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1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
3 NINETIETH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the
4 following are adopted as the Rules of the House of
5 Representatives of the Ninetieth General Assembly:
6 I. ORGANIZATION
7 1. Election of the Speaker.
8 (a) At the first meeting of the House of each General
9 Assembly, the Secretary of State shall convene the House at
10 12:00 noon, designate a Temporary Clerk of the House, and
11 preside during the nomination and election of the Speaker.
12 As the first item of business each day before the election of
13 the Speaker, the Secretary of State shall order the Temporary
14 Clerk to call the roll of the members to establish the
15 presence of a quorum as required by the Constitution. If a
16 majority of those elected are not present, the House shall
17 stand adjourned until the next calendar day, excepting
18 weekends, at the hour prescribed in Rule 29. If a quorum of
19 members elected is present, the Secretary of State shall then
20 call for nominations of members for the Office of Speaker.
21 All nominations require a second. When the nominations are
22 completed, the Secretary of State shall direct the Temporary
23 Clerk to call the roll of the members to elect the Speaker.
24 (b) The election of the Speaker requires the affirmative
25 vote of a majority of those elected. Debate is not in order
26 following nominations and preceding or during the vote.
27 (c) No legislative measure may be considered and no
28 committees may be appointed or meet before the election of
29 the Speaker.
30 (d) When a vacancy in the Office of Speaker occurs, the
31 foregoing procedure shall be employed to elect a new Speaker;
32 when the Secretary of State is of a political party other
33 than that of the majority caucus, however, the Majority
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1 Leader shall preside during the nomination and election of
2 the successor Speaker. No legislative measures, other than
3 for the nomination and election of a successor Speaker, may
4 be considered by the House during a vacancy in the Office of
5 Speaker.
6 2. Election of the Minority Leader.
7 (a) The House shall elect a Minority Leader in a manner
8 consistent with the laws of Illinois. The Minority Leader is
9 the leader of the numerically strongest political party other
10 than the party to which the Speaker belongs.
11 (b) This Rule may be suspended only by the affirmative
12 vote of 71 members elected.
13 3. Majority and Minority Leadership.
14 (a) The Speaker and the Minority Leader shall appoint
15 from within their respective caucuses the members of the
16 Majority and Minority Leaderships as allowed by law.
17 (b) Appointments are effective upon being filed with the
18 Clerk and remain effective at the pleasure of the Speaker and
19 Minority Leader, respectively, or until a vacancy occurs by
20 reason of resignation or because a leader has ceased to be a
21 Representative. Successor leaders shall be appointed in the
22 same manner as their predecessors. Leaders have those powers
23 delegated to them by the Speaker or Minority Leader, as the
24 case may be.
25 4. The Speaker.
26 (a) The Speaker has those powers conferred upon him or
27 her by the Constitution, the laws of Illinois, and any
28 motions or resolutions adopted by the House or jointly by the
29 House and Senate.
30 (b) Except as otherwise provided by law, the Speaker is
31 the chief administrative officer of the House and has those
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1 powers necessary to carry out those functions. The Speaker
2 may delegate administrative duties as he or she deems
3 appropriate.
4 (c) The duties of the Speaker include the following:
5 (1) To preside at all sessions of the House,
6 although the Speaker may call on any member to preside
7 temporarily as Presiding Officer.
8 (2) To open the session at the time at which the
9 House is to meet by taking the chair and calling the
10 members to order. The Speaker may call on any member to
11 open the session as Presiding Officer.
12 (3) To announce the business before the House in
13 the order upon which it is to be acted. The Presiding
14 Officer shall perform this duty during the period that he
15 or she is presiding.
16 (4) To recognize those members entitled to the
17 floor.
18 (5) To state and put to a vote all questions that
19 are regularly moved or that necessarily arise in the
20 course of the proceedings, and to announce the result of
21 the vote.
22 (6) To preserve order and decorum.
23 (7) To decide all points of order, subject to
24 appeal, and to speak on these points in preference to
25 other members.
26 (8) To inform the House when necessary, or when any
27 question is raised, on any point of order or practice
28 pertinent to the pending business.
29 (9) To sign or authenticate all acts, proceedings,
30 or orders of the House. All writs, warrants, and
31 subpoenae issued by order of the House, or any of its
32 committees, shall be signed by the Speaker and attested
33 by the Clerk.
34 (10) To sign all bills passed by both chambers of
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1 the General Assembly to certify that the procedural
2 requirements for passage have been met.
3 (11) To have general supervision, including the
4 duty to protect the security and safety, of the House
5 Chamber, galleries, and adjoining and connecting hallways
6 and passages, including the power to clear them when
7 necessary. The House Chamber shall not be used without
8 permission of the Speaker.
9 (12) To have general supervision of the Clerk and
10 his or her assistants, the Doorkeeper and his or her
11 assistants, the majority caucus staff, the
12 parliamentarians, and all employees of the House except
13 the minority caucus staff.
14 (13) To determine the number of majority caucus
15 members and minority caucus members to be appointed to
16 all committees, except the Rules Committee created by
17 Rule 15, the Committee on Conflicts of Interest created
18 by Rule 71, and those committees that may be created
19 under Article XII of these Rules.
20 (14) To appoint all Chairpersons, Co-Chairpersons,
21 and Vice-Chairpersons of committees (from either the
22 majority or minority caucus), and to appoint all majority
23 caucus members of committees.
24 (15) To enforce all constitutional provisions,
25 statutes, rules, and regulations applicable to the House.
26 (16) To guide and direct the proceedings of the
27 House subject to the control and will of the members.
28 (17) To direct the Clerk to correct non-substantive
29 errors in the Journal.
30 (18) To assign meeting places and meeting times to
31 committees and subcommittees.
32 (19) To perform any other duties assigned to the
33 Speaker by these House Rules or jointly by the House and
34 Senate.
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1 (20) To decide, subject to the control and will of
2 the members, all questions relating to the priority of
3 business.
4 (21) To issue, in cooperation with the Comptroller
5 and after clearance with the United States Internal
6 Revenue Service, written regulations covering
7 administration of contingent expense allowances of
8 members of the House.
9 (22) To appoint one or more parliamentarians to
10 serve at the pleasure of the Speaker.
11 (d) This Rule may be suspended only by the affirmative
12 vote of 71 members elected.
13 5. Powers and Duties of the Minority Leader.
14 (a) The Minority Leader has those powers conferred upon
15 him or her by the Constitution, the laws of Illinois, and any
16 motions or resolutions adopted by the House or jointly by the
17 House and Senate.
18 (b) The Minority Leader shall appoint to all committees
19 the members from the minority caucus and shall designate a
20 Minority Spokesperson for each committee, except that the
21 Speaker may appoint a minority caucus member to be
22 Chairperson of a standing committee or Chairperson or
23 Co-Chairperson of a special committee.
24 (c) The Minority Leader has general supervision of the
25 minority caucus staff.
26 6. Clerk of the House.
27 (a) The House shall elect a Clerk, who may adopt
28 appropriate policies or procedures for the conduct of his or
29 her office. The Speaker is the final arbiter of any dispute
30 arising in connection with the operation of the Office of the
31 Clerk.
32 (b) The duties of the Clerk include the following:
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1 (1) To have custody of all bills, papers, and
2 records of the House, which shall not be taken out of the
3 Clerk's custody except in the regular course of business
4 in the House.
5 (2) To endorse on every original bill and each copy
6 its number, the names of sponsors, the date of
7 introduction, and the several orders taken on it. When
8 reproduced, the names of the sponsors shall appear on the
9 front page of the bill in the same order they appeared
10 when introduced.
11 (3) To cause each bill to be reproduced and placed
12 on the desks of the members as soon as it is reproduced,
13 as provided in Rule 39.
14 (4) To keep the Journal of the proceedings of the
15 House and, under the direction of the Speaker, correct
16 errors in the Journal.
17 (5) To keep the transcripts of the debates of the
18 House and make them available to the public under
19 reasonable conditions.
20 (6) To keep the necessary records for the House and
21 its committees and to prepare the House Calendar for each
22 legislative day.
23 (7) To examine all House Bills and Constitutional
24 Amendment Resolutions following Second Reading and before
25 final passage for the purpose of correcting any
26 non-substantive errors, and to report the same back to
27 the Speaker promptly; to supervise the enrolling and
28 engrossing of bills and resolutions, subject to the
29 direction of the Speaker; and to attest to the passage or
30 adoption of legislative measures, and to note thereon the
31 date of final House action. Any corrections made by the
32 Clerk and approved by the Speaker shall be entered on the
33 Journal.
34 (8) To transmit bills, other documents, and
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1 messages to the Senate and secure a receipt therefor, and
2 to receive from the Senate bills, other documents, and
3 messages and give receipt therefor.
4 (9) To file with the Secretary of State debate
5 transcripts and House documents as required by law.
6 (10) To attend every session of the House; record
7 the roll; and read all bills, resolutions, and other
8 papers as directed by the Speaker. Bills shall be read
9 by title only.
10 (11) To supervise the Assistant Clerk, the
11 Doorkeeper, pages, messengers, committee clerks, and
12 other employees of his or her office.
13 (12) To establish the format for all documents,
14 forms, and committee records and tapes prepared by
15 committee clerks.
16 (13) Subject to approval by the Speaker, to
17 establish standards of decorum and other standards
18 regarding written statements filed under Rule 53.
19 (14) To perform other duties assigned by the
20 Speaker.
21 7. Assistant Clerk of the House. The House shall, in a
22 manner consistent with the laws of Illinois, elect an
23 Assistant Clerk, who shall perform those duties assigned by
24 the Clerk.
25 8. Doorkeeper. The House shall elect a Doorkeeper who
26 shall perform those duties assigned by law, or as ordered by
27 the Speaker, Presiding Officer, or Clerk. Those duties shall
28 include the following:
29 (1) To attend the House during its sessions and
30 execute the commands of the Speaker or Presiding Officer.
31 (2) To maintain order among spectators admitted
32 into the House Chamber, galleries, and adjoining or
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1 connecting hallways and passages.
2 (3) To take proper measures to prevent interruption
3 of the House.
4 (4) To remove unruly persons from the House
5 Chamber, galleries, and adjoining and connecting hallways
6 and passages.
7 (5) To ensure that only authorized persons have
8 access to the House Chamber, galleries, and adjoining
9 hallways and passages, subject to the direction of the
10 Speaker.
11 (6) To supervise any Assistant Doorkeepers.
12 (7) To perform other duties assigned by the
13 Speaker.
14 9. Schedule.
15 (a) The Speaker shall periodically establish a schedule
16 of days on which the House shall convene in regular,
17 perfunctory, and veto session, with that schedule subject to
18 revision at the discretion of the Speaker.
19 (b) The Speaker may schedule or reschedule deadlines at
20 his or her discretion for any action on any category of
21 legislative measure as the Speaker deems appropriate,
22 including deadlines for the following legislative actions:
23 (1) Final day to request bills from the Legislative
24 Reference Bureau.
25 (2) Final day for introduction of bills.
26 (3) Final day for standing committees of the House
27 to report House bills, except House appropriation bills.
28 (4) Final day for standing committees of the House
29 to report House appropriation bills.
30 (5) Final day for Third Reading and passage of
31 House bills, except House appropriation bills.
32 (6) Final day for Third Reading and passage of
33 House appropriation bills.
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1 (7) Final day for standing committees of the House
2 to report Senate appropriation bills.
3 (8) Final day for standing committees of the House
4 to report Senate bills, except appropriation bills.
5 (9) Final day for special committees to report to
6 the House.
7 (10) Final day for Third Reading and passage of
8 Senate appropriation bills.
9 (11) Final day for Third Reading and passage of
10 Senate bills, except appropriation bills.
11 (12) Final day for consideration of joint action
12 motions and conference committee reports.
13 The Speaker may schedule or reschedule any necessary
14 deadlines for legislative action during any special session
15 of the House. The Speaker may establish a Weekly Order of
16 Business or a Daily Order of Business setting forth the date
17 and approximate time at which specific legislative measures
18 may be considered by the House. The Weekly Order of Business
19 or Daily Order of Business is effective upon being filed by
20 the Speaker with the Clerk and takes the place of the
21 standing order of business for the amount of time necessary
22 for its completion. Nothing in this Rule, however, limits
23 the Speaker's or Presiding Officer's powers under Rule
24 4(c)(3) or Rule 43(a).
25 (d) The foregoing deadlines, or any revisions to those
26 deadlines, are effective upon being filed by the Speaker with
27 the Clerk. The Clerk shall journalize those deadlines.
28 (e) This Rule may be suspended only by the affirmative
29 vote of 71 members elected.
30 II. COMMITTEES
31 10. Committees.
32 (a) The committees of the House are: (i) the standing
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1 committees listed in Rule 11; (ii) the special committees
2 created under Rule 13; (iii) subcommittees created by
3 standing committees or by special committees; (iv) the Rules
4 Committee created under Rule 15; (v) the Committee on
5 Conflicts of Interest created under Rule 71; (vi) the
6 Election Contest or Qualifications Challenge Committees, if
7 any, created under Article X; and (vii) any committees
8 created under Article XII. Subcommittees may not create
9 subcommittees.
10 (b) Except as otherwise provided in this Rule, all
11 committees, except special committees created under Rule 13,
12 shall have a Chairperson and Minority Spokesperson, who may
13 be of the same political party. Special committees created
14 under Rule 13 that have Co-Chairpersons from different
15 political parties shall not have a Minority Spokesperson.
16 Each committee may have a Vice-Chairperson appointed by the
17 Speaker. Committees of the Whole shall consist of all
18 Representatives. The number of majority caucus members and
19 minority caucus members of all committees, except the Rules
20 Committee created under Rule 15, the Committee on Conflicts
21 of Interest created under Rule 71, and any committees that
22 may be created under Article XII, shall be determined by the
23 Speaker. The Speaker shall file a notice with the Clerk
24 setting forth the number of majority caucus and minority
25 caucus members of each committee, which shall be journalized.
26 A member may be temporarily replaced on a committee due to
27 illness or if the member is otherwise unavailable. All
28 leaders are non-voting ex-officio members of each standing
29 committee and each special committee, except that the leaders
30 may also be appointed to standing committees or special
31 committees as voting members. The Speaker may also appoint
32 any member of the majority caucus, and the Minority Leader
33 may appoint any member of the minority caucus, as a
34 non-voting ex-officio member of any standing committee or
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1 special committee.
2 (c) The Chairperson of a committee has the authority to
3 call the committee to order, designate the order in which
4 bills and resolutions posted for hearing shall be taken up,
5 order a record vote to be taken on each legislative measure
6 called for a vote, preserve order and decorum during
7 committee meetings, establish procedural rules (subject to
8 approval by the Speaker) governing the presentation and
9 consideration of legislative measures, and generally
10 supervise the affairs of the committee. The Vice-Chairperson
11 of a committee or other member of the committee from the
12 majority caucus may preside over its meetings in the absence
13 or at the direction of the Chairperson. In the case of
14 special committees with Co-Chairpersons from different
15 political parties, the "Chairperson" for purposes of this
16 Rule is the Co-Chairperson from the majority caucus.
17 (d) A vacancy on a committee, or in the position of
18 Chairperson, Co-Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, or Minority
19 Spokesperson on a committee, exists when a member resigns
20 from the position or ceases to be a Representative.
