2009-2010
House Consumer Affairs Committee
Joseph Preston, Jr. Chairman

Rule 1 - Majority Chair to call Meetings and Hearings

(a) The House Consumer Affairs Committee hereby authorizes the Majority Chairman to call and set dates and times for meetings and hearings on all matters within the jurisdiction of the Committee.

(b) The House Consumer Affairs Committee hereby authorizes the Majority Subcommittee Chairs of the House Consumer Affairs Committee, with prior approval of the Majority Chair of the full committee, to call and set dates and times for meetings and hearings on all matters referred to subcommittee by the Majority Chair of the full committee.

Rule 2 - Official Leave

If a Member is unable to attend a committee meeting due to illness, a scheduling conflict or other business, an official "Leave Request" should be delivered to the Chair of the political party to which the Member belongs. All completed forms must be delivered to the Majority Chair before the start of the meeting, if possible.

Rule 3 - Proxies

(a) The following excerpt from House Rule 45 is hereby adopted as the committee policy on proxy voting:

"No proxy voting shall be permitted in committee, except as provided for herein. If a Member reports to a scheduled committee meeting and advises the chair and other members of a conflicting committee meeting or other legislative meeting which he or she must attend on the same day, the member is authorized to give the chair or minority chair his or her proxy in writing which shall be valid only for that day and which shall include written instructions for the exercise of such proxy by the chair or minority chair during the meeting. The member should also advise the chair where he or she can be reached. In the event the conflicting committee meeting or other legislative meeting is scheduled to convene at the same time or prior to the meeting at which a member desires to vote by proxy, such proxy shall be delivered by a member in person to the offices of both the chair and minority chair prior to, but on the same day as, the conflicting meetings."

(b) If a Member shall instruct the Chair or the Minority Chair to vote his or her proxy in the same manner as another Member is voting, and that Member departs prior to the completion of the meeting without also leaving proxy voting instructions, the proxy vote shall not be voted, unless the Member indicates his or her wish for the proxy vote to revert back to the discretion of the Chair or Minority Chair.

(c) The attached sample proxy form shall serve as the official proxy form for all meetings of the House Consumer Affairs Committee.

Rule 4 - Amendments

(a) Except as provided in this Rule, all amendments must be prepared by the Legislative Reference Bureau and submitted to the Office of the Majority Chair by 12:00 noon of the working day prior to the start of the properly advertised meeting at which the bill will be considered. The Office of the Majority Chair shall provide copies of all properly filed amendments to the Office of the Minority Chair by 2:00 pm of the working day prior to the start of the properly advertised meeting at which the bill will be considered.

(b) Notwithstanding paragraph 4(a), amendments to a bill may be considered if:

i. Less than three (3) days' notice has been provided to committee members that the bill would be on the agenda. For purposes of this provision, Saturdays, Sundays and days on which the House of Representatives is closed shall not be counted as part of the three days.
ii. The amendment is technical in nature, is offered to make the document internally consistent, to clear up an ambiguity, to correct grammar or to correct a drafting error, and is agreed to by the Majority Chair.
iii. The amendment is a written or verbal amendment, and is agreed to by both the Majority Chair and the Minority Chair.

(c) Any amendment not offered consistent with the provision of this Rule shall be ruled "out of order" by the Chair.

Rule 5 - Suspension

Any Committee Rule or part of a Committee Rule may be suspended by a two-thirds vote of the members present, including proxies of the committee.