HOUSE RULES
NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
ARTICLE I
ORGANIZATION
(House Rule 1)
1. Election of the Speaker.
(a) At the first meeting of the House
of each General Assembly, the Secretary of State shall convene the House at 12:00 noon, designate a Temporary Clerk of the
House, and preside during the nomination and election of the Speaker. As the
first item of business each day before the election of the Speaker, the
Secretary of State shall order the Temporary Clerk to call the roll of the
members to establish the presence of a quorum as required by the Constitution.
If a majority of those elected are not present, the House shall stand adjourned
until the next calendar day, excepting weekends, at the hour prescribed in Rule
29. If a quorum of members elected is present, the Secretary of State shall
then call for nominations of members for the Office of Speaker. All nominations
require a second. When the nominations are completed, the Secretary of State
shall direct the Temporary Clerk to call the roll of the members to elect the
Speaker.
(b) The election of the Speaker
requires the affirmative vote of a majority of those elected. Debate is not in
order following nominations and preceding or during the vote.
(c) No legislative measure may be
considered and no committees may be appointed or meet before the election of
the Speaker.
(d) When a vacancy in the Office of
Speaker occurs, the foregoing procedure shall be employed to elect a new
Speaker; when the Secretary of State is of a political party other than that of
the majority caucus, however, the Majority Leader shall preside during the
nomination and election of the successor Speaker. No legislative measures,
other than for the nomination and election of a successor Speaker, may be
considered by the House during a vacancy in the Office of Speaker.
(House Rule 2)
2. Election of the Minority Leader.
(a) The House shall elect a Minority
Leader in a manner consistent with the laws of Illinois. The
Minority Leader is the leader of the numerically strongest political party
other than the party to which the Speaker belongs.
(b) This Rule may be suspended only by
the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
(House Rule 3)
3. Majority and Minority Leadership.
(a) The Speaker and the Minority
Leader shall appoint from within their respective caucuses the members of the
Majority and Minority Leaderships as allowed by law.
(b) Appointments are effective upon
being filed with the Clerk and remain effective at the pleasure of the Speaker
and Minority Leader, respectively, or until a vacancy occurs by reason of
resignation or because a leader has ceased to be a Representative. Successor
leaders shall be appointed in the same manner as their predecessors. Leaders
have those powers delegated to them by the Speaker or Minority Leader, as the
case may be.
(House Rule 4)
4. The Speaker.
(a) The Speaker has those powers
conferred upon him or her by the Constitution, the laws of Illinois, and any
motions or resolutions adopted by the House or jointly by the House and Senate.
(b) Except as otherwise provided by
law, the Speaker is the chief administrative officer of the House and has those
powers necessary to carry out those functions. The Speaker may delegate
administrative duties as he or she deems appropriate.
(c) The duties of the Speaker include
the following:
(1) To
preside at all sessions of the House, although the Speaker may call on any
member to preside temporarily as Presiding Officer.
(2) To open
the session at the time at which the House is to meet by taking the chair and
calling the members to order. The Speaker may call on any member to open the
session as Presiding Officer.
(3) To
announce the business before the House in the order upon which it is to be
acted. The Presiding Officer shall perform this duty during the period that he
or she is presiding.
(4) To
recognize those members entitled to the floor.
(5) To state
and put to a vote all questions that are regularly moved or that
necessarily arise in the
course of the proceedings, and to announce the result of the vote.
(6) To
preserve order and decorum.
(7) To decide
all points of order, subject to appeal, and to speak on these points in
preference to other members.
(8) To inform
the House when necessary, or when any question is raised, on any point of order
or practice pertinent to the pending business.
(9) To sign
or authenticate all acts, proceedings, or orders of the House. All writs,
warrants, and subpoenae issued by order of the House,
or any of its committees, shall be signed by the Speaker and attested by the
Clerk.
(10) To sign
all bills passed by both chambers of the General Assembly to certify that the
procedural requirements for passage have been met.
(11) To have
general supervision of the House Chamber, galleries, and adjoining and
connecting hallways and passages, including the duty to protect their security
and safety and the power to clear them when necessary. The House Chamber shall
not be used without permission of the Speaker.
(12) To have
general supervision of the Clerk and his or her assistants, the Doorkeeper and
his or her assistants, the majority caucus staff, the parliamentarians, and all
employees of the House except the minority caucus staff.
(13) To
determine the number of majority caucus members and minority caucus members to
be appointed to all committees, except the Rules Committee created by Rule 15
and those committees that may be created under Article XII of these Rules.
(14) To
appoint all Chairpersons, Co‑Chairpersons, and Vice‑Chairpersons of
committees (from either the majority or minority caucus), and to appoint all
majority caucus members of committees.
(15) To
enforce all constitutional provisions, statutes, rules, and regulations
applicable to the House.
(16) To guide
and direct the proceedings of the House subject to the control and will of the
members.
(17) To
direct the Clerk to correct non‑substantive errors in the Journal.
(18) To
assign meeting places and meeting times to committees and subcommittees.
(19) To
perform any other duties assigned to the Speaker by these House Rules or
jointly by the House and Senate.
(20) To
decide, subject to the control and will of the members, all questions relating
to the priority of business.
(21) To
issue, in cooperation with the Comptroller and after clearance with the United
States Internal Revenue Service, written regulations covering administration of
contingent expense allowances of members of the House.
(22) To
appoint one or more parliamentarians to serve at the pleasure of the Speaker.
(d) This Rule may be suspended only by
the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
(House Rule 5)
5. Powers and Duties of the Minority
Leader.
(a) The Minority Leader has those
powers conferred upon him or her by the Constitution, the laws of Illinois, and any
motions or resolutions adopted by the House or jointly by the House and Senate.
(b) The Minority Leader shall appoint
to all committees the members from the minority caucus and shall designate a
Minority Spokesperson for each committee, except that the Speaker may appoint a
minority caucus member to be Chairperson of a standing committee or Chairperson
or Co‑Chairperson of a special committee.
(c) The Minority Leader has general
supervision of the minority caucus staff.
(House Rule 6)
6. Clerk of the House.
(a) The House shall elect a Clerk, who
may adopt appropriate policies or procedures for the conduct of his or her
office. The Speaker is the final arbiter of any dispute arising in connection
with the operation of the Office of the Clerk.
(b) The duties of the Clerk include
the following:
(1) To have
custody of all bills, papers, and records of the House, which shall not be
taken out of the Clerk's custody except in the regular course of business in
the House.
(2) To
endorse on every original bill and each copy its number, the names of sponsors,
the date of introduction, and the several orders taken on it. When reproduced,
the names of the sponsors shall appear on the front page of the bill in the
same order they appeared when introduced.
(3) To cause
each bill to be reproduced and placed on the desks of the members as soon as it
is reproduced, as provided in Rule 39.
(4) To keep
the Journal of the proceedings of the House and, under the direction of the
Speaker, correct errors in the Journal.
(5) To keep
the transcripts of the debates of the House and make them available to the
public under reasonable conditions.
(6) To keep
the necessary records for the House and its committees and to prepare the House
Calendar for each legislative day.
(7) To
examine all House Bills and Constitutional Amendment Resolutions following
Second Reading and before final passage for the purpose of correcting any non‑substantive
errors, and to report the same back to the Speaker promptly; to supervise the
enrolling and engrossing of bills and resolutions, subject to the direction of
the Speaker; and to attest to the passage or adoption of legislative measures,
and to note thereon the date of final House action. Any corrections made by the
Clerk and approved by the Speaker shall be entered on the Journal.
(8) To
transmit bills, other documents, and messages to the Senate and secure a
receipt therefor, and to receive from the Senate
bills, other documents, and messages and give receipt therefor.
(9) To file
with the Secretary of State debate transcripts and House documents as
required by law.
(10) To
attend every session of the House; record the roll; and read all bills,
resolutions, and other
papers as directed by the Speaker. Bills shall be read by title only.
(11) To
supervise the Assistant Clerk, the Doorkeeper, pages, messengers, committee
clerks, and other employees of his or her office.
(12) To
establish the format for all documents, forms, and committee records and tapes
prepared by committee clerks.
(13) Subject
to approval by the Speaker, to establish standards of decorum and other
standards regarding written statements filed under Rule 53.
(14) To
perform other duties assigned by the Speaker.
(House Rule 7)
7. Assistant Clerk of the House. The House
shall, in a manner consistent with the laws of Illinois, elect an
Assistant Clerk, who shall perform those duties assigned by the Clerk.
(House Rule 8)
8. Doorkeeper. The House shall elect a
Doorkeeper who shall perform those duties assigned by law, or as ordered by the
Speaker, Presiding Officer, or Clerk. Those duties shall include the following:
(1) To attend
the House during its sessions and execute the commands of the Speaker or
Presiding Officer.
(2) To
maintain order among spectators admitted into the House Chamber, galleries, and
adjoining or connecting hallways and passages.
(3) To take
proper measures to prevent interruption of the House.
(4) To remove
unruly persons from the House Chamber, galleries, and adjoining and connecting
hallways and passages.
(5) To ensure
that only authorized persons have access to the House Chamber, galleries, and
adjoining hallways and passages, subject to the direction of the Speaker.
(6) To
supervise any Assistant Doorkeepers.
(7) To
perform other duties assigned by the Speaker.
(House Rule 9)
9. Schedule.
(a) The Speaker shall periodically
establish a schedule of days on which the House shall convene in regular,
perfunctory, and veto session, with that schedule subject to revision at the
discretion of the Speaker.
(b) The Speaker may schedule or
reschedule deadlines at his or her discretion for any action on any category of
legislative measure as the Speaker deems appropriate, including deadlines for
the following legislative actions:
(1) Final day
to request bills from the Legislative Reference Bureau.
(2) Final day
for introduction of bills.
(3) Final day
for standing committees of the House to report House bills, except House
appropriation bills.
(4) Final day
for standing committees of the House to report House appropriation bills.
(5) Final day
for Third Reading and passage of House bills, except House appropriation bills.
(6) Final day
for Third Reading and passage of House appropriation bills.
(7) Final day
for standing committees of the House to report Senate appropriation bills.
(8) Final day
for standing committees of the House to report Senate bills, except
appropriation bills.
(9) Final day
for special committees to report to the House.
(10) Final
day for Third Reading and passage of Senate appropriation bills.
(11) Final
day for Third Reading and passage of Senate bills, except appropriation bills.
(12) Final
day for consideration of joint action motions and conference committee reports.
(c) The Speaker may schedule or
reschedule any necessary deadlines for legislative action during any special
session of the House. The Speaker may establish a Weekly Order of Business or a
Daily Order of Business setting forth the date and approximate time at which
specific legislative measures may be considered by the House. The Weekly Order
of Business or Daily Order of Business is effective upon being filed by the
Speaker with the Clerk and takes the place of the standing order of business
for the amount of time necessary for its completion. Nothing in this Rule,
however, limits the Speaker's or Presiding Officer's powers under Rule 4(c)(3) or Rule 43(a).
(d) The foregoing deadlines, or any
revisions to those deadlines, are effective upon being filed by the Speaker
with the Clerk. The Clerk shall journalize those deadlines.
(e) This Rule may be suspended only by
the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
ARTICLE II
COMMITTEES
(House Rule 10)
10. Committees.
(a) The committees of the House are: (i) the standing committees listed in Rule 11; (ii) the
special committees created under Rule 13; (iii) subcommittees created by
standing committees or by special committees; (iv) the Rules Committee created
under Rule 15; (v) the Election Contest or Qualifications Challenge Committees,
if any, created under Article X; (vi) any committees created under Article XII ; and (vii) any Committee of the Whole. Subcommittees
may not create subcommittees. Committees of the Whole shall consist of all
Representatives.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this
Rule, all committees, except special committees created under Rule 13, shall
have a Chairperson and Minority Spokesperson, who may be of the same political
party. Special committees created under Rule 13 that have Co‑Chairpersons
from different political parties shall not have a Minority Spokesperson. No
member may be appointed to serve as a Chairperson, Minority Spokesperson, or Co‑Chairperson
of any committee unless the member is serving in at least his or her third term
as a member of the General Assembly, including any terms in which the member
was appointed to fill a vacancy in the office of Representative or Senator;
provided that this requirement does not apply if the member received a stipend
or additional amount during a previous General Assembly as an
"officer", "committee chairman", or "committee
minority spokesman" as provided in Section 1 of the General Assembly
Compensation Act (25 ILCS 115/1) and in Rule 13(b). Each committee may have a
Vice‑Chairperson appointed by the Speaker. The number of majority caucus
members and minority caucus members of all committees, except the Rules
Committee created under Rule 15 and any committees that may be created under
Article XII, shall be determined by the Speaker. The
Speaker shall file a notice with the Clerk setting forth the number of majority
caucus and minority caucus members of each committee, which shall be
journalized. A member may be temporarily replaced on a committee due to illness
or if the member is otherwise unavailable. All leaders are non‑voting ex‑officio
members of each standing committee and each special committee, except that the
leaders may also be appointed to standing committees or special committees as
voting members. The Speaker may also appoint any member of the majority caucus,
and the Minority Leader may appoint any member of the minority caucus, as a non‑voting
ex‑officio member of any standing committee or special committee.
(c) The Chairperson of a committee has
the authority to call the committee to order, designate which bills and
resolutions posted for hearing shall be taken up and in what order, order a
record vote to be taken on each legislative measure called for a vote, preserve
order and decorum during committee meetings, establish procedural rules
(subject to approval by the Speaker) governing the presentation and
consideration of legislative measures, and generally supervise the affairs of
the committee. The Vice‑Chairperson of a committee or other member of the
committee from the majority caucus may preside over its meetings in the absence
or at the direction of the Chairperson. In the case of special committees with
Co‑Chairpersons from different political parties, the
"Chairperson" for purposes of this Rule is the Co‑Chairperson
from the majority caucus.
(d) A vacancy on a committee, or in
the position of Chairperson, Co‑Chairperson, Vice‑Chairperson, or
Minority Spokesperson on a committee, exists when a member resigns from the
position or ceases to be a Representative. Resignations shall be made in
writing to the Clerk, who shall promptly notify the Speaker and Minority
Leader. Absent concurrence by a majority of those elected, except as otherwise
provided in Rule 15 and except in connection with temporary replacements under
Rule 10(b), no member who resigns from a committee shall be re‑appointed
to that committee for the remainder of the term. Replacement members shall be
of the same political party as that of the member who resigns, and shall be
appointed in the same manner as the original appointment, except that in the
case of the resignation of a Chairperson or Co‑Chairperson, the
replacement member need not be from the same political
party. In the case of vacancies on subcommittees that were created by
committees, the parent committee shall fill the vacancy in the same manner as
the original appointment.
(e) The Chairperson of a committee has
the authority to call meetings of that committee, subject to the approval of
the Speaker. In the case of special committees with Co‑Chairpersons from
different political parties, the Co‑Chairperson from the majority caucus
has the authority to call meetings of the special committee, subject to the
approval of the Speaker. Except as otherwise provided by
these Rules, committee meetings shall be convened in accordance with Rule 21.
