House rules
The Washington State House rules establish procedures and protocols for conducting legislative business in the House of Representatives. These rules provide the framework for how bills are processed, committees operate, and representatives conduct official business.
Preface
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That ​permanent House Rules for the Sixty-Eighth Legislature be adopted as follows:
PERMANENT RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE 2023-2024
- Rule 1. Definitions
- Rule 2. Chief Clerk to Call to Order
- Rule 3. Election of Officers
- Rule 4. Powers and Duties of the Speaker
- Rule 5 . Chief Clerk
- Rule 6. Executive Rules Committee
- Rule 7. Duties of Employees
- Rule 8. Admission to the House
- Rule 9. Absentees and Courtesy
- Rule 10. Bills, Memorials and Resolutions - Introductions
- Rule 11. Reading of Bills
- Rule 12. Amendments
- Rule 13. Final Passage
- Rule 14. Hour of Meeting, Roll Call and Quorum
- Rule 15. Daily Calendar and Order of Business
- Rule 16. Motions
- Rule 17. Remote Participation and Voting Permitted Upon Authorization
- Rule 18. Members' Right to Debate
- Rule 19. Rules of Debate
- Rule 20. Ending of Debate - Previous Question
- Rule 21. Voting
- Rule 22. Reconsideration
- Rule 23. Call of the House
- Rule 24. Appeal from Decision of Chair
- Rule 25. Standing Committees
- Rule 26. Duties of Committees
- Rule 27. Standing Committees - Expenses - Subpoena Power
- Rule 28. Vetoed Bills
- Rule 29. Suspension of Compensation
- Rule 30. Smoking and Vaping
- Rule 31. Liquor
- Rule 32. Parliamentary Rules
- Rule 33. Standing Rules Amendment
- Rule 34. Rules to Apply for Assembly
- Rule 35. Legislative Publications
- Rule 36. Emergency Resolution Authorized
Rule 12. Amendments
The right of any member to offer amendments to proposed legislation shall not be limited except as provided in Rule 11(E) and as follows:
(A) AMENDMENTS TO BE OFFERED IN PROPER FORM. The chief clerk shall establish the proper form for amendments and all amendments offered shall bear the name of the member who offers the same, as well as the number and section of the bill to be amended.
(B) COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS. When a bill is before the house on second reading, amendments adopted by committees and recommended to the house shall be acted upon by the house before any amendments that may be offered from the floor.
(C) SENATE AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILLS. A house bill, passed by the senate with amendment or amendments which shall change the scope and object of the bill, upon being received in the house, shall be referred to the appropriate committee and shall take the same course as for original bills unless a motion not to concur is adopted prior to the bill being referred to committee.
(D) AMENDMENTS TO BE GERMANE. No motion or proposition on a subject different from that under consideration shall be admitted under color of amendment; and no bill or resolution shall at any time be amended by annexing thereto or incorporating therein any other bill or resolution pending before the house.
(E) SCOPE AND OBJECT NOT TO BE CHANGED. No amendment to any bill shall be allowed which shall change the scope and object of the bill. This objection may be raised at any time an amendment is under consideration. The speaker may allow the person raising the objection and the mover of the amendment to provide brief arguments as to the merits of the objection. (Article II, section 38)
(F) NO AMENDMENT BY REFERENCE. No act shall ever be revised or amended without being set forth at full length. (Article II, section 37)
(G) TITLE AMENDMENTS. The subject matter portion of a bill title shall not be amended in committee or on second reading. Changes to that part of the title after the subject matter statement shall either be presented with the text amendment or be incorporated by the chief clerk in the engrossing process.
(H) DATE AND TIME FOR AMENDMENT SUBMISSION. To facilitate the orderly consideration of proposed legislation, the speaker, after consultation with the minority leader, may establish a date and time for submission of amendments.