be led to purchase the drinks because he believed that it would have similarqualities to the medicinal product in particular an increase in libido. Persons with reduced mobility may be attracted by the very positive images of freedom, youth and mobility associated with the Apple Corps trade marks.

The General Court upheld that decision, holding that the term MONACO, on account of, in particular, the renown of its royal family, the organisation of a Formula 1 Grand Prix and a circus festival, brings to mind a geographical territory and is purely descriptive of the origin or geographical destination of the services concerned. No member, officer or employee shall knowingly accept any gift from any person or entity having a direct interest in legislation before the General Court as prohibited by law.

For the purposes of this paragraph, the terms "gift" and "person" shall be the same as their definitions in section 1 of chapter B of the General Laws. No member shall convert campaign funds to personal use in excess of reimbursements for legitimate and verifiable campaign expenditures.

Members shall consider all proceeds from testimonial dinners and other fundraising activities as campaign funds. No member shall serve on any committee or vote on any question in which their private right is immediately concerned, distinct from the public interest. No member, officer or employee shall violate the confidentiality of any proceeding before the Ethics committee. Members, officers and employees may utilize public resources to support charitable and community service activities consistent with the Conflict of Interest Law, G.

The Committee on Human Resources and Employee Engagement shall develop and conduct an ethics law training program for every member, officer and employee of the House; provided further, that said training program shall include, without limitation, a review of the requirements and prohibitions of chapter A and chapter B of the General Laws, and the regulations of the State Ethics Commission, as they apply to legislators and legislative staff; and provided further, that said training program shall be offered virtually or in-person and shall be mandatory for all members, officers and employees.

Bills involving lobbyists' reporting laws, and laws pertaining to the ethical conduct of public officials shall, after their first reading, be referred to the committee on Ethics, for report on their relation to the ethics laws of the Commonwealth. No new provisions shall be added to such measures by the committee, unless directly pertaining to ethics. At the beginning of the first year of the two-year General Court, standing committees shall be appointed as follows:.

A committee on Bills in the Third Reading;. A committee on Human Resources and Employee Engagement ;. A committee on Post Audit and Oversight;. A committee on Steering, Policy and Scheduling;. A committee on Global Warming and Climate Change;. Committee meetings, insofar as practicable, shall not be scheduled in conflict with formal sessions of the House of Representatives.

Members of any House standing or special committee shall be permitted to participate remotely by telephone, teleconference, or other electronic means in all meetings, except executive conferences, of said committees.

The public may also be permitted to participate remotely in all such committee meetings, except for executive conferences, by the same means made available by the committee. The chair of House standing or special committee shall have the discretion to determine the appropriate means and level of remote participation for all meetings, except executive conferences, of said committees. No quorum of a committee shall meet in private for the purpose of deliberation except as provided pursuant to this rule.

No executive session shall be held until: i the committee has first convened in an open session for which notice has been given; ii the presiding officer has stated the authorized purpose of the executive session; iii a majority of the members of the committee present have voted to go into executive session and the vote of each member has been recorded on a roll call vote and entered into the minutes: and iv the presiding officer has stated before the executive session if the committee will reconvene after the executive session.

A member, officer or employee subject to an executive conference pursuant to clause i or clause ii shall be notified in writing no less than 48 hours prior to the proposed executive conference; provided, however, that upon agreement of the parties involved, the notification requirements of clause i and clause ii may be waived. Upon request of the member, officer or employee subject to an executive conference pursuant to clause i or clause ii the executive conference shall be open to the public.

A member, officer or employee subject to an executive conference pursuant to clause i or clause ii shall have the right to: a be present at such executive conference during discussions or considerations which involve that member, officer or employee; b have counsel or a representative of their own choosing present and attending for the purpose of advising said member, officer or employee; provided, however, that said counsel or representative shall not actively participate in the executive conference; and c to speak on their own behalf to the committee assembled in executive conference.

No chance meeting or social meeting shall be used in circumvention of the spirit or requirements of this section to discuss or act upon a matter over which the committee has supervision, control, jurisdiction, or advisory power.

The notice shall include the date, time and place of such meeting. Such filing and posting shall be the responsibility of the committee scheduling such meeting. If public testimony is being solicited, agendas may include an electronic mail address and physical mail address for the submission of testimony and the committee shall make reasonable efforts to ensure diversity among those from whom testimony is solicited.