(f) This Rule may be suspended only by
the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
(House Rule 11)
11. Standing Committees. The Standing
Committees of the House are as follows:
AGING
AGRICULTURE &
CONSERVATION
APPROPRIATIONS‑ELEMENTARY
& SECONDARY EDUCATION
APPROPRIATIONS‑GENERAL
SERVICES
APPROPRIATIONS‑HIGHER
EDUCATION
APPROPRIATIONS‑HUMAN
SERVICES
APPROPRIATIONS‑PUBLIC
SAFETY
CHILD SUPPORT
ENFORCEMENT
COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY
CONSUMER PROTECTION
ELECTIONS &
CAMPAIGN REFORM
ELECTRIC UTILITY
DEREGULATION
ELEMENTARY &
SECONDARY EDUCATION
ENVIRONMENT &
ENERGY
ENVIRONMENTAL
HEALTH
EXECUTIVE
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
HEALTHCARE AVAILABILITY
& ACCESS
HIGHER EDUCATION
HOUSING &
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
HUMAN SERVICES
INSURANCE
INTERNATIONAL
TRADE & COMMERCE
JUDICIARY I –
CIVIL LAW
JUDICIARY II
– CRIMINAL LAW
LABOR
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
MASS TRANSIT
PERSONNEL &
PENSIONS
PUBLIC UTILITIES
REGISTRATION &
REGULATION
REVENUE
STATE GOVERNMENT
ADMINISTRATION
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
REWRITE
TOURISM &
CONVENTIONS
TRANSPORTATION
& MOTOR VEHICLES
VETERANS' AFFAIRS
(House Rule 12)
12. Members and Officers of Standing
Committees. The members of each standing committee shall be appointed for the
term by the Speaker and the Minority Leader. The Speaker shall appoint the
Chairperson (from either the majority or minority caucus) and the remaining
standing committee members of the majority caucus (one of whom the Speaker may
designate as Vice‑Chairperson), and the Minority Leader shall appoint the
remaining standing committee members of the minority caucus (one of whom the
Minority Leader may designate as Minority Spokesperson). Appointments are
effective upon the delivery of appropriate correspondence from the respective
leader to the Clerk, regardless of whether the House is in session, and shall
remain effective for the duration of the term, subject to Rule 10(d). The Clerk
shall journalize the appointments. Committees may conduct business when a
majority of the total number of committee members has been appointed. No member
may be appointed to more than one of the following standing committees:
Electric Utility Deregulation, Public Utilities, and Telecommunications
Rewrite.
(House Rule 13)
13. Special Committees.
(a) The following Special Committees
are created:
DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND MENTAL ILLNESS
FEE‑FOR‑SERVICE INITIATIVES
GAMING
The Speaker may create additional
special committees by filing a notice of the creation of the special committee
with the Clerk. The notice creating an additional special committee shall
specify the subject matter of the special committee and the number of members
to be appointed.
(b) The Speaker shall determine the
number of majority and minority caucus members to be appointed to special
committees in accordance with Rule 10(b). The Speaker, at his or her
discretion, shall appoint a Chairperson or Co‑Chairpersons. The Speaker
may appoint any member as a Chairperson or Co‑Chairperson of a special
committee. If the Chairperson or Co‑Chairperson is a member of the
majority or minority leadership or the Chairperson or Minority Spokesperson of
a standing committee, the member shall receive no additional stipend or
compensation for serving as Chairperson or Co‑Chairperson of the special
committee. For purposes of Section 1 of the General Assembly Compensation Act
(25 ILCS 115/1), (i) a special committee under these
rules is considered a "select committee" and (ii) one Co‑Chairperson
of a special committee shall be considered "Chairman" and the other
shall be considered "Minority Spokesman". The appointed members of
special committees shall be designated by the Speaker and the Minority Leader
in a like manner as provided in Rule 12 with respect to standing committees,
except that if the special committee has Co‑Chairpersons from different
political parties, the special committee shall not have a Minority
Spokesperson. In that case, the Minority Leader shall appoint the minority
caucus members to the special committee, except the Co‑Chairperson from
the minority caucus who shall be appointed by the Speaker. The Speaker may
establish a reporting date during the term for each special committee by filing
a notice of the reporting date with the Clerk. Unless an earlier date is
specified by the notice, special committees expire at the end of the term.
(c) Special committees are empowered
to conduct business when a majority of the total number of committee members
has been appointed.
(d) This Rule may be suspended only by
the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
(House Rule 14)
14. Subcommittees.
(a) The Chairperson of a standing
committee or a special committee may create a subcommittee by filing a notice
with the Clerk and the committee clerk. The number of majority caucus and
minority caucus members to be appointed to a subcommittee shall be determined
by the Committee Chairperson, and filed with the Clerk and the committee clerk.
In the case of special committees with Co‑Chairpersons from different
political parties, the creation of subcommittees and the number of majority
caucus and minority caucus members to be appointed to the subcommittee shall be
determined by the Co‑Chairperson from the majority caucus. Members of
subcommittees must be members of the parent committee, and shall be appointed
in the manner determined by the committee Chairperson, or in the case of
special committees with Co‑Chairpersons from different political parties,
by the Co‑Chairperson from the majority caucus.
The notice creating a subcommittee
shall specify the subject matter of the subcommittee and the number of members
to be appointed, and may specify a reporting date during the term. Unless an
earlier date is specified by the notice, subcommittees expire at the end of the
term.
(b) This Rule may be suspended only by
the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
(House Rule 15)
15. Rules Committee.
(a) The Rules Committee is created as
a permanent committee. The Rules Committee shall consist of 5 members, 3
appointed by the Speaker and 2 appointed by the Minority Leader. The Speaker and
the Minority Leader are each eligible to be appointed to the Rules Committee.
The Rules Committee may conduct business when a majority of the total number of
its members has been appointed.
(b) The majority caucus members of the
Rules Committee shall serve at the pleasure of the Speaker, and the minority
caucus members shall serve at the pleasure of the Minority Leader. Appointments
shall be by notice filed with the Clerk, and shall be effective for the balance
of the term or until a replacement appointment is made, whichever first occurs.
Appointments take effect upon filing with the Clerk, regardless of whether the
House is in session. Notwithstanding any other provision of these Rules, any
Representative who is replaced on the Rules Committee may be re‑appointed
to the Rules Committee without concurrence of the House.
(c) Notwithstanding any other
provision of these Rules, the Rules Committee may meet upon reasonable public
notice that includes a statement of the subjects to be considered. All legislative
measures pending before the Rules Committee are eligible for consideration at
any of its meetings, and all of those legislative measures are deemed posted
for hearing by the Rules Committee for all of its meetings.
(d) Upon concurrence of a majority of
those appointed, the Rules Committee may advance any legislative measure
pending before it to the House, without referral to another committee; the
Rules Committee, however, shall not so report any bill that has never been
before a standing committee or a special committee of the House.
(e) This Rule may be suspended only by
the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
(House Rule 16)
16. Referrals of Resolutions and
Reorganization Orders.
(a) All resolutions, except
adjournment resolutions and resolutions considered under subsection (b) or (c)
of this Rule, after being initially read by the Clerk, are automatically
referred to the Rules Committee, which may thereafter refer any resolution
before it to the House or to a standing committee or special committee. No
resolution, except adjournment resolutions and resolutions considered under
subsection (b) or (c) of this Rule, may be considered by the House unless
referred to the House by the Rules Committee under Rule 18, or by a standing
committee or special committee. An adjournment resolution is subject to Rule
66.
(b) Any member may file a
congratulatory resolution for consideration by the House. The Principal Sponsor
of each congratulatory resolution shall pay a reasonable fee, determined by the
Clerk with the approval of the Speaker, to offset the actual cost of producing
the congratulatory resolution. The fee may be paid from the office allowance
provided by Section 4 of the General Assembly Compensation Act, or from any
other funds available to the member. Upon agreement of the Speaker and the
Minority Leader, congratulatory resolutions may be immediately considered and
adopted by the House without referral to the Rules Committee. Those resolutions
may be adopted as a group by a single motion. Congratulatory resolutions shall
be entered on the Journal only by number, sponsorship, and subject. The
provisions of this subsection requiring the Principal Sponsor to pay a
reasonable fee may not be suspended.
(c) Death resolutions in memory of
former members of the General Assembly and former constitutional officers, upon
introduction, may be immediately considered by the House without referral to
the Rules Committee. Those resolutions shall be entered on the Journal in full.
(d) Executive reorganization orders of
the Governor issued under Article V, Sec. 11 of the Constitution, upon being
read into the record by the Clerk, are automatically referred to the Rules
Committee for its referral to a standing committee or a special committee,
which may issue a recommendation to the House with respect to the Executive
Order. The House may disapprove of an Executive Order only by resolution
adopted by a majority of those elected; no such resolution is in order until a
standing committee or a special committee has reported to the House on the
executive reorganization, or until the Executive Order has been discharged
under Rule 58.
(House Rule 17)
17. Sponsorship by the Rules
Committee. The Rules Committee may consider any legislative measure referred to
it under these Rules, by motion or resolution, or by order of the Presiding
Officer upon initial reading. The Rules Committee may, with the concurrence of
a majority of those appointed, sponsor motions or resolutions; notwithstanding
any other provision of these Rules, any motion or resolution sponsored by the
Rules Committee may be immediately considered by the House without referral to
a committee. Any such motion or resolution shall be assigned standard debate
status, subject to Rule 52.
(House Rule 18)
18. Referrals to Committees.
(a) All House Bills and Senate Bills,
after being initially read by the Clerk, are automatically referred to the
Rules Committee.
(b) During odd‑numbered years,
the Rules Committee shall thereafter refer any such bill before it, and which
has a Principal Sponsor, to a standing committee or a special committee within
3 legislative days. During even‑numbered years, the Rules Committee shall
refer to a standing committee or a special committee only appropriation bills
implementing the budget and bills deemed by the Rules Committee, by the
affirmative vote of a majority appointed, to be of an emergency nature or to be
of substantial importance to the operation of government. This subsection (b)
applies equally to House Bills and Senate Bills introduced into or received by
the House.
(c) A standing committee or a special
committee may refer a subject matter or a legislative measure pending in that
committee to a subcommittee of that committee.
(d) All legislative measures favorably
reported by a standing committee or a special committee, or discharged from a
standing committee or a special committee under Rule 58, shall be referred to
the House and placed on the appropriate order of business, which shall appear
on the daily calendar. All legislative measures, except bills or resolutions on
the Consent Calendar, bills or resolutions assigned short debate status by a
standing committee or special committee, and floor amendments, so referred are
automatically assigned standard debate status, subject to Rule 52.
(e) All floor amendments, joint action
motions for final action, conference committee reports, and motions to table
committee amendments, upon filing with the Clerk, are automatically referred to
the Rules Committee. The Rules Committee may refer any floor amendment, joint
action motion for final action, conference committee report, or motion to table
a committee amendment to the House or to a standing committee or a special
committee for its review and consideration (in those instances, and
notwithstanding any other provision of these Rules, the standing committee or
special committee may hold a hearing on and consider those legislative measures
pursuant to a one‑hour advance notice). Any floor amendment, joint action
motion for final action, conference committee report, or motion to table a
committee amendment that is not referred to the House by the Rules Committee is
out of order, except that any floor amendment, joint action motion for final
action, conference committee report, or motion to table a committee amendment
favorably approved by a standing committee or a special committee is deemed
referred to the House by the Rules Committee for purposes of this Rule. All
joint action motions for final action, conference committee reports and motions
to table committee amendments so referred are automatically assigned standard
debate status, subject to Rule 52. Floor amendments referred to the House under
this Rule are automatically assigned amendment debate status.
(f) The Rules Committee may at any
time refer or re‑refer a legislative measure from a committee to a
Committee of the Whole or to any other committee.
(g) Legislative measures may be
discharged from the Rules Committee only by unanimous consent of the House. Any
bill discharged from the Rules Committee shall be placed on the order of Second
Reading and assigned standard debate status, subject to Rule 52.
(h) Except for those provisions that
require unanimous consent, this Rule may be suspended only by the affirmative vote
of 71 members elected.
(House Rule 19)
19. Re‑Referrals to the Rules
Committee.
(a) All legislative measures that fail
to meet the applicable deadline established under Rule 9 for reporting to the
House by a standing committee or a special committee, for Third Reading and
passage, or for consideration of joint action motions and conference committee
reports are automatically re‑referred to the Rules Committee unless: (i) the deadline has been suspended or revised by the
Speaker, with re‑referral to the Rules Committee to occur if the bill has
not been reported to the House in accordance with a revised deadline; or (ii)
the Rules Committee has issued a written exception to the Clerk with respect to
a particular bill before the reporting deadline, with re‑referral to
occur, if at all, in accordance with the written exception.
(b) All legislative measures pending
before the House or any of its committees are automatically re‑referred
to the Rules Committee on the 31st consecutive day that the House has not
convened for session unless: (i) any deadline
applicable to the bill or resolution that has been designated by the Speaker
under Rule 9 exceeds 31 days, with re‑referral to occur, if at all, in
accordance with that deadline; (ii) this Rule is suspended under Rule 67; or
(iii) the Rules Committee, by the affirmative vote of a majority appointed,
issues a written exception to the Clerk before that 31st day.
(House Rule 20)
20. Reporting by Committees.
Committees shall report to the House, and subcommittees shall report to their
parent committees.
(House Rule 21)
21. Notice.
(a) Except as provided in Rule 18 or
unless this Rule is suspended under Rule 67, no standing committee or special
committee may consider or conduct a hearing with respect to a subject matter or
a legislative measure absent notice first being given as follows:
(1) The
Chairperson of the committee, or the Co‑Chairperson from the majority
caucus of a special committee, shall, no later than 6 days before any proposed
hearing, post a notice on the House bulletin board identifying each subject
matter and each legislative measure, other than a committee amendment upon
initial consideration under Rule 40, that may be considered during that
hearing. The notice shall contain the day, hour, and place of the hearing. Legislative
measures and subject matters posted for hearing as provided in this item (1)
may also be considered at any committee hearing re‑convened following a
recess of the committee for which notice was posted, but only if the House has
met or was scheduled to meet in regular, veto, or special session on each
calendar day from the time of the original committee hearing to the re‑convened
committee hearing.
(2) Meetings
of the Rules Committee may be called under Rule 15; meetings of the standing
committees and special committees to consider floor amendments, joint action
motions for final consideration, conference committee reports, and motions to
table committee amendments may be called under Rule 18.
(3) The
Chairperson, or Co‑Chairperson from the majority caucus of a special
committee, shall, in advance of a committee hearing, notify all Principal
Sponsors of legislative measures posted for that hearing of the date, time, and
place of hearing. When practical, the Clerk shall include a notice of all
scheduled hearings, together with all posted bills and resolutions, in the
Daily Calendar of the House. Regardless of whether a particular legislative
measure or subject matter has been posted for hearing, it is in order for a
committee during any of its meetings to refer a subject matter or legislative
measure pending before it to a subcommittee of that committee.
