HCR 23: Proposing amendments to the Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature relating to withdrawing measures, to sponsors of measures, to prefiling measures, and to the three readings of bills.
00 HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 23 01 Proposing amendments to the Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature relating to 02 withdrawing measures, to sponsors of measures, to prefiling measures, and to the three 03 readings of bills. 04 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05 * Section 1. Rule 27(b), Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature, is amended to read: 06 (b) After a bill or resolution has been introduced, or a motion for the adoption 07 of an amendment has been made, and is read by the clerk or secretary or stated by the 08 presiding officer, it is deemed to be in possession of the house. It may be withdrawn at 09 any time while in possession of the house [BY THE MEMBER INTRODUCING OR 10 REPORTING IT] if consent is given by a majority vote of the full membership of the 11 house. Only the prime sponsor of the measure, a joint prime sponsor of the 12 measure with agreement of all other joint prime sponsors, or the chair of the 13 committee that introduced the measure may move to withdraw the measure. 14 * Sec. 2. Rule 36, Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature, is amended to read: 15 Rule 36. Prefiling of Bills. (a) Drafts of [BILLS OR] proposals for bills or
01 resolutions may be requested from [PREFILED WITH THE EXECUTIVE 02 DIRECTOR OF] the Legislative Affairs Agency at any time before January 1. All 03 requests are confidential [AND ARE LIMITED TO BILLS AND THOSE JOINT 04 RESOLUTIONS PROPOSING AMENDMENTS TO THE STATE OR FEDERAL 05 CONSTITUTIONS]. Each measure [BILLS] given final approval by the prime 06 sponsor, or all joint prime sponsors, will be assigned a number and duplicated 07 before or during the week before [PRIOR TO] the convening date of the session and 08 made available to the press and public. A member or member elect may request as 09 prime sponsor no more than 10 measures [BILLS] for prefiling and, as joint prime 10 sponsor, up to an additional 20 measures for prefiling. A draft [DRAFTS] of a 11 measure [PREFILED BILLS] not receiving sponsor approval prior to the convening 12 day of the session will not be introduced as a prefiled measure [BILLS], but, at the 13 direction of the prime sponsor or of all joint prime sponsors, will be prepared in 14 final form by the agency staff, subject to the demands of assigned interim and pre- 15 session work. 16 (b) Prefiled measures [BILLS] are submitted to each house for formal 17 introduction and first reading at the commencement of the first regular session on the 18 day when the house is organized to the point where it has committees to receive 19 measures [BILLS], or on the first day of the second regular session. Prefiled bills are 20 read and referred to committee in advance of other bills. Prefiled resolutions are 21 read and referred to committee in advance of other resolutions. 22 * Sec. 3. Rule 37(a), Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature, is amended to read: 23 (a) Any member, group of members, standing, special, or joint committee may 24 introduce a measure [BILL], subject to the provisions of these Uniform Rules. 25 Measures introduced by members must have at least one prime sponsor or more 26 than one joint prime sponsor, and may have cosponsors. After introduction, 27 when the measure is in the possession of the house of origin and with approval of 28 the prime sponsor or of all joint prime sponsors, additional members may be 29 added as joint prime sponsors or as cosponsors. When the measure is in the 30 possession of the second house, a member of that house may be added as cross 31 cosponsor with the approval of the prime sponsor or of all joint prime sponsors.
01 A measure [BILL] must be introduced, in proper form as approved by the enrolling 02 secretary of the legislature, with the original and three copies delivered to the chief 03 clerk or secretary. The measure [BILL] is then assigned a number which it retains 04 through subsequent changes and substitutions. The measure [BILL] is considered 05 formally introduced when the clerk or secretary reads the heading and title aloud in 06 open session (first reading). Bills and resolutions may be introduced through the 07 Rules Committees by the governor, the chief justice of the state supreme court, and 08 the permanent interim committees pursuant to provisions of law. A member may 09 move to withdraw the member's name as sponsor of a measure when it is in 10 possession of the house in which it was introduced. 11 * Sec. 4. Rule 39(b), Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature, is amended to read: 12 (b) First Reading. The first reading consists of a reading aloud by the clerk or 13 secretary of the following information: [THE] house of origin, heading and [THE] 14 bill number, sponsorship [THE SPONSOR], and [THE] title of the bill, e.g., "In the 15 House, House Bill No. ..., by ...... and ..... ......, A bill for an Act entitled, 'An Act 16 relating to a code of ethics for state employees.'" Notwithstanding the foregoing, the 17 presiding officer may direct the clerk or secretary to dispense with the reading of 18 the full title, in which case only the first phrase of the title shall be read. The bill is 19 then referred by the presiding officer to one or more committees. The house may, by a 20 majority vote of the full membership of the house, refer the bill to any other standing 21 or special committee. 22 * Sec. 5. Rule 39(d), Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature, is amended to read: 23 (d) Third Reading. On its third reading the bill is read by heading and title 24 only. The presiding officer may direct the clerk or secretary to dispense with the 25 reading of the full title, in which case only the first phrase of the title shall be 26 read. The question on third reading of a bill is upon its final passage and no 27 amendments may be considered. No bill may become law without an affirmative vote 28 of the majority of the membership of each house. The yeas and nays on final passage, 29 noting the name and vote of each member, shall be entered in the journal. The bill is 30 then engrossed or enrolled, as appropriate, at the direction of the clerk or secretary.