OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

1 RULES, ETHICS AND DECORUMOF THEHOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES2017-2018 BIENNIUMA dopted January 9, 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTSRULES, ETHICS AND DECORUM OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Rule # Begins on PageDecorum .. 1 1 Clerk, Doorkeeper, Messenger and Sergeant-at-Arms.. 2 - 6 2 Admission to the Chamber and Galleries and Decorum Therein ..7 - 9 3 Committee Organization and Functioning .. 10 - 11 5 Assignments, Appointments and Placements .. 12 - 18 8 Speaker's Powers and Duties.. 19 - 29 12 Protest and Appeal .. 30 13 General Business and Order of Business.

2 31 - 44 14 Quorum and Absentees .. 45 - 47 18 Introduction and Reading .. 48 - 53 19 Consideration of Bills and Resolutions in Committee .. 54 - 59 20 Committee of the Whole HOUSE .. 60 - 78 23 Debate .. 79 - 86 26 Motions .. 87 - 89 27 Commitment .. 90 - 92 28 Tabling .. 93 - 98 29 Indefinite Postponement .. 99 - 101 30 Postponement .. 102 - 107 30 Amendment .. 108 - 120 31 Previous Question .. 121 - 127 34 Voting .. 128 - 142 36 Reconsideration .. 143 - 145 39 Committees of Conference.

3 146 40 Enactment .. 147 - 151 41 Adjournment .. 152 - 158 42 Contests .. 159 43 Pages .. 160 44 Privileged Resolutions.. 161 - 162 44 Legislative Offices .. 163 44 Ethics Committee .. 164 - 173 45 RULES, ETHICS AND DECORUM OF THEHOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DECORUMRule members and staff of the HOUSE shall conduct themselves at all times with dignity andwith respect for others in a manner to ensure appropriate decorum in the deliberations of the Houseand to reflect the responsibilities incumbent upon a member or staff of the and staff of the HOUSE shall observe decency of speech and gentleness of behaviorat all times in the HOUSE , the gallery and the lobbies, ante rooms and halls adjacent to the HOUSE . member in speaking shall be disrespectful to any other member and all members shallcarefully avoid references to personalities when addressing the shall, at all times, observe appropriate attire on the floor of the HOUSE , in thegallery, and in the lobbies, ante rooms and halls adjacent to the HOUSE .

4 Appropriate attire formembers shall be coat and tie for male members and dignified dress for female , obscene or indecent language is prohibited in the HOUSE and during the meeting ofany standing or special committee of the member rising to debate, to give notice, to make a motion, or to present any paper of anykind shall proceed until the Speaker has recognized the member as entitled to the floor. While amember is speaking, no other member shall pass between the speaking member and the reading of newspapers shall not be permitted on the floor of the HOUSE while the Houseis in shall be no smoking in the HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES chamber or in the gallery orlobbies, anterooms, halls or restrooms adjacent to the , stickers, signs, or other visual displays not approved by the Speaker are notpermitted in the HOUSE another member has the floor and is speaking, the members of the HOUSE shall refrainfrom private conversations with persons on the floor, or on cell phones, so as to preserve shall be no speaking into any telephonic device or any audible sounds emitting fromany such device in the HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES Chamber.

5 However, Members may use messagingcapabilities of such , DOORKEEPER, AND MESSENGER AND SERGEANT-AT-ARMSRule Clerk of the HOUSE shall take an oath for the true and faithful discharge of theduties of the office, to the best of his or her knowledge and abilities, and shall be deemed to continuein office until a successor is shall be the duty of the Messenger to attend to the wants of the HOUSE while insession, to aid in the enforcement of order, under the direction of the Speaker, and to execute thedemands of the HOUSE from time to time, together with all such processes issued under its authority,as may be directed to the Messenger by the Speaker may appoint a sergeant-at-arms for the HOUSE whose primary dutiesshall be to maintain order in the HOUSE chamber, the gallery and the anterooms, lobbies and hallsadjacent to the HOUSE . As directed by the Speaker, any member or members of the UniformDivision or Executive Security Guard Division of the Department of Public Safety permanentlyassigned to special duty or personal security duty with the Speaker shall have full authority tomaintain order in the HOUSE chamber, gallery, anterooms, lobbies and halls adjacent to the Houseand to exercise any other authority granted to the sergeant-at-arms under these Rules, in cooperationwith the officers and employees of the HOUSE and any other law enforcement personnel soempowered by the Speaker shall have the power to suspend the sergeant-at-arms, the messenger anddoorkeeper for misconduct or neglect of duty.

