HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 12

(By Delegates Overington, Carmichael, Trump, Webb,

Armstead, Caruth, Hall, Calvert, Ellem, Howard, Canterbury,

Sumner, Blair, Sobonya, Frich, Romine, Wakim and Walters)


[Introduced January 30, 2003; referred to the

Committee on Rules.]


Amending the rules of the House of Delegates, relating to compelling a standing committee to take up and report out a bill.

Resolved by the House of Delegates:
That the Standing Rules of the House of Delegates be amended by adding thereto a new rule as follows:
Compelling Action on a Bill
82a. Upon delivery to a standing committee of a petition signed by ten delegates which requests immediate action on a bill then before the committee, that committee and any standing committee to which the bill may be referred to as a second or subsequent reference shall within a total of no more than five legislative days after the date of the petition take up the bill and report it out with: (1) No recommendation; (2) a recommendation that it do pass; or (3) a recommendation that it do not pass. No delegate shall have standing to sign more than one compelling action petition during each year. Within five calendar days after a bill is reported out of last referred standing committee under the provisions of this rule, the committee on rules shall place the bill on the regular house calendar if the special house calendar is not in effect and on the special calendar if it is in effect for consideration by the house on the next legislative day. For the purpose of this rule, a legislative day is a day in which the House of Delegates is in session.