MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2018 Regular Session

To: Rules

By: Senator(s) Tollison

Senate Concurrent Resolution 554

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO AMEND JOINT RULE NO. 40 TO LIMIT THE INTRODUCTION OF GENERAL BILLS REQUIRING A MAJORITY VOTE FOR PASSAGE TO REGULAR LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS OCCURRING IN ODD-NUMBERED YEARS.

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That Joint Rule No. 40 is amended to read as follows:

     40.  TIMETABLE FOR PROCESSING LEGISLATION

     90-day      2016 Regular

     Session     Session

     9th day     30th day   Deadline for making requests for

                           general bills and constitutional

                           amendments to be drafted.*** ****

     14th day    35th day   Deadline for introduction of general

                           bills and constitutional amendments.*                         ****

     29th day    50th day   Deadline for committees to report

                           general bills and constitutional

                           amendments originating in own house.*+

                           ****

     38th day    59th day   Deadline for original floor action

                           on general bills and constitutional

                           amendments originating in own

                           house.* ****

     39th day    60th day   Deadline for reconsideration and

                           passage of general bills and

                           constitutional amendments originating

                           in own house.* ****

     42nd day    63rd day   Deadline to dispose of motions to

                           reconsider general bills and

                           constitutional amendments originating

                           in own house.* ****

     51st day    72nd day   Deadline for original floor action

                           on appropriation and revenue bills

                           originating in own house.

     52nd day    73rd day   Deadline for reconsideration and

                           passage of appropriation and

                           revenue bills originating in own

                           house.

     53rd day    74th day   Deadline to dispose of motions to

                           reconsider appropriation and

                           revenue bills originating in own

                           house.

     57th day    78th day   Deadline for committees to report

                           general bills and constitutional

                           amendments originating in other

                           house.*+ ****

     65th day    86th day   Deadline for original floor action

                           on general bills and constitutional

                           amendments originating in other

                           house.* ****

     66th day    87th day   Deadline for reconsideration and

                           passage of general bills and

                           constitutional amendments originating

                           in other house.* ****

     67th day    88th day   Deadline to dispose of motions to

                           reconsider general bills and

                           constitutional amendments originating

                           in other house.* ****

     71st day    92nd day   Deadline for original floor action

                           on appropriation and revenue bills

                           originating in other house.

     72nd day    93rd day   Deadline for reconsideration and

                           passage of appropriation and

                           revenue bills originating in other

                           house.

     73rd day    94th day   Deadline to dispose of motions to

                           reconsider appropriation and

                           revenue bills originating in other

                           house.

     74th day    95th day   Deadline to concur or not concur in

                           amendments from other house to

                           appropriation and revenue bills, and

                           for introduction of local and private

                           bills that are revenue bills.

     77th day    98th day   Deadline to dispose of motions to

                           reconsider concurrence or

                           nonconcurrence in appropriation and

                           revenue bills.

     80th day    101st day  Deadline to concur or not concur

                           in amendments from other house to

                           general bills and constitutional

                           amendments.****

     81st day    102nd day  Deadline for introduction of

                           local and private bills that are

                           not revenue bills.

     82nd day    103rd day  Deadline for conference reports on

                           appropriation and revenue bills to be

                           filed.**+

     84th day    105th day  Deadline for final adoption of

                           conference reports on appropriation

                           and revenue bills and for conference

                           reports on general bills and

                           constitutional amendments to be

                           filed.**+ ****

     85th day    106th day  Deadline to dispose of motions to

                           reconsider conference reports on

                           appropriation and revenue bills.

     86th day    107th day  Deadline for first consideration

                           of conference reports on general

                           bills and constitutional amendments.

                           ****

     87th day    108th day  Deadline for filing conference

                           reports on general bills and

                           constitutional amendments that had

                           been recommitted for further

                           conference.+ ****

     88th day    109th day  Deadline for adoption of

                           conference reports on general bills

                           and constitutional amendments

                           after recommittal.****

     89th day    110th day  Deadline to dispose of motions to

                           reconsider conference reports on

                           general bills and constitutional

                           amendments.****

     90th day    111th day  Sine die.

     *Appropriation, revenue, and local and private bills, and bills to restore suffrage are excluded from these deadlines.  For purposes of the deadlines herein set forth, the term "revenue bills" shall include only those bills whose primary purpose is to increase or decrease taxes or to authorize the issuance of bonds or the borrowing of money.  Bills which are primarily for regulatory purposes which have revenue provisions included shall not be considered as revenue bills for deadline purposes.  The deletion from a bill of the features which made it a revenue bill shall render the bill a general bill for deadline purposes.

     **Conference reports on all bills must be filed with the Secretary/Clerk no later than the time of adjournment on the day prior to being called up and considered.  Appropriation bills which actually appropriate money and are recommitted for further conference are excluded from the requirement that the subsequent conference report be filed and lay on table one (1) day before being considered; however, original action must be taken on all appropriation conference reports by 2:00 p.m. on the 84th/105th day and subsequent reports must be filed no later than 6:00 p.m.

     ***Requests for general bills and constitutional amendments to be drafted must be made no later than 8:00 p.m. on the 9th/30th day.  The Rules Committee of the House or Senate, as the case may be, may authorize any member of its respective house to make requests, for one or more general bills or constitutional amendments to be drafted, after the expiration of the deadline for making such drafting requests but before the deadline for introduction of bills and constitutional amendments, upon a determination by the Rules Committee that such drafting requests are in response to conditions of an emergency nature arising subsequent to the deadline for making requests for general bills and constitutional amendments to be drafted.

     ****The request for drafting and the introduction and consideration of general bills other than those considered revenue bills shall be limited to regular legislative sessions occurring in odd-numbered years, and a general bill other than a general bill considered a revenue bill may not be requested, introduced or considered during a regular legislative session occurring in an even-numbered year.  For purposes of this paragraph, a general bill modifying, adding, deleting or repealing language or a repealer on language which provides for the levying of taxes, borrowing of money, issuing bonds, notes or other evidence of debt, providing for fees or imposing the issuance of a license, of whatever kind by the state or any political subdivision of the state, or the exemption of property from state taxes or taxes of any subdivision of the state, is considered a revenue bill, and no revenue bill, conference committee report on a revenue bill, or concurrence in amendments adopted by the other house may be passed or adopted by either the Senate or the House of Representatives except by a vote of at least three-fifths (3/5) of the members of the Senate and House, respectively, present and voting.

     +Committee reports and conference reports that are subject to being filed on these deadlines must be filed with the Secretary/Clerk no later than 8:00 p.m.

     Whenever the word "day" appears in this rule, it shall mean calendar day.

     The above schedule shall not be deviated from except by the passage of a concurrent resolution adopted by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the membership of the House and Senate present and voting.