21 Resignations shall be made in writing to the Clerk, who shall
22 promptly notify the Speaker and Minority Leader. Absent
23 concurrence by a majority of those elected, except as
24 otherwise provided in Rule 15 and except in connection with
25 temporary replacements under Rule 10(b), no member who
26 resigns from a committee shall be re-appointed to that
27 committee for the remainder of the term. Replacement members
28 shall be of the same political party as that of the member
29 who resigns, and shall be appointed in the same manner as the
30 original appointment, except that in the case of the
31 resignation of a Chairperson or Co-Chairperson, the
32 replacement member need not be from the same political party.
33 In the case of vacancies on subcommittees that were created
34 by committees, the parent committee shall fill the vacancy in
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1 the same manner as the original appointment.
2 (e) The Chairperson of a committee has the authority to
3 call meetings of that committee, subject to the approval of
4 the Speaker. In the case of special committees with
5 Co-Chairpersons from different political parties, the
6 Co-Chairperson from the majority caucus has the authority to
7 call meetings of the special committee, subject to the
8 approval of the Speaker. Except as otherwise provided by
9 these Rules, committee meetings shall be convened in
10 accordance with Rule 21.
11 (f) This Rule may be suspended only by the affirmative
12 vote of 71 members elected.
13 11. Standing Committees. The Standing Committees of the
14 House are as follows:
15 AGING
16 AGRICULTURE & CONSERVATION
17 APPROPRIATIONS - EDUCATION
18 APPROPRIATIONS - GENERAL SERVICES & GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT
19 APPROPRIATIONS - HUMAN SERVICES
20 APPROPRIATIONS - PUBLIC SAFETY
21 CITIES & VILLAGES
22 CONSUMER PROTECTION
23 LABOR & COMMERCE
24 REGISTRATION & REGULATION
25 COUNTIES & TOWNSHIPS
26 ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION
27 ELECTION REFORM
28 ENVIRONMENT & ENERGY
29 EXECUTIVE
30 FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
31 HUMAN SERVICES
32 HEALTH CARE AVAILABILITY & ACCESS
33 HIGHER EDUCATION
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1 INSURANCE
2 JUDICIARY I - CIVIL LAW
3 JUDICIARY II - CRIMINAL LAW
4 PERSONNEL & PENSIONS
5 PUBLIC UTILITIES
6 REVENUE
7 STATE GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION
8 TRANSPORTATION & MOTOR VEHICLES
9 VETERANS AFFAIRS
10 12. Members and Officers of Standing Committees. The
11 members of each standing committee shall be appointed for the
12 term by the Speaker and the Minority Leader. The Speaker
13 shall appoint the Chairperson (from either the majority or
14 minority caucus) and the remaining standing committee members
15 of the majority caucus (one of whom the Speaker may designate
16 as Vice-Chairperson), and the Minority Leader shall appoint
17 the remaining standing committee members of the minority
18 caucus (one of whom the Minority Leader may designate as
19 Minority Spokesperson). Appointments are effective upon the
20 delivery of appropriate correspondence from the respective
21 leader to the Clerk, regardless of whether the House is in
22 session. The Clerk shall journalize the appointments.
23 Committees may conduct business when a majority of the total
24 number of committee members has been appointed.
25 13. Special Committees.
26 (a) A Special Committee on Prison Management Reform and
27 a Special Committee on Electrical Utility Deregulation are
28 created. The Speaker may create additional special committees
29 by filing a notice of the creation of the special committee
30 with the Clerk. The notice creating an additional special
31 committee shall specify the subject matter of the special
32 committee and the number of members to be appointed.
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1 (b) The Speaker shall determine the number of majority
2 and minority caucus members to be appointed to special
3 committees in accordance with Rule 10(b). The Speaker, at
4 his or her discretion, shall appoint a Chairperson or
5 Co-Chairpersons. The Speaker may appoint any member as a
6 Chairperson or Co-Chairperson of a special committee. If the
7 Chairperson or Co-Chairperson is a member of the majority or
8 minority leadership or the Chairperson or Minority
9 Spokesperson of a standing committee, the member shall
10 receive no additional stipend or compensation for serving as
11 Chairperson or Co-Chairperson of the special committee. The
12 appointed members of special committees shall be designated
13 by the Speaker and the Minority Leader in a like manner as
14 provided in Rule 12 with respect to standing committees,
15 except that if the special committee has Co-Chairpersons from
16 different political parties, the special committee shall not
17 have a Minority Spokesperson. In that case, the Minority
18 Leader shall appoint the minority caucus members to the
19 special committee, except the Co-Chairperson from the
20 minority caucus who shall be appointed by the Speaker. The
21 Speaker may establish a reporting date during the term for
22 each special committee by filing a notice of the reporting
23 date with the Clerk. Unless an earlier date is specified by
24 the notice, special committees expire at the end of the term.
25 (c) Special committees are empowered to conduct business
26 when a majority of the total number of committee members has
27 been appointed.
28 (d) This Rule may be suspended only by the affirmative
29 vote of 71 members elected.
30 14. Subcommittees.
31 (a) The Chairperson of a standing committee or a special
32 committee may create a subcommittee by filing a notice with
33 the committee clerk. The number of majority caucus and
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1 minority caucus members to be appointed to a subcommittee
2 shall be determined by the Committee Chairperson, and filed
3 with the committee clerk. In the case of special committees
4 with Co-Chairpersons from different political parties, the
5 creation of subcommittees and the number of majority caucus
6 and minority caucus members to be appointed to the
7 subcommittee shall be determined by the Co-Chairperson from
8 the majority caucus. Members of subcommittees must be members
9 of the creating committee, and shall be appointed in the
10 manner determined by the committee Chairperson, or in the
11 case of special committees with Co-Chairpersons from
12 different political parties, by the Co-Chairperson from the
13 majority caucus.
14 (b) The notice creating a subcommittee shall specify the
15 subject matter of the subcommittee and the number of members
16 to be appointed, and may specify a reporting date during the
17 term. Unless an earlier date is specified by the notice,
18 subcommittees expire at the end of the term.
19 (c) This Rule may be suspended only by the affirmative
20 vote of 71 members elected.
21 15. Rules Committee.
22 (a) The Rules Committee is created as a permanent
23 committee. The Rules Committee shall consist of 5 members, 3
24 appointed by the Speaker and 2 appointed by the Minority
25 Leader. The Speaker and the Minority Leader are each
26 eligible to be appointed to the Rules Committee. The Rules
27 Committee may conduct business when a majority of the total
28 number of its members has been appointed.
29 (b) The majority caucus members of the Rules Committee
30 shall serve at the pleasure of the Speaker, and the minority
31 caucus members shall serve at the pleasure of the Minority
32 Leader. Appointments shall be by notice filed with the
33 Clerk, and shall be effective for the balance of the term or
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1 until a replacement appointment is made, whichever first
2 occurs. Appointments take effect upon filing with the Clerk,
3 regardless of whether the House is in session.
4 Notwithstanding any other provision of these Rules, any
5 Representative who is replaced on the Rules Committee may be
6 re-appointed to the Rules Committee without concurrence of
7 the House.
8 (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of these Rules,
9 the Rules Committee may meet upon reasonable public notice
10 that includes a statement of the subjects to be considered.
11 All legislative measures pending before the Rules Committee
12 are eligible for consideration at any of its meetings, and
13 all of those legislative measures are deemed posted for
14 hearing by the Rules Committee for all of its meetings.
15 (d) Upon concurrence of a majority of those appointed,
16 the Rules Committee may advance any legislative measure
17 pending before it to the House, without referral to another
18 committee; the Rules Committee, however, shall not so report
19 any bill that has never been before a standing committee or a
20 special committee of the House.
21 (e) This Rule may be suspended only by the affirmative
22 vote of 71 members elected.
23 16. Referrals of Resolutions and Reorganization Orders.
24 (a) All resolutions, except adjournment resolutions and
25 resolutions considered under subsection (b) or (c) of this
26 Rule, after being initially read by the Clerk, are
27 automatically referred to the Rules Committee, which may
28 thereafter refer any resolution before it to the House or to
29 a standing committee or special committee. No resolution,
30 except adjournment resolutions and resolutions considered
31 under subsection (b) or (c) of this Rule, may be considered
32 by the House unless referred to the House by the Rules
33 Committee under Rule 18, or by a standing committee or
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1 special committee. An adjournment resolution is subject to
2 Rule 66.
3 (b) Any member may file a congratulatory resolution for
4 consideration by the House. The Principal Sponsor of each
5 congratulatory resolution shall pay a reasonable fee,
6 determined by the Clerk with the approval of the Speaker, to
7 offset the actual cost of producing the congratulatory
8 resolution. The fee may be paid from the office allowance
9 provided by Section 4 of the General Assembly Compensation
10 Act, or from any other funds available to the member. Upon
11 agreement of the Speaker and the Minority Leader,
12 congratulatory resolutions may be immediately considered and
13 adopted by the House without referral to the Rules Committee.
14 Those resolutions may be adopted as a group by a single
15 motion. Congratulatory resolutions shall be entered on the
16 Journal only by number, sponsorship, and subject. The
17 provisions of this subsection requiring the Principal Sponsor
18 to pay a reasonable fee may not be suspended.
19 (c) Death resolutions in memory of former members of the
20 General Assembly and former constitutional officers, upon
21 introduction, may be immediately considered by the House
22 without referral to the Rules Committee. Those resolutions
23 shall be entered on the Journal in full.
24 (d) Executive reorganization orders of the Governor
25 issued under Article V, Sec. 11 of the Constitution, upon
26 being read into the record by the Clerk, are automatically
27 referred to the Rules Committee for its referral to a
28 standing committee or a special committee, which may issue a
29 recommendation to the House with respect to the Executive
30 Order. The House may disapprove of an Executive Order only by
31 resolution adopted by a majority of those elected; no such
32 resolution is in order until a standing committee or a
33 special committee has reported to the House on the executive
34 reorganization, or until the Executive Order has been
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1 discharged under Rule 58.
2 17. Sponsorship by the Rules Committee. The Rules
3 Committee may consider any legislative measure referred to it
4 under these Rules, by motion or resolution, or by order of
5 the Presiding Officer upon initial reading. The Rules
6 Committee may, with the concurrence of a majority of those
7 appointed, sponsor motions or resolutions; notwithstanding
8 any other provision of these Rules, any motion or resolution
9 sponsored by the Rules Committee may be immediately
10 considered by the House without referral to a committee. Any
11 such motion or resolution shall be assigned standard debate
12 status, subject to Rule 52.
13 18. Referrals to Committees.
14 (a) All House Bills and Senate Bills, after being
15 initially read by the Clerk, are automatically referred to
16 the Rules Committee.
17 (b) During odd-numbered years, the Rules Committee shall
18 thereafter refer any such bill before it to a standing
19 committee or a special committee within 3 legislative days.
20 During even-numbered years, the Rules Committee shall refer
21 to a standing committee or a special committee only
22 appropriation bills implementing the budget and bills deemed
23 by the Rules Committee, by the affirmative vote of a majority
24 appointed, to be of an emergency nature or to be of
25 substantial importance to the operation of government. This
26 subsection (b) applies equally to House Bills and Senate
27 Bills introduced into or received by the House.
28 (c) A standing committee or a special committee may
29 refer a subject matter or a legislative measure pending in
30 that committee to a subcommittee of that committee.
31 (d) All legislative measures favorably reported by a
32 standing committee or a special committee, or discharged from
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1 a standing committee or a special committee under Rule 58,
2 shall be referred to the House and placed on the appropriate
3 order of business, which shall appear on the daily calendar.
4 All legislative measures, except bills or resolutions on the
5 Consent Calendar, bills or resolutions assigned short debate
6 status by a standing committee or special committee, and
7 floor amendments, so referred are automatically assigned
8 standard debate status, subject to Rule 52.
9 (e) All floor amendments, joint action motions for final
10 action, and conference committee reports, upon filing with
11 the Clerk, are automatically referred to the Rules Committee.
12 The Rules Committee may refer any floor amendment, joint
13 action motion for final action, or conference committee
14 report to the House or to a standing committee or a special
15 committee for its review and consideration (in those
16 instances, and notwithstanding any other provision of these
17 Rules, the standing committee or special committee may hold a
18 hearing on and consider those legislative measures pursuant
19 to a one-hour advance notice). Any floor amendment, joint
20 action motion for final action, or conference committee
21 report that is not referred to the House by the Rules
22 Committee is out of order, except that any floor amendment,
23 joint action motion for final action, or conference committee
24 report favorably approved by a standing committee or a
25 special committee is deemed referred to the House by the
26 Rules Committee for purposes of this Rule. All joint action
27 motions for final action and conference committee reports so
28 referred are automatically assigned standard debate status,
29 subject to Rule 52. Floor amendments referred to the House
30 under this Rule are automatically assigned amendment debate
31 status.
32 (f) The Rules Committee may at any time refer or
33 re-refer a legislative measure from a committee to a
34 Committee of the Whole or to any other committee.
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1 (g) Legislative measures may be discharged from the
2 Rules Committee only by unanimous consent of the House. Any
3 bill discharged from the Rules Committee shall be placed on
4 the order of Second Reading and assigned standard debate
5 status, subject to Rule 52.
6 (h) Except for those provisions that require unanimous
7 consent, this Rule may be suspended only by the affirmative
8 vote of 71 members elected.
9 19. Re-Referrals to the Rules Committee.
10 (a) All legislative measures that fail to meet the
11 applicable deadline established under Rule 9 for reporting to
12 the House by a standing committee or a special committee, for
13 Third Reading and passage, or for consideration of joint
14 action motions and conference committee reports are
15 automatically re-referred to the Rules Committee unless: (i)
16 the deadline has been suspended or revised by the Speaker,
17 with re-referral to the Rules Committee to occur if the bill
18 has not been reported to the House in accordance with a
19 revised deadline; or (ii) the Rules Committee has issued a
20 written exception to the Clerk with respect to a particular
21 bill before the reporting deadline, with re-referral to
22 occur, if at all, in accordance with the written exception.
23 (b) All legislative measures pending before the House or
24 any of its committees are automatically re-referred to the
25 Rules Committee on the 31st consecutive day that the House
26 has not convened for session unless: (i) any deadline
27 applicable to the bill or resolution that has been designated
28 by the Speaker under Rule 9 exceeds 31 days, with re-referral
29 to occur, if at all, in accordance with that deadline; (ii)
30 this Rule is suspended under Rule 67; or (iii) the Rules
31 Committee, by the affirmative vote of a majority appointed,
32 issues a written exception to the Clerk before that 31st day.
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1 20. Reporting by Committees. Committees shall report to
2 the House, and subcommittees shall report to their parent
3 committees.
4 21. Notice.
