Rules of the Senate of Pennsylvania. I. The Speaker shall take the chair, each day, at the hour to which the Senate stands adjourned, when he shall call the members to order, and on the appearance of a quorum, shall cause the Journal of the preceding day to be read, which the Senate shall have power then to correct. II. The order to be observed in taking up business shall be as follows: First. The asking leave of absence. Second. The receiving of petitions, memorials, remonstrances, letters and documents from members in the numerical order of Senatorial districts, and referring the same to appropriate committees; on motion, referring such as have been previously presented; and appointing additional members on committees. Third. The receiving of reports of committees, which shall be called for by the Speaker, according to the order of the committees. Fourth. The reading of bills in their places by members. Fifth. The offering of original resolutions. Sixth. The considering of reports and resolutions previously presented, and the referring of items of unfinished business. Seventh. The reading of bills the third time. Eighth.--The considering of bills in the following order: First. Those in which the Senate has made progress on a second reading. Second.-Those in which the committee of the whole has made some progress, and has had leave to sit again. Ninth. The considering of the orders of the day. Tenth. The reading of reported and printed bills at length, on the call of Senators, which shall be the first reading of such bills, and in that stage shall not be subject to amendment or to a vote thereon. [Last paragraph amended January 8, 1874.] III. It shall be the duty of the Speaker to preserve order, prevent personal reflections, confine members in debate to the question, and when two or more members rise at the same time, decide who shall be first heard; but an appeal in all such cases shall lie to the Senate, and a member called to order may extenuate or justify. IV. Members speaking shall address the Speaker, and when presenting a paper shall first state its import. Members shall not speak more than twice on any question without permission of the Senate, nor be interrupted when speaking, except by a call to order by the Speaker, or by a member through the Speaker, or by a member to explain, or by a call for the previous question. V. When a motion is made and seconded, it shall, before debate, be stated by the Speaker. Every motion shall be reduced to writing, if the Speaker or any member require it; but a motion may be withdrawn by the member making it, before amendment, postponement, an order to lie on the table, or decision. VI. Every motion shall be entered on the Jour nal, together with the name of the member making it, unless it should be subsequently withdrawn. VII. A question regularly before the Senate can be interrupted only by a call for the previous question, for amendment, postponement, commitment or adjournment. VIII. A motion to adjourn shall always be in order, excepting when on the call for the previous question, the main question shall have been ordered to be now put, or when a member has the floor, and shall be decided without debate. IX. The motion for the previous question, postponement, or commitment, shall preclude amendment and debate on the original subject; (a motion to postpone shall preclude commitment.) The previous question shall not be moved by less than four members. X. On all questions the Speaker shall vote last. XI. Acts, orders, addresses and joint resolutions shall be signed by the Speaker, in the presence of the Senate, after their titles have been publicly read, and the fact of signing shall be entered on the Journal; and writs, warrants and subpoenas, issued by the Senate, shall be signed by him and attested by the Clerk. XII. The Speaker shall have the general direction of the Hall. He may name a member to perform the duties of the Chair, but such substitution shall not extend beyond an adjournment. XIII. When a question has been once made and carried in the affirmative or negative, it shall be in order for any two members of the majority, or when the Senate has been equally divided, for any two who voted in the negative, to move for the reconsideration thereof; but no motion for the re-con sideration of any vote shall be in order after a bill, resolution, report, amendment or motion, upon which the vote was taken, shall have gone out of the possession of the Senate; nor shall any motion for re-consideration be in order, unless made on the same day on which the vote was taken, or within the next five days of actual session of the Senate thereafter; and such motion shall take precedence of all other questions, except a motion to adjourn, and no member shall speak on the question more than once, or for a longer time than five minutes. [Adopted January 15, 1851.] XIV. Every bill shall be read at length on three different days in open Senate. All amendments thereto shall be printed and laid on the desks of Senators before the final vote is taken on the bill. The final vote shall be taken by yeas and nays, and the names of the persons voting for and against the same be entered on the Journal. No bill shall be declared passed or be signed by the Speaker unless a majority of all the Senators elected to the Senate shall be recorded as voting for the same. [Adopted January 8, 1874.] XV. No amendment shall be received by the Speaker which destroys the general sense of the original section, clause or paragraph. No amendment to bills by the House shall be concurred in by the Senate, except by the vote of a majority of the members elected thereto, taken by yeas and nays, and the names of those voting for and against recorded upon the Journal thereof. [Amended January 8, 1874.] XVI. No debate shall be allowed on questions of order, unless there be an appeal, or reference by the Speaker to the Senate. And on such appeal or reference, no member shall speak more than once, unless by leave of the Senate. XVII. On filling up blanks, the question shall first be taken on the largest sum, greatest number, and most distant day. XVIII. All bills shall be considered by a committee of the whole. All amendments made in committee of the whole shall be reported by the chairman to the Senate, and shall by him be moved to be inserted, and if adopted shall be then entered on the Journal. Every bill shall be read at length in committee of the whole, and such reading shall be considered one of the readings required by the Constitution. If any Senator shall request the reading of the bill at length while on second reading, it shall be done. [Amended Jan. 8, 1874.] XIX. No bills appropriating money for charitable or benevolent purposes will be considered until after the general appropriation bill shall have been reported from committee. [Adopted session of 1875.] XX. The following standing committees shall be appointed at the commencement of each session, until otherwise ordered: A Committee on Finance. A Committee on the Judiciary, (General.) A Committee on Accounts. A Committee on Municipal Affairs. A Committee on Pensions and Gratuities. A Committee on Corporations. A Committee on Library. A Committee on Railroads. |