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.