(b) Other than the Rules Committee, no
committee may meet during any session of the House, and no commission created
by Illinois law that has
legislative membership may meet during any session of the House.
(c) Regardless of whether notice has
been previously given, it is always in order for a committee to table any
legislative measure pending before it when the Principal Sponsor so requests,
subject to Rule 60.
(d) This Rule may be suspended only by
the affirmative vote of 71 members elected, subject to Rule 25.
(House Rule 22)
22. Committee Procedure.
(a) A committee may consider any
legislative measure referred to it, except as provided in subsection (b), and
may make with respect to that legislative measure one of the following reports
to the House or to the parent committee, as appropriate:
(1) that the bill "do pass";
(2) that the bill "do not pass";
(3) that the bill "do pass as amended";
(4) that the bill "do not pass as amended";
(5) that the resolution "be adopted";
(6) that the resolution "be not adopted";
(7) that the resolution "be adopted as amended";
(8) that the resolution "be not adopted as amended";
(9) that the
floor amendment, joint action motion, conference committee report, or motion to
table a committee amendment referred by the Rules Committee "be
adopted";
(10) that the
floor amendment, joint action motion, conference committee report, or motion to
table a committee amendment referred by the Rules Committee "be not
adopted";
(11) "without recommendation"; or
(12) "tabled".
Any of the foregoing reports may be
made only upon the concurrence of a majority of those appointed. All legislative
measures reported "do pass", "do pass as amended", "be
adopted", or "be adopted as amended" are favorably reported to
the House. Except as otherwise provided by these Rules, any legislative measure
referred or re‑referred to a committee and not reported under this Rule
shall remain in that committee.
(b) No bill or committee amendment
that provides for an appropriation of money from the State Treasury may be
considered by an Appropriations Committee unless the bill or committee
amendment is limited to appropriations to a single department, office, or
institution; this provision does not apply to floor amendments, joint action
motions, or conference committee reports.
No bill that provides for an
appropriation of money from the State Treasury may be considered for passage by
the House unless it has first been favorably reported by an Appropriations
Committee or:
(1) the bill was discharged from an Appropriations Committee
under Rule 58;
(2) the bill was exempted from this requirement by a majority of
those appointed to the Rules Committee; or
(3) this Rule was suspended under Rule 67.
(c) The Chairperson of each committee,
or Co‑Chairperson from the majority caucus of a special committee, shall
keep, or cause to be kept, a record in which there shall be entered:
(1) The time
and place of each meeting of the committee.
(2) The
attendance of committee members at each meeting.
(3) The votes
cast by the committee members on all legislative measures acted on by the
committee.
(4) The
"Record of Committee Witness" forms executed by each person appearing
or registering in each committee meeting, which shall include identification of
the witness, the person, group, or firm represented by appearance and the
capacity in which the representation is made (if the person is representing
someone other than himself or herself), his or her position on the legislation
under consideration, and the nature of his or her desired testimony.
(5) A tape
recording of the proceedings.
(6) Such
additional information as may be requested by the Clerk.
(d) The committee Chairperson, or the
Co‑Chairperson from the majority caucus of a special committee, shall
file with the Clerk, along with every bill or resolution reported upon, a
written report containing such information as required by the Clerk. The Clerk
may adopt forms, policies, and procedures with respect to the preparation,
filing, and maintenance of the reports.
(e) When a committee fails to report a
legislative measure pending before it to the House, or when a committee fails
to hold a public hearing on a legislative measure pending before it, the
exclusive means to bring that legislative measure directly before the House for
its consideration is as provided in Rule 18 or Rule 58.
(f) No bill or resolution may be
called for a vote in a standing committee or special committee in the absence
of the Principal Sponsor. The Chairperson of a committee or a chief co‑sponsor
may present a bill or resolution in committee with the approval of the
Principal Sponsor when the committee consents. In the case of special
committees with Co‑Chairpersons from different political parties, the
"Chairperson" means the Co‑Chairperson from the majority
caucus. This subsection may not be suspended.
(g) Motions for committee approval of
bills and resolutions are renewable, provided that no bill or resolution may be
voted on more than twice in any committee on motions to report the bill or
resolution favorably, or to reconsider the vote by which the committee adopted
a motion to report the bill or resolution unfavorably. A bill or resolution
having failed to receive a favorable recommendation after 2 such record votes
shall be automatically reported with the appropriate unfavorable
recommendation.
(h) A bill or resolution shall be given
short debate status by report of the committee if the bill or resolution was
favorably reported by a three‑fifths vote of the members present and
voting, including those voting "present". Bills and resolutions
receiving favorable reports may be placed upon the Consent Calendar as provided
in Rule 42.
(i) This
Rule may be suspended only by the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
(House Rule 23)
23. Witnesses, Oaths, and Subpoenae.
(a) Standing committees may administer
oaths and may compel, by subpoena, any person to appear and give testimony as a
witness before the standing committee and produce papers, documents, and other
materials relating to a legislative measure pending before the standing
committee.
(b) Special committees may administer
oaths and may compel, by subpoena, any person to appear and give testimony
before the special committee and produce papers, documents, and other materials
relating to the subject matter for which the special committee was created or
relating to a legislative measure pending before the special committee.
(c) A Committee of the Whole may
administer oaths and may compel, by subpoena, any person to appear and give
testimony before the committee of the whole and produce papers, documents, and
other materials relating to the subject matter for which the committee of the
whole was created or relating to a legislative measure pending before the
committee of the whole.
(d) Oaths may be administered under
this Rule by the Presiding Officer or by the Chairperson of a committee or any
person sitting in his or her stead.
(e) Subpoenae
issued under this Rule must be issued and signed by the Chairperson of the
committee and must comply with Rule 4(c)(9).
(f) In the case of special committees
with Co‑Chairpersons from different political parties, the term
"Chairperson" for purposes of this Rule means the Co‑Chairperson
from the majority caucus.
(g) This Rule may be suspended only by
the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
(House Rule 24)
24. Committee Reports.
(a) All bills favorably reported to
the House from a committee, or with respect to which a committee has been
discharged, shall be reported to the House and shall be placed on the order of
Second Reading and assigned standard debate status, subject to Rule 52. Bills
reported to the House from committee "do not pass", "do not pass
as amended", "without recommendation", or "tabled"
shall lie on the table.
(b) All floor amendments, joint action
motions for final action, conference committee reports, and motions to table
committee amendments favorably reported from a standing committee or special
committee shall be referred to the House and eligible for consideration when
the House is on an appropriate order of business. Amendments to bills that are
not on the order of Second Reading are out of order. All floor amendments,
joint action motions for final action, conference committee reports, and
motions to table committee amendments that are reported to the House from
committee "be not adopted", "without recommendation", or
"tabled" shall lie on the table. When the Rules Committee refers a
floor amendment, joint action motion for final action, conference committee
report, or motion to table a committee amendment to a standing committee or a
special committee that thereafter favorably reports that legislative measure to
the House, the legislative measure shall be referred to the House, assigned
standard debate status subject to Rule 52 (except floor amendments, which shall
be assigned amendment debate status), and eligible for consideration when the
House is on an appropriate order of business.
(c) All resolutions favorably reported
to the House from the Rules Committee, a standing committee, or a special
committee, or with respect to which the committee has been discharged, shall be
referred to the House and placed on the order of Resolutions and assigned
standard debate status, subject to Rule 52. All resolutions that are reported
to the House from committee "be not adopted", "be not adopted as
amended", "without recommendation", or "tabled" shall
lie on the table. Floor amendments to resolutions are subject to the same
procedure applicable to floor amendments to bills.
(House Rule 25)
25. Suspension of Posting
Requirements.
(a) A motion to suspend the posting
requirements of Rule 21 must be in writing, specifying the committee and the
bills or resolutions to which the motion applies, be carried on the calendar
before it may be taken up by the House, and adopted by the affirmative vote of
60 members elected. The calendar requirements of this Rule may be suspended
only by unanimous consent. The requirement that the motion be in writing may
not be suspended.
(b) Except for those provisions that
may not be suspended or that require unanimous consent, this Rule may be
suspended only by the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
(House Rule 26)
26. Rights of the Public.
(a) If a bill or resolution has been
properly set for hearing and witnesses are present and wish to testify, the
committee shall hear the witnesses at the scheduled time and place, subject to
Rule 10(c).
(b) Any person wishing to offer
testimony to a committee hearing of a bill or resolution shall be given a
reasonable opportunity to do so, orally or in writing. The Chairperson may set
time limits for presentation of oral testimony. No testimony in writing is
required of any witness, but any witness may submit a statement in writing for
the committee record. All persons offering testimony shall complete a
"Record of Committee Witness" form and submit it to the committee
clerk before testifying. In the case of special committees with Co‑Chairpersons
from different political parties, the "Chairperson" means the Co‑Chairperson
from the majority caucus.
(c) A motion to foreclose further oral
testimony by witnesses on a matter before a committee may be adopted only by a
three‑fifths majority of those voting on the motion. No such motion is in
order until both proponents and opponents requesting to be heard have been
given a fair and substantial opportunity to express their positions. No one
shall be prohibited from filing for the record "Record of Committee
Witness" forms or written statements while the matter is before the
committee.
(d) Meetings of committees and
subcommittees shall be open to the public. Committee meetings of the House may
be closed to the public if two‑thirds of the members elected to the House
determine, by a record vote, that the public interest so requires.
(e) This Rule cannot be suspended
retroactively.
(House Rule 27)
27. Smoking. Smoking is prohibited at
any official committee hearing, and no committee member, staff member, or
member of the public is permitted to smoke in the room in which the hearing is
being held.
ARTICLE III
CONDUCT OF
BUSINESS
(House Rule 28)
28. Sessions of the House.
(a) The House is in session whenever
it convenes in perfunctory session, regular session, veto session, or special
session. Members are entitled to per diem expense reimbursements only on those
regular, veto, and special session days that they are in attendance at the
House. Attendance by members is not required or recorded on perfunctory session
days.
(b) Regular and veto session days
shall be scheduled with notice by the Speaker under Rule 9. Special session
days shall be scheduled in accordance with the Constitution and laws of Illinois.
(c) The Speaker may schedule
perfunctory session days during which the Clerk may read into the House record
any legislative measure. Committees may meet and may consider and act upon
legislative measures during a perfunctory session day, and the Clerk may
receive and read committee reports into the House record during a perfunctory
day. Except for automatic referral under these Rules, no further action may be
taken by the House with respect to a legislative measure during a perfunctory
session day.
(House Rule 29)
29. Hour of Meeting. Unless otherwise
ordered by the Speaker or Presiding Officer or as provided in Rule 1, the House
shall regularly convene at 12:30 p.m. on the first
day of each week that the House convenes in regular, veto, or special session
and shall convene at noon on all other
days.
(House Rule 30)
30. Access to the House Floor.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in
these Rules, only the following persons shall be admitted to the House while it
is in session: members and officers of the General Assembly; elected officers
of the executive branch; justices of the Supreme Court; the designated aide to
the Governor, except as limited by the Speaker; the parliamentarian; majority staff
members and minority staff members, except as limited by the Speaker or
Presiding Officer; former members, except as limited by the Speaker or
prohibited under subsection (d); and employees of the Legislative Reference
Bureau, except as limited by the Speaker. Representatives of the press, while
the House is in session, may have access to the galleries and places allotted
to them by the Speaker. No person is entitled to the floor unless appropriately
attired. Only members of the General Assembly may use telephones at the
members' desks or in the telephone booths at the rear of the House Chamber.
Smoking is prohibited on the floor of the House and in the House galleries.
(b) On days during which the House is
in session, the Doorkeeper shall clear the floor of all persons not entitled to
access to the floor 15 minutes before the convening time, and the Doorkeeper
shall enforce all other provisions of this Rule.
(c) The Speaker may authorize the
admission to the floor of any other person, except as prohibited under
subsection (d).
(d) No person who is directly or
indirectly interested in defeating or promoting any pending legislative
measure, if required to be registered as a lobbyist, shall be allowed access to
the floor of the House at any time during the session.
(e) When he or she deems it necessary
for the preservation of order, the Presiding Officer may by order remove any
person from the floor of the House. A Representative may be removed from the
floor only under Article XI or XII of these Rules.
(House Rule 31)
31. Standing Order of Business. Unless
otherwise determined by the Presiding Officer, the standing daily order of
business of the House is as follows:
(1) Call to
Order, Invocation, Pledge of Allegiance, and Roll Call.
(2) Approval of
the Journal.
(3) Reading
of House Bills a first time.
(4) Reports
from committees, with reports from the Rules Committee ordinarily made at any
time.
(5)
Presentation of Resolutions, Petitions, and Messages.
(6)
Introduction of House Bills.
(7) Messages
from the Senate, not including reading Senate Bills a first time.
(8) Reading
of House Bills a second time.
(9) Reading
of House Bills a third time.
(10) Reading
of Senate Bills a third time.
(11) Reading
of Senate Bills a second time.
(12) Reading
of Senate Bills a first time.
(13) House
Bills on the Order of Concurrence.
(14) Senate
Bills on the Order of Non‑Concurrence.
(15)
Conference Committee Reports.
(16) Motions
in Writing.
(17)
Constitutional Amendment Resolutions.
(18) Motions
with respect to Vetoes.
(19)
Consideration of Resolutions.
(20) Motions
to Discharge Committee.
(21) Motions
to Take from the Table.
(22) Motions
to Suspend the Rules.
(23)
Consideration of Bills on the Order of Postponed Consideration.
(House Rule 32)
32. Quorum.
(a) A majority of those elected
constitutes a quorum of the House, and a majority of those appointed
constitutes a quorum of a committee, but a smaller number may adjourn from day
to day, or recess for less than one day, and compel the attendance of absent
members. The attendance of absent members may also be compelled by order of the
Speaker.
(b) The question of the presence of a
quorum in any committee may not be raised on consideration of a legislative
measure by the House unless the same question was previously raised before the
committee with respect to that legislative measure.
(c) Any member not answering the
quorum roll call of the House on any session day who
is in attendance and wishes to be added to that quorum roll call must file a
request to be shown present on the quorum roll call with the Clerk. The request
must be in writing and filed in person by the member on the same calendar day
the quorum roll call was taken.
(House Rule 33)
33. Approval of the Journal. The
Speaker or his or her designee shall periodically examine and report to the
House any corrections he or she deems should be made in the Journal before it
is approved. If those corrections are approved by the House, they shall be made
by the Clerk.
(House Rule 34)
34. Executive Sessions. The sessions
of the House shall be open to the public. Sessions and committee meetings of
the House may be closed to the public if two‑thirds of the members
elected determine, by a record vote, that the public
interest so requires.
(House Rule 35)
35. Length of Adjournment. The House,
without the consent of the Senate, shall not adjourn for more than 3 days or to
a place other than where the 2 chambers of the General Assembly are sitting.
The House is in session on any day in which it convenes in perfunctory session,
regular session, veto session, or special session.