5 (a) Except as provided in Rule 18 or unless this Rule is
6 suspended under Rule 67, no standing committee or special
7 committee may consider or conduct a hearing with respect to a
8 legislative measure absent notice first being given as
9 follows:
10 (1) The Chairperson of the committee, or the
11 Co-Chairperson from the majority caucus of a special
12 committee, shall, no later than 6 days before any
13 proposed hearing, post a notice on the House bulletin
14 board identifying each legislative measure, other than a
15 committee amendment upon initial consideration under Rule
16 40, that may be considered during that hearing. The
17 notice shall contain the day, hour, and place of the
18 hearing.
19 (2) Meetings of the Rules Committee may be called
20 under Rule 15; meetings of the standing committees and
21 special committees to consider floor amendments, joint
22 action motions for final consideration, and conference
23 committee reports may be called under Rule 18.
24 (3) The Chairperson, or Co-Chairperson from the
25 majority caucus of a special committee, shall, in advance
26 of a committee hearing, notify all Principal Sponsors of
27 legislative measures posted for that hearing of the date,
28 time, and place of hearing. When practical, the Clerk
29 shall include a notice of all scheduled hearings,
30 together with all posted bills and resolutions, in the
31 Daily Calendar of the House. Regardless of whether a
32 particular legislative measure or subject matter has been
33 posted for hearing, it is in order for a committee during
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1 any of its meetings to refer a subject matter or
2 legislative measure pending before it to a subcommittee
3 of that committee.
4 (b) Other than the Rules Committee, no committee may
5 meet during any session of the House, and no commission
6 created by Illinois law that has legislative membership may
7 meet during any session of the House.
8 (c) Regardless of whether notice has been previously
9 given, it is always in order for a committee to table any
10 legislative measure pending before it when the Principal
11 Sponsor so requests.
12 (d) This Rule may be suspended only by the affirmative
13 vote of 71 members elected.
14 22. Committee Procedure.
15 (a) A committee may consider any legislative measure
16 referred to it and may make with respect to that legislative
17 measure one of the following reports to the House or to the
18 parent committee, as appropriate:
19 (1) that the bill "do pass";
20 (2) that the bill "do not pass";
21 (3) that the bill "do pass as amended";
22 (4) that the bill "do not pass as amended";
23 (5) that the resolution "be adopted";
24 (6) that the resolution "be not adopted";
25 (7) that the resolution "be adopted as amended";
26 (8) that the resolution "be not adopted as
27 amended";
28 (9) that the floor amendment, joint action motion,
29 or conference committee report referred by the Rules
30 Committee "be adopted";
31 (10) that the floor amendment, joint action motion,
32 or conference committee report referred by the Rules
33 Committee "be not adopted";
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1 (11) "without recommendation"; or
2 (12) "tabled".
3 Any of the foregoing reports may be made only upon the
4 concurrence of a majority of those appointed. All
5 legislative measures reported "do pass", "do pass as
6 amended", "be adopted", or "be adopted as amended" are
7 favorably reported to the House. Except as otherwise provided
8 by these Rules, any legislative measure referred or
9 re-referred to a committee and not reported under this Rule
10 shall remain in that committee.
11 (b) No bill that provides for an appropriation of money
12 from the State Treasury may be considered for passage by the
13 House unless it has first been favorably reported by an
14 Appropriations Committee or:
15 (1) the bill was discharged from an Appropriations
16 Committee under Rule 58;
17 (2) the bill was exempted from this requirement by
18 a majority of those appointed to the Rules Committee; or
19 (3) this Rule was suspended under Rule 67.
20 (c) The Chairperson of each committee, or Co-Chairperson
21 from the majority caucus of a special committee, shall keep,
22 or cause to be kept, a record in which there shall be
23 entered:
24 (1) The time and place of each meeting of the
25 committee.
26 (2) The attendance of committee members at each
27 meeting.
28 (3) The votes cast by the committee members on all
29 legislative measures acted on by the committee.
30 (4) The "Record of Committee Witness" forms
31 executed by each person appearing or registering in each
32 committee meeting, which shall include identification of
33 the witness, the person, group, or firm represented by
34 appearance and the capacity in which the representation
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1 is made (if the person is representing someone other than
2 himself or herself), his or her position on the
3 legislation under consideration, and the nature of his or
4 her desired testimony.
5 (5) A tape recording of the proceedings.
6 (6) Such additional information as may be requested
7 by the Clerk.
8 (d) The committee Chairperson, or the Co-Chairperson
9 from the majority caucus of a special committee, shall file
10 with the Clerk, along with every bill or resolution reported
11 upon, a written report containing such information as
12 required by the Clerk. The Clerk may adopt forms, policies,
13 and procedures with respect to the preparation, filing, and
14 maintenance of the reports.
15 (e) When a committee fails to report a legislative
16 measure pending before it to the House, or when a committee
17 fails to hold a public hearing on a legislative measure
18 pending before it, the exclusive means to bring that
19 legislative measure directly before the House for its
20 consideration is as provided in Rule 18 or Rule 58.
21 (f) No bill or resolution may be called for a vote in a
22 standing committee or special committee in the absence of the
23 Principal Sponsor. The Chairperson of a committee or a chief
24 co-sponsor may present a bill or resolution in committee with
25 the approval of the Principal Sponsor when the committee
26 consents. In the case of special committees with
27 Co-Chairpersons from different political parties, the
28 "Chairperson" means the Co-Chairperson from the majority
29 caucus. This subsection may not be suspended.
30 (g) No bill or resolution may be voted on more than
31 twice in any committee on motions to report the bill or
32 resolution favorably, or to reconsider the vote by which the
33 committee adopted a motion to report the bill or resolution
34 unfavorably. A bill or resolution having failed to receive a
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1 favorable recommendation after 2 such record votes shall be
2 automatically reported with the appropriate unfavorable
3 recommendation.
4 (h) A bill or resolution shall be given short debate
5 status by report of the committee if the bill or resolution
6 was favorably reported by a three-fifths vote of the members
7 present. Bills and resolutions receiving favorable reports
8 may be placed upon the Consent Calendar as provided in Rule
9 42.
10 (i) This Rule may be suspended only by the affirmative
11 vote of 71 members elected.
12 23. Witnesses and Subpoenae.
13 (a) Standing committees may compel, by subpoena, any
14 person to appear and give testimony as a witness before the
15 standing committee and produce papers, documents, and other
16 materials relating to a legislative measure pending before
17 the standing committee.
18 (b) Special committees may compel, by subpoena, any
19 person to appear and give testimony before the special
20 committee and produce papers, documents, and other materials
21 relating to the subject matter for which the special
22 committee was created or relating to a legislative measure
23 pending before the special committee.
24 (c) Subpoenae issued under this Rule must be issued and
25 signed by the Chairperson of the committee and must comply
26 with Rule 4(c)(9). In the case of special committees with
27 Co-Chairpersons from different political parties, the term
28 "Chairperson" for purposes of this Rule means the
29 Co-Chairperson from the majority caucus.
30 (d) This Rule may be suspended only by the affirmative
31 vote of 71 members elected.
32 24. Committee Reports.
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1 (a) All bills favorably reported to the House from a
2 committee, or with respect to which a committee has been
3 discharged, shall be reported to the House and shall be
4 placed on the order of Second Reading and assigned standard
5 debate status, subject to Rule 52. Bills reported to the
6 House from committee "do not pass", "do not pass as amended",
7 "without recommendation", or "tabled" shall lie on the table.
8 (b) All floor amendments, joint action motions for final
9 action, and conference committee reports favorably reported
10 from a standing committee or special committee shall be
11 referred to the House and eligible for consideration when the
12 House is on an appropriate order of business. Amendments to
13 bills that are not on the order of Second Reading are out of
14 order. All floor amendments, joint action motions for final
15 action, and conference committee reports that are reported to
16 the House from committee "be not adopted", "without
17 recommendation", or "tabled" shall lie on the table. When the
18 Rules Committee refers a floor amendment, joint action motion
19 for final action, or conference committee report to a
20 standing committee or a special committee that thereafter
21 favorably reports that legislative measure to the House, the
22 legislative measure shall be referred to the House, assigned
23 standard debate status subject to Rule 52 (except floor
24 amendments, which shall be assigned amendment debate status),
25 and eligible for consideration when the House is on an
26 appropriate order of business.
27 (c) All resolutions favorably reported to the House from
28 the Rules Committee, a standing committee, or a special
29 committee, or with respect to which the committee has been
30 discharged, shall be referred to the House and placed on the
31 order of Resolutions and assigned standard debate status,
32 subject to Rule 52. All resolutions that are reported to the
33 House from committee "be not adopted", "be not adopted as
34 amended", "without recommendation", or "tabled" shall lie on
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1 the table. Floor amendments to resolutions are subject to
2 the same procedure applicable to floor amendments to bills.
3 25. Suspension of Posting Requirements.
4 (a) A motion to suspend the posting requirements of Rule
5 21 must be in writing, specifying the committee and the bills
6 or resolutions to which the motion applies, be carried on the
7 calendar before it may be taken up by the House, and adopted
8 by the affirmative vote of 60 members elected. The calendar
9 requirements of this Rule may be suspended only by unanimous
10 consent. The requirement that the motion be in writing may
11 not be suspended.
12 (b) Except for those provisions that may not be
13 suspended or that require unanimous consent, this Rule may be
14 suspended only by the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
15 26. Rights of the Public.
16 (a) If a bill or resolution has been properly set for
17 hearing and witnesses are present and wish to testify, the
18 committee shall hear the witnesses at the scheduled time and
19 place.
20 (b) Any person wishing to offer testimony to a committee
21 hearing of a bill or resolution shall be given a reasonable
22 opportunity to do so, orally or in writing. The Chairperson
23 may set time limits for presentation of oral testimony. No
24 testimony in writing is required of any witness, but any
25 witness may submit a statement in writing for the committee
26 record. All persons offering testimony shall complete a
27 "Record of Committee Witness" form and submit it to the
28 committee clerk before testifying. In the case of special
29 committees with Co-Chairpersons from different political
30 parties, the "Chairperson" means the Co-Chairperson from the
31 majority caucus.
32 (c) A motion to foreclose further oral testimony by
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1 witnesses on a matter before a committee may be adopted only
2 by a three-fifths majority of those voting on the motion. No
3 such motion is in order until both proponents and opponents
4 requesting to be heard have been given a fair and substantial
5 opportunity to express their positions. No one shall be
6 prohibited from filing for the record "Record of Committee
7 Witness" forms or written statements while the matter is
8 before the committee.
9 (d) Meetings of committees and subcommittees shall be
10 open to the public. Committee meetings of the House may be
11 closed to the public if two-thirds of the members elected to
12 the House determine, by a record vote, that the public
13 interest so requires.
14 (e) This Rule cannot be suspended retroactively.
15 27. Smoking. Smoking is prohibited at any official
16 committee hearing, and no committee member, staff member, or
17 member of the public is permitted to smoke in the room in
18 which the hearing is being held.
19 ARTICLE III
20 CONDUCT OF BUSINESS
21 28. Sessions of the House.
22 (a) The House is in session whenever it convenes in
23 perfunctory session, regular session, veto session, or
24 special session. Members are entitled to per diem expense
25 reimbursements only on those regular, veto, and special
26 session days that they are in attendance at the House.
27 Attendance by members is not required or recorded on
28 perfunctory session days.
29 (b) Regular and veto session days shall be scheduled
30 with notice by the Speaker under Rule 9. Special session days
31 shall be scheduled in accordance with the Constitution and
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1 laws of Illinois.
2 (c) The Speaker may schedule perfunctory session days
3 during which the Clerk may read into the House record any
4 legislative measure. Committees may meet and may consider and
5 act upon legislative measures during a perfunctory session
6 day, and the Clerk may receive and read committee reports
7 into the House record during a perfunctory day. Except for
8 automatic referral under these Rules, no further action may
9 be taken by the House with respect to a legislative measure
10 during a perfunctory session day.
11 29. Hour of Meeting. Unless otherwise ordered by the
12 Speaker or Presiding Officer or as provided in Rule 1, the
13 House shall regularly convene at 12:30 p.m. on the first day
14 of each week that the House convenes in regular, veto, or
15 special session and shall convene at noon on all other days.
16 30. Access to the House Floor.
17 (a) Except as otherwise provided in these Rules, only
18 the following persons shall be admitted to the House while it
19 is in session: members and officers of the General Assembly;
20 elected officers of the executive branch; justices of the
21 Supreme Court; the designated aide to the Governor, except as
22 limited by the Speaker; the parliamentarian; majority staff
23 members and minority staff members, except as limited by the
24 Speaker or Presiding Officer; former members, except as
25 limited by the Speaker or prohibited under subsection (d);
26 and employees of the Legislative Reference Bureau, except as
27 limited by the Speaker. Representatives of the press, while
28 the House is in session, may have access to the galleries and
29 places allotted to them by the Speaker. No person is
30 entitled to the floor unless appropriately attired. Only
31 members of the General Assembly may use telephones at the
32 members' desks or in the telephone booths at the rear of the
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1 House Chamber. Smoking is prohibited on the floor of the
2 House and in the House galleries.
3 (b) On days during which the House is in session, the
4 Doorkeeper shall clear the floor of all persons not entitled
5 to access to the floor 15 minutes before the convening time,
6 and the Doorkeeper shall enforce all other provisions of this
7 Rule.
8 (c) The Speaker may authorize the admission to the floor
9 of any other person, except as prohibited under subsection
10 (d).
11 (d) No person who is directly or indirectly interested
12 in defeating or promoting any pending legislative measure, if
13 required to be registered as a lobbyist, shall be allowed
14 access to the floor of the House at any time during the
15 session.
16 (e) When he or she deems it necessary for the
17 preservation of order, the Presiding Officer may by order
18 remove any person from the floor of the House. A
19 Representative may be removed from the floor only under
20 Article XI or XII of these Rules.
21 31. Standing Order of Business. Unless otherwise
22 determined by the Presiding Officer, the standing daily order
23 of business of the House is as follows:
24 (1) Call to Order, Invocation, Pledge of
25 Allegiance, and Roll Call.
26 (2) Approval of the Journal.
27 (3) Reading of House Bills a first time.
28 (4) Reports from committees, with reports from the
29 Rules Committee ordinarily made at any time.
30 (5) Presentation of Resolutions, Petitions, and
31 Messages.
32 (6) Introduction of House Bills.
33 (7) Messages from the Senate, not including reading
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1 Senate Bills a first time.
2 (8) Reading of House Bills a second time.
3 (9) Reading of House Bills a third time.
4 (10) Reading of Senate Bills a third time.
5 (11) Reading of Senate Bills a second time.
6 (12) Reading of Senate Bills a first time.
7 (13) House Bills on the Order of Concurrence.
8 (14) Senate Bills on the Order of Non-Concurrence.
9 (15) Conference Committee Reports.
10 (16) Motions in Writing.
11 (17) Constitutional Amendment Resolutions.
12 (18) Motions with respect to Vetoes.
13 (19) Consideration of Resolutions.
14 (20) Motions to Discharge Committee.
15 (21) Motions to Take from the Table.
16 (22) Motions to Suspend the Rules.
