Joint rules
The House and Senate both vote to adopt joint rules that govern processes that affect both chambers.
Preface
In 2023, the Senate and House adopted the Legislature's current joint rules with the adoption of House Concurrent Resolution 4401. The joint rules were subsequently amended with the adoption of Senate Concurrent Resolution 8407.
Chapters
- Rule 1. Ethics
- Rule 2. Prohibited Political Activity
- Rule 3. Legislative Code of Conduct
- Rule 4. Employee Protection
- Rule 5. Sessions of the Legislature
- Rule 6. Joint Session
- Rule 7. Motions for Joint Session
- Rule 8. Business Limited
- Rule 9. Joint Legislative Committees
- Rule 10. Joint Committee Meetings
- Rule 11. Joint and Concurrent Resolutions - Memorials
- Rule 12. Amendatory Bills
- Rule 13. Bills, How Drawn
- Rule 14. Amendments to State Constitution - Action by Legislature
- Rule 15. Publicity of Proposed Amendments to State Constitution
- Rule 16. Initiative Petition Before the Legislature
- Rule 17. Conference Committee
- Rule 18. Failure to Agree
- Rule 19. Report of Conference Committee, How Made Out - Whom Returned to
- Rule 20. Adoption of Reports
- Rule 21. Messages Between the Two Houses
- Rule 22. Bills to be Engrossed
- Rule 23. Final Action on Bills, How Communicated
- Rule 24. Enrolled Bills - Presiding Officer to Sign
- Rule 25. Disposition of Enrolled Bills
- Rule 26. Adjournment
- Rule 27. Adjournment Sine Die
- Rule 28. Each House Judge of Its Own Membership
- Rule 29. Convening Special Legislative Sessions
- Rule 30. Convening Special Legislative Sessions Solely to Reconsider Vetoed Bills
- Rule 31. Amendments to Joint Rules
- Rule 32. Joint Rules to Apply for Biennium
Rule 17. Conference Committee
(1) In every case of difference between the two houses, upon any subject of legislation, either house may request a conference and appoint a committee for that purpose, and the other house may grant the request for a conference and appoint a committee to confer. The presiding officer of each house shall appoint on each conference committee three members, selecting them so as to represent, in each case, the majority and minority positions to the extent possible as relates to the subject matter, and the majority and minority caucuses. The committees, at the earliest possible hour, shall confer upon the differences between the two houses indicated by the amendment or amendments adopted in one house and rejected in the other.
(2)(a) Except as otherwise provided herein, conference committee deliberations shall be conducted in a manner consistent with the rules of the house of representatives and senate applicable to deliberations of standing committees. Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, conference committee deliberations shall be in person and voting shall be through a roll call vote, with votes recorded electronically.
(b) When a conferee requests remote participation because of illness or emergency, the conferee shall notify the leader of the conferee's caucus. If the leader of the caucus approves the request for remote participation, the leader shall inform the leader of the other three caucuses, the secretary of the senate, and the chief clerk of the house of representatives, as soon as practicable but no later than two hours before the scheduled start of the meeting. In such instances, the entire conference committee shall meet remotely, and conferees shall vote through a roll call vote, with votes recorded electronically.
(3) Public notice of a conference committee meeting shall be given by the secretary of the senate, for house bills, and the chief clerk of the house of representatives, for senate bills, prior to the convening of the meeting by distributing meeting notices via the legislature's email system.
(4) The papers shall be left with the conferees of the house of representatives if a senate bill, and with the conferees of the senate, if a house bill, and the holders of the papers shall first present the report of the committee to their house. Every report of a conference committee must be recommended by a majority of the conference committee members of each house. Conference committee reports must be recommended at a meeting duly convened by the chief clerk of the house of representatives for senate bills or the secretary of the senate for house bills.