HCR 8: 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. 8 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. A measure in 09 possession of the house of origin [IT] may be withdrawn at any time before it is first 10 transmitted to the second house [BY THE MEMBER INTRODUCING OR 11 REPORTING IT] if consent is given by a majority vote of the full membership [OF 12 THE HOUSE]. Only the prime sponsor of the measure, a joint prime sponsor of 13 the measure with agreement of all other joint prime sponsors, or the chair of the 14 committee that introduced the measure may move to withdraw it. 15 * Sec. 2. Rule 36, Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature, is amended to read:
01 Rule 36. Prefiling of Measures [BILLS]. (a) Drafts of [BILLS OR] 02 proposals for bills or resolutions may be requested from [PREFILED WITH THE 03 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF] the Legislative Affairs Agency at any time before 04 January 1. All requests are confidential [AND ARE LIMITED TO BILLS AND 05 THOSE JOINT RESOLUTIONS PROPOSING AMENDMENTS TO THE STATE 06 OR FEDERAL CONSTITUTIONS]. Each measure [BILLS] given final approval by 07 the prime sponsor or all joint prime sponsors will be assigned a number and 08 duplicated before or during the week before [PRIOR TO] the convening date of the 09 session and made available to the press and public. A member or member elect may 10 request as sole prime sponsor no more than 10 measures [BILLS] for prefiling and 11 as joint prime sponsor up to an additional 20 measures for prefiling. A draft 12 [DRAFTS] of a measure [PREFILED BILLS] not receiving sponsor approval prior to 13 the agency deadline for numbering and printing the prefiled measures 14 [CONVENING DAY OF THE SESSION] will not be introduced as a prefiled 15 measure [BILLS], but, at the direction of the prime sponsor or of all joint prime 16 sponsors, will be prepared in final form by the agency staff, subject to the demands of 17 assigned interim and pre-session work. 18 (b) Prefiled measures [BILLS] are submitted to each house for formal 19 introduction and first reading at the commencement of the first regular session on the 20 day when the house is organized to the point where it has committees to receive 21 measures [BILLS], or on the first day of the second regular session. Prefiled bills are 22 read and referred to committee in advance of other bills. Prefiled resolutions are 23 read and referred to committee in advance of other resolutions. 24 * Sec. 3. Rule 37(a), Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature, is amended to read: 25 (a) Any member, group of members, standing, special, or joint committee may 26 introduce a measure [BILL], subject to the provisions of these Uniform Rules. 27 Measures introduced by members must have at least one prime sponsor or more 28 than one joint prime sponsor, and may have cosponsors. After introduction, 29 when the measure is in the possession of the house of origin and with approval of 30 the prime sponsor or of all joint prime sponsors, additional members may be 31 added as joint prime sponsors or as cosponsors. When the measure is in the
01 possession of the second house, a member of that house may be added as cross 02 cosponsor with the approval of the prime sponsor or of all joint prime sponsors. 03 A measure [BILL] must be introduced, in proper form as approved by the enrolling 04 secretary of the legislature, with the original and three copies delivered to the chief 05 clerk or secretary. The measure [BILL] is then assigned a number, which it retains 06 through subsequent changes and substitutions. The measure [BILL] is considered 07 formally introduced when the clerk or secretary reads the heading and title aloud in 08 open session (first reading). Bills and resolutions may be introduced through the 09 Rules Committees by the governor and the permanent interim committees pursuant to 10 provisions of law. A member may move to withdraw the member's name as 11 sponsor of a measure when it is in possession of the house in which it was 12 introduced. 13 * Sec. 4. Rule 39(b), Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature, is amended to read: 14 (b) First Reading. The first reading consists of a reading aloud by the clerk or 15 secretary of the following information: [THE] house of origin, heading and [THE] 16 bill number, sponsorship [THE SPONSOR], and [THE] title of the bill, e.g., "In the 17 House, House Bill No. ..., by ...... and ..... ......, A bill for an Act entitled, 'An Act 18 relating to a code of ethics for state employees.'" Notwithstanding the foregoing, the 19 presiding officer may direct the clerk or secretary to dispense with the reading of 20 the full title, in which case only the first phrase of the title shall be read or so 21 much of it as is required by the presiding officer. The bill is then referred by the 22 presiding officer to one or more standing or special committees. The house may, by a 23 majority vote of the full membership of the house, refer the bill to any other standing 24 or special committee. 25 * Sec. 5. Rule 39(d), Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature, is amended to read: 26 (d) Third Reading. On its third reading the bill is read by heading and title 27 only. The presiding officer may direct the clerk or secretary to dispense with the 28 reading of the full title, in which case only the first phrase of the title shall be 29 read or so much of it as is required by the presiding officer. The question on third 30 reading of a bill is upon its final passage and no amendments may be considered. No 31 bill may become law without an affirmative vote of the majority of the membership of
01 each house. The yeas and nays on final passage, noting the name and vote of each 02 member, shall be entered in the journal. The bill is then engrossed or enrolled, as 03 appropriate, at the direction of the clerk or secretary.