17 (23) Consideration of Bills on the Order of
18 Postponed Consideration.
19 32. Quorum.
20 (a) A majority of those elected constitutes a quorum of
21 the House, and a majority of those appointed constitutes a
22 quorum of a committee, but a smaller number may adjourn from
23 day to day, or recess for less than one day, and compel the
24 attendance of absent members. The attendance of absent
25 members may also be compelled by order of the Speaker.
26 (b) The question of the presence of a quorum in any
27 committee may not be raised on consideration of a legislative
28 measure by the House unless the same question was previously
29 raised before the committee with respect to that legislative
30 measure.
31 33. Approval of the Journal. The Speaker or his or her
32 designee shall periodically examine and report to the House
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1 any corrections he or she deems should be made in the Journal
2 before it is approved. If those corrections are approved by
3 the House, they shall be made by the Clerk.
4 34. Executive Sessions. The sessions of the House shall
5 be open to the public. Sessions and committee meetings of
6 the House may be closed to the public if two-thirds of the
7 members elected determine, by a record vote, that the public
8 interest so requires.
9 35. Length of Adjournment. The House, without the
10 consent of the Senate, shall not adjourn for more than 3 days
11 or to a place other than where the 2 chambers of the General
12 Assembly are sitting. The House is in session on any day in
13 which it convenes in perfunctory session, regular session,
14 veto session, or special session.
15 36. Transcript of the House. Nothing contained in the
16 official transcript of the House shall be changed or expunged
17 except by written request of a Representative to the Clerk
18 and Speaker, and that request may be approved only by the
19 record vote of 71 members elected.
20 ARTICLE IV
21 BILLS AND AMENDMENTS
22 37. Bills.
23 (a) A bill may be introduced in the House by sponsorship
24 of one or more members of the House, whose names shall be on
25 the reproduced copies of the bills, in the House Journal, and
26 in the Legislative Digest. The Principal Sponsor shall be the
27 first name to appear on the bill and may be joined by no more
28 than 4 chief co-sponsors with the approval of the Principal
29 Sponsor; other co-sponsors shall be separated from the
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1 Principal Sponsor and any chief co-sponsors by a comma. The
2 Principal Sponsor may change the sponsorship of a bill to
3 that of one or more other Representatives, or to that of the
4 standing committee or special committee to which the bill was
5 referred or from which the bill was reported. Such change
6 may be made at any time the bill is pending before the House
7 or any of its committees by filing a notice with the Clerk.
8 This subsection may not be suspended.
9 (b) The Principal Sponsor of a bill controls that bill.
10 A standing committee-sponsored bill is controlled by the
11 Chairperson of the committee, who for purposes of these Rules
12 is deemed the Principal Sponsor. A special
13 committee-sponsored bill is controlled by the Chairperson, or
14 if Co-Chairpersons have been appointed, by the Co-Chairperson
15 from the majority caucus, who for purposes of these Rules is
16 deemed the Principal Sponsor. Committee-sponsored bills may
17 not have individual co-sponsors.
18 (c) The Senate sponsor of a bill originating in the
19 Senate may request substitute House sponsorship of that bill
20 by filing a notice with the Clerk; such a notice is
21 automatically referred to the Rules Committee and deemed
22 adopted if approved by the Rules Committee. If disapproved
23 by the Rules Committee, the notice shall lie on the table. If
24 the Rules Committee fails to act on a notice, that notice may
25 be discharged by unanimous consent.
26 (d) All bills introduced in the House shall be read by
27 title a first time, ordered reproduced, and automatically
28 referred to the Rules Committee in accordance with Rule 18.
29 When a Senate Bill is received, it shall be read by title,
30 ordered reproduced, and placed on the order of Senate Bills
31 on first reading; after being read a first time, it is
32 automatically referred to the Rules Committee in accordance
33 with Rule 18.
34 (e) All bills introduced into the House shall be
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1 accompanied by 9 copies. Any bill that amends a statute
2 shall indicate the particular changes in the following
3 manner:
4 (1) All new matter shall be underscored.
5 (2) All matter that is to be omitted or superseded
6 shall be shown crossed with a line.
7 (f) No bill shall be passed by the House except on a
8 record vote of a majority of those elected. A bill that has
9 lost and has not been reconsidered may not thereafter be
10 revived.
11 38. Reading and Reproduction of Bills. Every bill shall
12 be read by title on 3 different days before passage by the
13 House, and the bill and all amendments adopted to it shall be
14 reproduced, under Rule 39, before the vote is taken on its
15 final passage.
16 39. Reproduction and Distribution. The Clerk shall, as
17 soon as any bill is reproduced, cause the bill to be placed
18 upon the desks of the members. Reproduction and distribution
19 may be done electronically, or the Clerk may establish a
20 method that any member may use to secure a copy of any bill.
21 40. Amendments.
22 (a) An amendment to a bill may be adopted by a standing
23 committee or special committee when the bill is before that
24 committee. An amendment to a bill may be adopted by the House
25 when a bill is on the order of Second Reading if: (i) the
26 Rules Committee has referred the floor amendment to the House
27 for consideration under Rule 18; or (ii) a standing committee
28 or special committee has referred the floor amendment to the
29 House. All amendments must be in writing. All committee
30 amendments that have been timely filed, as determined by the
31 Chairperson, shall be considered by the committee or a
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1 subcommittee of that committee prior to consideration by the
2 committee of the bill to which the amendment relates. All
3 amendments still pending in a committee upon the passage or
4 defeat of a bill on Third Reading are automatically tabled.
5 (b) Except as otherwise provided in these Rules,
6 committee amendments may be offered only by the Principal
7 Sponsor or a member of the committee while the affected bill
8 is before that committee, and shall be adopted by a majority
9 of those appointed. Floor amendments may be offered only by
10 a Representative while the bill is on the order of Second
11 Reading, subject to Rule 18, and shall be adopted by a
12 majority vote of the House. A committee amendment may be the
13 subject of a motion to "do adopt" or "do not adopt". A
14 committee amendment may be adopted only by a successful
15 motion to "do adopt". The Chairperson of a committee may
16 refer any committee amendment to a subcommittee of that
17 committee.
18 (c) Committee amendments shall be filed with the
19 Chairperson of the committee, and are in order only when
20 sufficient copies have been filed to provide each member of
21 the committee with a copy (which may be done in the same
22 manner as distribution of bills under Rule 39) and 9
23 additional copies for the Chairperson. Floor amendments shall
24 be filed with the Clerk, and are in order only when 9 copies
25 have been filed.
26 (d) The Clerk shall have reproduced all adopted
27 committee amendments that come before the House. The Clerk
28 shall also have reproduced all floor amendments referred to
29 the House by a committee. No floor amendment may be adopted
30 by the House unless it has been reproduced and placed on the
31 members' desks in the same manner as for bills under Rule 39.
32 (e) No floor amendment is in order unless it has been
33 first referred to the House for consideration by the Rules
34 Committee under Rule 18, or by a standing committee or
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1 special committee.
2 (f) Amendments that propose to alter any existing law
3 shall conform to the requirements of Rule 37(e).
4 (g) If a committee reports a bill "do pass as amended",
5 the committee amendments are deemed adopted by the committee
6 action and shall be reproduced and placed on the members'
7 desks (which may be done in the same manner as provided for
8 bills under Rule 39) before the bill may be read a second
9 time.
10 (h) In the case of special committees with
11 Co-Chairpersons from different political parties, the
12 "Chairperson" for the purposes of this Rule is the
13 Co-Chairperson from the majority caucus.
14 41. Fiscal and Other Notes.
15 (a) The House shall comply with all Illinois laws
16 requiring fiscal or other notes. The notes shall be filed
17 with the Clerk, who shall affix each note with a time stamp
18 endorsing the date and time received, and attached to the
19 original of the bill and available for inspection by the
20 members. As soon as practical, the Clerk shall provide a copy
21 of the note to the Legislative Reference Bureau, which shall
22 provide an informative summary of the note in subsequent
23 issues of the Legislative Digest.
24 (b) No bill authorizing or directing the conveyance by
25 the State of any particular interest in real estate to any
26 individual or entity other than a governmental unit or agency
27 may be voted upon in committee or upon Second Reading unless
28 a certified appraisal of the value of the interest has been
29 filed. The appraisal shall be filed with the clerk of the
30 committee to which the bill is assigned, and shall be part of
31 the permanent committee record, unless the bill is advanced
32 without reference to committee, or discharged under Rule 58,
33 in which event the appraisal shall be filed with the Clerk of
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1 the House.
2 42. Consent Calendar.
3 (a) The Clerk shall include a Consent Calendar on the
4 daily calendar and designate it as a separate calendar. The
5 Consent Calendar shall contain 3 orders of business: Consent
6 Calendar - Second Reading, Consent Calendar - Third Reading,
7 and Consent Calendar - Resolutions. Within each order of
8 business, bills or resolutions shall be listed in separate
9 groups according to the number of required days each has been
10 on that order of business on the Consent Calendar. No more
11 than 80 bills and resolutions shall be listed in each group.
12 All bills or resolutions to which amendments have been
13 adopted shall be so designated.
14 (b) No debate is in order regarding any item on the
15 Consent Calendar. The Presiding Officer, however, shall
16 allow a reasonable time for questions from the floor and
17 answers to those questions. No amendment from the floor is
18 in order regarding any bill or resolution on the Consent
19 Calendar.
20 (c) A bill on the Consent Calendar shall stand for 2
21 legislative days on the order of Consent Calendar - Second
22 Reading, and for at least 2 legislative days on the order of
23 Consent Calendar - Third Reading, before a vote on the final
24 passage may be taken. Resolutions on the Consent Calendar
25 shall stand for at least 4 legislative days before a vote on
26 adoption may be taken. One record vote on final passage
27 shall be taken on those bills called for final passage.
28 Immediately before a vote on the bills on the Consent
29 Calendar, the Presiding Officer shall call to the attention
30 of the members the fact that the next legislative action will
31 be the vote on the Consent Calendar.
32 (d) A bill or resolution may be placed on the Consent
33 Calendar by report of a standing committee upon a motion
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1 adopted by a unanimous vote of the members present. For
2 purposes of this subsection (d), a unanimous vote on the
3 motion is a vote with no member voting nay.
4 (e) No bill regarding revenue or appropriations may be
5 placed on the Consent Calendar. No resolution requiring more
6 than 60 affirmative votes for adoption and no bill requiring
7 more than 60 affirmative votes for passage by the House may
8 be placed on the Consent Calendar.
9 (f) The Speaker and the Minority Leader shall each
10 appoint 3 members who may challenge the presence of any bill
11 or resolution on the Consent Calendar. Before a vote on
12 final passage of any item on the Consent Calendar, an item
13 shall be removed from the Consent Calendar if (i) 4 or more
14 members, (ii) the Principal Sponsor of the bill or
15 resolution, or (iii) one or more of the appointed challengers
16 file with the Clerk written objections to the presence of the
17 bill or resolution on the Consent Calendar. Any bill or
18 resolution so removed may not be placed thereafter on the
19 Consent Calendar during that session of the General Assembly,
20 unless the member or members who objected to the presence of
21 the bill or resolution on the Consent Calendar consent in
22 writing to restoration of the bill or resolution on the
23 Consent Calendar.
24 Any bill removed from the Consent Calendar shall stand on
25 the order of Second Reading with short debate status, subject
26 to Rule 52, and any resolution so removed shall stand on the
27 order of Resolutions with short debate status, subject to
28 Rule 52.
29 43. Changing Order of Business.
30 (a) Any order of business may be changed at any time by
31 the Speaker or Presiding Officer.
32 (b) Any order of business may be changed at any time
33 upon the motion of any member, supported by 5 additional
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1 members, if the motion is adopted by an affirmative vote of
2 71 members elected.
3 (c) This Rule may be suspended only by the affirmative
4 vote of 71 members elected.
5 44. Special Orders; Rules Committee.
6 (a) A special order of business may be set by the Rules
7 Committee or by the Speaker. The Principal Sponsor of a bill
8 or resolution must consent to the placement of the bill or
9 resolution on a special order. A special order shall fix the
10 day to which it applies and the matters to be included. The
11 Speaker, or the Rules Committee by a vote of a majority of
12 the members appointed, may establish time limits for a
13 special order and may establish limitations on debate during
14 a special order (notwithstanding Rule 52), in which event the
15 allotted time shall be fairly divided between proponents and
16 opponents of the legislation to be considered. A special
17 order of business takes the place of the standing order for
18 such time as may be necessary for its completion. Only
19 matters that may otherwise properly be before the House may
20 be included in a special order.
21 (b) A special order shall appear on the Daily Calendar
22 for 3 legislative days. This subsection (b) may be
23 suspended only by the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
24 (c) A special order may be suspended, amended, or
25 modified by motion adopted by an affirmative vote of 60
26 members. A special order shall be suspended by a written
27 objection signed by 3 members of the Rules Committee and
28 filed during the first legislative day on which the special
29 order appears on the calendar.
30 ARTICLE V
31 RESOLUTIONS AND CERTIFICATES OF RECOGNITION
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1 45. Resolutions.
2 (a) A resolution may be introduced in the House by
3 sponsorship of one or more members of the House, and the
4 names of all sponsors shall be included in the House Journal
5 and in the Legislative Digest. Each resolution introduced
6 shall be accompanied by 9 copies. Consideration of
7 resolutions shall be governed by Rule 16 and Rule 66.
8 (b) Any resolution calling for the expenditure of State
9 funds may be adopted only by a record vote of a majority of
10 those elected.
11 46. State Constitutional Amendments. All resolutions
12 introduced in the House proposing amendments to the Illinois
13 Constitution shall be reproduced and distributed in the same
14 manner in which bills are reproduced and distributed under
15 Rule 39. Every such resolution that originated in the Senate
16 and is presented to the House shall be ordered reproduced and
17 distributed in like manner. No such resolution may be adopted
18 unless read in full in its final form on 3 different days.
19 Amendments are in order only on First Reading and Second
20 Reading.
21 47. Federal Constitutional Amendments and Constitutional
22 Conventions. The affirmative vote of 71 of the members
23 elected is required to adopt any resolution:
24 (1) requesting Congress to call a federal
25 constitutional convention;
26 (2) ratifying a proposed amendment to the
27 Constitution of the United States; or
28 (3) calling a State convention to ratify a proposed
29 amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
30 48. Certificates of Recognition. Any member may sponsor
31 a certificate of recognition to be signed by the Speaker and
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1 attested by the Clerk to recognize any person, organization,
2 or event worthy of public commendation. The form of the
3 Certificate of Recognition shall be determined by the Clerk
4 with the approval of the Speaker.
5 ARTICLE VI
6 PARLIAMENTARY PRACTICE
7 49. Voting. The Presiding Officer shall put all
8 questions distinctly, as follows: "All those in favor vote
9 AYE, and those opposed vote NAY." No member of a committee
10 may vote except in person at the time of the call of the
11 committee vote. Any vote of the House shall be by record
12 vote whenever 5 Representatives shall so request or whenever
13 the Presiding Officer shall so order.