(House Rule 36)
36. Transcript of the House. Nothing
contained in the official transcript of the House shall be changed or expunged
except by written request of a Representative to the Clerk and Speaker, and
that request may be approved only by the record vote of 71 members elected.
ARTICLE IV
BILLS AND
AMENDMENTS
(House Rule 37)
37. Bills.
(a) A bill may be introduced in the
House by sponsorship of one or more members of the House, whose names shall be
on the reproduced copies of the bills, in the House Journal, and in the
Legislative Digest. The Principal Sponsor shall be the first name to appear on
the bill and may be joined by no more than 4 chief co‑sponsors with the
approval of the Principal Sponsor; other co‑sponsors shall be separated
from the Principal Sponsor and any chief co‑sponsors by a comma. The
Principal Sponsor may change the sponsorship of a bill to that of one or more
other Representatives, or to that of the standing committee or special
committee to which the bill was referred or from which the bill was reported.
Such change may be made at any time the bill is pending before the House or any
of its committees by filing a notice with the Clerk, provided that the addition
of any member as a Principal Sponsor, chief co-sponsor, or co-sponsor must be
with that member’s consent. This subsection may not be suspended.
(b) The Principal Sponsor of a bill
controls that bill. A standing committee‑sponsored bill is controlled by
the Chairperson of the committee, who for purposes of these Rules is deemed the
Principal Sponsor. A special committee‑sponsored bill is controlled by
the Chairperson, or if Co‑Chairpersons have been appointed, by the Co‑Chairperson
from the majority caucus, who for purposes of these Rules is deemed the
Principal Sponsor. Committee‑sponsored bills may not have individual co‑sponsors.
(c) The Senate sponsor of a bill
originating in the Senate may request substitute House sponsorship of that bill
by filing a notice with the Clerk; such a notice is automatically referred to
the Rules Committee and deemed adopted if approved by the Rules Committee. If
disapproved by the Rules Committee, the notice shall lie on the table. If the
Rules Committee fails to act on a notice, that notice may be discharged by
unanimous consent.
(d) All bills introduced in the House
shall be read by title a first time, ordered reproduced,
and automatically referred to the Rules Committee in accordance with Rule 18.
When a Senate Bill is received, it shall be read by title, ordered reproduced,
and placed on the order of Senate Bills on first reading; after being read a
first time, it is automatically referred to the Rules Committee in accordance
with Rule 18.
(e) All bills introduced into the
House shall be accompanied by 9 copies. Any bill that amends a statute shall
indicate the particular changes in the following manner:
(1) All new
matter shall be underscored.
(2) All
matter that is to be omitted or superseded shall be shown crossed with a line.
(f) No bill shall be passed by the
House except on a record vote of a majority of those elected, subject to Rule
69. A bill that has lost on third reading or upon a motion for the adoption of
a conference committee report or a second conference committee report and has
not been reconsidered may not thereafter be revived.
(House Rule 38)
38. Reading and
Reproduction of Bills. Every bill shall be read by title on 3 different days
before passage by the House, and the bill and all amendments adopted
to it shall be reproduced, under Rule 39, before the vote is taken on its final
passage.
(House Rule 39)
39. Reproduction and Distribution. The
Clerk shall, as soon as any bill is reproduced, cause the bill to be placed
upon the desks of the members. Reproduction and distribution may be done
electronically, or the Clerk may establish a method that any member may use to
secure a copy of any bill.
(House Rule 40)
40. Amendments.
(a) An amendment to a bill may be
adopted by a standing committee or special committee when the bill is before
that committee. An amendment to a bill may be adopted by the House when a bill
is on the order of Second Reading if: (i) the Rules
Committee has referred the floor amendment to the House for consideration under
Rule 18; or (ii) a standing committee or special committee has referred the floor
amendment to the House. All amendments must be in writing. All committee
amendments that have been timely filed, as determined by the Chairperson, shall
be considered by the committee or a subcommittee of that committee prior to
consideration by the committee of the bill to which the amendment relates. All
amendments not adopted to a bill and that are still pending in a committee or
before the House upon the passage or defeat of a bill on Third Reading are
automatically tabled.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in
these Rules, committee amendments may be offered only by the Principal Sponsor
or a member of the committee while the affected bill is before that committee,
and shall be adopted by a majority of those appointed. Floor amendments may be
offered only by a Representative while the bill is on the order of Second
Reading, subject to Rule 18, and shall be adopted by a majority vote of the
House. The sponsor of a committee or floor amendment may change the sponsorship
of the amendment to that of another member, with that other member's consent.
Such change may be made at any time the amendment is pending before the House
or any of its committees by filing notice with the Clerk. A committee amendment
may be the subject of a motion to "do adopt" or "do not
adopt". A committee amendment may be adopted only by a successful motion
to "do adopt". The Chairperson of a committee may refer any committee
amendment to a subcommittee of that committee.
(c) Committee amendments shall be
filed with the Chairperson of the committee, and are in order only when
sufficient copies have been filed to provide each member of the committee with
a copy (which may be done in the same manner as distribution of bills under
Rule 39) and 9 additional copies for the Chairperson. Floor amendments shall be
filed with the Clerk, and are in order only when 9 copies have been filed.
(d) The Clerk shall have reproduced
all adopted committee amendments that come before the House. The Clerk shall
also have reproduced all floor amendments referred to the House by a committee.
No floor amendment may be adopted by the House unless it has been reproduced
and placed on the members' desks in the same manner as for bills under Rule 39.
(e) No floor amendment is in order
unless it has been first referred to the House for consideration by the Rules
Committee under Rule 18, or by a standing committee or special committee.
(f) Amendments that propose to alter
any existing law shall conform to the requirements of Rule 37(e).
(g) If a committee reports a bill
"do pass as amended", the committee amendments are deemed adopted by
the committee action and shall be reproduced and placed on the members' desks
(which may be done in the same manner as provided for bills under Rule 39)
before the bill may be read a second time.
(h) In the case of special committees
with Co‑Chairpersons from different political parties, the
"Chairperson" for the purposes of this Rule is the Co‑Chairperson
from the majority caucus.
(House Rule 41)
41. Note Requests; Quick Takes
(a) The House shall comply with all Illinois laws
requiring fiscal or other notes. The notes shall be filed with the Clerk, who
shall affix each note with a time stamp endorsing the date and time received,
and attached to the original of the bill and available for inspection by the
members. As soon as practical, the Clerk shall provide a copy of the note to
the Legislative Reference Bureau, which shall provide an informative summary of
the note in subsequent issues of the Legislative Digest.
(b) No bill authorizing or directing
the conveyance by the State of any particular interest in real estate to any
individual or entity other than a governmental unit or agency may be voted upon
in committee or upon Second Reading unless a certified appraisal of the value
of the interest has been filed. The appraisal shall be filed with the clerk of
the committee to which the bill is assigned, and shall be part of the permanent
committee record, unless the bill is advanced without reference to committee,
or discharged under Rule 58, in which event the appraisal shall be filed with
the Clerk of the House.
(c) No bill authorizing the State or a
unit of local government to acquire property by eminent domain using
"quick‑take" powers under Section 7‑103 of the Code of
Civil Procedure may be voted upon in committee or on Second Reading unless the
State or the unit of local government, as applicable, has complied with all of
the following procedures:
(1) The State
or the unit of local government must notify each owner of an interest in the
property, by certified mail, of the intention of the State or the unit of local
government to request approval of legislation by the General Assembly
authorizing the State or the unit of local government to acquire the property
by eminent domain using "quick‑take" powers under Section 7‑103
of the Code of Civil Procedure.
(2) The State
or the unit of local government must cause notice of its intention to request
authorization to acquire the property by eminent domain using "quick‑take"
powers to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the territory
sought to be acquired by the State or the unit of local government.
(3) Following
the notices required under paragraphs (1) and (2), the State or the unit of
local government must hold at least one public hearing, at the place where the
unit of local government normally holds its business meetings (or, in the case
of property sought to be acquired by the State: (i)
at a location in the county in which the property sought to be acquired by the
State is located, or (ii) if the property is located in Cook County, at a
location in the township in which the property is located, or (iii) if the
property is located in 2 adjacent counties other than Cook County or in 2
adjacent townships in Cook County, at a location in the county or in the
township in Cook County in which the majority of the property is located, or
(iv) if the property is located in Cook County and an adjacent county, at a
location in the other county or in the township in Cook County in which the
majority of the property is located), on the question of the acquisition of the
property by the State or the unit of local government by eminent domain using
"quick‑take" powers.
(4) In the
case of property sought to be acquired by a unit of local government, following
the public hearing or hearings held under paragraph (3), the unit of local
government must adopt, by recorded vote, a resolution to request approval of
legislation by the General Assembly authorizing the unit of local government to
acquire the property by eminent domain using "quick‑take"
powers under Section 7‑103 of the Code of Civil Procedure. The resolution
must include a statement of the time period within which the unit of local
government requests authority to exercise "quick‑take" powers,
which may not exceed one year.
(5) Following
the public hearing or hearings held under paragraph (3), the head of the
appropriate State office, department, or agency or the chief elected official
of the unit of local government, as applicable, must submit to the Chairperson
and Minority Spokesperson of the House Executive Committee a sworn, notarized
affidavit that contains, or has attached as an incorporated exhibit, all of the
following:
(A) The legal
description of the property.
(B) The
street address of the property.
(C) The name
of each State Senator and State Representative who represents the territory
that is the subject of the proposed taking.
(D) The date
or dates on which the State or the unit of local government contacted each such
State Senator and State Representative concerning the intention of the State or
the unit of local government to request approval of legislation by the General
Assembly authorizing the State or the unit of local government to acquire the
property by eminent domain using "quick‑take" powers.
(E) The
current name, address, and telephone number of each owner of an interest in the
property.
(F) A summary
of all negotiations between the State or the unit of local government and the
owner or owners of the property concerning the sale of the property to the
State or the unit of local government.
(G) A
statement of the date and location of each public hearing held under paragraph
(3).
(H) A
statement of the public purpose for which the State or the unit of local
government seeks to acquire the property.
(I) The
certification of the head of the appropriate State office, department, or
agency or the chief elected official of the unit of local government, as
applicable, that (i) the property is located within
the territory under the jurisdiction of the State or the unit of local
government and (ii) the State or the unit of local government seeks to acquire
the property for a public purpose.
(J) A map of
the area in which the property to be acquired is located, showing the location
of the property.
(K)
Photographs of the property.
(L) An
appraisal of the property by a real estate appraiser who is certified or
licensed under the Real Estate Appraiser Licensing Act of 2002.
(M) In the
case of property sought to be acquired by a unit of local government, a copy of
the resolution adopted by the unit of local government under paragraph (4).
(N)
Documentation of the public purpose for which the State or the unit of local
government seeks to acquire the property.
(O) A copy of
each notice sent to an owner of an interest in the property under paragraph
(1).
A request for quick‑take
authority shall not be considered by a House committee fewer than 30 days after
the date of the notice to each property owner as required by paragraph (1).
Every affidavit submitted by the State
or a unit of local government pursuant to this Rule 41(c), together with all
documents and other items submitted with the affidavit, must be made available
to any person upon request for inspection and copying.
(House Rule 42)
42. Consent Calendar.
(a) The Clerk shall include a Consent
Calendar on the daily calendar and designate it as a separate calendar. The
Consent Calendar shall contain 3 orders of business: Consent Calendar ‑
Second Reading, Consent Calendar ‑ Third Reading,
and Consent Calendar ‑ Resolutions. Within each order of business, bills
or resolutions shall be listed in separate groups according to the number of
required days each has been on that order of business on the Consent Calendar.
No more than 80 bills and resolutions shall be listed in each group. All bills
or resolutions to which amendments have been adopted shall be so designated.
(b) No debate is in order regarding
any item on the Consent Calendar. The Presiding Officer, however, shall allow a
reasonable time for questions from the floor and answers to those questions. No
amendment from the floor is in order regarding any bill or resolution on the
Consent Calendar.
(c) A bill on the Consent Calendar
shall stand for 2 legislative days on the order of Consent Calendar ‑
Second Reading, and for at least 2 legislative days on the order of Consent
Calendar ‑ Third Reading, before a vote on the final passage may be
taken. Resolutions on the Consent Calendar shall stand for at least 4
legislative days before a vote on adoption may be taken. One record vote on
final passage shall be taken on those bills called for final passage.
Immediately before a vote on the bills on the Consent Calendar, the Presiding
Officer shall call to the attention of the members the fact that the next
legislative action will be the vote on the Consent Calendar.
(d) A bill or resolution may be placed
on the Consent Calendar by report of a standing committee upon a motion adopted
by a unanimous vote of the members present. For purposes of this subsection
(d), a unanimous vote on the motion is a vote with no member voting nay.
(e) No bill regarding revenue or
appropriations may be placed on the Consent Calendar. No resolution requiring
more than 60 affirmative votes for adoption and no bill requiring more than 60
affirmative votes for passage by the House may be placed on the Consent
Calendar.
(f) The Speaker and the Minority
Leader shall each appoint 3 members who may challenge the presence of any bill
or resolution on the Consent Calendar. Before a vote on final passage of any
item on the Consent Calendar, an item shall be removed from the Consent
Calendar if (i) 4 or more members, (ii) the Principal
Sponsor of the bill or resolution, or (iii) one or more of the appointed
challengers file with the Clerk written objections to the presence of the bill
or resolution on the Consent Calendar. Any bill or resolution so removed may
not be placed thereafter on the Consent Calendar during that session of the
General Assembly, unless the member or members who objected to the presence of
the bill or resolution on the Consent Calendar consent in writing to
restoration of the bill or resolution on the Consent Calendar. Any bill removed
from the Consent Calendar shall stand on the order of Second Reading with short
debate status, subject to Rule 52, and any resolution so removed shall stand on
the order of Resolutions with short debate status, subject to Rule 52.
(House Rule 43)
43. Changing Order of Business.
(a) Any order of business may be
changed at any time by the Speaker or Presiding Officer.
(b) Any order of business may be
changed at any time upon the motion of any member, supported by 5 additional
members, if the motion is adopted by an affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
(c) This Rule may be suspended only by
the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
(House Rule 44)
44. Special Orders; Rules Committee.
(a) A special order of business may be
set by the Rules Committee or by the Speaker. The Principal Sponsor of a bill
or resolution must consent to the placement of the bill or resolution on a
special order. A special order shall fix the day to which it applies and the
matters to be included. The Speaker, or the Rules Committee by a vote of a
majority of the members appointed, may establish time limits for a special
order and may establish limitations on debate during a special order
(notwithstanding Rule 52), in which event the allotted time shall be fairly
divided between proponents and opponents of the legislation to be considered. A
special order of business takes the place of the standing order for such time
as may be necessary for its completion. Only matters that may otherwise
properly be before the House may be included in a special order.
(b) A special order shall appear on
the Daily Calendar for 3 legislative days. This subsection (b) may be suspended
only by the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
(c) A special order may be suspended,
amended, or modified by motion adopted by an affirmative vote of 60 members. A
special order shall be suspended by a written objection signed by 3 members of
the Rules Committee and filed during the first legislative day on which the
special order appears on the calendar.