The notice and posting requirements shall not apply to executive conferences held pursuant to clause i or clause ii of part c of this rule unless the member, officer or employee subject to the executive conference requests that the executive conference be open to the public. All votes requested to be taken in executive sessions shall be recorded roll call votes and shall become a part of the record of said executive sessions. The record of each meeting shall become a public record and be available to the public; provided, however, that the records of any executive conference shall remain secret as long as publication may defeat the lawful purposes of the executive conference.

Executive conferences conducted pursuant to clause i or clause 11 of part c of this rule shall not be recorded unless upon the request of the member, officer or employee who is subject to said executive conference, and then only at such member's, officer's or employee's expense.

Executive conferences conducted pursuant to clause iii or iv of part c of this rule may be recorded at the discretion of the chair. Whenever any member of a House committee present at the committee meeting so requests, the vote to give any legislation a favorable or adverse report shall be a recorded vote of the full committee.

Such votes shall be recorded on appropriate forms that show all votes for and against the particular committee action; provided, that votes may also be recorded in LAWS.

The record of all such roll calls shall be kept in the offices of the committee and shall include the aggregate tally of members voting in the affirmative, members not voting or members reserving their rights, and the names of members voting in the negative on an individual bill, and shall be posted on the website of the General Court within 48 hours of the vote for public inspection.

No report of a House committee on any legislation shall be final until those members of the committee present and voting with the majority have been given the opportunity to sign such appropriate forms before the report is made to the House. No signature shall be valid unless the forms to which the signatures are affixed include the substantially complete text of the legislation being reported. There shall be a committee on Human Resources and Employee Engagement on the part of the House consisting of thirteen members.

Said committee shall discharge its duties pursuant to the Rules, including Rule 16B and Rules 88 through , and shall also be responsible for the allocation of office space as equitably as possible among the various members and joint and standing committees.

The committee shall allocate space among the various committees on the part of the House taking into account the work load, duties and responsibilities and size of staff of each.

The Speaker may make temporary office assignments in accordance with the foregoing principles. The committee on Human Resources and Employee Engagement may from time to time make changes in the assignment of office space for committees and the various staffs in accordance with the established standards.

Said committee shall establish the staffing levels and positions for each joint and standing committee of the House together with a classification plan for all employees of the House of Representatives. For each person who is employed or is to be employed by a joint or standing committee on the part of the House, each committee chair shall nominate each such person and the House members of the committee by a majority vote shall vote on whether to approve each said nominee.

The House members of the committee shall approve such persons whose character and qualifications are acceptable to the majority of the House members of the committee and are in accordance with the qualifications established by the Human Resources and Employee Engagement committee.

The House staff members of each committee shall be appointed solely on the basis of fitness to perform the duties of their respective positions and consistent with section 4 of chapter B of the General Laws. The committee staff shall not:. The committee shall meet on request of the chair or any 3 members of the committee. Any such meeting requested shall be convened on or within the fifth business day following such request. All such requests shall be in writing and forwarded to the chair and each member of the committee.

Funds shall be allocated from the budget to carry out the determination of the committee. The Minority Leader shall be that member of the minority party who is selected for that position by the members of their party. Each of the foregoing appointments or removals shall be ratified by a majority vote of the respective party caucus.

In the event that an appointment is rejected by such caucus another appointment shall be made by the person designated to make the initial appointment, which shall also be subject to ratification in the same manner.

The Speaker shall appoint, and may recommend the removal of, the chair of each standing committee. The Speaker shall appoint, and may recommend the removal of, the vice chair and assistant vice chair of the Ways and Means committee, the vice chair of the Post Audit and Oversight committee, the vice chair of the committee on Rules, the vice chair of the committee on Revenue, the vice chair of the committee on Financial Services, the vice chair of the committee on Health Care Financing, the vice chair of the committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures, and State Assets, the vice chair of the committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, and the vice chair of the committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies.

The majority party shall then vote to accept or reject each such appointment or recommendation for removal by a majority vote. In the event that any such appointment is rejected by the caucus, the procedure of this rule shall be repeated until an appointment for the said position has been approved by the caucus. A vacancy in any position to which the provisions of this section apply shall be filled in the same manner as provided in this section for original appointment.

No member shall receive more than one stipend pursuant to section 9B of chapter 3 of the General Laws. The Speaker and the Minority Leader may, without a majority vote of their respective parties, remove a member appointed to a leadership position from said position pursuant to this rule if the member has been criminally indicted by a court of competent jurisdiction. There shall be 1 member of the minority party on all committees of conference and 1 on the committee on Bills in the Third Reading.

