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 16. Motions
Rules relating to motions are as follows:
(A) MOTIONS TO BE ENTERTAINED OR DEBATED. No motion shall be entertained or debated until announced by the speaker and every motion shall be deemed to have been seconded. A motion shall be reduced to writing and read by the clerk, if desired by the speaker or any member, before it shall be debated and by the consent of the house may be withdrawn before amendment or action.
(B) MOTIONS IN ORDER DURING DEBATE. When a motion has been made and seconded and stated by the chair, the following motions are in order, in the rank named:
- (1) Privileged motions:
- Adjourn
- Adjourn to a time certain
- Recess to a time certain
- Reconsider
- Demand for division
- Question of privilege
- Orders of the day
- (2) Subsidiary motions:
- First rank: Question of consideration
- Second rank: To lay on the table
- Third rank: For the previous question
- Fourth rank: To postpone to a day certain
- To commit or recommit
To postpone indefinitely - Fifth rank: To amend
- (3) Incidental motions:
- Points of order and appeal
- Method of consideration
- Suspension of the rules
- Reading papers
- Withdraw a motion
- Division of a question
(C) THE EFFECT OF POSTPONEMENT - MOTIONS TO POSTPONE OR COMMIT. Once decided, no motion to postpone to a day certain, to commit, or to postpone indefinitely shall again be allowed on the same day and at the same stage of the proceedings. When a question has been postponed indefinitely, it shall not again be introduced during the session. The motion to postpone indefinitely may be made at any stage of the bill except when on first reading.
(D) MOTIONS DECIDED WITHOUT DEBATE. A motion to adjourn, to recess, to lay on the table and to call for the previous question shall be decided without debate.
All incidental motions shall be decided without debate, except that members may speak to points of order and appeal as provided in Rule 24.
Motions to adopt house resolutions shall be decided without debate, except as provided in Rule 11(F).
A motion for suspension of the rules shall not be debatable except that the mover of the motion may briefly explain the purpose of the motion and one member may briefly state the opposition to the motion.
(E) MOTION TO ADJOURN. A motion to adjourn shall always be in order, except when the house is voting or is working under the call of the house; but this rule shall not authorize any member to move for adjournment when another member has the floor.