sr45
Senate Rule 45.
Offering of privileged resolution. A resolution privileged by rule
69 shall, when sent to the clerk's desk, be read at length by the chief clerk, but may be read by its relating clause if copies of the text have been distributed to the members. When so read, the privileged resolution is before the senate.
sr46
Senate Rule 46.
Presentation, introduction, and offering of proposals and other matters. sr46(1)(1)
Proposals, amendments, petitions, reports, communications, or other documents that may properly come before the senate shall be presented by a member thereof to the chief clerk, or a staff member designated by the chief clerk, at anytime, except as otherwise provided in senate rule
93 (1p) and joint rule
83 (2). A brief statement of the contents thereof must appear thereon, together with the name of the members introducing or offering the same. The
chief clerk shall number all proposals, amendments, and petitions.
sr46(2)(a)(a)
The chief clerk shall advise the president of documents presented under sub.
(1) that must be referred under the rules and the president shall promptly refer the document to the appropriate committee. The chief clerk shall maintain the confidentiality of any proposal presented under sub.
(1) that is pending referral, except that, if requested by any person, the chief clerk shall inform the person of the status of a proposal pending referral under this paragraph. In addition, if requested by any person, the president shall inform the person of the status of a proposal pending referral under this paragraph.
sr46(2)(am)
(am) The president shall refer every notice and report concerning a proposed administrative rule received by the presiding officer under section
227.19 of the statutes to the appropriate standing committee of the senate within 10 working days following receipt and provide notice to that committee whenever the president is informed that a proposed rule is being withdrawn. The president shall refer any report received from a standing committee that objects to a proposed rule to the joint committee for review of administrative rules.
sr46(2)(b)
(b) Within 3 working days after the time of initial referral by the president under par.
(am), a proposed rule may, with consent of the chairperson of the standing committee, be withdrawn from the standing committee to which it is referred and rereferred to another standing committee. Such action does not extend the standing committee review period. Rereferral may be made at any time.
sr46(2)(c)(c) After the time of initial referral by the president under rule
36 (2), the president may, with the consent of the chairperson of the standing committee and the chairperson of the committee on senate organization, withdraw a proposal or appointment from the standing committee to which it is referred and rerefer it to another standing committee, except that such a withdrawal may not take effect during the 7 days preceding any scheduled committee hearing or the 7 days following the date on which a committee hearing is held. Rereferral under this rule may be made at any time, but may not be used to satisfy section
13.093 (1) of the statutes.
sr46(3)
(3) The chief clerk shall promptly record in the journal the date on which each proposal, substitute amendment, and amendment is introduced or offered. The date of introduction or offering is as follows:
sr46(3)(a)(a) For a bill, when it is referred under sub.
(2) (a).
sr46(3)(b)
(b) For a joint resolution or resolution, other than a resolution that is privileged under rule
69, when it is referred under sub.
(2) (a).
sr46(3)(c)(c) For a resolution that is privileged under rule
69, when it is presented to the chief clerk under sub.
(1).
sr46(3)(d)
(d) For a substitute amendment or amendment, other than one introduced by committee, when the substitute amendment or amendment is presented to the chief clerk under sub.
(1).
sr46(3)(e)
(e) For a substitute amendment or amendment introduced by committee, when the committee report under rule
27 (1) is filed.
sr46(4)
(4) Unless otherwise ordered, petitions shall be read by title only and referred to the appropriate committee.
sr46(5)
(5) A proposed amendment that is offered must have a heading stating the number of the proposal that it is proposed to amend and the name of the member proposing the amendment. The chief clerk shall read the number of the amendment. The amendment shall be reproduced. The jacket copy of the amendment shall be placed in the jacket and copies shall be distributed as provided by the rules.
sr46(6)(6) Unless reconsidered under rule
67, a proposal, or an amendment as it affects a proposal, is adversely and finally disposed of for the biennial session of the legislature by any of the following results:
sr46(6)(a)
(a) Indefinite postponement (senate bills).
sr46(6)(b)
(b) Rejection (senate amendments, senate resolutions, and senate joint resolutions).
sr46(6)(c)
(c) Nonconcurrence (assembly bills, assembly joint resolutions, and assembly amendments to senate bills).
sr46(6)(d)
(d) Failure to be ordered to a 3rd reading (senate bills and assembly bills).
sr46(6)(e)
(e) Failure of passage (senate bills).
sr46(6)(f)
(f) Failure of concurrence (assembly bills and assembly joint resolutions).
sr46(6)(g)
(g) Failure to pass notwithstanding the objections of the governor.
