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Members' Handbook on Ethics

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    • Phase II Recommendations

  • July 16, 2007 - Phase II Final Report


  • April 11, 2007 - House Ethics Committee (House Rule 47)


  • June 11, 2007 - I - Size of the Legislature (Budgetary Reduction Recommendation)


  • June 11, 2007 - II - Campaign Finance Reform


  • June 12, 2007 - III - Term Limits


  • June 12, 2007 - IV - Open Records

    • Phase I Recommendations (through March, 2007)

    House Resolution 108 - March 7, 2007

    FEBRUARY 2007 RECOMMENDATIONS

    In five meetings during February, the commission voted to recommend 32 changes to the House Rules.  The full House considered these recommendations and others and accepted 31 of the 32 proposals made by the commission.

    ADOPTED IN THE HOUSE, MARCH 13, 2007

    Changes to promote openness and fairness in legislative process:

    • Normal House session hours limited to 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
    • Meeting hours may only be extended with a three-fourths vote of the House.
    • Passing a motion to table (set aside) an amendment means that the subject bill or resolution shall also be tabled.
    • A motion to take a bill from the table is debatable.
    • End “Harrisburg legislative leave,” a practice in which House members could ask to have their votes recorded in certain circumstances when they were not present.
    • Require at least 24 hours before a concurrence vote on a bill that has come from the Senate with amendments.
    • When the rules are suspended to consider a bill or amendment, require a brief description of the legislation to be read prior to consideration.
    • Bills can be amended on SECOND consideration. If a bill is also amended on THIRD consideration, the House must again wait 24 hours before final passage.
    • The 24-hour requirement for final passage and concurrence votes shall not be suspended during the sine die session.
    • When considering concurrence in Senate amendments, the House may debate the entire bill, not just the amendments inserted by the Senate.
    • The Rules Committee shall be responsible for bills or resolutions amending House rules.
    • Fiscal notes are required for bills that make expenditures from any state fund (previously the rule only applied to General Fund expenditures).
    • Amendments that need a fiscal note shall go directly to the Appropriations Committee.
    • A representative who is indicted must leave leadership posts while under indictment.
    • Legislative security officers are empowered, when necessary, to assist in keeping order on the House floor.
    • Mason’s Manual, supplemented by Jefferson’s Manual, shall be the parliamentary authority for House procedure.

    Changes to shift power from a few House leaders to all the representatives:

    • The Rules Committee may not amend bills returned from the Senate on concurrence.
    • A motion to suspend the rules may be debated by the maker of the motion. Previously only the two party leaders could debate such motions.
    • On a motion to suspend the rules, the sponsor of the affected bill and amendment also may debate the motion.
    • Members may re-file amendments to a bill if the original amendment becomes out of order due to another amendment (the “gut-and-replace” amendments).

    Changes to promote transparency and public understanding of House operations:

    • All House expense reports shall be available, upon request, electronically from the Chief Clerk.
    • Complete House payroll information shall be available from the Chief Clerk in the form of a printed annual report.
    • Members must file for per diems and other expense reimbursements within 90 days of incurring the expense.
    • The Chief Clerk shall post House votes on the House web site.
    • All bills introduced will be posted on the Internet with the ability for a person to comment on any bill to their representative via e-mail.
    • Votes cast in committee meetings and committee testimony (if any was transcribed) shall be posted on the Internet as soon as practicable.

    Other changes in rules:

    • Eliminate private vehicle leasing. (Existing leases will continue for the term of the lease.)
    • Smoking is prohibited in all areas under the control of the House of Representatives.
    • Members may not form and direct non-profit organizations whose primary purpose is to receive state funds at the direction of the member. A member in doubt about their relationship with a non-profit may seek a ruling from the House Ethics Committee.
    • Public service announcements and constituent outreach telemarketing are prohibited in the 60 days before primary and general elections in even-numbered years.
    • For the first time, gender-neutral language is incorporated throughout the House rules.

    COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION REMOVED BY THE HOUSE

    • The Appropriations Committee may only amend a bill as to the amount of appropriations, not the substantive language of the bill.  (The House voted to let the committee continue to make substantive amendments to bills.)