14 50. Announcing a Record Vote. When a record vote is
15 requested, the Presiding Officer shall put the question and
16 then announce to the House: "The voting is open." While the
17 vote is being taken, the Presiding Officer shall state: "Have
18 all voted who wish?" The voting is closed when the Presiding
19 Officer announces: "Take the Record." The Presiding
20 Officer, unless an intervening motion to postpone
21 consideration by the Principal Sponsor is made, shall then
22 announce the results of the record vote. After the record is
23 taken, no member may vote, change his or her vote, or remove
24 his or her vote as recorded.
25 51. Decorum.
26 (a) When any member is about to speak to the House, he
27 or she shall rise and address the Presiding Officer as
28 "Speaker". The Presiding Officer, upon recognizing the
29 member, shall address him or her by name, and thereupon the
30 engineer in charge of operating the microphones in the House
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1 shall give the use of the microphone to the member who has
2 been so recognized. The member in speaking shall confine
3 himself or herself to the subject matter under discussion and
4 avoid personalities.
5 (b) Questions affecting the rights, reputation, and
6 conduct of members of the House in their representative
7 capacity are questions of personal privilege. A matter of
8 personal explanation does not constitute a question of
9 personal privilege.
10 (c) If 2 or more members rise at once, the Presiding
11 Officer shall name the member who is to speak first.
12 (d) No person shall give any signs of approbation or
13 disapprobation while the House is in session.
14 (e) Recognition of guests by any member is prohibited,
15 except that the Speaker or Presiding Officer may recognize an
16 honored guest.
17 (f) While the Presiding Officer is putting a question,
18 no member shall leave or walk across the House Chamber. When
19 a member is addressing the House, no member or other person
20 entitled to the floor shall entertain private discourse or
21 pass between the member speaking and the Presiding Officer.
22 (g) In case of any disturbance or disorderly conduct,
23 the Speaker or Presiding Officer may order that the lobby,
24 gallery, or hallways adjoining the House Chamber be cleared.
25 (h) No literature may be distributed on the House floor.
26 (i) No member may be absent from a session of the House
27 unless he or she has leave or is sick or his or her absence
28 is unavoidable. The switch to the electrical roll call
29 recording equipment located on the desk of any member who has
30 been excused or is absent shall be locked by the Clerk and
31 shall not be unlocked until the member returns and files with
32 the Clerk a request to be shown as present on the quorum roll
33 call.
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1 52. Debate.
2 (a) All legislative measures, except those legislative
3 measures placed on the Consent Calendar under Rule 42, are
4 subject to a debate status as follows:
5 (1) Short Debate: Debate is limited to a 2-minute
6 presentation by the Principal Sponsor or a member
7 designated by the Principal Sponsor, a 2-minute
8 presentation by a member in response, and one minute for
9 the Principal Sponsor to close debate, or yield to other
10 members; provided that at the request of 7 members before
11 the close of debate, the debate status shall be opened to
12 standard debate;
13 (2) Standard Debate: Debate is limited to a
14 5-minute presentation by the Principal Sponsor or a
15 member designated by the Principal Sponsor, debate by
16 each of 2 additional proponents of the legislative
17 measure and by 3 members in response to the legislative
18 measure, and 3 minutes for the Principal Sponsor to close
19 debate, or yield to other members;
20 (3) Extended Debate: Debate is limited to a
21 5-minute presentation by the Principal Sponsor or a
22 member designated by the Principal Sponsor, debate by
23 each of 4 proponents of the legislative measure and 5
24 members in response, and 5 minutes for the Principal
25 Sponsor to close debate, or yield to other members;
26 (4) Unlimited Debate: Debate shall consist of a
27 10-minute presentation by the Principal Sponsor or a
28 member designated by the Principal Sponsor, debate by
29 each proponent and member in response who seeks
30 recognition, and 5 minutes for the Principal Sponsor to
31 close debate, or yield to other members; or
32 (5) Amendment Debate: Debate on floor amendments
33 referred to the House from a committee, or discharged
34 from a committee, is limited to a 3-minute presentation
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1 by the Principal Sponsor, or a member designated by the
2 Principal Sponsor, debate by one proponent, debate by
3 each of 2 members in response, and 3 minutes for the
4 Principal Sponsor to close debate, or yield to other
5 members.
6 No debate is in order on bills or resolutions on the
7 order of First Reading or Second Reading, except for debate
8 on floor amendments as provided in this Rule.
9 (b) All legislative measures, except floor amendments,
10 referred to the House from a committee, or discharged from a
11 committee, are automatically assigned standard debate status,
12 subject to subsection (c) of this Rule, except those assigned
13 to the Consent Calendar or short debate status by a standing
14 committee or a special committee. All floor amendments
15 referred to the House from a committee, or discharged from a
16 committee, are automatically assigned amendment debate
17 status, subject to subsection (c) of this Rule.
18 (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of these Rules
19 to the contrary, the debate status of any legislative measure
20 may be changed only (i) by the Speaker, as defined in item
21 (27) of Rule 102, by filing a notice with the Clerk, or (ii)
22 by the Rules Committee by motion approved by a majority of
23 those appointed. While a legislative measure is being
24 considered by the House, the debate status may also be
25 changed by unanimous consent. No legislative measure,
26 however, may be placed on the Consent Calendar under this
27 Rule. No legislative measure, except a floor amendment, may
28 be assigned amendment debate status under this Rule.
29 (d) The Speaker or Rules Committee, as the case may be,
30 shall notify the Clerk of any action to change the debate
31 status of any legislative measure. The Clerk shall cause
32 that information to be reflected on the Daily Calendar on
33 subsequent legislative days, provided the legislative measure
34 is still before the House.
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1 (e) No member shall speak longer than 5 minutes at one
2 time or more than once on the same question except by leave
3 of the House. The Principal Sponsor of a measure or a
4 member designated by the Principal Sponsor, however, shall be
5 allowed to open the debate and to close the debate in
6 accordance with subsection (a) of this Rule. The provisions
7 of this subsection (e) are subject to and limited by
8 subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this Rule. A member may
9 yield to another member the time allotted for the member's
10 debate.
11 (f) The Presiding Officer shall allocate the debate on
12 each legislative measure alternately, if possible, between
13 proponents and opponents of the legislative measure under
14 debate.
15 (g) This Rule may not be suspended.
16 53. Written Statements.
17 (a) Any member may submit a written statement regarding
18 any bill, resolution, or floor amendment considered by the
19 House, by submitting that statement to the Clerk within one
20 legislative day after the day on which the bill, resolution,
21 or floor amendment to which the comments relate was
22 considered by the House. The Clerk shall affix a time stamp
23 to each statement indicating the date on which the statement
24 was submitted. Each statement shall indicate the member or
25 members on whose behalf the statement is submitted, the bill,
26 resolution, or floor amendment to which it applies, and the
27 person who actually submits the statement to the Clerk. Each
28 statement shall comply with standards as may be established
29 by the Clerk with the approval of the Speaker. The standards
30 established by the Clerk, however, shall not relate to the
31 contents of the written statement. The Clerk shall maintain
32 statements that comply with this Rule and established
33 standards in files for each bill and resolution. A statement
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1 is not considered filed until the Clerk has determined that
2 it complies with this Rule and established standards. The
3 Clerk shall notify the member or members on whose behalf a
4 statement was submitted if the statement is determined not to
5 comply. Statements filed under this Rule shall be considered
6 part of the transcript and made available to the public.
7 (b) This Rule may be suspended only by the affirmative
8 vote of 71 members elected.
9 54. Motions.
10 (a) The following are general rules for all motions:
11 (1) Every motion, except to adjourn, recess, or
12 postpone consideration, shall be reduced to writing if
13 ordered by the Presiding Officer. Unless otherwise
14 provided in these Rules, no second is required to any
15 motion presented to the House, or in any committee. The
16 Presiding Officer may refer any motion to the Rules
17 Committee.
18 (2) Before the House debates a motion, the
19 Presiding Officer shall state an oral motion and the
20 Clerk shall read aloud a written motion. Each motion,
21 unless otherwise provided in these Rules, is assigned
22 standard debate status, subject to Rule 52.
23 (3) After a motion is stated by the Presiding
24 Officer or read by the Clerk, it is deemed in the
25 possession of the House, but may be withdrawn at any time
26 before decision with consent of a majority of the members
27 elected.
28 (4) If a motion is divisible, any member may call
29 for a division of the question.
30 (5) Any question taken under consideration may be
31 withdrawn, postponed, or tabled by unanimous consent or,
32 if unanimous consent is denied, by a motion adopted by a
33 majority of the members elected.
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1 (b) The Rule may be suspended only by the affirmative
2 vote of 71 members elected.
3 55. Precedence of Motions.
4 (a) When a question is under debate, no motion may be
5 entertained except:
6 (1) to adjourn to a time certain;
7 (2) to adjourn;
8 (3) to question the presence of a quorum;
9 (4) to recess;
10 (5) to lay on the table;
11 (6) for the previous question;
12 (7) to postpone consideration;
13 (8) to commit or recommit; or
14 (9) to amend, except as otherwise provided in these
15 Rules.
16 The foregoing motions have precedence in the order in
17 which they are listed.
18 (b) During a record vote, no motion (except a motion to
19 postpone consideration) is in order until after the
20 announcement of the result of the vote.
21 (c) A motion to commit or re-commit, until it is
22 decided, precludes all amendments and debate on the main
23 question. A motion to postpone consideration, until it is
24 decided, precludes all amendments and debate on the main
25 question.
26 56. Verification.
27 (a) After any record vote, except for a vote that
28 requires a specific number of affirmative votes and that has
29 not received the required votes, and before intervening
30 business, it is in order for any member to request
31 verification of the results of the record vote.
32 (b) In verifying a record vote, the Presiding Officer
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1 shall instruct the Clerk to call the names of those members
2 whose votes are to be verified. The member requesting the
3 verification may thereafter identify those members he or she
4 wishes to verify. If a member does not answer, his or her
5 vote shall be stricken; the member's vote shall be restored
6 to the roll, however, if his or her presence is recognized
7 before the Presiding Officer announces the final result of
8 the verification. The Presiding Officer shall determine the
9 presence or absence of each member whose name is called, and
10 shall then announce the results of the verification.
11 (c) While the results of any record vote are being
12 verified, it is in order for any member to announce his or
13 her presence on the floor and thereby have his or her vote
14 verified.
15 (d) A request for a verification of the affirmative and
16 negative results of a record vote may be made only once on
17 each record vote.
18 57. Appealing a Ruling.
19 (a) If any appeal is taken from a ruling of the
20 Presiding Officer, the Presiding Officer shall be sustained
21 unless 71 of the members elected vote to overrule the
22 Presiding Officer. A motion to appeal is not in order if the
23 House has conducted intervening business since the ruling at
24 issue was made.
25 (b) If any appeal is taken from a ruling of a committee
26 Chairperson, the Chairperson shall be sustained unless
27 three-fifths of those appointed vote to overrule the
28 Chairperson. A motion to appeal is not in order if the
29 committee has adjourned or recessed, or if intervening
30 business has occurred. In the case of special committees
31 with Co-Chairpersons from different political parties, the
32 "Chairperson" for purposes of this Rule is the Co-Chairperson
33 from the majority caucus.
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1 (c) In an appeal of a ruling of the Presiding Officer or
2 Chairperson, the question is: "Shall the ruling of the Chair
3 be sustained?"
4 (d) This Rule may be suspended only by the affirmative
5 vote of 71 members elected.
6 58. Discharge of Committee.
7 (a) Any member may move that a standing committee or a
8 special committee be discharged from consideration of any
9 legislative measure assigned to it and not reported back
10 unfavorably.
11 (b) The motion must be in writing and shall be carried
12 on the Daily Calendar for the next legislative day under the
13 order of "Motions". No action shall be taken on the motion
14 until it is on the calendar.
15 (c) If the motion receives an affirmative vote of 60
16 members, the legislative measure subject to the motion shall
17 be referred to the House and placed on the appropriate order
18 of business.
19 (d) This Rule may be suspended only by the affirmative
20 vote of 71 members elected.
21 59. Previous Question.
22 (a) A motion for the previous question may be made at
23 any time. A motion for the previous question is not
24 debatable and requires the affirmative vote of 71 members
25 elected.
26 (b) The previous question shall be stated in the
27 following form: "Shall the main question be put?" Until the
28 previous question is decided, all amendments and debate are
29 precluded. When it is decided that the main question shall
30 not be put, the main question remains under debate.
31 (c) The effect of the main question being ordered is to
32 put an end to all debate and bring the House to a direct vote
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1 on the immediately pending motion. After a motion for the
2 previous question has been approved, unless the vote on that
3 motion suggests the absence of a quorum, it is not in order
4 to move for adjournment or to make any other motion before a
5 decision on the main question.
6 (d) This Rule may be suspended only by the affirmative
7 vote of 71 members elected.
8 60. Tabling.
9 (a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (d), a
10 motion to lay on the table applies only to the particular
11 proposition and is neither debatable nor amendable.
12 (b) A motion to table a bill or resolution shall
13 identify the bill or resolution by number. The Principal
14 Sponsor of a bill or resolution may, with leave of the House,
15 table that bill or resolution at any time. A motion to table
16 a committee bill that is before the House may be adopted only
17 by the affirmative vote of a majority of those elected.
18 (c) The Principal Sponsor of a bill or resolution before
19 a committee may, with leave of the committee, table the bill
20 or resolution. Upon tabling, the Chairperson of the
21 committee shall return the bill or resolution to the Clerk,
22 noting thereon that it has been tabled.
23 (d) A motion to table a committee amendment has priority
24 over a floor amendment. Motions to table amendments are
25 debatable and may be adopted by the affirmative vote of a
26 majority vote of those elected.
27 61. Motion to Take from Table.
28 (a) A motion to take from the table requires the
29 affirmative vote of a majority of those elected if the Rules
30 Committee has previously recommended that action by written
31 notice filed with the Clerk; otherwise, a motion to take from
32 the table requires the affirmative vote of 71 members
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1 elected.
2 (b) A bill taken from the table shall be placed on the
3 Daily Calendar on the order on which it appeared before it
4 was tabled.
5 (c) This Rule may be suspended only by the affirmative
6 vote of 71 members elected.
7 62. Motion to Postpone Consideration. A motion to
8 postpone consideration on a bill or resolution may not be
9 made more than once on the same bill or resolution. Unless
10 otherwise provided by these Rules, a motion to postpone
11 consideration shall be granted as a matter of privilege; no
12 motion to postpone consideration is in order, however, if the
13 bill or resolution initially received a vote of fewer than 47
14 of the members elected.
15 63. Motion on Different Subject. No motion or other
16 legislative measure on a subject different from that under
17 consideration shall be admitted under color of amendment.
18 64. Division of Question. If the question in debate
19 contains several points, any member may have the question
20 divided. On a motion to strike out and insert, it is not in
21 order to move for a division of the question. The rejection
22 of a motion to strike out and insert one proposition does not
23 prevent a motion to strike out and insert a different
24 proposition.
25 65. Reconsideration.