Chapter 5:
AMENDMENTS - FORM AND PROCEDURE
sr47
Senate Rule 47.
When amendments may be considered. sr47(1)(1)
Consideration of simple amendments or of substitute amendments is in order only upon the second reading of the proposal and if in compliance with rule
34.
sr47(4)
(4) During consideration of amendments when both simple amendments and substitute amendments to a proposal are pending, the question, in ascending numerical order, is first upon amendments to the substitute amendment of the lowest number, and then upon that substitute amendment, unless the senate by majority vote of members present otherwise orders.
sr47(5)
(5) Amendments are not in order upon consideration of an executive veto.
sr48
Senate Rule 48.
Reading of amendments. The chief clerk shall read the full text of each amendment to the members, and the presiding officer shall state the
number of each amendment, but amendments that have been distributed to the members may not be read at length.
sr49
Senate Rule 49.
Offering amendments. Amendments shall be numbered in the order received, and shall bear the name of the member or the committee offering the same. Amendments shall be prepared in proper form by the legislative reference bureau, and the legislative reference bureau shall attach jacket cover sheets (stripes) to the amendments; except that when the proposal is debated on 2nd reading amendments may be offered from the floor. The chief clerk shall have amendments offered from the floor drawn in proper form as soon as possible and before the proposal is subsequently engrossed and delivered to a committee or to the assembly. This provision does not delay action upon an amendment offered from the floor.
sr50
Senate Rule 50.
Substitute amendments and amendments must be germane. sr50(1)(1)
Every substitute amendment and amendment to a proposal must be germane to that proposal.
sr50(1m)
(1m) A standing committee may not report any substitute amendment or amendment to a proposal originating in either house, and the senate may not consider any substitute amendment or amendment to a proposal, that is not germane to that proposal.
sr50(2)
(2) A substitute amendment or amendment to a proposal may not be considered if the presiding officer rules that the substitute amendment or amendment is not germane to that proposal.
sr50(3)
(3) The presiding officer may rule only on the germaneness of a senate substitute amendment or amendment and only when the substitute amendment or amendment is before the senate.
sr50(4)
(4) An amendment to an amendment to a proposal must be germane to the amendment as well as to that proposal.
sr50(6)
(6) The following substitute amendments or amendments are not germane:
sr50(6)(a)
(a) A substitute amendment or amendment that is identical in effect to one previously offered to the same proposal and disposed of.
sr50(6)(b)
(b) A substitute amendment or amendment to a proposal that is any of the following:
1. Irrelevant to the subject matter of the proposal.
2. Inappropriate to the subject matter of the proposal.
3. Not in a natural and logical sequence to the subject matter of the proposal.
4. Substantially expands the scope of the proposal.
sr50(6)(c)
(c) A substitute amendment or amendment that negates the original proposal entirely, or that substitutes another proposal pending before the senate.
sr50(8)
(8) The following substitute amendments and amendments are germane:
sr50(8)(a)
(a) A substitute amendment or amendment proposing a method of raising revenues for an appropriation bill or proposing an appropriation for a revenue bill.
sr50(8)(b)
(b) A substitute amendment or amendment adding an appropriation necessary to fulfill the original intent of a proposal.
sr51
Senate Rule 51.
Amendment in the 3rd degree prohibited. Amendments beyond the degree of an amendment to an amendment to the main proposition are prohibited. For the purposes of this rule a substitute amendment, and an assembly amendment to a senate proposal or amendment, are considered a main proposition.
sr53
Senate Rule 53.
Committee amendments; speaking on amendment. Amendments reported by committees shall be acted upon by the senate in the same manner as though offered from the floor. On an amendment being offered, a member who has spoken on the main question may speak again on the amendment.
sr55
Senate Rule 55.
Order of action. If adverse action on a proposal is recommended by a committee, that question is put first. However, the senate may direct the consideration of amendments, but adoption of amendments does not change the question.
Chapter 6:
GENERAL PROCEDURE - ORDER IN DEBATE
sr56
Senate Rule 56.