On all other standing and joint committees, the percent of minority party membership shall be at least equal to the percent of minority party membership in the House of Representatives as of the first day of the session; provided, further, that where such percentage results in a fraction of a number, the fraction shall be rounded off to the nearest whole; provided, however, that the minority party shall under no circumstances have less than 4 members on the committee on Ethics, 4 on the committee on Human Resources and Employee Engagement , 3 on the committee on Rules and 7 on the committee on Ways and Means.

In no case shall minority party representation be less than 2 members on all other standing and joint committees. The Speaker and the Minority Leader shall appoint the members of their respective party caucuses to be assigned to each standing committee.

The Speaker shall appoint the vice chair of each standing committee. The appointments, except those to which Rule 18 applies, shall be voted upon together and shall be subject to ratification by majority vote of the appropriate party caucus. No member shall be removed from a standing committee except upon the recommendation of the Speaker or Minority Leader, as the case may be, subject to the ratification by their respective caucuses; provided, however, that the Speaker and the Minority Leader may, without a majority vote of their respective parties, remove a member appointed to a standing committee pursuant to this rule if the member has been criminally indicted by a court of competent jurisdiction; and provided further, that if any vacancy occurs in a position to which Rule 18 does not apply, subsequent to the initial ratification, the Speaker or Minority Leader shall fill such vacancy.

The Speaker shall announce committee appointments of majority party members, and the member first named shall be chair, and the second named member shall be vice-chair.

The Minority Leader shall announce committee appointments of minority party members. All votes on ratification by the caucus required by these rules shall be by written ballot and shall require a majority of those present and voting; provided, however, that if a motion to ratify the appointments by acclamation is made and seconded, no written ballot shall be required.

A majority and minority party caucus may be called by the Speaker or Minority Leader, respectively, or upon petition of 25 percent of the members of the respective party caucus. A caucus may entertain resolutions, motions, or other means of ascertaining the sense of the respective party members on any subject. The majority party and minority party shall establish caucus rules that shall dictate the procedures of each caucus.

Any member caucus or group of members organized around a common legislative agenda that utilizes House resources, including staff time, shall register with the House Committee on Rules as a Legislative Member Organization, unless it is a party caucus. Registration shall include the name of the Legislative Member Organization, its statement of purpose, identification of its officers, and a certification signed by its chair that any state resources used for the purposes of the Legislative Member Organization shall be not be used for any partisan political end.

A Legislative Member Organization may not include a non-legislator. Senators may belong to the Legislative Member Organization, but in order to use House resources at least one House member shall be an officer of the Legislative Member Organization.

A Legislative Member Organization may, without limitation, sponsor informational or educational events, may invite outside speakers and groups to make presentations to the members of the Legislative Member Organization and others, and may distribute any report, analysis, or other research material prepared by others provided that the identity of the person or organization authoring the work is fully disclosed.

The committee on Ways and Means shall report in appropriation bills the total amount appropriated. The General Appropriation Bill shall be available to the members at least 7 calendar days prior to consideration thereof by the House. Notwithstanding the provisions of Rule 33A, amendments to the General Appropriation Bill shall be filed with the Clerk of the House in a format to be determined by the Clerk by 5 o'clock P. Otherwise, the day following the release shall be considered the first business day.

The Clerk, with the assistance of the committee on Ways and Means, shall categorize the subject-matter of the amendments and arrange such amendments for consideration sequentially by subject as appearing in the published version of the General Appropriation Bill, or the Clerk, with the assistance of the committee on Ways and Means, shall categorize the subject-matter of the amendments and arrange such subject matters for consideration as determined by the committee on Ways and Means.

Debate on the General Appropriation Bill shall not commence until a date and time to be determined by the House which is subsequent to the designated time established for filing of amendments. When the General Appropriation Bill is reported by the committee on Ways and Means, it shall be made available to all members electronically and to the public via the Internet in a format to be determined by the Speaker in consultation with the Clerk.

The committee on Ways and Means shall provide the membership with a copy of its proposed text of said General Appropriation Bill, and an executive summary which shall include a list of outside sections, and a short summary of each outside section prior to full House consideration of such bill. When the House considers said General Appropriation Bill, it shall be read a second time and forthwith ordered to a third reading without any amendments.