26 (a) A member who voted on the prevailing side of a
27 record vote on a legislative measure still within the control
28 of the House may on the same or the following legislative
29 day move to reconsider the vote. The motion to reconsider
30 may be laid on the table without affecting the vote to which
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1 it refers. When the motion to reconsider is made during the
2 last 3 days of April or any time thereafter during the
3 regular session, or at any time during a veto or special
4 session, any member may move that the vote on reconsideration
5 be taken immediately. A question that requires the
6 affirmative vote of a majority of those elected or more to
7 carry requires a majority of those elected to reconsider.
8 (b) A motion to reconsider a record vote on the adoption
9 of an amendment to a bill may be made only on Second Reading.
10 (c) If a motion to reconsider is made under this Rule
11 and the motion is later tabled, the question shall not be
12 further reconsidered. This subsection (c) may be suspended
13 only by the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
14 (d) When a motion to reconsider is made within the time
15 prescribed by these Rules, the Clerk shall not allow the bill
16 or other subject matter of the motion to pass out of the
17 possession of the House until after the motion has been
18 decided or withdrawn. Such a motion shall be deemed rejected
19 if laid on the table.
20 (e) A Representative who voted "present" or failed to
21 vote on a question does not have the right to move for
22 reconsideration.
23 (f) Upon a motion to reconsider the vote on the final
24 passage of any bill, the affirmative vote of a majority of
25 those elected is required to reconsider.
26 66. Motion to Adjourn.
27 (a) A motion to adjourn is in order at any time, except
28 when a prior motion to adjourn has been defeated and no
29 intervening business has transpired.
30 (b) A motion to adjourn is neither debatable nor
31 amendable.
32 (c) The Clerk shall enter in the Journal the hour at
33 which every motion to adjourn is made.
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1 (d) Unless the Presiding Officer otherwise orders, the
2 standing hour to which the House adjourns is 12:00 noon,
3 except on the last day of a week in which the House convenes
4 in regular, veto, or special session, in which case the
5 standing hour to which the House adjourns is 12:30 p.m.
6 (e) A motion to adjourn for more than 3 days is not in
7 order unless both chambers of the General Assembly have
8 adopted a joint resolution permitting that adjournment.
9 Notwithstanding any other provision of these Rules, a
10 resolution filed under this Rule may be referred to the Rules
11 Committee by the Presiding Officer or may be immediately
12 considered and adopted by the House.
13 67. Adoption and Amendment to or Suspension of Rules.
14 (a) Adoption of Rules. At the commencement of a term,
15 the House shall adopt new rules of organization and procedure
16 by resolution setting forth those rules in their entirety.
17 The resolution must be adopted by the affirmative vote of a
18 majority of those elected. These Rules of the House of
19 Representatives of the 90th General Assembly are subject to
20 revision or amendment only in accordance with this Rule.
21 (b) Rules may be amended only by resolution. Any
22 resolution to amend these Rules shall show the proposed
23 changes in the existing rules by underscoring all new matter
24 and by crossing out with a line all matter that is to be
25 omitted or superseded.
26 (c) Any resolution proposing to amend a House Rule or
27 any Joint House-Senate Rule, upon initial reading by the
28 Clerk, is automatically referred to the Rules Committee.
29 Resolutions to amend the House Rules or any Joint
30 House-Senate Rules may be initiated and sponsored by the
31 Rules Committee; those resolutions shall not be referred to a
32 committee and may be immediately considered and adopted by
33 the House. Those resolutions shall be assigned standard
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1 debate status, subject to Rule 52.
2 (d) A resolution to amend the House Rules or any Joint
3 House-Senate Rules that has been reported "do adopt" or "do
4 adopt as amended" by a majority of those appointed to the
5 Rules Committee requires the affirmative vote of a majority
6 of those elected for adoption by the House. Any other
7 resolution proposing to amend the House Rules or any Joint
8 House-Senate Rules requires the affirmative vote of 71 of the
9 members elected for adoption by the House.
10 (e) No House Rule or any Joint House-Senate Rule may be
11 suspended except by unanimous consent of the members present
12 or upon a motion supported by affirmative vote of a majority
13 of those elected unless a higher number is required in the
14 Rule sought to be suspended. A committee may not suspend any
15 Rule.
16 (f) This Rule may be suspended only by the affirmative
17 vote of 71 members elected.
18 68. Motion to Commit or Recommit. No motion to commit
19 or recommit a legislative measure to committee, being decided
20 in the negative, shall again be allowed on the same day, or
21 at the same stage of the legislative measure.
22 69. Effective Date.
23 (a) A bill passed after May 31 of a calendar year shall
24 not become effective prior to June 1 of the next calendar
25 year unless an earlier effective date is specified in the
26 bill and it is approved by the affirmative vote of 71 members
27 elected.
28 (b) If a majority of those elected, but fewer than 71,
29 vote affirmatively for a bill on Third Reading after May 31
30 and the bill specifies an effective date earlier than the
31 following June 1, the bill has not passed, but the Principal
32 Sponsor has the right to have the bill automatically
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1 reconsidered and returned to the order of Second Reading for
2 an amendment to remove the earlier effective date. The
3 amendment, if offered and referred to the House by a
4 committee, shall be reproduced and placed on the desks of the
5 members, in the same manner as provided for bills under Rule
6 39, before the bill is taken up again on the order of Third
7 Reading.
8 70. Home Rule. No bill denies or limits any power or
9 function of a home rule unit under paragraph (g), (h), (i),
10 (j), or (k) of Sec. 6 of Article VII of the Constitution
11 unless there is specific language limiting or denying the
12 power or function and the language specifically sets forth in
13 what manner and to what extent it is a denial or limitation
14 of the power or function of a home rule unit. If a majority
15 of those elected, but fewer than 71, vote affirmatively for a
16 bill on Third Reading that requires the affirmative vote of
17 71 members elected to deny or limit a power of a home rule
18 unit, the bill has not passed, but the Principal Sponsor has
19 the right to have the bill automatically reconsidered and
20 returned to the order of Second Reading for an amendment to
21 remove those effects of the bill. The amendment, if referred
22 to the House by a committee, shall be reproduced and placed
23 on the desks of the members, in the same manner as provided
24 for bills under Rule 39, before the bill is taken up again on
25 the order of Third Reading.
26 ARTICLE VII
27 CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
28 71. Conflicts of Interest.
29 (a) A Committee on Conflicts of Interest is created. It
30 shall consist of 4 members appointed by the Speaker and 4
31 members appointed by the Minority Leader. The Speaker shall
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1 designate one of the members as Chairperson. The Minority
2 Leader shall designate one of the minority caucus members as
3 Minority Spokesperson. The Committee shall not have a
4 Vice-Chairperson.
5 (b) The Committee shall study the problems of conflicts
6 of interest in relation to the responsibilities of
7 legislators and the laws relating thereto, including the
8 Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. The Committee shall
9 develop guidelines for the conduct of members in regard to
10 conflicts of interest, including procedures for appropriate
11 disclosure of the existence of conflicts. The Committee
12 shall also recommend changes in the law determined to be
13 desirable to assure members appropriate guidance in their
14 conduct. Any report of the Committee shall be filed with the
15 Clerk, who shall reproduce the report and distribute it to
16 each member, in the same manner as provided for bills under
17 Rule 39.
18 ARTICLE VIII
19 JOINT ACTION
20 72. Concurring in or Receding from Amendments.
21 (a) If a bill or resolution is received back in the
22 House with one or more amendments added by the Senate, it is
23 in order for the Principal Sponsor to present a motion "to
24 concur" or "not to concur and to ask the Senate to recede"
25 with respect to each, several, or all of those amendments.
26 Any 2 members may demand a separate record vote on any of
27 those amendments.
28 (b) When the Senate has refused to concur in one or more
29 amendments added to a bill or resolution by the House and has
30 returned the bill or resolution to the House with a message
31 requesting the House to recede from one or more of its
32 amendments, it is in order for the Principal Sponsor to
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1 present a motion "to recede" from the House amendments or
2 "not to recede and to request a conference". Any 2 members
3 may demand a separate record vote on any of those amendments.
4 73. Conference Committees.
5 (a) A disagreement between the House and Senate exists
6 with respect to any bill or resolution in the following
7 situations:
8 (1) when the Senate refuses to recede from the
9 adoption of any amendment, after the House has previously
10 refused to concur in the amendment; or
11 (2) when the House refuses to recede from the
12 adoption of any amendment, after the Senate has
13 previously refused to concur in the amendment.
14 In those cases of disagreement between the House and
15 Senate, the House may request a conference. When such a
16 request is made, both chambers of the General Assembly shall
17 appoint members to a committee to confer on the subject of
18 the bill or resolution giving rise to the disagreement. The
19 combined membership of the 2 chambers appointed for that
20 purpose is the conference committee.
21 (b) The conference committee shall consist of 5 members
22 from each chamber of the General Assembly. The number of
23 majority caucus members from each chamber shall be one more
24 than the number of minority caucus members from each chamber.
25 (c) Each conference committee shall be comprised of 5
26 members of the House, 3 appointed by the Speaker and 2
27 appointed by the Minority Leader. No conference committee
28 report may be filed with the Clerk until a majority of the
29 House conferees has been appointed.
30 74. Conference Committee Reports.
31 (a) No subject matter shall be included in any
32 conference committee report on any bill unless that subject
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1 matter directly relates to the matters of difference between
2 the House and Senate that have been referred to the
3 conference committee unless the Rules Committee, by a
4 majority vote of the members appointed, determines that the
5 proposed subject matter is of an emergency nature, is of
6 substantial importance to the operation of government, or is
7 in the best interests of Illinois.
8 (b) No conference committee report shall be received by
9 the Clerk or acted upon by the House unless it has been
10 signed by at least 6 conferees. The report shall be signed in
11 duplicate. One of the reports shall be filed with the
12 Secretary of the Senate and one with the Clerk. The report
13 shall contain the agreements reached by the committee.
14 (c) If the conference committee determines that it is
15 unable to reach agreement, the committee shall so report to
16 each chamber of the General Assembly and request appointment
17 of a second conference committee. If there is agreement, the
18 committee shall so report to each chamber.
19 75. House Consideration of Joint Action.
20 (a) No joint action motion for final action or
21 conference committee report may be considered by the House
22 unless it has first been referred to the House by the Rules
23 Committee or a standing committee or special committee in
24 accordance with Rule 18, or unless the joint action motion or
25 conference committee report has been discharged from the
26 Rules Committee under Rule 18. Joint action motions for final
27 consideration and conference committee reports referred to a
28 standing committee or special committee by the Rules
29 Committee may not be discharged from the standing committee
30 or special committee. This subsection (a) may be suspended
31 by unanimous consent.
32 (b) No conference committee report may be considered by
33 the House unless it has been reproduced and placed on the
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1 members' desks, in the same manner as provided for bills
2 under Rule 39, for one full session day before May 1st, or
3 one full hour on or after May 1st.
4 (c) Before any conference committee report on an
5 appropriation bill is considered by the House, the conference
6 committee report shall first be the subject of a public
7 hearing by a standing Appropriations Committee or a special
8 committee (the conference committee report need not be
9 referred to an Appropriations Committee or special committee,
10 but instead may remain before the Rules Committee or the
11 House, as the case may be). The hearing shall be held
12 pursuant to not less than one hour advance notice by
13 announcement on the House floor, or one day advance notice by
14 posting on the House bulletin board. An Appropriations
15 Committee or special committee shall not issue any report
16 with respect to the conference committee report following the
17 hearing.
18 (d) Any House Bill amended in the Senate and returned to
19 the House for concurrence in the Senate amendment shall lie
20 upon the desk of the Clerk for not less than one hour before
21 being further considered.
22 (e) No House Bill that is returned to the House with
23 Senate amendments may be called except by the Principal
24 Sponsor, or by a chief co-sponsor with the consent of the
25 Principal Sponsor. This subsection may not be suspended.
26 (f) Except as otherwise provided in Rule 74, the report
27 of a conference committee on a non-appropriation bill or
28 resolution shall be confined to the subject of the bill or
29 resolution referred to the conference committee. The report
30 of a conference committee on an appropriation bill shall be
31 confined to the subject of appropriations.
32 76. Action on Conference Committee Reports.
33 (a) Each chamber of the General Assembly shall inform
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1 the other by message of any action taken with respect to a
2 conference committee report. Copies of all papers necessary
3 for a complete understanding of the action shall accompany
4 the message. The original bill or resolution shall remain in
5 the chamber of origin.
6 (b) No conference committee report may be called except
7 by the Principal Sponsor of the bill for which the conference
8 committee was appointed. A chief co-sponsor may call a
9 conference committee report with the consent of the Principal
10 Sponsor. This subsection may not be suspended.
11 (c) If either chamber refuses to adopt the report of the
12 conference committee, or the first conference committee is
13 unable to reach agreement, either chamber may request a
14 second conference committee. When such a request is made,
15 each chamber shall again appoint a conference committee. If
16 either chamber refuses to adopt the report of a second
17 conference committee, the 2 chambers shall have adhered to
18 their disagreement, and the bill or resolution is lost.
19 ARTICLE IX
20 VETOES
21 77. Recording of Vetoes. Upon the receipt by the House
22 of any bill returned by the Governor under any of the
23 provisions of Article IV, Sec. 9 of the Constitution, the
24 Clerk shall enter the objections of the Governor on the
25 Journal, and shall distribute copies of all veto messages to
26 each member's desk, together with copies of the vetoed bill
27 or item, as soon as practical, in the same manner as for
28 bills under Rule 39.
29 78. Amendatory Vetoes.
30 (a) The Principal Sponsor of a bill that has been passed
31 by the General Assembly may request the Clerk to notify the
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1 Governor that the Principal Sponsor wishes to be consulted by
2 the Governor or his or her designee before the Governor
3 returns the bill together with specific recommendations for
4 change under subsection (e) of Section 9 of Article IV of the
5 Illinois Constitution.
6 (b) Any bill returned by the Governor together with
7 specific recommendations for change under subsection (e) of
8 Section 9 of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution is
9 automatically referred to the Rules Committee and shall be
10 considered as provided in this Rule.
11 (c) The Governor's specific recommendations for change
12 with respect to a bill returned under subsection (e) of
13 Section 9 of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution shall be
14 limited to addressing the Governor's objections to portions
15 of a bill the general merit of which the Governor recognizes
16 and shall not alter the fundamental purpose or legislative
17 scheme set forth in the bill as passed.
18 (d) Any bill returned by the Governor together with
19 specific recommendations for change shall be reviewed by the
20 Rules Committee. The Rules Committee shall examine the
21 Governor's specific recommendations for change and determine
22 by a majority of the members appointed whether those
23 recommendations comply with the standard set forth in
24 subsection (c). Any bill that the Rules Committee determines
25 is in compliance with subsection (c) of this Rule shall be
26 subject to action by the Rules Committee in the same manner
27 as floor amendments, joint action motions, and conference
28 committee reports under Rule 18(e).
29 (e) This rule may not be suspended.