Recognition; debate. Members who are about to speak in debate or deliver any matter to the senate shall rise in their places and respectfully address the presiding officer, and, upon being recognized, shall proceed, confining themselves to the question under debate and avoiding personalities. Members may not question the motives of another member. Members may read briefly from printed material unless there is objection.
sr56m
Senate Rule 56m.
Points of order. sr56m(1)(1) The presiding officer may speak to points of order in preference to others, rising for that purpose; and shall decide questions of order, subject to an appeal by a member, on which appeal each member may speak once not to exceed 5 minutes.
sr56m(2)
(2) Whenever a point of order is raised, the presiding officer may rule thereon forthwith, or may defer the decision not later than the 5th order of business on the 2nd legislative day thereafter to provide time for examination of the precedents. Questions not ruled on within the required time shall be decided by a majority of the senate.
sr56m(2m)
(2m) When the point of order concerns a proposal or a question currently pending on the proposal, taking the point of order under advisement removes the proposal or the question currently pending on the proposal from further consideration, including ordering the proposal to a 3rd reading, until the presiding officer announces the ruling on the point of order.
sr56m(2r)
(2r) When the point of order concerns an amendment, taking the point of order under advisement removes the amendment from further consideration until the presiding officer announces the ruling on the point of order. Any proposal to which such an amendment is made may not be ordered to a 3rd reading until the presiding officer announces the ruling on the point of order.
sr56m(3)
(3) Whenever the presiding officer takes a point of order under advisement in order to consult sources of parliamentary law and procedure, the presiding officer shall submit the decision in writing, stating the source consulted and the reasons for the decision. The text of the presiding officer's decision shall be recorded in the journal.
sr56m(4)
(4) On appeal being taken, the question is "Shall the decision of the presiding officer stand as the judgment of the senate?", which question, and the action thereon, shall be entered on the journal. The vote is taken by roll call vote. A tie vote sustains the ruling of the presiding officer.
sr56m(5)
(5) All points of order raised and the decisions thereon shall be entered in the journal.
sr57
Senate Rule 57.
Presiding officer to name first speaker. When any 2 or more members rise at the same time, the presiding officer shall name the person who is to speak first.
sr58
Senate Rule 58.
Member out of order. A member called to order shall sit down, and may not speak, except in explanation, until it is determined whether or not the member was in order. When a member is called to order for words spoken, the exceptional words shall be taken down in writing to better enable the presiding officer to judge whether they are in violation of the rules.
sr59
Senate Rule 59.
How members may speak. Members may not speak except from their assigned places, and not more than twice on a question, except on leave of the senate.
If a question pending is lost by adjournment and revived on the succeeding roll call day, a member who spoke twice on the preceding roll call day may not again speak without leave of the senate.
sr60
Senate Rule 60.
Personal privilege. Members may rise to explain matters personal to themselves by leave of the presiding officer, but may not discuss pending questions in the explanations. Questions of personal privilege are limited to questions affecting the rights, reputation, and conduct of the members in their representative capacities. A member's right to speak on a point of personal privilege has precedence over all other questions except a motion to adjourn or a motion to raise a call.
sr61
Senate Rule 61.
Special privilege. Any member desiring to make a personal explanation on a matter other than one of personal privilege may rise and, by leave of the presiding officer, and within such limitation of time as the presiding officer or senate may determine, discuss any subject relative to state or local government, public welfare, conduct of public officials in relation to their official duties, and matters pertaining to the rights of the senate collectively, and its safety and dignity, and the integrity of its proceedings. A member may not be granted the right to speak on a point of special privilege while any matter is pending or under discussion before the senate.
sr62
Senate Rule 62.
Stating motions. When a motion is made, the presiding officer shall state it or the chief clerk shall read it prior to debate. If a member requires it, all motions, except to adjourn, postpone, or refer, shall be reduced to writing. Except as provided in rule
67, any motion may be withdrawn by consent of the majority of those present.
sr63
Senate Rule 63.
Motions in order during debate. sr63(1)(1)
When a question is under debate, a motion may not be received except:
sr63(1)(a)
(a) To adjourn (not debatable or amendable, member must have floor to make motion,
see rules
64 and
68).
sr63(1)(b)
(b) To adjourn to a fixed time (not debatable; amendable only as to time,
see rules
64 and
68).
