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COMMITTEE PROCEDURES
General Directions
- Committees will begin meeting on Friday and continue through Saturday afternoon.
- Bill Strengthening Session – This is the first session and a time to strengthen Bills. Bills will randomly be put together for this session. Time is provided to critique Bills and provide solutions for strengthening and combining like topics. The last part of the session is for writing any necessary amendments and polishing points to be used in debate.
- Committee Sessions – Bills are organized by topic. This is a time to further strengthen the content of the Bills for the upcoming Legislative sessions. Bills will be voted on a pass/fail format, as to whether or not delegates believe the bill merits hearing in general chambers. Time will be allowed for caucuses, at the Chair’s discretion.
- If a Bill is found to be unacceptable by the Committee, it is the Committee’s responsibility to do whatever is necessary to make the Bill acceptable, e.g. rewrite, amend, combine, etc.
- All amendments must be written clearly on the proper form.
- A Cabinet member may have (4) four minutes to address the Committee about the interests and concerns of the Governor.
- An Assistant Treasurer or Lobbyist may also address the committee on each bill for a maximum of (2) two minutes during Bill discussion. Both must be recognized by the chair to address the committee.
Action on the Bills
- Debate in Committee is to focus on the merits of the Bill. Committees are designed so that only the well-written and highly debatable Bills will advance to the Legislative sessions. Debate is not intended to focus on the delegate’s individual like or dislike of the Bill.
- The Chair must divide the time remaining by the number of Bills in the committee and allot that number of minutes to each Bill – including the time needed to vote on each. However, every Bill may not be heard and time may be extended on an individual Bill.
- Before beginning the debate, Committee Leaders will remind delegates of the intent of the committee and what delegates should base their votes on. Committee Leaders will stress the importance of advancing only the most qualified Bills and of voting based on those qualifications.
- Committee Leadership will then read the number and title of the first Bill to be discussed. The Main Sponsor will give a 1-minute Opening Statement in support of the Bill.
- Technical Questions. The committee will be permitted to ask questions of the main sponsor. Questions are limited to non-debatable questions.
- Con-Pro Debate – 1-minute per speech, with no more than 5 rounds of speeches, beginning and ending with a Con speech. Lobbyists, Cabinet, and Assistant State Treasurers’ may be recognized to speak by the Chair during this time.
- The Main Sponsor will then give a 1-minute Closing Statement.
- The Committee Leader will then conduct a standing vote, with a simple majority required to pass. Lobbyists, Cabinet, and Assistant State Treasurers’will NOT be permitted a vote.
- The Committee shall follow the same steps until all of the Bills have been discussed and voted on.
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