30 79. Motions to Consider Vetoes. For purposes of this
31 Article, the term "motions" means motions to accept or
32 override a veto of the Governor. Motions with respect to
33 bills returned by the Governor may be made by the Principal
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1 Sponsor, the committee Chairperson in the case of a
2 committee-sponsored bill, or if Co-Chairpersons have been
3 appointed, by the Co-Chairperson of the majority caucus in
4 the case of special committee-sponsored bills. Motions shall
5 be filed in writing with the Clerk. All motions shall be
6 assigned standard debate status, subject to Rule 52.
7 80. Consideration of Motions.
8 (a) The vote to override a veto of a bill vetoed in its
9 entirety shall be by record vote and shall be entered on the
10 Journal. The form of motion with respect to these bills shall
11 be: "I move that ________ Bill _____ do pass,
12 notwithstanding the veto of the Governor."
13 (b) The vote to override an item veto shall be by record
14 vote as to each item separately and shall be entered on the
15 Journal. The form of motion with respect to an item shall
16 be: "I move that the item on page ____, line ____, of ____
17 Bill _____ do pass, notwithstanding the item veto of the
18 Governor."
19 (c) The vote to restore an item that has been reduced
20 shall be by record vote as to each item separately and shall
21 be entered on the Journal. The form of motion with respect
22 to an item shall be: "I move that the item on page ____,
23 line ____, of ____ Bill ____ be restored, notwithstanding the
24 item reduction of the Governor."
25 (d) A bill returned together with specific
26 recommendations of the Governor may be acted upon, by record
27 vote, in either of the following manners:
28 (1) By a motion to accept the specific
29 recommendations of the Governor. The form of motion shall
30 be: "I move to accept the specific recommendations of
31 the Governor as to _____ Bill _____ in manner and form as
32 follows: (inserting herein the language deemed necessary
33 to effectuate the specific recommendations)."; or
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1 (2) By considering the bill as a vetoed bill and
2 overriding the recommendation and passing the bill in its
3 original form. The form of motion shall be: "I move
4 that _____ Bill _____ do pass, notwithstanding the
5 specific recommendations of the Governor.".
6 81. Vetoed Bills Considered in Entirety. If a bill is
7 returned by the Governor containing more than one item veto,
8 reduction veto, specific recommendation for change, or
9 combination of them, the bill shall be acted upon in its
10 entirety before the bill is released from the custody of the
11 House.
12 82. Disposition of Vetoes. When a bill or item has
13 received the affirmative vote of the number of members
14 elected necessary under the Constitution, the Presiding
15 Officer shall declare that the bill or item has been passed
16 or restored over the veto of the Governor, or that the
17 specific recommendations for change have been approved, as
18 the case may be. The bill shall then be attested to by the
19 Clerk who shall note thereon the day the bill passed. The
20 bill and the objections of the Governor shall then be
21 immediately delivered to the Senate. When specific
22 recommendations have been accepted, then the accepting
23 language shall be attached to the original bill, and the bill
24 shall be delivered to the Senate.
25 ARTICLE X
26 ELECTION CONTESTS AND QUALIFICATIONS CHALLENGES
27 83. Election Contests and Qualifications Challenges.
28 (a) An election contest places in issue only the
29 validity of the results of an election of a member to the
30 House in a representative district. An election contest may
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1 result only in a determination of which candidate in that
2 election was properly elected to the House and shall be
3 seated.
4 (b) A qualifications challenge places in issue only the
5 qualifications of an incumbent member of the House under the
6 Constitution, or the legality of an appointment of a person
7 as a member of the House to fill a vacancy. A qualifications
8 challenge may result only in a determination of whether a
9 member of the House is properly seated.
10 (c) Election contests and qualifications challenges
11 shall be brought and conducted as provided in these Rules.
12 (d) If an election contest or qualifications challenge
13 is filed with the Clerk, the Speaker shall create an Election
14 Contest or Qualifications Challenge Committee, as the case
15 may be, within 3 legislative days by filing a notice with the
16 Clerk. The creation of any committee under this Rule shall
17 be governed by Rule 10. The election contest or
18 qualifications challenge shall be automatically referred to
19 the Election Contest or Qualifications Challenge Committee,
20 as the case may be. For purposes of this Article, the term
21 "committee" means only the Election Contest or Qualifications
22 Challenge Committees created under this Rule. This
23 subsection may not be suspended.
24 (e) The committee may adopt rules to govern election
25 contests and qualifications challenges, but those committee
26 rules must be consistent with these Rules, must be filed with
27 the Clerk, and must be made available to all parties and to
28 the public. Any committee rule shall be subject to
29 amendment, suspension, or repeal by House resolution.
30 84. Initiating Election Contests.
31 (a) Election contests may be brought only by a
32 registered voter of the representative district or by a
33 member of the House.
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1 (b) Election contests may be brought only by the
2 procedures and within the time limits established by the
3 Election Code. Notice of intention to contest shall be
4 served on the person certified as elected to the House from
5 the representative district within the time limits
6 established by the Election Code. The requirements of this
7 subsection apply to a member of the House appointed to fill a
8 vacancy the same as if that member had been elected to the
9 House.
10 (c) Within 10 days after the convening of the House in
11 January following the general election contested, each
12 contestant shall file with the Clerk a petition of election
13 contest and shall serve the petition on the incumbent member
14 of the House from the representative district. A petition of
15 election contest shall allege the contestant's qualifications
16 to bring the contest and to serve as a member of the House,
17 that he or she believes that a mistake or fraud has been
18 committed in specified precincts in the counting, return, or
19 canvass of the votes, or that there was some other specified
20 irregularity in the conduct of the election in specified
21 precincts. A petition of election contest shall contain a
22 prayer specifying the relief requested and the precincts in
23 which a recount or other inquiry is desired. A petition of
24 election contest shall be verified by affidavit swearing to
25 the truth of the allegations or based upon information and
26 belief, and shall be accompanied by proof of service on all
27 respondents.
28 (d) A notice of intent to contest may not be amended to
29 cure a defect under the statutory requirements. A petition
30 of election contest, if filed and served after the notice of
31 intention to contest, may not raise points not expressed in
32 the notice.
33 (e) The incumbent member of the House from the
34 representative district is a necessary party to the
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1 initiation of an election contest.
2 85. Initiating Qualifications Challenges.
3 (a) Qualifications challenges may be brought only by a
4 registered voter of the representative district of the
5 representative challenged or by a member of the House.
6 (b) Qualifications challenges must be brought within 90
7 days after the day the challenged member takes his or her
8 oath of office as a member of the House, or within 90 days
9 after the day the petitioner first learns of the information
10 on which the challenge is based, whichever occurs later.
11 (c) A qualifications challenge shall be brought by
12 filing a petition of qualifications challenge with the Clerk,
13 and by serving a copy of the petition on the respondent
14 member of the House. The petition must be accompanied by
15 proof of personal service upon the respondent member and must
16 be verified by affidavit swearing to the truth of the
17 allegations or based upon information and belief. A petition
18 of qualifications challenge shall set forth the grounds on
19 which the respondent member is alleged to be constitutionally
20 unqualified, or on which his or her appointment to the House
21 is claimed to be legally improper, the qualifications of the
22 petitioner to bring the challenge, and a prayer for relief.
23 86. Contests and Challenges; Due Process.
24 (a) Election contests and challenges shall be heard and
25 determined as expeditiously as possible under adversary
26 procedures wherein each party to the proceedings has a
27 reasonable opportunity to present his or her claim, to
28 present any defense and arguments, and to respond to those of
29 his or her opponents. All parties may be represented by
30 counsel.
31 (b) Election contests and qualifications challenges
32 shall be heard and determined in accordance with the
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1 applicable provisions of the Election Code and other Illinois
2 statutes, the Illinois Constitution, and the United States
3 Constitution. Judicial decisions that bear on a point of law
4 in a contest or challenge shall be admissible in the
5 arguments of the parties and the deliberations and decisions
6 of the committee. Judicial decisions applicable to a point
7 of law or to a fact situation to the committee shall be given
8 weight as precedent.
9 (c) In addition to notice of meetings required under
10 these Rules, the committee and any subcommittee shall give
11 notice to all parties reasonably in advance of each meeting
12 or other proceeding. The committee shall also give notice of
13 all rules, timetables, or deadlines adopted by the committee.
14 Notice under this subsection shall be in writing and shall be
15 given either personally with receipt, or by certified mail
16 (return receipt requested) addressed to the party at his or
17 her place of residence, and to his or her attorney of record
18 at the attorney's office if so requested by the party.
19 87. Committee Proceedings and Powers in Contests and
20 Challenges.
21 (a) All proceedings of the committee and any
22 subcommittees concerning election contests and qualifications
23 challenges shall be transcribed by a certified court
24 reporter. Copies of the transcript shall be made available
25 to the members of the committee and to the parties.
26 (b) The committee may dismiss an election contest or
27 qualifications challenge, or may determine to proceed to a
28 recount or other inquiry. The committee may limit the issues
29 to be determined in a contest or challenge, except that when
30 a recount is conducted in an election contest, any precinct
31 timely requested by any party to be recounted shall be
32 recounted by the committee.
33 (c) In conducting inquiries, investigations, and
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1 recounts in election contests and qualifications challenges,
2 the committee has the power to send for and compel the
3 attendance of witnesses and the production of books, papers,
4 ballots, documents, and records by subpoena signed by the
5 Chairperson of the committee as provided by law and subject
6 to Rule 4(c)(9). In conducting proceedings in election
7 contests and qualifications challenges, the Chairperson of
8 the committee and the Chairperson of any subcommittee may
9 administer oaths to witnesses, as provided by law, and for
10 this purpose a subcommittee is deemed to be a committee of
11 the House.
12 (d) The committee may issue commissions by its
13 Chairperson to any officer authorized to take depositions of
14 any necessary witnesses as may be permitted by law. In
15 recounting the ballots in any election contest, however, no
16 person other than a member of the committee shall handle any
17 ballots, tally sheets, or other election materials without
18 consent of the committee or subcommittee. The responsibility
19 for the actual recounting of ballots may not be delegated.
20 (e) The committee shall maintain an accurate and
21 complete record of proceedings in every election contest and
22 qualifications challenge. That record shall include all
23 notices and pleadings, the transcripts and roll call votes,
24 all reports and dissents, and all documents that were
25 admitted into the proceeding. The committee shall file the
26 record with the Clerk of the House upon the adoption of its
27 final report. The record shall then be available for
28 examination in the Clerk's office.
29 (f) With the approval of the Speaker, the committee may
30 employ clerks, stenographers, court reporters, professional
31 staff, and messengers.
32 88. Adoption of Reports in Contests and Challenges.
33 (a) All final decisions of the committee regarding an
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1 election contest or qualification challenge shall be approved
2 by a majority of the members appointed to the committee and
3 reported in writing to the House. Reports shall include a
4 specific recommendation to the House as to the disposition of
5 the contest or challenge. Final reports following full
6 inquiry on the merits of a contest or challenge shall contain
7 findings of fact and, when necessary, conclusions of law.
8 (b) Any member of the committee may file a dissent from
9 a report of the committee, a minority report, or a special
10 concurrence with the majority report or with any minority
11 report.
12 (c) A subcommittee shall report to the committee in
13 writing in the same form as required for the committee
14 report. Subcommittee members may file dissents, reports, and
15 special concurrences.
16 (d) Reports shall not be adopted by the committee or a
17 subcommittee until a hearing has been held thereon, with
18 notice to all parties and a reasonable opportunity to examine
19 and respond to a proposed majority report.
20 (e) Reports of the committee shall be filed with the
21 Clerk, reproduced, and placed on the members' desks, along
22 with any dissents, minority reports, or special concurrences,
23 in the same manner as provided for bills under Rule 39. The
24 report shall be listed on the calendar under the heading
25 "Report of Election Contest" or "Report of Qualifications
26 Challenge". The report shall be carried on the Daily
27 Calendar for 2 legislative days before any action by the
28 House.
29 (f) The House shall adopt the majority report or a
30 minority report in an election contest or qualifications
31 challenge or shall refuse to adopt any report filed and
32 re-refer the contest or challenge to the committee for
33 further proceedings or for a modified report. A report that
34 has the effect of unseating an incumbent member of the House
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1 shall be adopted only by the affirmative vote of 60 members
2 elected.
3 (g) Each party to a contest or challenge shall file with
4 the Clerk of the committee within 10 days after the filing of
5 the final report a detailed statement of attorney's fees and
6 expenses incurred by that party in connection with the case.
7 The committee shall make recommendations to the House
8 concerning reimbursement of attorney's fees and the expenses
9 of the parties. The recommendation shall not exceed a sum
10 that is reasonable, just, and proper.
11 ARTICLE XI
12 DISCIPLINE AND PROTEST
13 89. Disorderly Behavior.
14 (a) In accordance with Article IV, Sec. 6(d) of the
15 Constitution, the House may punish any of its members for
16 disorderly behavior and, with the concurrence of two-thirds
17 of the members elected, expel a member (but not for a second
18 time for the same offense). The reason for expulsion shall
19 be entered upon the Journal with the names and votes of those
20 members voting on the question.
21 (b) In accordance with Article IV, Sec. 6(d) of the
22 Constitution, the House during its session may punish by
23 imprisonment any person, not a member, guilty of disrespect
24 to the House by disorderly or contemptuous behavior in its
25 presence. That imprisonment shall not extend beyond 24 hours
26 at one time unless the person persists in disorderly or
27 contemptuous behavior.
28 90. Protest. Any 2 members have the right to dissent
29 and protest, in respectful language, against any act or
30 resolution that they may think injurious to the public or to
31 any individual, and have the reason of their protest entered
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1 upon the Journal. When by motion a majority of members
2 determines that the language of a protest is not respectful,
3 the protest shall be referred back to the protesting members.
4 ARTICLE XII
5 DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS
6 91. Initiating Disciplinary Proceedings.
7 (a) Disciplinary proceedings may be commenced by filing
8 with the Speaker a petition for a special investigating
9 committee. The petition must be signed by at least one member
10 of the House, and shall contain suggested charges which, if
11 true, may subject the member named in the petition to
12 disciplinary action by the House. If the petition is signed
13 by 3 or more members of the House, the Speaker shall appoint
14 3 members of the majority caucus and the Minority Leader
15 shall appoint 3 members of the minority caucus to a special
16 investigating committee. If the petition is signed by fewer
17 than 3 members of the House, the Speaker shall consult the
18 member named in the petition, and unless that member objects
19 in writing, the Speaker and the Minority Leader shall appoint
20 a special investigating committee. If the member named in
21 the petition objects to the appointment of a special
22 investigating committee, any member who signed a petition for
23 an investigation under this Rule may introduce a resolution
24 to initiate disciplinary proceedings. Unless a resolution
25 initiating disciplinary proceedings is introduced under this
26 Rule, the contents of a petition for a special investigating
27 committee shall be confidential except as to the member
28 named, the members signing it, the Speaker, and the members
29 of a special investigating committee.
30 (b) A resolution to initiate disciplinary proceedings
31 shall be substantially in the following form:
32 "BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
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1 ______________ GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS,
2 that a Special Investigating Committee be appointed to
3 investigate allegations concerning the conduct of
4 Representative _______________________, which, if true, may
5 subject that member to disciplinary action by the House of
6 Representatives."
7 A resolution to initiate disciplinary proceedings may be
8 introduced only as permitted under this Rule. It is improper
9 to attempt to initiate disciplinary proceedings in any manner
10 not authorized by this Rule.