ARTICLE V
RESOLUTIONS
AND CERTIFICATES
OF RECOGNITION
(House Rule 45)
45. Resolutions.
(a) A resolution may be introduced in
the House by sponsorship of one or more members of the House, and the names of
all sponsors shall be included in the House Journal and in the Legislative
Digest. Each resolution introduced shall be accompanied by 9 copies.
Consideration of resolutions shall be governed by Rule 16 and Rule 66.
(b) The Principal Sponsor of a
resolution controls that resolution. The Principal Sponsor of a resolution, or
the sponsor of an amendment to a resolution, may change the sponsorship of the
resolution or amendment, as applicable, to that of another member, with that
other member's consent, by filing notice with the Clerk. A standing committee‑sponsored
resolution is controlled by the Chairperson of the committee, who for purposes
of these Rules is deemed the Principal Sponsor. A special committee‑sponsored
resolution is controlled by the Chairperson, or if Co‑Chairpersons have
been appointed, by the Co‑Chairperson from the majority caucus, who for
purposes of these Rules is deemed the Principal Sponsor. Committee‑sponsored
resolutions may not have individual co‑sponsors.
(c) Any resolution calling for the
expenditure of State funds may be adopted only by a record vote of a majority
of those elected.
(House Rule 46)
46. State Constitutional Amendments.
All resolutions introduced in the House proposing amendments to the Illinois
Constitution shall be reproduced and distributed in the same manner in which
bills are reproduced and distributed under Rule 39. Every such resolution that
originated in the Senate and is presented to the House shall be ordered
reproduced and distributed in like manner. No such resolution shall pass unless
read in full in its final form on 3 different days. Amendments are in order
only on First Reading and Second Reading. Final passage requires the
affirmative vote of 71 members elected. No resolution proposing a change in the
Constitution of the State of Illinois may be considered for passage after the
last day preceding the day marking the beginning of the last 6 months before
the general election occurring during the term of this General Assembly, and
all such resolutions still pending shall be tabled at the end of business on
that day.
(House Rule 47)
47. Federal Constitutional Amendments
and Constitutional Conventions.
(a) The affirmative vote of 71 of the
members elected is required to adopt any resolution:
(1) requesting Congress to call a federal constitutional
convention;
(2) ratifying a proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United
States; or
(3) calling a State convention to ratify a proposed amendment to
the Constitution of the United
States.
(b) This Rule may be suspended only by
the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
(House Rule 48)
48. Certificates of Recognition. Any
member may sponsor a certificate of recognition to be signed by the Speaker and
attested by the Clerk to recognize any person, organization, or event worthy of
public commendation. The form of the Certificate of Recognition shall be
determined by the Clerk with the approval of the Speaker.
ARTICLE VI
PARLIAMENTARY
PRACTICE
(House Rule 49)
49. Voting. The Presiding Officer
shall put all questions distinctly, as follows: "All those in favor vote
AYE, and those opposed vote NAY." No member may vote on any question
before the House unless on the floor before the vote is announced. No member of
a committee may vote except in person at the time of the call of the committee
vote. Any vote of the House shall be by record vote whenever 5 Representatives
shall so request or whenever the Presiding Officer shall so order.
(House Rule 50)
50. Announcing a Record Vote. When a
record vote is requested, the Presiding Officer shall put the question and then
announce to the House: "The voting is open." While the vote is being
taken, the Presiding Officer shall state: "Have all voted who wish?"
The voting is closed when the Presiding Officer announces: "Take the
Record." The Presiding Officer, unless an intervening motion to postpone
consideration by the Principal Sponsor is made, shall then announce the results
of the record vote. After the record is taken, no member may vote, change his
or her vote, or remove his or her vote as recorded; except that when a record
vote is taken on more than one legislative measure at the same time, each
member has the right to have his or her votes recorded separately for each of
those legislative measures by filing a signed document with the Clerk on the
same legislative day.
(House Rule 51)
51. Decorum.
(a) When any member is about to speak
to the House, he or she shall rise and address the Presiding Officer as
"Speaker". The Presiding Officer, upon recognizing the member, shall
address him or her by name, and thereupon the engineer in charge of operating
the microphones in the House shall give the use of the microphone to the member
who has been so recognized. The member in speaking shall confine himself or herself to the subject matter under discussion
and avoid personalities.
(b) Questions affecting the rights,
reputation, and conduct of members of the House in their representative
capacity are questions of personal privilege. A matter of personal explanation
does not constitute a question of personal privilege.
(c) If 2 or more members rise at once,
the Presiding Officer shall name the member who is to speak first.
(d) No person shall give any signs of
approbation or disapprobation while the House is in session.
(e) Recognition of guests by any
member is prohibited, except that the Speaker or Presiding Officer may
recognize an honored guest.
(f) While the Presiding Officer is
putting a question, no member shall leave or walk across the House Chamber.
When a member is addressing the House, no member or other person entitled to
the floor shall entertain private discourse or pass between the member speaking
and the Presiding Officer.
(g) In case of any disturbance or
disorderly conduct, the Speaker or Presiding Officer may order that the lobby,
gallery, or hallways adjoining the House Chamber be cleared.
(h) No literature may be distributed
on the House floor.
(i) No
member may be absent from a session of the House unless he or she has leave or
is sick or his or her absence is unavoidable. The switch to the electrical roll
call recording equipment located on the desk of any member who has been excused
or is absent shall be locked by the Clerk and shall not be unlocked until the
member returns and files with the Clerk a request to be shown as present on the
quorum roll call as provided in Rule 32(c).
(House Rule 52)
52. Debate.
(a) All legislative measures, except
those legislative measures placed on the Consent Calendar under Rule 42, are
subject to a debate status as follows:
(1) Short
Debate: Debate is limited to a 2‑minute presentation by the Principal
Sponsor or a member designated by the Principal Sponsor, a 2‑minute
presentation by a member in response, and one minute for the Principal Sponsor
to close debate, or yield to other members; provided that at the request of 7
members before the close of debate, the debate status shall be opened to
standard debate;
(2) Standard
Debate: Debate is limited to a 5‑minute presentation by the Principal
Sponsor or a member designated by the Principal Sponsor, debate by each of 2
additional proponents of the legislative measure and by 3 members in response
to the legislative measure, and 3 minutes for the Principal Sponsor to close
debate, or yield to other members;
(3) Extended
Debate: Debate is limited to a 5‑minute presentation by the Principal
Sponsor or a member designated by the Principal Sponsor, debate by each of 4
proponents of the legislative measure and 5 members in response, and 5 minutes
for the Principal Sponsor to close debate, or yield to other members;
(4) Unlimited
Debate: Debate shall consist of a 10‑minute presentation by the
Principal
Sponsor or a member designated by the Principal Sponsor, debate by each
proponent and member in response who seeks recognition, and 5 minutes for the
Principal Sponsor to close debate, or yield to other members; or
(5) Amendment
Debate: Debate on floor amendments referred to the House from a committee, or
discharged from a committee, is limited to a 3‑minute presentation by the
Principal Sponsor, or a member designated by the Principal Sponsor, debate by
one proponent, debate by each of 2 members in response, and 3 minutes for the
Principal Sponsor to close debate, or yield to other members.
No debate is in order on bills or
resolutions on the order of First Reading or Second Reading, except for debate
on floor amendments as provided in this Rule.
(b) All legislative measures, except
floor amendments, referred to the House from a committee, or discharged from a
committee, are automatically assigned standard debate status, subject to
subsection (c) of this Rule, except those assigned to the Consent Calendar or
short debate status by a standing committee or a special committee. All floor
amendments referred to the House from a committee, or discharged from a
committee, are automatically assigned amendment debate status, subject to
subsection (c) of this Rule.
(c) Notwithstanding any other
provision of these Rules to the contrary, the debate status of any legislative
measure may be changed only (i) by the Speaker, as
defined in item (27) of Rule 102, by filing a notice with the Clerk, or (ii) by
the Rules Committee by motion approved by a majority of those appointed. While
a legislative measure is being considered by the House, the debate status may
also be changed by unanimous consent. No legislative measure, however, may be
placed on the Consent Calendar under this Rule. No legislative measure, except
a floor amendment, may be assigned amendment debate status under this Rule.
(d) The Speaker or Rules Committee, as
the case may be, shall notify the Clerk of any action to change the debate
status of any legislative measure. The Clerk shall cause that information to be
reflected on the Daily Calendar on subsequent legislative days, provided the
legislative measure is still before the House.
(e) No member shall speak longer than
5 minutes at one time or more than once on the same question except by leave of
the House. The Principal Sponsor of a measure or a member designated by the
Principal Sponsor, however, shall be allowed to open the debate and to close
the debate in accordance with subsection (a) of this Rule. The provisions of
this subsection (e) are subject to and limited by subsections (a), (b), and (c)
of this Rule. A member may yield to another member the time allotted for the
member's debate.
(f) The Presiding Officer shall
allocate the debate on each legislative measure alternately, if possible,
between proponents and opponents of the legislative measure under debate.
(g) This Rule may not be suspended.
(House Rule 53)
53. Written Statements.
(a) Any member may submit a written
statement regarding any bill, resolution, or floor amendment considered by the
House, by submitting that statement to the Clerk within one legislative day or
3 business days, whichever is shorter, after the day on which the bill,
resolution, or floor amendment to which the comments relate was considered by
the House. The Clerk shall affix a time stamp to each statement indicating the
date on which the statement was submitted. Each statement shall indicate the
member or members on whose behalf the statement is submitted, the bill,
resolution, or floor amendment to which it applies, the names of any other
members mentioned in the statement, and the person who actually submits the
statement to the Clerk. Each member on whose behalf a statement is submitted is
under an obligation to ensure that all required information, specifically
including the names of any other members mentioned in the statement, is
indicated at the time a statement is submitted. Each statement shall comply with
standards as may be established by the Clerk with the approval of the Speaker.
The standards established by the Clerk, however, shall not relate to the
contents of the written statement. The Clerk shall maintain statements that
comply with this Rule and established standards in files for each bill and
resolution. A statement is not considered filed until the Clerk has determined
that it complies with this Rule and established standards. The Clerk shall
notify the member or members on whose behalf a statement was submitted if the
statement is determined not to comply. Statements filed under this Rule shall
be considered part of the transcript and made available to the public.
(b) If a statement mentions another
member, the statement shall not be considered filed until the member mentioned
has an opportunity to respond as a matter of personal privilege. The Clerk
shall notify each member who is identified at the time a statement is submitted
as being mentioned in the statement. The member identified as mentioned in the
statement shall have one legislative day or 3 business days, whichever is
shorter, after notification by the Clerk in which to file a written response to
the statement. The original statement and any responsive statement shall both
be considered filed at the close of business on the final day on which a
response may be filed. If, however, a statement is submitted mentioning another
member and the name of the member mentioned is not indicated to the Clerk at
the time of submission, the statement shall be stricken at the request of the
member mentioned in the statement. The Clerk shall notify each member on whose
behalf the statement was submitted that the statement has been stricken from
the record.
(c) This Rule may be suspended only by
the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
(House Rule 54)
54. Motions.
(a) The following are general rules
for all motions:
(1) Every
motion, except to adjourn, recess, or postpone consideration, shall be reduced
to writing if ordered by the Presiding Officer. Unless otherwise provided in
these Rules, no second is required to any motion presented to the House, or in
any committee. The Presiding Officer may refer any motion to the Rules
Committee.
(2) Before
the House debates a motion, the Presiding Officer shall state an oral motion
and the Clerk shall read aloud a written motion. Each motion, unless otherwise
provided in these Rules, is assigned standard debate status, subject to Rule
52.
(3) After a
motion is stated by the Presiding Officer or read by the Clerk, it is
deemed in the
possession of the House, but may be withdrawn at any time before decision with
consent of a majority of the members elected.
(4) If a
motion is divisible, any member may call for a division of the question.
(5) Any
question taken under consideration may be withdrawn, postponed, or tabled by
unanimous consent or, if unanimous consent is denied, by a motion adopted by a
majority of the members elected.
(b) The Rule may be suspended only by
the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
(House Rule 55)
55. Precedence of Motions.
(a) When a question is under debate,
no motion may be entertained except:
(1) to adjourn to a time certain;
(2) to adjourn;
(3) to question the presence of a quorum;
(4) to recess;
(5) to lay on the table;
(6) for the previous question;
(7) to postpone consideration;
(8) to commit or recommit; or
(9) to amend, except as otherwise provided in these Rules.
The foregoing motions have precedence
in the order in which they are listed.
(b) During a record vote, no motion
(except a motion to postpone consideration) is in order until after the
announcement of the result of the vote.
(c) A motion to commit or re‑commit,
until it is decided, precludes all amendments and debate on the main question. A
motion to postpone consideration, until it is decided, precludes all amendments
and debate on the main question.
(House Rule 56)
56. Verification.
(a) After any record vote, except for
a vote that requires a specific number of affirmative votes and that has not
received the required votes, and before intervening business, it is in order
for any member to request verification of the results of the record vote,
except that (i) a member voting in the affirmative
may not request verification of the affirmative votes and (ii) a member voting
in the negative may not request a verification of the negative votes. If a
member is disqualified from requesting a verification because of his or her
vote, a qualifying member who makes a subsequent request for a verification
shall be allowed to proceed with the verification.
(b) In verifying a record vote, the
Presiding Officer shall instruct the Clerk to call the names of those members
whose votes are to be verified. The member requesting the verification may
thereafter identify those members he or she wishes to verify. If a member does
not answer, his or her vote shall be stricken; the member's vote shall be
restored to the roll, however, if his or her presence is recognized before the
Presiding Officer announces the final result of the verification. The Presiding
Officer shall determine the presence or absence of each member whose name is
called, and shall then announce the results of the verification.
(c) While the results of any record
vote are being verified, it is in order for any member to announce his or her
presence on the floor and thereby have his or her vote verified.
(d) A request for a verification of
the affirmative and negative results of a record vote may be made only once on
each record vote.
(House Rule 57)
57. Appealing a Ruling.
(a) If any appeal is taken from a
ruling of the Presiding Officer, the Presiding Officer shall be sustained
unless 71 of the members elected vote to overrule the Presiding Officer.
Notwithstanding Rule 52, debate on a motion to appeal is limited to a 2‑minute
presentation by the Principal Sponsor or a member designated by the Principal
Sponsor, a 2‑minute presentation by a member in response, and one‑minute
for the Principal Sponsor to close debate, or yield to other members. A motion
to appeal is not in order if the House has conducted intervening business since
the ruling at issue was made.
(b) If any appeal is taken from a
ruling of a committee Chairperson, the Chairperson shall be sustained unless
three‑fifths of those appointed vote to overrule the Chairperson. A
motion to appeal is not in order if the committee has adjourned or recessed, or
if intervening business has occurred. In the case of special committees with Co‑Chairpersons
from different political parties, the "Chairperson" for purposes of
this Rule is the Co‑Chairperson from the majority caucus.
