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Montana Legislature |  2015 Session |
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Montana Legislature | 2015 Session |
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Senate Rule S30-70. Procedures -- member privileges. (1) The chair shall notify the sponsor of any bill pending before the committee of the time and place it will be considered.
(2) A standing or select committee may not hear legislation unless the sponsor or one of the cosponsors is present or unless the sponsor has given written consent.
(3) (a) Subject to subsection (3)(b), the committee shall act on each bill in its possession:
(i) by reporting the bill out of the committee:
(A) with the recommendation that it be referred to another committee;
(B) favorably as to passage; or
(C) unfavorably; or
(ii) by tabling the measure in committee.
(b) At the written request of the sponsor made at least 48 hours prior to a scheduled hearing, a committee shall finally dispose of a bill without a hearing. Except as provided in S30-60(9), a bill may not be reported from a committee without a hearing.
(4) The committee may not report a bill to the Senate without recommendation.
(5) In reporting a measure out of committee, a committee shall include in its report:
(a) the measure in the form reported out;
(b) the recommendation of the committee;
(c) an identification of all proposed changes; and
(d) a fiscal note, if required.
(6) If a measure is taken from a committee and brought to the Senate floor for debate on second reading on that day without a committee recommendation, the bill does not include amendments formally adopted by the committee because committee amendments are merely recommendations to the Senate that are formally adopted when the committee report is accepted by the Senate.
(7) A second to any motion offered in a committee is not required in order for the motion to be considered by the committee.
(8) The vote of each member on all committee actions must be recorded and reported in the committee minutes. All motions may be adopted only on the affirmative vote of a majority of the members voting.
(9) A motion to take a bill from the table may be adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of the members present at any meeting of the committee.
(10) An action formally taken by a committee may not be altered in the committee except by reconsideration and further formal action of the committee.
(11) A committee may reconsider any action as long as the matter remains in the possession of the committee. A bill is in the possession of the committee until a report on the bill is made to the Committee of the Whole. A committee member need not have voted with the prevailing side in order to move reconsideration.
(12) The chair shall decide points of order.
(13) The privileges of committee members include the following:
(a) to participate freely in committee discussions and debate;
(b) to offer motions;
(c) to assert points of order and privilege;
(d) to question witnesses upon recognition by the chair;
(e) to offer any amendment to any bill; and
(f) to vote, either by being present or by proxy, using a standard form.
(14)Any meeting of a committee held through the use of telephone or other electronic communication must be conducted in accordance with Chapter 3 of the Senate Rules.
(15) A committee may consolidate into one bill any two or more related bills referred to it whenever legislation may be simplified by the consolidation.
(16) Committee procedure must be informal, but when any questions arise on committee procedure, the rules or practices of the Senate are applicable except as stated in the Senate Rules.