11 (c) A resolution to initiate disciplinary proceedings
12 shall not be assigned to committee, notwithstanding the
13 provisions of Rule 15. The resolution shall lie on the
14 Speaker's Table and shall be called within 5 legislative
15 days.
16 (d) A resolution to initiate disciplinary proceedings is
17 debatable.
18 (e) A resolution initiating disciplinary proceedings may
19 be adopted only by the affirmative vote of 60 members
20 elected.
21 (f) This Rule may be suspended only by unanimous
22 consent.
23 92. Preliminary Investigation.
24 (a) Pursuant to a petition or upon the adoption of a
25 resolution initiating disciplinary proceedings, as provided
26 in Rule 91, a special investigating committee consisting of 6
27 members shall be appointed, of whom 3 shall be appointed by
28 the Speaker from the majority caucus and 3 shall be appointed
29 by the Minority Leader from the minority caucus. The Speaker
30 shall appoint the Chairperson of the special investigating
31 committee from among the 6 members. Sponsors of the
32 initiating resolution may not be appointed to the special
33 investigating committee.
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1 (b) The special investigating committee shall conduct a
2 thorough investigation of all allegations and charges of
3 impropriety concerning the member named in the initiating
4 resolution that are brought to its attention to determine if
5 reasonable grounds exist to bring charges against the member
6 for formal disciplinary proceedings by the House. The
7 special investigating committee shall meet with the Principal
8 Sponsor of the initiating resolution at its initial meeting.
9 At the initial meeting, the Principal Sponsor of the
10 initiating resolution shall submit to the special
11 investigating committee a written list of suggested charges.
12 The list shall define the scope of the inquiry or
13 investigation pursuant to the initiating resolution. If the
14 Principal Sponsor of the initiating resolution fails to
15 submit a list, the special committee shall report a
16 resolution of exoneration.
17 The Principal Sponsor of the initiating resolution shall
18 also submit to the special investigating committee all
19 information he or she may have relevant to the charges and
20 allegations.
21 (c) The special investigating committee shall conduct
22 all of its proceedings in executive session, and shall
23 maintain strict confidence as to all of its proceedings and
24 all witnesses, testimony, information, and exhibits that may
25 come before it. No transcript or record of proceedings shall
26 be taken. This subsection shall be adopted and effective
27 upon an affirmative vote of 79 members. This subsection may
28 not be suspended.
29 (d) Except for its initial meeting, any posting or
30 notice requirements do not apply to meetings of the special
31 investigating committee, but the Chairperson shall give
32 notice of all meetings to the member named in and the
33 Principal Sponsor of the initiating resolution and shall give
34 reasonable notice to the public. The member who is the
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1 subject of the initiating resolution has the right to counsel
2 during proceedings of the special investigating committee.
3 (e) Except for subsection (c), this Rule may be
4 suspended only by the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
5 93. Report of Special Investigating Committee.
6 (a) The special investigating committee shall report in
7 writing. All reports shall be signed by the members
8 supporting the report.
9 (b) If a majority of the members of the special
10 committee determines to prefer charges, it shall file with
11 the Clerk a formal statement of charges and specifications,
12 and shall appoint 2 members of the House, one from the
13 majority caucus and one from the minority caucus, who are not
14 members of the special investigating committee to be managers
15 for the House at the hearing on the charges. The statement
16 of charges shall constitute the report of the special
17 committee, but the special committee in its discretion may
18 file a supplementary report stating its reasons for not
19 bringing any other charges that may have been suggested to
20 it.
21 (c) If the special committee determines not to prefer
22 charges, it shall file with the Clerk a resolution
23 exonerating the member named in the initiating resolution
24 together with a report stating its reasons for not preferring
25 charges.
26 (d) If the special committee cannot by majority vote of
27 its members determine whether to prefer charges, the
28 committee shall file with the Clerk a resolution of
29 exoneration and a report stating the affirmative reasons for
30 not preferring charges. That report shall be signed by all
31 members of the special investigating committee, regardless of
32 their original vote in the committee proceedings on whether
33 to prefer charges.
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1 (e) This Rule may be suspended only by the affirmative
2 vote of 71 members elected.
3 94. Select Committee on Discipline.
4 (a) When charges are preferred against any member of the
5 House under Rule 93, the Speaker and the Minority Leader
6 shall appoint a committee, to be known as a select committee
7 on discipline, to hear and determine the charges. The select
8 committee shall consist of 12 members of the House, 6 of whom
9 shall be appointed by the Speaker from the majority caucus
10 and 6 of whom shall be appointed by the Minority Leader from
11 the minority caucus. The Speaker shall appoint a Chairperson
12 of the select committee from among the 12 members. No member
13 who served on the special investigating committee or any
14 sponsor of the initiating resolution may be appointed to the
15 select committee.
16 (b) All appointments to a select committee on discipline
17 shall be completed and the select committee shall convene
18 within 30 days after the filing of charges for which the
19 committee is appointed.
20 (c) This Rule may be suspended only by the affirmative
21 vote of 79 members elected.
22 95. Hearings on Disciplinary Charges.
23 (a) Proceedings before the select committee on
24 discipline shall be adversary in form, with the managers for
25 the House presenting the case for disciplinary action. The
26 respondent member may be represented by counsel.
27 (b) Stipulations of fact shall be encouraged by the
28 select committee.
29 (c) The rules of evidence applicable to criminal
30 proceedings apply except as may be waived by the managers or
31 respondent, as may be appropriate.
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1 96. Report of Select Committee.
2 (a) The committee shall vote on each specification and
3 charge, except that a vote of exoneration on a charge shall
4 be a vote as to all specifications under that charge. All
5 final votes on the merits of a charge or specification shall
6 be by record vote.
7 (b) A finding of fault or exoneration on any
8 specification or charge requires an affirmative vote of a
9 majority of the members appointed to the select committee.
10 (c) The committee shall file a report of its findings on
11 each specification and charge and a recommendation as to
12 penalty with the Clerk. The report shall state the reasons
13 for each conclusion and recommendation. If the committee
14 finds the respondent member exonerated regarding any charge,
15 it shall report a resolution of exoneration together with its
16 report. If the select committee finds the respondent member
17 at fault regarding any charge, it shall report a resolution
18 embodying its findings and recommended penalty.
19 (d) If a select committee reports a finding of fault
20 regarding any charge, any member of the select committee may
21 file a minority report with the Clerk either dissenting from
22 a finding, reason, or recommendation in the majority report
23 or stating a concurrence on different grounds. A dissenting
24 report may include a resolution of exoneration as to any
25 charge or specifications.
26 (e) When a select committee has found a member at fault
27 regarding a charge, the committee shall adopt a
28 recommendation for disciplinary action. The committee may
29 recommend a reprimand, a censure, expulsion from the House,
30 or that no penalty be invoked. The recommendation on
31 disciplinary action requires an affirmative vote of the
32 majority of the members appointed to the select committee.
33 (f) This Rule may be suspended only by the affirmative
34 vote of 71 members elected.
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1 97. House Action on Disciplinary Reports.
2 (a) The report of a select committee, together with any
3 dissenting or concurring reports, and any accompanying
4 resolution, shall be reproduced and placed on the members'
5 desks, in the same manner as for bills under Rule 39. The
6 report shall be placed on the calendar under the heading
7 "Report of Select Committee on Discipline". The report shall
8 be carried on the Daily Calendar for 2 legislative days
9 before any action by the House.
10 (b) If the report of a select committee or a special
11 investigating committee exonerates the respondent member, the
12 House shall take up the resolution or re-refer the case to
13 the committee for further proceedings.
14 (c) If the select committee reports a finding of fault
15 as to any charge, the House shall take up the resolution for
16 disciplinary action together with any minority resolutions.
17 The House may amend a resolution for disciplinary action to
18 decrease the recommended penalty.
19 (d) The House shall take action by a record vote on each
20 resolution. Adoption of a resolution finding the respondent
21 member at fault regarding charges and specifications shall
22 dispose of any minority resolution of exoneration on those
23 charges and specifications. If the House adopts a resolution
24 of exoneration as to any charge or specification, a majority
25 resolution shall be amended in accord with that disposition
26 of those charges and specifications before it may be called
27 for a final vote. If the adoption of exoneration resolutions
28 disposes of all the charges and specifications in a majority
29 resolution for disciplinary action, the majority resolution
30 shall be tabled.
31 (e) Following record votes on all majority and minority
32 resolutions arising out of a select committee finding of
33 fault on a charge or specification, if there remains any
34 charge or specification on which the House has neither
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1 exonerated the member or adopted a finding of fault, then any
2 member may introduce and move a resolution of exoneration on
3 that charge or specification.
4 (f) A resolution finding a member at fault regarding a
5 charge may be adopted only by the affirmative vote of 71
6 members elected, except that a resolution the effect of which
7 is to expel a member may be adopted only by the affirmative
8 vote of 79 members elected.
9 (g) This Rule may be suspended only by the affirmative
10 vote of 79 members elected.
11 ARTICLE XIII
12 FORCE AND EFFECT
13 98. Applicability. The meetings and actions of the
14 House, including all of its committees, are governed by these
15 House Rules.
16 99. Parliamentary Authority. The rules of parliamentary
17 practice appearing in the latest edition of Robert's Rules of
18 Order govern the House in all cases to which they apply so
19 long as they are not inconsistent with these Rules.
20 100. Certification by Speaker. With respect to each
21 bill that is certified by the Speaker in accordance with
22 Article IV, Sec. 8(d) of the Constitution, there is an
23 irrebuttable presumption that the procedural requirements for
24 passage have been met.
25 101. Effective Date. These rules are in full force and
26 effect upon their adoption, and shall remain in full force
27 and effect except as amended in accordance with these Rules,
28 or until superseded by new rules adopted as part of the
29 organization of a newly-constituted General Assembly at the
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1 commencement of a term.
2 ARTICLE XIV
3 DEFINITIONS
4 102. Definitions. As used in these Rules, terms have
5 the meanings ascribed to them as follows, unless the context
6 clearly requires a different meaning:
7 (1) Chairperson. "Chairperson" means that
8 Representative designated by the Speaker to serve as
9 chair of a committee.
10 (2) Co-Chairperson. "Co-Chairperson" means a
11 Representative designated by the Speaker to serve as
12 co-chair of a special committee.
13 (3) Clerk. "Clerk" means the elected Clerk of the
14 House.
15 (4) Committee. "Committee" means a committee of
16 the House and includes a standing committee, the Rules
17 Committee, a special committee, the Committee on
18 Conflicts of Interest, committees created under Article X
19 and Article XII of these Rules, and a subcommittee of a
20 committee. "Committee" does not mean a conference
21 committee, and the procedural and notice requirements
22 applicable to committees do not apply to conference
23 committees.
24 (5) Constitution. "Constitution" means the
25 Constitution of the State of Illinois.
26 (6) General Assembly. "General Assembly" means the
27 90th General Assembly of the State of Illinois.
28 (7) House. "House" means the House of
29 Representatives of the General Assembly.
30 (8) Joint Action Motions. "Joint action motions"
31 means the following motions before the House: to concur
32 in a Senate amendment, to non-concur in a Senate
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1 amendment, to recede from a House amendment, to refuse to
2 recede from a House amendment, to request that a
3 conference committee be appointed, and to adopt a
4 conference committee report.
5 (9) Legislative Digest. "Legislative Digest" means
6 the Legislative Synopsis and Digest that is prepared by
7 the Legislative Reference Bureau of the General Assembly.
8 (10) Legislative Measures. "Legislative measures"
9 means all matters brought before the House for
10 consideration, whether originated in the House or Senate,
11 and includes bills, amendments, resolutions, conference
12 committee reports, motions, messages, notices, and
13 Executive Orders from the executive branch.
14 (11) Majority. "Majority" means a majority of
15 those members present and voting on a question. Unless
16 otherwise specified with respect to a particular House
17 Rule, for purposes of determining the number of members
18 present and voting on a question, a "present" vote shall
19 not be counted.
20 (12) Majority Caucus. "Majority caucus" means that
21 group of Representatives from the numerically strongest
22 political party in the House.
23 (13) Majority of those Appointed. "Majority of
24 those appointed" means a majority of the total number of
25 Representatives authorized under these Rules to be
26 appointed to a committee.
27 (14) Majority of those Elected. "Majority of those
28 elected" means a majority of the total number of
29 Representatives entitled to be elected to the House,
30 regardless of the number of elected or appointed
31 Representatives actually serving in office. So long as
32 118 Representatives are entitled to be elected to the
33 House, "majority of those elected" means 60 affirmative
34 votes; 71 affirmative votes means three-fifths of the
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1 members elected; and 79 affirmative votes means
2 two-thirds of the members elected.
3 (15) Member. "Member" means a Representative.
4 Where the context so requires, "member" may also mean a
5 Senator of the Illinois Senate.
6 (16) Members Appointed. "Members appointed" means
7 the total number of Representatives authorized under
8 these Rules to be appointed to a committee.
9 (17) Members Elected. "Members elected" means the
10 118 Representatives entitled to be elected to the House,
11 regardless of the number of elected or appointed
12 Representatives actually serving in office.
13 (18) Minority Caucus. "Minority caucus" means that
14 group of Representatives from the second numerically
15 strongest political party in the House.
16 (19) Minority Leader. "Minority Leader" means the
17 Minority Leader of the House elected under Rule 2.
18 (20) Minority Spokesperson. "Minority
19 spokesperson" means that Representative designated by the
20 Minority Leader to serve as the minority spokesperson of
21 a committee.
22 (21) Perfunctory Session. "Perfunctory session"
23 means the convening of the House, pursuant to the
24 scheduling of the Speaker, for purposes consistent with
25 Rule 28.
26 (22) Presiding Officer. "Presiding Officer" means
27 that Representative serving as the presiding officer of
28 the House, whether that Representative is the Speaker or
29 another Representative designated by the Speaker under
30 Rule 4.
31 (23) Principal Sponsor. "Principal sponsor" means
32 the first listed House sponsor of any legislative
33 measure; with respect to a standing committee-sponsored
34 bill or resolution, it means the Chairperson of the
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1 committee; with respect to a special committee-sponsored
2 bill or resolution, it means the Co-Chairperson from the
3 majority caucus.
4 (24) Record Vote. "Record vote" means a vote by
5 ayes and nays entered on the journal.
6 (25) Representative. "Representative" means any
7 duly elected or duly appointed Illinois State
8 Representative, and means the same as "member".
9 (26) Senate. "Senate" means the Senate of the
10 General Assembly.
11 (27) Speaker. "Speaker" means the Speaker of the
12 House elected as provided in Rule 1.
13 (28) Term. "Term" means the 2-year term of a
14 General Assembly.
15 (29) Vice-Chairperson. "Vice-Chairperson" means
16 that Representative designated by the Speaker to serve as
17 Vice-Chairperson of a committee.