H*3291 Resolution, By  House Rules
 A HOUSE RESOLUTION TO AMEND RULE 1.6 OF THE RULES OF THE HOUSE OF
 REPRESENTATIVES, RELATING TO VOTING BY THE SPEAKER, SO AS TO ALLOW THE
 SPEAKER, IN HIS DISCRETION, TO ADDRESS THE BODY CONCERNING MATTERS OF
 IMPORTANCE TO THE HOUSE; TO AMEND RULE 4.2, RELATING TO THE APPOINTMENT OF
 MEMBERS BY THE SPEAKER TO STANDING COMMITTEES, WITH CERTAIN EXCEPTIONS, SO AS
 TO DELETE THE REQUIREMENT THAT A VACANCY EXIST ON A COMMITTEE BEFORE THE
 SPEAKER MAY CHANGE A MEMBER'S COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT AND PROVIDE THAT AFTER A
 COMMITTEE HAS BEEN APPOINTED, NO ADDITION TO IT OR CHANGE MAY BE MADE, EXCEPT
 TO FILL A VACANCY OR TO REMOVE RATHER THAN EXCUSE A MEMBER FOR CONDUCT
 UNBECOMING A MEMBER; AND TO AMEND RULE 6.1, RELATING TO THE TIME FOR MEETING
 OF THE HOUSE, SO AS TO CLARIFY THAT A PERFUNCTORY SESSION IS NOT CONSIDERED A
 STATEWIDE DAY FOR PURPOSES OF CALCULATING THE PROVISION OF RULES 5.10 AND 9.1.

   01/12/05  House  Introduced and adopted HJ-62
   01/12/05  House  Roll call Yeas-89  Nays-17 HJ-71

A HOUSE RESOLUTION

TO AMEND RULE 1.6 OF THE RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, RELATING TO VOTING BY THE SPEAKER, SO AS TO ALLOW THE SPEAKER, IN HIS DISCRETION, TO ADDRESS THE BODY CONCERNING MATTERS OF IMPORTANCE TO THE HOUSE; TO AMEND RULE 4.2, RELATING TO THE APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS BY THE SPEAKER TO STANDING COMMITTEES, WITH CERTAIN EXCEPTIONS, SO AS TO DELETE THE REQUIREMENT THAT A VACANCY EXIST ON A COMMITTEE BEFORE THE SPEAKER MAY CHANGE A MEMBER'S COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT AND PROVIDE THAT AFTER A COMMITTEE HAS BEEN APPOINTED, NO ADDITION TO IT OR CHANGE MAY BE MADE, EXCEPT TO FILL A VACANCY OR TO REMOVE RATHER THAN EXCUSE A MEMBER FOR CONDUCT UNBECOMING A MEMBER; AND TO AMEND RULE 6.1, RELATING TO THE TIME FOR MEETING OF THE HOUSE, SO AS TO CLARIFY THAT A PERFUNCTORY SESSION IS NOT CONSIDERED A STATEWIDE DAY FOR PURPOSES OF CALCULATING THE PROVISION OF RULES 5.10 AND 9.1.

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

(1)    That Rule 1.6 of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended to read:

"1.6    The Speaker may vote in all cases (except when he may be personally or pecuniarily interested). If the House be equally divided, the question shall be decided in the negative. The presiding officer may give information or explain any matter before the House; he may speak on points of order in preference to other members, and as often as he may deem necessary, but he shall not enter into any debate or endeavor to influence any question before the House while presiding. Provided, the Speaker, in his discretion, may address the body concerning matters of importance to the House."

(2)    That Rule 4.2 of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended to read:

"4.2    As soon as practicable after the members have been sworn in and have taken their seats, the following Standing Committees, except the House of Representatives Legislative Ethics Committee, and the House of Representatives Committee on Operations and Management, shall be appointed to serve until the next general election with the indicated number of members appointed thereto:

1.    Committee on Ways and Means - 25.

2.    Committee on the Judiciary (Privileges and Elections) - 25.

3.    Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs (Fish, Game, Forestry, State Parks, Rural Development, Environmental Affairs) - 18.

4.    Committee on Education and Public Works (Education, Highways, State House and Grounds, Railroads, Aviation) - 18.

5.    Committee on Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs (Medical Affairs, Social Security, Penitentiary, State Hospital, Police Regulations, Military Affairs, Veteran's Affairs) - 18.

6.    Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry (Labor, Commerce and Manufacturing, Banking and Insurance, Merchants and Mercantile Affairs) - 18.

7.    Committee on Rules - 15.

8.    Committee on Interstate Cooperation (membership limited to 5, under 1976 Code, Sec. 1-17-30) - 5.

9.    House of Representatives Legislative Ethics Committee - 6.

10.    Committee on Invitations and Memorial Resolutions (Invitations, Resolutions memorializing the Federal or State Government or any official or agency thereof, sympathy, and congratulatory Resolutions) - 5.

11.    Committee on Operations and Management of the House of Representatives (Advisory to the Speaker on personnel, administration and management of facilities, including management of the Blatt Building) - 7.

Each member shall serve on one and only one of the first six Standing Committees listed above. However, a member of these Committees may also serve on any one of the following Committees: Committee on Rules, Committee on Interstate Cooperation, Committee on Ethics, Committee on Invitations, or Committee on Operations and Management of the House of Representatives. The Speaker, Speaker Pro Tempore, and Clerk shall serve as ex officio members of the Committee on Operations and Management of the House of Representatives but no chairman of any other standing committee shall serve as a member of such committee.

Provided, that the members of the Committee on Operations and Management of the House of Representatives (advisory to the Speaker on personnel, administration and management of facilities), and the members of the House of Representatives Legislative Ethics Committee, shall be elected by the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, their terms to be coterminous with their respective term of office.

Provided, that the Committee on Education and Public Works shall be deemed to be the Committee on Education, and the Committee on Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs shall be deemed to be the Committee on Military Affairs and the Committee on Medical Affairs, in all cases where the statutes provide for the Chairman of these committees to perform ex officio duties.

Provided, that the Committee on Operations and Management of the House of Representatives with the consent of the Speaker may formulate such policies as it deems advisable relating to House personnel. Such policies shall be distributed to the members and must be adopted by majority vote of the House by House Resolution.

Provided, that except as herein provided neither the Speaker nor Speaker Pro Tempore shall be a member of any of the foregoing Standing Committees.

No member shall be appointed on a committee before he has been sworn in and has taken his seat. Any member who is sworn in after the general announcement of the committee shall, within a few days afterward, be placed by the Speaker on a Standing Committee whose number of members will not thereby be extended beyond the number provided in these rules.

After a committee has been appointed, no addition to it or change shall be made, except to fill a vacancy or to excuse remove a member for conduct unbecoming a member.

Provided, that in filling a vacancy, the assignment of any member may be changed from another committee to fill such vacancy."

(3)    Rule 6.1(b) of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended to read:

"(b)    The Speaker, in his sole discretion, is authorized to call the House of Representatives into statewide session for the exclusive purpose of the introduction and referral of bills and receipt and reading of communications and committee reports and to adjourn immediately thereafter with no roll to be taken. Any such action by the Speaker shall provide the specific date of the statewide session and shall provide that the House of Representatives must convene at 10:00 a.m. and adjourn not later than 10:30 a.m. on these days. Provided, that a statewide session held pursuant to this paragraph shall not be considered in calculating the provisions of Rules 5.10 and 9.1."