(c) In an appeal of a ruling of the
Presiding Officer or Chairperson, the question is: "Shall the ruling of
the Chair be sustained?"
(d) This Rule may be suspended only by
the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
(House Rule 58)
58. Discharge of Committee.
(a) Any member may move that a
standing committee or a special committee be discharged from consideration of
any legislative measure assigned to it and not reported back unfavorably.
(b) The motion must be in writing and
shall be carried on the Daily Calendar for the next legislative day under the
order of "Motions". No action shall be taken on the motion until it
is on the calendar.
(c) If the motion receives an
affirmative vote of 60 members, the legislative measure subject to the motion
shall be referred to the House and placed on the appropriate order of business.
(d) This Rule may be suspended only by
the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
(House Rule 59)
59. Previous Question.
(a) A motion for the previous question
may be made at any time. A motion for the previous question is not debatable
and requires the affirmative vote of 60 members elected.
(b) The previous question shall be
stated in the following form: "Shall the main question be put?" Until
the previous question is decided, all amendments and debate are precluded. When
it is decided that the main question shall not be put, the main question
remains under debate.
(c) The effect of the main question
being ordered is to put an end to all debate and bring the House to a direct
vote on the immediately pending motion. After a motion for the previous
question has been approved, unless the vote on that motion suggests the absence
of a quorum, it is not in order to move for adjournment or to make any other
motion before a decision on the main question.
(d) This Rule may be suspended only by
the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
(House Rule 60)
60. Tabling.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in
subsections (d) and (e), a motion to lay on the table
applies only to the particular proposition and is neither debatable nor
amendable.
(b) A motion to table a bill or
resolution shall identify the bill or resolution by number. The Principal
Sponsor of a bill or resolution may, with leave of the House, table that bill
or resolution at any time. A motion to table a committee bill that is before
the House may be adopted only by the affirmative vote of a majority of those
elected.
(c) The Principal Sponsor of a bill or
resolution before a committee may, with leave of the committee, table the bill
or resolution. Upon tabling, the Chairperson of the committee shall return the
bill or resolution to the Clerk, noting thereon that it has been tabled.
(d) Motions to table floor amendments
are debatable and may be adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of those
elected.
(e) No motion to table a committee
amendment to a bill or resolution before the House is in order unless it has
been first referred to the House for consideration by the Rules Committee under
Rule 18, or by a standing or special committee. Motions to table committee
amendments are debatable and may be adopted by the affirmative vote of a
majority of the members elected to the House or appointed to the committee, as
applicable.
(House Rule 61)
61. Motion to Take from Table.
(a) A motion to take from the table
requires the affirmative vote of a majority of those elected if the Rules
Committee has previously recommended that action by written notice filed with
the Clerk; otherwise, a motion to take from the table requires the affirmative
vote of 71 members elected.
(b) A bill taken from the table shall,
as applicable, (i) be placed on the Daily Calendar on
the order on which it appeared before it was tabled or (ii) be returned to the
committee to which it was assigned before it was tabled.
(c) This Rule may be suspended only by
the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
(House Rule 62)
62. Motion to Postpone Consideration.
A motion to postpone consideration on a bill or resolution may not be made more
than once on the same bill or resolution. Unless otherwise provided by these
Rules, a motion to postpone consideration shall be granted as a matter of
privilege; no motion to postpone consideration is in order, however, if the
bill or resolution initially received a vote of fewer than 47 of the members
elected.
(House Rule 63)
63. Motion on Different Subject. No
motion or other legislative measure on a subject different from that under
consideration shall be admitted under color of amendment.
(House Rule 64)
64. Division of Question. If the
question in debate contains several points, any member may have the question
divided. On a motion to strike out and insert, it is not in order to move for a
division of the question. The rejection of a motion to strike out and insert
one proposition does not prevent a motion to strike out and insert a different
proposition.
(House Rule 65)
65. Reconsideration.
(a) A member who voted on the
prevailing side of a record vote on a legislative measure still within the
control of the House may on the same or the following legislative day move to
reconsider the vote. The motion to reconsider may be laid on the table without
affecting the vote to which it refers. When the motion to reconsider is made
during the last 3 days of April or any time thereafter during the regular
session, or at any time during a veto or special session, any member may move
that the vote on reconsideration be taken immediately. A question that requires
the affirmative vote of a majority of those elected or more to carry requires a
majority of those elected to reconsider.
(b) A motion to reconsider a record
vote on the adoption of an amendment to a bill may be made only on Second
Reading.
(c) If a motion to reconsider is made
under this Rule and the motion is later tabled, the question shall not be
further reconsidered. This subsection (c) may be suspended only by the
affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
(d) When a motion to reconsider is
made within the time prescribed by these Rules, the Clerk shall not allow the
bill or other subject matter of the motion to pass out of the possession of the
House until after the motion has been decided or withdrawn. Such a motion shall
be deemed rejected if laid on the table.
(e) A Representative who voted
"present" or failed to vote on a question does not have the right to
move for reconsideration.
(f) Upon a motion to reconsider the
vote on the final passage of any bill, the affirmative vote of a majority of
those elected is required to reconsider.
(House Rule 66)
66. Motion to Adjourn.
(a) A motion to adjourn is in order at
any time, except when a prior motion to adjourn has been defeated and no
intervening business has transpired.
(b) A motion to adjourn is neither
debatable nor amendable.
(c) The Clerk shall enter in the
Journal the hour at which every motion to adjourn is made.
(d) Unless the Presiding Officer otherwise
orders, the standing hour to which the House adjourns is 12:00 noon, except on
the last day of a week in which the House convenes in regular, veto, or special
session, in which case the standing hour to which the House adjourns is 12:30
p.m.
(e) A motion to adjourn for more than
3 days is not in order unless both chambers of the General Assembly have
adopted a joint resolution permitting that adjournment. Notwithstanding any
other provision of these Rules, a resolution filed under this Rule may be
referred to the Rules Committee by the Presiding Officer or may be immediately
considered and adopted by the House.
(House Rule 67)
67. Adoption and Amendment to or
Suspension of Rules.
(a) Adoption of Rules. At the
commencement of a term, the House shall adopt new rules of organization and
procedure by resolution setting forth those rules in their entirety. The
resolution must be adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of those
elected. These Rules of the House of Representatives are subject to revision or
amendment only in accordance with this Rule.
(b) Rules may be amended only by
resolution. Any resolution to amend these Rules shall show the proposed changes
in the existing rules by underscoring all new matter and by crossing out with a
line all matter that is to be omitted or superseded.
(c) Any resolution proposing to amend
a House Rule or any Joint House‑Senate Rule, upon initial reading by the
Clerk, is automatically referred to the Rules Committee. Resolutions to amend
the House Rules or any Joint House‑Senate Rules may be initiated and
sponsored by the Rules Committee and may be amended by the Rules Committee;
those resolutions shall not be referred to a committee and may be immediately
considered and adopted by the House. Those resolutions shall be assigned
standard debate status, subject to Rule 52.
(d) A resolution to amend the House
Rules or any Joint House‑Senate Rules that has been reported "do
adopt" or "do adopt as amended" by a majority of those appointed
to the Rules Committee requires the affirmative vote of a majority of those
elected for adoption by the House. Any other resolution proposing to amend the
House Rules or any Joint House‑Senate Rules requires the affirmative vote
of 71 of the members elected for adoption by the House.
(e) No House Rule or any Joint House‑Senate
Rule may be suspended except by unanimous consent of the members present or
upon a motion supported by affirmative vote of a majority of those elected
unless a higher number is required in the Rule sought to be suspended. A
committee may not suspend any Rule.
(f) This Rule may be suspended only by
the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
(House Rule 68)
68. Motion to Commit or Recommit. No
motion to commit or recommit a legislative measure to committee, being decided
in the negative, shall again be allowed on the same day, or at the same stage
of the legislative measure.
(House Rule 69)
69. Effective Date.
(a) A bill passed after May 31 of a
calendar year shall not become effective prior to June 1 of the next calendar
year unless an earlier effective date is specified in the bill and it is
approved by the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
(b) If a majority of those elected,
but fewer than 71, vote affirmatively for a bill on Third Reading after May 31
and the bill specifies an effective date earlier than the following June 1, the
bill has not passed, but the Principal Sponsor has the right to have the bill
automatically reconsidered and returned to the order of Second Reading for an
amendment to remove the earlier effective date. The amendment, if offered and
referred to the House by a committee, shall be reproduced and placed on the
desks of the members, in the same manner as provided for bills under Rule 39,
before the bill is taken up again on the order of Third Reading.
(House Rule 70)
70. Home Rule. No bill denies or
limits any power or function of a home rule unit under paragraph (g), (h), (i), (j), or (k) of Sec. 6 of Article VII of the
Constitution unless there is specific language limiting or denying the power or
function and the language specifically sets forth in what manner and to what
extent it is a denial or limitation of the power or function of a home rule
unit. If a majority of those elected, but fewer than 71, vote affirmatively for
a bill on Third Reading that requires the affirmative vote of 71 members
elected to deny or limit a power of a home rule unit, the bill has not passed,
but the Principal Sponsor has the right to have the bill automatically
reconsidered and returned to the order of Second Reading for an amendment to
remove those effects of the bill. The amendment, if referred to the House by a
committee, shall be reproduced and placed on the desks of the members, in the
same manner as provided for bills under Rule 39, before the bill is taken up
again on the order of Third Reading.
ARTICLE VII
CONFLICTS OF
INTEREST
(House Rule 71)
71. (Blank.)
ARTICLE VIII
JOINT ACTION
(House Rule 72)
72. Concurring in or Receding from
Amendments.
(a) If a bill or resolution is
received back in the House with one or more amendments added by the Senate, it
is in order for the Principal Sponsor to present a motion "to concur"
or "not to concur and to ask the Senate to recede" with respect to
each, several, or all of those amendments, subject to Rules 18 and 75. A motion
to concur shall be by record vote and shall be adopted by the affirmative vote
of a majority of those elected, subject to Rule 69. Any 2 members may demand a
separate vote or a separate record vote, as applicable, on any of those
amendments.
(b) When the Senate has refused to
concur in one or more amendments added to a bill or resolution by the House and
has returned the bill or resolution to the House with a message requesting the
House to recede from one or more of its amendments, it is in order for the
Principal Sponsor to present a motion "to recede" from the House
amendments or "not to recede and to request a conference", subject to
Rules 18 and 75. A motion to recede shall be by record vote and shall be
adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of those elected, subject to Rule
69. Any 2 members may demand a separate vote or a separate record vote, as
applicable, on any of those amendments.
(c) Joint action motions are renewable
and may be reconsidered, provided that no joint action motion may be voted on
more than twice by the House.
(House Rule 73)
73. Conference Committees.
(a) A disagreement between the House
and Senate exists with respect to any bill or resolution in the following
situations:
(1) when the Senate refuses to recede from the adoption of any
amendment, after the House has previously refused to concur in the amendment;
or
(2) when the House refuses to recede from the adoption of any
amendment, after the Senate has previously refused to concur in the amendment.
In those cases of disagreement between
the House and Senate, the House may request a conference. When such a request
is made, both chambers of the General Assembly shall appoint members to a
committee to confer on the subject of the bill or resolution giving rise to the
disagreement. The combined membership of the 2 chambers appointed for that
purpose is the conference committee.
(b) The conference committee shall
consist of 5 members from each chamber of the General Assembly. The number of
majority caucus members from each chamber shall be one more than the number of
minority caucus members from each chamber.
(c) Each conference committee shall be
comprised of 5 members of the House, 3 appointed by the Speaker and 2 appointed
by the Minority Leader. No conference committee report may be filed with the
Clerk until a majority of the House conferees has been appointed.
(House Rule 74)
74. Conference Committee Reports.
(a) No subject matter shall be
included in any conference committee report on any bill unless that subject
matter directly relates to the matters of difference between the House and
Senate that have been referred to the conference committee unless the Rules
Committee, by a majority vote of the members appointed, determines that the
proposed subject matter is of an emergency nature, is of substantial importance
to the operation of government, or is in the best interests of Illinois.
(b) No conference committee report
shall be received by the Clerk or acted upon by the House unless it has been
signed by at least 6 conferees. The report shall be signed in duplicate. One of
the reports shall be filed with the Secretary of the Senate and one with the
Clerk. The report shall contain the agreements reached by the committee.
(c) If the conference committee
determines that it is unable to reach agreement, the committee shall so report
to each chamber of the General Assembly and request appointment of a second
conference committee. If there is agreement, the committee shall so report to
each chamber.
(d) No conference committee report
shall be adopted by the House except on a record vote of a majority of those
elected, subject to Rule 69.
(House Rule 75)
75. House Consideration of Joint
Action.
(a) No joint action motion for final
action or conference committee report may be considered by the House unless it
has first been referred to the House by the Rules Committee or a standing
committee or special committee in accordance with Rule 18, or unless the joint
action motion or conference committee report has been discharged from the Rules
Committee under Rule 18. Joint action motions for final consideration and
conference committee reports referred to a standing committee or special
committee by the Rules Committee may not be discharged from the standing
committee or special committee. This subsection (a) may be suspended by
unanimous consent.
(b) No conference committee report may
be considered by the House unless it has been reproduced and placed on the
members' desks, in the same manner as provided for bills under Rule 39, for one
full day during the period beginning with the convening of the House on the 2nd
Wednesday of January each year and ending on the 30th day prior to the
scheduled adjournment of the regular session established each year by the
Speaker pursuant to Rule 9(a), and for one full hour on any other day.
(c) Before any conference committee
report on an appropriation bill is considered by the House, the conference
committee report shall first be the subject of a public hearing by a standing
Appropriations Committee or a special committee (the conference committee
report need not be referred to an Appropriations Committee or special
committee, but instead may remain before the Rules Committee or the House, as
the case may be). The hearing shall be held pursuant to not less than one hour
advance notice by announcement on the House floor, or one day advance notice by
posting on the House bulletin board. An Appropriations Committee or special
committee shall not issue any report with respect to the conference committee
report following the hearing.
(d) Any House Bill amended in the
Senate and returned to the House for concurrence in the Senate amendment shall
lie upon the desk of the Clerk for not less than one hour before being further
considered.
(e) No House Bill that is returned to
the House with Senate amendments may be called except by the Principal Sponsor,
or by a chief co‑sponsor with the consent of the Principal Sponsor. This
subsection may not be suspended.
(f) Except as otherwise provided in
Rule 74, the report of a conference committee on a non‑appropriation bill
or resolution shall be confined to the subject of the bill or resolution
referred to the conference committee. The report of a conference committee on
an appropriation bill shall be confined to the subject of appropriations.
(House Rule 76)
76. Action on Conference Committee
Reports.
(a) Each chamber of the General
Assembly shall inform the other by message of any action taken with respect to
a conference committee report. Copies of all papers necessary for a complete
understanding of the action shall accompany the message. The original bill or
resolution shall remain in the chamber of origin.