The bill shall be immediately read a third time and then be open to amendments as previously determined by the House. Whenever the committee on Ways and Means reports an appropriation bill or capital outlay bill, it shall make available to the members a report which includes an explanation of any increase or decrease of five percent or more which results in an increase or decrease of one million dollars or more for any item for which the Governor has made a recommendation, and an explanation for the deletion of an item recommended by the Governor, and for the addition of an item for which the Governor has made no recommendation.

Bills and resolves when ordered to a third reading shall be referred forthwith to the committee on Bills in the Third Reading, which shall examine and correct them, for the purpose of avoiding repetitions and unconstitutional provisions, and insuring accuracy in the text and references, and consistency with the language of existing statutes; but any change in the sense or legal effect, or any material change in construction, shall be reported to the House as an amendment. The committee may consolidate into 1 bill any 2 or more related bills referred to it, whenever legislation may be simplified thereby.

Resolutions received from and adopted by the Senate or introduced or reported into the House, after they are read and before they are adopted, shall be referred to the committee on Bills in the Third Reading. Amendments of bills, resolves and resolutions adopted by the Senate and sent to the House for concurrence, shall, subsequently to the procedure required by Rule 35 in respect to amendments, also be referred, in like manner, to the committee on Bills in the Third Reading.

When a bill, resolve or resolution has been so referred, no further action shall be taken until a report thereon has been made by the committee. Accompanying said report shall be a written explanation prepared by the committee defining any changes made in a bill, resolve or resolution so as to facilitate the proceedings of the House. If a bill or resolve referred to the committee on Bills in the Third Reading requires a two-thirds vote because it contains an emergency preamble, or if it provides for the borrowing of money by the Commonwealth and comes within the provisions of Section 3 of Article LXII of the Amendments to the Constitution, or provides for the giving, loaning or pledging of the credit of the Commonwealth and comes within the provisions of Section 1 of Article LXII as amended by Article LXXXIV of the Amendments to the Constitution, or provides, upon recommendation of the Governor, for a special law relating to an individual city or town and comes within the provisions of clause 2 of Section 8 of Article LXXXIX of the Amendments to the Constitution or provides for environmental protection within the provisions of Article XLIX as amended by Article XCVII, the committee shall plainly indicate the fact on the outside of the bill or resolve, or on a wrapper or label attached thereto.

Bills and resolves prepared for final passage shall be certified by the Clerk of the House, after comparison, to be the same as the bills or resolves passed to be engrossed; and if found to be properly prepared, the Clerk shall so endorse on the envelope thereof; and the question on enactment or final passage or adopting an emergency preamble shall be taken thereon, without further reading, unless specifically ordered.

When a bill prepared for final passage contains an emergency preamble or when it provides for the borrowing of money by the Commonwealth and comes within the provisions of Section 3 of Article LXII of the Amendments to the Constitution, or provides for the giving, loaning or pledging of the credit of the Commonwealth and comes within the provisions of Section 1 of Article LXII as amended by Article LXXXIV of the Amendments to the Constitution, or provides, upon recommendation of the Governor, for a special law relating to an individual city or town and comes within the provisions of clause 2 of Section 8 of Article LXXXIX of the Amendments to the Constitution, or provides for environmental protection within the provisions of Article XLIX as amended by Article XCVII, the Clerk shall plainly indicate the fact on the envelope thereof.

The reading of all such documents may be dispensed with, but they shall be entered in the Journal of the same or the next legislative day after such reference except as provided in Joint Rule Petitions and other papers so filed, which are subject to the provisions of the second paragraph of Joint Rule 12, shall, prior to the procedure required by said rule, be referred by the Clerk to the committee on Rules.

The reading of all such papers may be dispensed with, but they shall be entered in the Journal of the same or the next legislative day after such reference. Said documents shall contain the name or names of the primary sponsors and a list of the names of all petitioners praying for the legislation. Additional names may be added to the list of the petitioners; provided, however, that, such additional names shall be submitted in a format to be determined by the Clerk.

Any order, except such order that would amend the Rules of the House, resolution or petition referred to the committee on Rules after the question of suspension of this rule has been negatived, or any order, resolution or petition filed after the beginning of the session and referred to the committee on Rules, shall not be discharged from said committee except by unanimous consent of the House.