6 The Speaker shall report any such suspension to theHouse within 24 hours thereafter for such action as the HOUSE may deem the sergeant-at-arms, the doorkeeper or the messenger dies or is unable to performthe duties of their office while in office, the Speaker shall appoint a successor who shall serve forthe remainder of the term of TO THE CHAMBER AND GALLERIESAND DECORUM THEREINRule 7. person shall be entitled to enter upon the floor of the HOUSE during the period beginningthirty (30) minutes before the HOUSE convenes and ending upon adjournment except (1) membersand officers thereof, (2) members and officers of the Senate, (3) the Governor of the state, (4) staffmembers of the Office of Legislative Counsel, (5) staff members of the HOUSE Budget Office, (6)subject to Rule members of the news media and their photographers, all of whom must bearproper credentials, and (7) such others to whom the Speaker has issued a pass and those the Housemay allow upon recommendation of the Committee on Rules.

7 And spaces in the news media sections shall be assigned and designated by the Speaker. devotion, only those members of the news media with proper credentials shall enterupon the floor of the HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES . No interview shall be conducted on the floor of theHouse of REPRESENTATIVES while the HOUSE is in session. Reporters for print media and radio stationsand television reporters when no cameraperson is present shall have access to the floor of the Houseof REPRESENTATIVES only to request that a member leave the floor for an interview. Following therequest, reporters must leave the floor immediately. devotion, still photographers and television camerapersons shall have access to thefloor of the HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES while the HOUSE is in session, unless, in the discretion of thepresiding officer, the number of still photographers or television camerapersons is excessive or thenumber of still photographers or television camerapersons is creating a disturbance or disruption,at which time they may be removed by the presiding cards, signed by the Speaker and attested by the Clerk, shall be issued to allpersons entitled to privileges of the floor under this doorkeeper of the HOUSE is specifically charged with the duty of enforcing this right is reserved by the Speaker to refuse the issuance of or to revoke cards requestedor issued to nonmembers of the HOUSE and Senate.

8 It is the intention of these rules to allow accessby the media to the members of the HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES while minimizing distractions anddisruption of the HOUSE while in session. The Speaker may prescribe such other limitations as aredeemed appropriate under the and children of the members of the HOUSE may be admitted on the floor of theHouse, provided they shall not be seated at the desk of any member; provided, further, that no childunder the age of 12 years shall be admitted on the floor except for the purpose of posing forphotographs with a member, and provided, further, that after such activity the child shallimmediately leave the person shall be admitted on the floor of the HOUSE or permitted to remain, who is engagedin lobbying or who is attempting to influence member or any other person entitled to the privileges of the floor shall be permitted toenter upon the floor of the HOUSE while in an intoxicated condition or while under the influence ofdrugs listed in the Georgia Controlled Substances Act.

9 The messenger, sergeant at arms,doorkeeper, any member or members of the Uniform Division or Executive Security Guard Divisionof the Department of Public Safety permanently assigned to special duty in the HOUSE are speciallycharged with the rigid enforcement of this member shall be recognized for the purpose of introducing visitors in the gallery exceptas authorized by the Speaker or by a previously adopted resolution. to the floor of the HOUSE by non-members for the purpose of receiving specialrecognition shall be determined by a special sub-committee of the Committee on Rules. All requestsfor access to the floor for the purpose of special recognition must be submitted in writing to theSpecial Sub-Committee of the Committee on Rules at least seven (7) days prior to the day accessis requested. Access to the floor for the purpose of special recognition shall only be allowed on thedate, at the time and in the manner ordered by the Special Sub-Committee.

10 The Speaker at any timemay grant special access to the floor of the person who is not a member of the HOUSE shall be recognized to speak unless such personshall have first been so invited by the adoption of a resolution on or before the previous day. Anyperson who has been invited to speak before the HOUSE as a result of the adoption of a resolutionshall not address the HOUSE until the period after the conclusion of the third reading of bills andresolutions or immediately after the HOUSE reconvenes after any recess and prior to the transactionof any other business, except that the Speaker shall have the discretion to waive this restriction whenwarranted by the prominence of the person or the significance of the , hisses, or other noises in the HOUSE chamber, in the gallery, or in the lobbiesduring any speech or legislative proceeding shall be promptly suppressed. Placards, displays,banners, and signs are prohibited and shall be removed use of cameras, video cameras, movie cameras, cell phone cameras and similar deviceson the floor of the HOUSE , in the gallery or in the lobbies during any speech or legislative proceedingis prohibited unless expressly authorized by the Speaker shall have the power to cause the gallery and lobbies of the HOUSE to be clearedby the messenger, sergeant at arms, doorkeepers, any member or members of the Uniform Divisionor Executive Security Guard Division of the Department of Public Safety permanently assigned tospecial duty in the HOUSE in case of disturbance or disorderly conduct therein.