(b) No conference committee report may
be called except by the Principal Sponsor of the bill for which the conference
committee was appointed. A chief co‑sponsor may call a conference
committee report with the consent of the Principal Sponsor. This subsection may
not be suspended.
(c) If either chamber refuses to adopt
the report of the conference committee, the report of the conference committee
is laid on the table, or the first conference committee is unable to reach
agreement, either chamber may request a second conference committee. When such
a request is made, each chamber shall again appoint a conference committee. If
either chamber refuses to adopt the report of a second conference committee,
the 2 chambers shall have adhered to their disagreement, and the bill or
resolution is lost.
ARTICLE IX
VETOES
(House Rule 77)
77. Recording of Vetoes. Upon the
receipt by the House of any bill returned by the Governor under any of the
provisions of Article IV, Sec. 9 of the Constitution, the Clerk shall enter the
objections of the Governor on the Journal, and shall distribute copies of all
veto messages to each member's desk, together with copies of the vetoed bill or
item, as soon as practical, in the same manner as for bills under Rule 39.
(House Rule 78)
78. Amendatory Vetoes.
(a) The Principal Sponsor of a bill
that has been passed by the General Assembly may request the Clerk to notify
the Governor that the Principal Sponsor wishes to be consulted by the Governor
or his or her designee before the Governor returns the bill together with
specific recommendations for change under subsection (e) of Section 9 of
Article IV of the Illinois Constitution.
(b) Any bill returned by the Governor
together with specific recommendations for change under subsection (e) of
Section 9 of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution shall automatically be
placed on the Daily Calendar on the order of amendatory vetoes, and shall be
considered as provided in this Rule.
(c) The Governor's specific
recommendations for change with respect to a bill returned under subsection (e)
of Section 9 of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution shall be limited to
addressing the Governor's objections to portions of a bill the general merit of
which the Governor recognizes and shall not alter the fundamental purpose or
legislative scheme set forth in the bill as passed.
(d) Any motion to accept the
Governor's specific recommendations for change shall be automatically referred
to the Rules Committee. The Rules Committee shall examine the Governor's
specific recommendations for change and determine by a majority of the members
appointed whether those recommendations comply with the standard set forth in
subsection (c). Any motion to accept specific recommendations for change that
the Rules Committee determines are in compliance with subsection (c) of this
Rule shall be subject to action by the Rules Committee in the same manner as
floor amendments, joint action motions, conference committee reports and
motions to table committee amendments under Rule 18(e).
(e) Any motion to override the
Governor's specific recommendations for change shall not be referred to a
committee and may be immediately considered and adopted by the House subject to
Rule 80(d).
(f) This rule may not be suspended.
(House Rule 79)
79. Motions to Consider Vetoes. For
purposes of this Article, the term "motions" means motions to accept
or override a veto of the Governor. Motions with respect to bills returned by
the Governor may be made by the Principal Sponsor, the committee Chairperson in
the case of a committee‑sponsored bill, or if Co‑Chairpersons have
been appointed, by the Co‑Chairperson of the majority caucus in the case
of special committee‑sponsored bills. Motions shall be filed in writing
with the Clerk. Any motion to override a veto of the Governor shall not be
referred to a committee and may be immediately considered and adopted by the
House subject to Rule 80. All motions shall be assigned standard debate status,
subject to Rule 52, are renewable, and may be reconsidered, provided that no
motion may be voted on more than twice by the House.
(House Rule 80)
80. Consideration of Motions.
(a) The vote to override a veto of a
bill vetoed in its entirety shall be by record vote and shall be entered on the
Journal. The form of motion with respect to these bills shall be: "I move
that ________ Bill _____ do pass, notwithstanding the veto of the
Governor."
(b) The vote to override an item veto
shall be by record vote as to each item separately and shall be entered on the
Journal. The form of motion with respect to an item shall be: "I move that
the item on page ____, line ____, of ____ Bill _____ do pass, notwithstanding
the item veto of the Governor."
(c) The vote to override an item
reduction veto and restore an item that has been reduced shall be by record
vote as to each item separately and shall be entered on the Journal. The form
of motion with respect to an item shall be: "I move that the item on page
____, line ____, of ____ Bill ____ be restored, notwithstanding the item reduction
of the Governor."
(d) A bill returned together with
specific recommendations of the Governor may be acted upon, by record vote, in
either of the following manners:
(1) By a
motion to accept the specific recommendations of the Governor. The form of
motion shall be: "I move to accept the specific recommendations of the
Governor as to _____ Bill _____ in manner and form as follows: (inserting
herein the language deemed necessary to effectuate the specific
recommendations)."; or
(2) By
considering the bill as a vetoed bill and overriding the recommendation and
passing the bill in its original form. The form of motion shall be: "I
move that _____ Bill _____ do pass, notwithstanding the specific
recommendations of the Governor.".
(House Rule 81)
81. Vetoed Bills Considered in
Entirety. If a bill is returned by the Governor containing more than one item
veto, reduction veto, specific recommendation for change, or combination of
them, the bill shall be acted upon in its entirety before the bill is released
from the custody of the House.
(House Rule 82)
82. Disposition of Vetoes. When a bill
or item has received the affirmative vote of the number of members elected
necessary under the Constitution, the Presiding Officer shall declare that the
bill or item has been passed or restored over the veto of the Governor, or that
the specific recommendations for change have been approved, as the case may be.
The bill shall then be attested to by the Clerk who shall note thereon the day
the bill passed. The bill and the objections of the Governor shall then be
immediately delivered to the Senate. When specific recommendations have been
accepted, then the accepting language shall be attached to the original bill,
and the bill shall be delivered to the Senate.
ARTICLE X
ELECTION
CONTESTS AND
QUALIFICATIONS CHALLENGES
(House Rule 83)
83. Election Contests and
Qualifications Challenges.
(a) An election contest places in
issue only the validity of the results of an election of a member to the House
in a representative district. An election contest may result only in a
determination of which candidate in that election was properly elected to the
House and shall be seated.
(b) A qualifications challenge places
in issue only the qualifications of an incumbent member of the House under the
Constitution, or the legality of an appointment of a person as a member of the
House to fill a vacancy. A qualifications challenge may result only in a
determination of whether a member of the House is properly seated.
(c) Election contests and
qualifications challenges shall be brought and conducted as provided in these
Rules.
(d) If an election contest or
qualifications challenge is filed with the Clerk, the Speaker shall create an
Election Contest or Qualifications Challenge Committee, as the case may be,
within 3 legislative days by filing a notice with the Clerk. The creation of
any committee under this Rule shall be governed by Rule 10. The election
contest or qualifications challenge shall be automatically referred to the
Election Contest or Qualifications Challenge Committee, as the case may be. For
purposes of this Article, the term "committee" means only the
Election Contest or Qualifications Challenge Committees created under this
Rule. This subsection may not be suspended.
(e) The committee may adopt rules to
govern election contests and qualifications challenges, but those committee
rules must be consistent with these Rules, must be filed with the Clerk, and
must be made available to all parties and to the public. Any committee rule
shall be subject to amendment, suspension, or repeal by House resolution.
(House Rule 84)
84. Initiating Election Contests.
(a) Election contests may be brought
only by a registered voter of the representative district or by a member of the
House.
(b) Election contests may be brought
only by the procedures and within the time limits established by the Election
Code. Notice of intention to contest shall be served on the person certified as
elected to the House from the representative district within the time limits
established by the Election Code. The requirements of this subsection apply to
a member of the House appointed to fill a vacancy the same as if that member
had been elected to the House.
(c) Within 10 days after the convening
of the House in January following the general election contested, each
contestant shall file with the Clerk a petition of election contest and shall
serve the petition on the incumbent member of the House from the representative
district. A petition of election contest shall allege the contestant's
qualifications to bring the contest and to serve as a member of the House, that
he or she believes that a mistake or fraud has been committed in specified
precincts in the counting, return, or canvass of the votes, or that there was
some other specified irregularity in the conduct of the election in specified
precincts. A petition of election contest shall contain a prayer specifying the
relief requested and the precincts in which a recount or other inquiry is
desired. A petition of election contest shall be verified by affidavit swearing
to the truth of the allegations or based upon information and belief, and shall
be accompanied by proof of service on all respondents.
(d) A notice of intent to contest may
not be amended to cure a defect under the statutory requirements. A petition of election contest, if filed and served after the
notice of intention to contest, may not raise points not expressed in the
notice.
(e) The incumbent member of the House
from the representative district is a necessary party to the initiation of an
election contest.
(House Rule 85)
85. Initiating Qualifications
Challenges.
(a) Qualifications challenges may be
brought only by a registered voter of the representative district of the
representative challenged or by a member of the House.
(b) Qualifications challenges must be
brought within 90 days after the day the challenged member takes his or her
oath of office as a member of the House, or within 90 days after the day the
petitioner first learns of the information on which the challenge is based,
whichever occurs later.
(c) A qualifications challenge shall
be brought by filing a petition of qualifications challenge with the Clerk, and
by serving a copy of the petition on the respondent member of the House. The
petition must be accompanied by proof of personal service upon the respondent
member and must be verified by affidavit swearing to the truth of the
allegations or based upon information and belief. A petition of qualifications
challenge shall set forth the grounds on which the respondent member is alleged
to be constitutionally unqualified, or on which his or her appointment to the
House is claimed to be legally improper, the qualifications of the petitioner
to bring the challenge, and a prayer for relief.
(House Rule 86)
86. Contests and Challenges; Due
Process.
(a) Election contests and challenges
shall be heard and determined as expeditiously as possible under adversary
procedures wherein each party to the proceedings has a reasonable opportunity
to present his or her claim, to present any defense and arguments, and to
respond to those of his or her opponents. All parties may be represented by
counsel.
(b) Election contests and
qualifications challenges shall be heard and determined in accordance with the
applicable provisions of the Election Code and other Illinois statutes,
the Illinois Constitution, and the United States Constitution. Judicial
decisions that bear on a point of law in a contest or challenge shall be
admissible in the arguments of the parties and the deliberations and decisions
of the committee. Judicial decisions applicable to a point of law or to a fact
situation to the committee shall be given weight as precedent.
(c) In addition to notice of meetings
required under these Rules, the committee and any subcommittee shall give
notice to all parties reasonably in advance of each meeting or other
proceeding. The committee shall also give notice of all rules, timetables, or
deadlines adopted by the committee. Notice under this subsection shall be in
writing and shall be given either personally with receipt, or by certified mail
(return receipt requested) addressed to the party at his or her place of
residence, and to his or her attorney of record at the attorney's office if so
requested by the party.
(House Rule 87)
87. Committee Proceedings and Powers
in Contests and Challenges.
(a) All proceedings of the committee
and any subcommittees concerning election contests and qualifications
challenges shall be transcribed by a certified court reporter. Copies of the
transcript shall be made available to the members of the committee and to the
parties.
(b) The committee may dismiss an
election contest or qualifications challenge, or may determine to proceed to a
recount or other inquiry. The committee may limit the issues to be determined
in a contest or challenge, except that when a recount is conducted in an
election contest, any precinct timely requested by any party to be recounted
shall be recounted by the committee.
(c) In conducting inquiries,
investigations, and recounts in election contests and qualifications
challenges, the committee has the power to send for and compel the attendance
of witnesses and the production of books, papers, ballots, documents, and records
by subpoena signed by the Chairperson of the committee as provided by law and
subject to Rule 4(c)(9). In conducting proceedings in election contests and
qualifications challenges, the Chairperson of the committee and the Chairperson
of any subcommittee may administer oaths to witnesses, as provided by law, and
for this purpose a subcommittee is deemed to be a committee of the House.
(d) The committee may issue
commissions by its Chairperson to any officer authorized to take depositions of
any necessary witnesses as may be permitted by law. In recounting the ballots
in any election contest, however, no person other than a member of the
committee shall handle any ballots, tally sheets, or other election materials
without consent of the committee or subcommittee. The responsibility for the
actual recounting of ballots may not be delegated.
(e) The committee shall maintain an
accurate and complete record of proceedings in every election contest and
qualifications challenge. That record shall include all notices and pleadings,
the transcripts and roll call votes, all reports and dissents, and all
documents that were admitted into the proceeding. The committee shall file the
record with the Clerk of the House upon the adoption of its final report. The
record shall then be available for examination in the Clerk's office.
(f) With the approval of the Speaker,
the committee may employ clerks, stenographers, court reporters, professional
staff, and messengers.
(House Rule 88)
88. Adoption of Reports in Contests
and Challenges.
(a) All final decisions of the
committee regarding an election contest or qualification challenge shall be
approved by a majority of the members appointed to the committee and reported
in writing to the House. Reports shall include a specific recommendation to the
House as to the disposition of the contest or challenge. Final reports
following full inquiry on the merits of a contest or challenge shall contain
findings of fact and, when necessary, conclusions of law.
(b) Any member of the committee may
file a dissent from a report of the committee, a minority report, or a special
concurrence with the majority report or with any minority report.
(c) A subcommittee shall report to the
committee in writing in the same form as required for the committee report.
Subcommittee members may file dissents, reports, and special concurrences.
(d) Reports shall not be adopted by
the committee or a subcommittee until a hearing has been held thereon, with
notice to all parties and a reasonable opportunity to examine and respond to a
proposed majority report.
(e) Reports of the committee shall be
filed with the Clerk, reproduced, and placed on the members' desks, along with
any dissents, minority reports, or special concurrences, in the same manner as
provided for bills under Rule 39. The report shall be listed on the calendar
under the heading "Report of Election Contest" or "Report of
Qualifications Challenge". The report shall be carried on the Daily
Calendar for 2 legislative days before any action by the House.
(f) The House shall adopt the majority
report or a minority report in an election contest or qualifications challenge
or shall refuse to adopt any report filed and re‑refer the contest or
challenge to the committee for further proceedings or for a modified report. A
report that has the effect of unseating an incumbent member of the House shall
be adopted only by the affirmative vote of 60 members elected.
(g) Each party to a contest or
challenge shall file with the Clerk of the committee within 10 days after the
filing of the final report a detailed statement of attorney's fees and expenses
incurred by that party in connection with the case. The committee shall make
recommendations to the House concerning reimbursement of attorney's fees and
the expenses of the parties. The recommendation shall not exceed a sum that is
reasonable, just, and proper.
ARTICLE XI
DISCIPLINE
AND PROTEST
(House Rule 89)
89. Disorderly Behavior.
(a)In accordance with Article IV, Sec.
6(d) of the Constitution, the House may punish any of its members for
disorderly behavior and, with the concurrence of two‑thirds of the
members elected, expel a member (but not for a second time for the same
offense). The reason for expulsion shall be entered upon the Journal with the
names and votes of those members voting on the question.
(b)In accordance with Article IV, Sec.
6(d) of the Constitution, the House during its session
may punish by imprisonment any person, not a member, guilty of disrespect to
the House by disorderly or contemptuous behavior in its presence. That
imprisonment shall not extend beyond 24 hours at one time unless the person
persists in disorderly or contemptuous behavior.