Motions to discharge the committee on Rules shall be subject to the provisions of paragraph 2 of Rule Every petition for legislation shall be accompanied by a bill or resolve embodying the legislation prayed for. When the object of an application can be secured without a special act under existing laws, or, without detriment to the public interests, by a general law, the committee to which the matter is referred shall report such general law or ought not to pass, as the case may be.

The committee may report a special law on matters referred to it upon 1 a petition filed or approved by the voters of a city or town, or the mayor and city council, or other legislative body, of a city, or the town meeting of a town, with respect to a law relating to that city or town; 2 a recommendation by the Governor; or 3 matters relating to erecting and constituting metropolitan or regional entities, embracing any two or more cities and towns, or established with other than existing city or town boundaries, for any general or special public purpose or purposes.

With the exception of matters referred to the committee on Rules under the provisions of paragraph 3 of Rule 24, committees shall report on all matters referred to them. The committee on Ways and Means shall report the General Appropriation Bill not later than the second Wednesday of May; and provided further that said committee shall make available to the members all data compiled for justification of budgetary recommendations in all appropriation bills.

Committees so directed to report shall file a report with the Clerk within 4 legislative days. The committee on Ways and Means may not be directed to report or be discharged from further consideration of any appropriation or capital outlay measure. Petitions discharged under the provisions of this rule shall be considered as favorably reported and the bill, resolve, resolution or order accompanying such petitions shall be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting.

Seven days following the filing of the petition with the House Clerk, the committee shall be discharged from further consideration of the legislative matter specified in the petition and the House Clerk shall place the matter in the Orders of the Day for the next calendar day that the House is meeting. Notwithstanding the previous sentence, a bill which has been engrossed by the House and Senate shall be placed before the House for enactment.

Any member may request to the House that a matter engrossed in the House and Senate, returned for final passage by the engrossing division, and reviewed and released by the Committee on Bills in Third Reading be placed before the House for enactment. The Speaker shall, in response to such a request of a member, put the matter before the House at the conclusion of the matter then pending. The committee on Bills in the Third Reading shall report on a legislative matter not later than 45 days following the day the matter was referred to it.

The Clerk shall indicate on the Calendar entry of every matter before the committee on Bills in the Third Reading the date that said matter was referred to said committee. The member presenting a petition shall endorse their name thereon; and the reading thereof shall be dispensed with, unless specially ordered.

All motions contemplating legislation shall be founded upon petition, except as follows:. The committee on Ways and Means may originate and report appropriation bills as provided in Rule Messages from the Governor shall, unless otherwise ordered, be referred to the appropriate committee, which may report by bill or otherwise thereon.

A similar disposition shall, unless otherwise ordered, be made of reports by state officers and committees authorized to report to the Legislature, and similar action may be had thereon. Messages from the Governor returning appropriation bills, or parts of appropriation bills, with objections or reductions of sections or items thereof, shall be reconsidered subsequent to a report of the committee on Ways and Means.

Messages or recommendations from the Governor shall be filed with the Clerk in a format to be determined by the Clerk. Bills shall be drafted in a format approved by the Counsel to the House and submitted in a format to be determined by the Clerk. Bills amending existing laws shall not provide for striking words from, or inserting words in, such laws, unless such course is best calculated to show clearly the subject and nature of the amendment.

No repealed law, and no part of any repealed law, shall be re-enacted merely by reference. If a committee to which a bill is referred reports that the same ought not to pass, the question shall be "Shall this bill be rejected?

If the question on rejection is negatived, the bill, if it has been read but once, shall be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting for a second reading without question; otherwise it shall be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting, pending the question on ordering to a third reading, or to engrossment, as the case may be. Bills involving an expenditure of public money or grant of public property, or otherwise affecting the state finances, unless the subject matter has been acted upon by the joint committee on Ways and Means, shall, after their first reading, be referred to the committee on Ways and Means, for report on their relation to the finances of the Commonwealth.

New provisions shall not be added to such bills by the committee on Ways and Means, unless directly connected with the financial features thereof. Orders reported in the House or received from the Senate involving the expenditure of public money for special committees, shall, before the question is taken on the adoption thereof, be referred to the committee on Ways and Means, whose duty it shall be to report on their relation to the finances of the Commonwealth. Every such bill involving a capital expenditure for new projects, or an appropriation for repairs, or any legislation, the cost of which, in the opinion of the committee, exceeds the sum of one hundred thousand dollars when reported into the House by the committee on Ways and Means, shall be accompanied by a fiscal note indicating the amount of public money which will be required to be expended to carry out the provisions of the proposed legislation, together with an estimate of the cost of operation and maintenance for the first year if a new project is involved.