(House Rule 90)
90. Protest. Any 2 members have the
right to dissent and protest, in respectful language, against any act or
resolution that they may think injurious to the public or to any individual,
and have the reason of their protest entered upon the Journal. When by motion a
majority of members determines that the language of a protest is not
respectful, the protest shall be referred back to the protesting members.
ARTICLE XII
DISCIPLINARY
PROCEEDINGS
(House Rule 91)
91. Initiating Disciplinary
Proceedings.
(a) Disciplinary proceedings may be
commenced by filing with the Speaker a petition for a special investigating
committee. The petition must be signed by at least one member of the House, and
shall contain suggested charges which, if true, may subject the member named in
the petition to disciplinary action by the House. If the petition is signed by
3 or more members of the House, the Speaker shall appoint 3 members of the
majority caucus and the Minority Leader shall appoint 3 members of the minority
caucus to a special investigating committee. If the petition is signed by fewer
than 3 members of the House, the Speaker shall consult the member named in the
petition, and unless that member objects in writing, the Speaker and the
Minority Leader shall appoint a special investigating committee. If the member
named in the petition objects to the appointment of a special investigating
committee, any member who signed a petition for an investigation under this
Rule may introduce a resolution to initiate disciplinary proceedings. Unless a
resolution initiating disciplinary proceedings is introduced under this Rule,
the contents of a petition for a special investigating committee shall be
confidential except as to the member named, the members signing it, the
Speaker, and the members of a special investigating committee.
(b) A resolution to initiate
disciplinary proceedings shall be substantially in the following form:
"BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ______________ GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF
ILLINOIS, that a Special Investigating Committee be appointed to investigate
allegations concerning the conduct of Representative _______________________,
which, if true, may subject that member to disciplinary action by the House of
Representatives."
A resolution to initiate disciplinary
proceedings may be introduced only as permitted under this Rule. It is improper
to attempt to initiate disciplinary proceedings in any manner not authorized by
this Rule.
(c) A resolution to initiate
disciplinary proceedings shall not be assigned to committee, notwithstanding
the provisions of Rule 15. The resolution shall lie on the Speaker's Table and
shall be called within 5 legislative days.
(d) A resolution to initiate
disciplinary proceedings is debatable.
(e) A resolution initiating
disciplinary proceedings may be adopted only by the affirmative vote of 60
members elected.
(f) This Rule may be suspended only by
unanimous consent.
(House Rule 92)
92. Preliminary Investigation.
(a) Pursuant to a petition or upon the
adoption of a resolution initiating disciplinary proceedings, as provided in
Rule 91, a special investigating committee consisting of 6 members shall be
appointed, of whom 3 shall be appointed by the Speaker from the majority caucus
and 3 shall be appointed by the Minority Leader from the minority caucus. The
Speaker shall appoint the Chairperson of the special investigating committee
from among the 6 members. Sponsors of the initiating resolution may not be
appointed to the special investigating committee.
(b) The special investigating
committee shall conduct a thorough investigation of all allegations and charges
of impropriety concerning the member named in the initiating resolution that
are brought to its attention to determine if reasonable grounds exist to bring
charges against the member for formal disciplinary proceedings by the House.
The special investigating committee shall meet with the Principal Sponsor of
the initiating resolution at its initial meeting.
At the initial meeting, the Principal
Sponsor of the initiating resolution shall submit to the special investigating
committee a written list of suggested charges. The list shall define the scope
of the inquiry or investigation pursuant to the initiating resolution. If the
Principal Sponsor of the initiating resolution fails to submit a list, the
special committee shall report a resolution of exoneration.
The Principal Sponsor of the
initiating resolution shall also submit to the special investigating committee
all information he or she may have relevant to the charges and allegations.
(c) The special investigating
committee shall conduct all of its proceedings in executive session, and shall
maintain strict confidence as to all of its proceedings and all witnesses,
testimony, information, and exhibits that may come before it. No transcript or
record of proceedings shall be taken. This subsection shall be adopted and
effective upon an affirmative vote of 79 members. This subsection may not be
suspended.
(d) Except for its initial meeting,
any posting or notice requirements do not apply to meetings of the special
investigating committee, but the Chairperson shall give notice of all meetings
to the member named in and the Principal Sponsor of the initiating resolution
and shall give reasonable notice to the public. The member who is the subject
of the initiating resolution has the right to counsel during proceedings of the
special investigating committee.
(e) Except for subsection (c), this
Rule may be suspended only by the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
(House Rule 93)
93. Report of Special Investigating
Committee.
(a) The special investigating
committee shall report in writing. All reports shall be signed by the members
supporting the report.
(b) If a majority of the members of
the special committee determines to prefer charges, it shall file with the
Clerk a formal statement of charges and specifications, and shall appoint 2
members of the House, one from the majority caucus and one from the minority
caucus, who are not members of the special investigating committee to be managers
for the House at the hearing on the charges. The statement of charges shall
constitute the report of the special committee, but the special committee in
its discretion may file a supplementary report stating its reasons for not
bringing any other charges that may have been suggested to it.
(c) If the special committee
determines not to prefer charges, it shall file with the Clerk a resolution
exonerating the member named in the initiating resolution together with a
report stating its reasons for not preferring charges.
(d) If the special committee cannot by
majority vote of its members determine whether to prefer charges, the committee
shall file with the Clerk a resolution of exoneration and a report stating the
affirmative reasons for not preferring charges. That report shall be signed by
all members of the special investigating committee, regardless of their
original vote in the committee proceedings on whether to prefer charges.
(e) This Rule may be suspended only by
the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
(House Rule 94)
94. Select Committee on Discipline.
(a) When charges are preferred against
any member of the House under Rule 93, the Speaker and the Minority Leader
shall appoint a committee, to be known as a select committee on discipline, to
hear and determine the charges. The select committee shall consist of 12
members of the House, 6 of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker from the
majority caucus and 6 of whom shall be appointed by the Minority Leader from
the minority caucus. The Speaker shall appoint a Chairperson of the select
committee from among the 12 members. No member who served on the special
investigating committee or any sponsor of the initiating resolution may be
appointed to the select committee.
(b) All appointments to a select
committee on discipline shall be completed and the select committee shall
convene within 30 days after the filing of charges for which the committee is
appointed.
(c) This Rule may be suspended only by
the affirmative vote of 79 members elected.
(House Rule 95)
95. Hearings on Disciplinary Charges.
(a) Proceedings before the select
committee on discipline shall be adversary in form, with the managers for the
House presenting the case for disciplinary action. The respondent member may be
represented by counsel.
(b) Stipulations of fact shall be
encouraged by the select committee.
(c) The rules of evidence applicable
to criminal proceedings apply except as may be waived by the managers or
respondent, as may be appropriate.
(House Rule 96)
96. Report of Select Committee.
(a) The committee shall vote on each
specification and charge, except that a vote of exoneration on a charge shall
be a vote as to all specifications under that charge. All final votes on the
merits of a charge or specification shall be by record vote.
(b) A finding of fault or exoneration
on any specification or charge requires an affirmative vote of a majority of
the members appointed to the select committee.
(c) The committee shall file a report
of its findings on each specification and charge and a recommendation as to
penalty with the Clerk. The report shall state the reasons for each conclusion
and recommendation. If the committee finds the respondent member exonerated
regarding any charge, it shall report a resolution of exoneration together with
its report. If the select committee finds the respondent member at fault
regarding any charge, it shall report a resolution embodying its findings and
recommended penalty.
(d) If a select committee reports a
finding of fault regarding any charge, any member of the select committee may
file a minority report with the Clerk either dissenting from a finding, reason,
or recommendation in the majority report or stating a concurrence on different
grounds. A dissenting report may include a resolution of exoneration as to any
charge or specifications.
(e) When a select committee has found
a member at fault regarding a charge, the committee shall adopt a
recommendation for disciplinary action. The committee may recommend a
reprimand, a censure, expulsion from the House, or that no penalty be invoked. The recommendation on disciplinary action
requires an affirmative vote of the majority of the members appointed to the
select committee.
(f) This Rule may be suspended only by
the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
(House Rule 97)
97. House Action on Disciplinary
Reports.
(a) The report of a select committee,
together with any dissenting or concurring reports, and any accompanying
resolution, shall be reproduced and placed on the members' desks, in the same
manner as for bills under Rule 39. The report shall be placed on the calendar
under the heading "Report of Select Committee on Discipline". The
report shall be carried on the Daily Calendar for 2 legislative days before any
action by the House.
(b) If the report of a select
committee or a special investigating committee exonerates the respondent
member, the House shall take up the resolution or re‑refer the case to
the committee for further proceedings.
(c) If the select committee reports a
finding of fault as to any charge, the House shall take up the resolution for
disciplinary action together with any minority resolutions. The House may amend
a resolution for disciplinary action to decrease the recommended penalty.
(d) The House shall take action by a
record vote on each resolution. Adoption of a resolution finding the respondent
member at fault regarding charges and specifications shall dispose of any
minority resolution of exoneration on those charges and specifications. If the
House adopts a resolution of exoneration as to any charge or specification, a
majority resolution shall be amended in accord with that disposition of those
charges and specifications before it may be called for a final vote. If the adoption
of exoneration resolutions disposes of all the charges and specifications in a
majority resolution for disciplinary action, the majority resolution shall be
tabled.
(e) Following record votes on all
majority and minority resolutions arising out of a select committee finding of
fault on a charge or specification, if there remains any charge or
specification on which the House has neither exonerated the member or adopted a
finding of fault, then any member may introduce and move a resolution of exoneration
on that charge or specification.
(f) A resolution finding a member at
fault regarding a charge may be adopted only by the affirmative vote of 71
members elected, except that a resolution the effect of which is to expel a
member may be adopted only by the affirmative vote of 79 members elected.
(g) This Rule may be suspended only by
the affirmative vote of 79 members elected.
ARTICLE XIII
FORCE AND
EFFECT
(House Rule 98)
98. Applicability. The meetings and
actions of the House, including all of its committees, are governed by these
House Rules.
(House Rule 99)
99. Parliamentary Authority. The rules
of parliamentary practice appearing in the latest edition of Robert's Rules of
Order govern the House in all cases to which they apply so long as they are not
inconsistent with these Rules.
(House Rule 100)
100. Certification by Speaker. With
respect to each bill that is certified by the Speaker in accordance with
Article IV, Sec. 8(d) of the Constitution, there is an
irrebuttable presumption that the procedural
requirements for passage have been met.
(House Rule 101)
101. Effective Date. These rules are
in full force and effect upon their adoption, and shall remain in full force
and effect except as amended in accordance with these Rules, or until
superseded by new rules adopted as part of the organization of a newly‑constituted
General Assembly at the commencement of a term.
ARTICLE XIV
DEFINITIONS
(House Rule 102)
102. Definitions. As used in these
Rules, terms have the meanings ascribed to them as follows, unless the context
clearly requires a different meaning:
(1)
Chairperson. "Chairperson" means that Representative designated by
the Speaker to serve as chair of a committee.
(2) Co‑Chairperson.
"Co‑Chairperson" means a Representative designated by the
Speaker to serve as co‑chair of a special committee.
(3) Clerk.
"Clerk" means the elected Clerk of the House.
(4)
Committee. "Committee" means a committee of the House and includes a
standing committee, the Rules Committee, a special committee, committees
created under Article X and Article XII of these Rules, and a subcommittee of a
committee. "Committee" does not mean a conference committee,
and the procedural and notice requirements applicable to committees do not
apply to conference committees.
(5)
Constitution. "Constitution" means the Constitution of the State of Illinois.
(6) General
Assembly. "General Assembly" means the current General Assembly of
the State of Illinois.
(7) House.
"House" means the House of Representatives
of the General Assembly.
(8) Joint
Action Motions. "Joint action motions" means the following motions
before the House: to concur in a Senate amendment, to non‑concur in a
Senate amendment, to recede from a House amendment, to refuse to recede from a
House amendment, to request that a conference committee be
appointed, and to adopt a conference committee report.
(9)
Legislative Digest. "Legislative Digest" means the Legislative
Synopsis and Digest that is prepared by the Legislative Reference Bureau of the
General Assembly.
(10)
Legislative Measures. "Legislative measures" means all matters
brought before the House for consideration, whether originated in the House or
Senate, and includes bills, amendments, resolutions, conference committee
reports, motions, messages, notices, and Executive Orders from the executive
branch.
(11)
Majority. "Majority" means a majority of those members present and
voting on a question. Unless otherwise specified with respect to a particular
House Rule, for purposes of determining the number of members present and
voting on a question, a "present" vote shall not be counted.
(12) Majority
Caucus. "Majority caucus" means that group of Representatives from
the numerically strongest political party in the House.
(13) Majority
of those Appointed. "Majority of those appointed" means a majority of
the total number of Representatives authorized under these Rules to be
appointed to a committee.
(14) Majority
of those Elected. "Majority of those elected" means a majority of the
total number of Representatives entitled to be elected to the House, regardless
of the number of elected or appointed Representatives actually serving in
office. So long as 118 Representatives are entitled to be elected to the House,
"majority of those elected" means 60 affirmative votes; 71
affirmative votes means three‑fifths of the
members elected; and 79 affirmative votes means two‑thirds of the members
elected.
(15) Member.
"Member" means a Representative. Where the context so requires,
"member" may also mean a Senator of the Illinois Senate.
(16) Members
Appointed. "Members appointed" means the total number of
Representatives authorized under these Rules to be appointed to a committee.
(17) Members
Elected. "Members elected" means the 118 Representatives entitled to
be elected to the House, regardless of the number of elected or appointed
Representatives actually serving in office.
(18) Minority
Caucus. "Minority caucus" means that group of Representatives from
the second numerically strongest political party in the House.
(19) Minority
Leader. "Minority Leader" means the Minority Leader of the House
elected under Rule 2.
(20) Minority
Spokesperson. "Minority spokesperson" means that Representative
designated by the Minority Leader to serve as the minority spokesperson of a
committee.
(21)
Perfunctory Session. "Perfunctory session" means the convening of the
House, pursuant to the scheduling of the Speaker, for purposes consistent with
Rule 28.
(22)
Presiding Officer. "Presiding Officer" means that Representative
serving as the presiding officer of the House, whether that Representative is
the Speaker or another Representative designated by the Speaker under Rule 4.
(23)
Principal Sponsor. "Principal sponsor" means the first listed House
sponsor of any legislative measure; with respect to a standing committee‑sponsored
bill or resolution, it means the Chairperson of the committee; with respect to
a special committee‑sponsored bill or resolution, it means the Co‑Chairperson
from the majority caucus.
(24) Record
Vote. "Record vote" means a vote by ayes and nays entered on the
journal.
(25)
Representative. "Representative" means any duly elected or duly
appointed Illinois State Representative, and means the same as
"member".
(26) Senate.
"Senate" means the Senate of the General Assembly.
(27) Speaker.
"Speaker" means the Speaker of the House elected as provided in Rule
1.
(28) Term.
"Term" means the 2‑year term of a General Assembly.
(29) Vice‑Chairperson.
"Vice‑Chairperson" means that Representative designated by the
Speaker to serve as Vice‑Chairperson of a committee.