Copies of all bills shall be available, in a format to be determined by the Speaker in consultation with the Clerk, to all members of the House and the public at least 24 hours in advance of consideration by the House; provided further that, to the extent practicable, a summary of any bill containing meaningful policy changes to be considered by the House in a formal session shall be made available by the chair of the committee reporting the bill, to all members of the House prior to the commencement of roll calls for the formal session in which the bill will be considered.

All amendments offered by members to any legislative matter in the House shall be submitted in a format to be determined by the Speaker in consultation with the Clerk; and shall be considered chronologically as submitted to the Clerk, except for an amendment in the second degree; provided that all of said amendments shall be drafted in proper form acceptable to the clerk; and provided further that there shall be available to the members a duplicate copy of each amendment.

No consolidated amendment offered by the committee on Ways and Means shall be considered by the House until the expiration of at least 30 minutes after the consolidated amendment shall have been first filed with the Clerk and made available to the members.

This rule shall not be suspended unless by unanimous consent of the members present. No consolidated amendment shall be adopted except by a roll call vote. Bills from the Senate, after their first reading, shall be referred to a committee of the House. Amendments proposed by the Senate, and sent back to the House for concurrence, shall be referred to the committee on Bills in Third Reading, provided that the journal shall reflect the referral; and provided further that subsequent to a report from said committee, the amendments shall be considered forthwith.

No bill shall be proposed or introduced unless received from the Senate, reported by a committee, or moved as an amendment to the report of a committee. Bills, resolves and other papers that have been, or, under the rules or usage of the House, are to be made available in a format to be determined by the Speaker in consultation with the Clerk, shall be read by their titles only, unless the full reading is requested by vote of a majority of those members present and voting.

When a bill, resolve, order, petition or memorial has been finally rejected or disposed of by the House, no measure substantially the same shall be introduced by any committee or member during the same session. No bill shall be passed to be engrossed without having been read on three separate legislative days. No engrossed bill shall be amended, except by striking out the enacting clause.

A motion to strike out the enacting clause of a bill shall be received when the bill is before the House for enactment. If the bill contains an emergency preamble, a motion to suspend this rule may be received before the adoption of the emergency preamble and, if suspended, the amendment may contain a new emergency preamble.

This rule shall not apply to a bill or resolve returned by the Governor with a recommendation of amendment in accordance with the provisions of Article LVI of the Amendments to the Constitution; nor shall it apply to amendments of engrossed bills proposed by the Senate and sent to the House for concurrence, which amendments shall be subject to the provisions of Rule 35, provided, however, that an affirmative vote on a motion to suspend this rule shall be required in order to offer an amendment to such an engrossed bill when the question before the House is on adoption of an emergency preamble, re-enactment or enactment, as the case may be.

Bills received from the Senate and bills reported favorably by committees, when not referred to another standing committee of the House, shall, prior to being placed in the Orders of the Day, be referred to the committee on Steering, Policy and Scheduling. Resolutions received from and adopted by the Senate, or reported in the House by committees, shall, if proposed for joint adoption, be referred to said committee on Steering, Policy and Scheduling. Reports of committees, not by bill or resolve, including orders if proposed for joint adoption, after they are received from the Senate, or made in the House, as the case may be, shall, unless subject to the provisions of any other House or joint rules, be referred to the committee on Steering, Policy and Scheduling; provided that the report of a committee asking to be discharged from further consideration of a subject, and recommending that it be referred or recommitted to another committee, or a report of a committee recommending that a matter be placed on file, shall be immediately considered.

Reports of committees on proposals for amendments to the Constitution shall be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of Joint Rule The Clerk shall, prior to 3 o'clock P.

Bills ordered to a third reading shall be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next day for such reading. The Speaker may designate when an informal session of the House shall be held provided said Speaker gives notice of such informal session at a prior session of the House. The Speaker may, in cases of emergency, cancel a session or declare any session of the House to be an informal session.

At an informal session the House shall only consider reports of committees, papers from the Senate, bills for enactment or resolves for final passage, bills containing emergency preambles and the matters in the Orders of the Day.

Motions to reconsider moved at such informal session shall be placed in the Orders of the Day for the succeeding day, and no new business shall be entertained, except by unanimous consent. Formal debate, or the taking of the sense of the House by yeas and nays shall not be conducted during such informal session.