AR4 - Relative to the Standing Rules of the Assembly for the 2025–26 Regular Session.

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION House Resolution No. 4 Introduced by Assembly Member Essayli December 02, 2024 Relative to the Standing Rules of the Assembly for the 2025–26 Regular Session. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST HR 4, as introduced, Essayli. Digest Key Bill Text Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the following Rules be, and the same are hereby, adopted as the Standing Rules of the Assembly for the 2025–26 Regular Session; and be it further Resolved, That these rules shall govern the operations of the Assembly. STANDING RULES OF THE ASSEMBLY 2025–26 REGULAR SESSION I.LEGISLATIVE ORGANIZATION Assembly General Officers 1.(a) The general officers of the Assembly are the following: (1) Speaker (2) Speaker pro Tempore Assistant Speaker pro Tempore Majority Leader Republican Leader (3) Chief Clerk Sergeant at Arms (b) Except for the officers listed in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), each officer listed in subdivision (a) shall be elected by a majority vote of the duly elected and qualified Members. (c) The Chief Clerk, subject to the approval of the Committee on Rules, shall determine the names and titles that shall appear on the front page of all publications. Hours of Meeting 2.The Speaker, or, in the Speaker’s absence, the Speaker pro Tempore, shall determine the time for convening the session, unless otherwise ordered by a majority vote of the Members present and voting. Speaker to Call Assembly to Order 3.The Speaker, or, in the Speaker’s absence, the Speaker pro Tempore, shall, at the hour appointed for meeting, call the Assembly to order. Rollcall and Quorum 4.Before proceeding with the business of the Assembly, both of the following shall be completed: (1) The roll of the Members shall be called, and the names of those present shall be entered in the Journal. Forty-one Members constitute a quorum. (2) The presiding officer shall announce the names of all Members who will be absent from that day’s session and the reason for their absence. Organization of Assembly 5.For the purposes of the organization of any regular session of the Assembly pursuant to Section 9023 of the Government Code, the person who was the Speaker when the previous regular session adjourned sine die, if that person is reelected to the Assembly, shall be deemed to be the senior member elect. II.RULES Adoption of Standing Rules 6.The adoption of the Standing Rules requires an affirmative recorded vote of a majority of the duly elected and qualified Members. When once adopted, the Standing Rules shall remain in effect unless suspended or amended as provided in these rules. Suspension of Rules 7.Unless specified otherwise in these rules, any Standing Rule of the Assembly not requiring more than a majority vote, except Rule 8, may be suspended temporarily by a vote of a majority of the Members of the Assembly. A rule requiring a two-thirds vote may be temporarily suspended by a two-thirds vote of the Members of the Assembly. A temporary suspension applies only to the matter under immediate consideration, and in no case may it extend beyond an adjournment. Amending Standing Rules 8.A standing rule of the Assembly may not be amended except by a resolution adopted by an affirmative recorded vote of a majority of the duly elected and qualified Members. Mason’s Manual 10.In all cases not provided for by the California Constitution, by the Assembly Rules, by the Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly, or by statute, the authority is the latest edition of Mason’s Manual. III.ORGANIZATION OF COMMITTEES Standing Committees 11.Thirty-two standing committees of the Assembly are hereby created, upon the several subjects, and titled respectively, as follows: Aging and Long-Term Care Agriculture Appropriations Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism Banking and Finance Budget Business and Professions Communications and Conveyance Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact Education Elections Emergency Management Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Governmental Organization Health Higher Education Housing and Community Development Human Services Insurance Judiciary Labor and Employment Local Government Military and Veterans Affairs Natural Resources Privacy and Consumer Protection Public Employment and Retirement Public Safety Revenue and Taxation Rules Transportation Utilities and Energy Water, Parks, and Wildlife Open Meetings 11.3.(a) Except as otherwise provided in this rule, all meetings of the Assembly or a committee thereof shall be open and public, and all persons shall be permitted to attend the meetings. As used in this rule, “meeting” means a gathering of a quorum of the Members of the Assembly or a committee in one place for the purpose of discussing legislative or other official matters within the jurisdiction of the Assembly or committee. As used in this rule, “committee” includes a standing committee, joint committee, conference committee, subcommittee, select committee, special committee, research committee, or any similar body. (b) Any meeting that is required to be open and public pursuant to this rule, including any closed session held pursuant to subdivision (c), may be held only after full and timely notice to the public as provided by the Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly. (c) The Assembly or a committee thereof may hold a closed session solely for any of the following purposes: (1) To consider the appointment, employment, evaluation of performance, or dismissal of a public officer or employee, to consider or hear complaints or charges brought against a Member of the Legislature or other public officer or employee, or to establish the classification or compensation of an employee of the Assembly. (2) To consider matters affecting the safety and security of Members of the Legislature or its employees, or the safety and security of any buildings and grounds used by the Legislature. (3) To confer with, or receive advice from, its legal counsel regarding pending or reasonably anticipated litigation, or whether to initiate litigation, when discussion in open session would not protect the interests of the Assembly or committee regarding the litigation. (d) A caucus of the Members of the Assembly that is composed of members of the same political party may meet in closed session. (e) A closed session may be held pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) under any of the following circumstances: (1) An adjudicatory proceeding before a court, administrative body exercising its adjudicatory authority, hearing officer, or arbitrator, to which the Assembly or a committee, Member, or employee thereof is a party, has been initiated formally. (2) Based on existing facts and circumstances, a point has been reached where, in the opinion of the Assembly or a committee thereof, on the advice of its legal counsel, litigation against the Assembly or a committee, Member, or employee thereof is reasonably anticipated. (3) Based on existing facts and circumstances, the Assembly or a committee thereof has decided to initiate, or is deciding whether to initiate, litigation. (4) To confer with, or receive advice from, its legal counsel and negotiator prior to the purchase, sale, exchange, or lease of real property by or for the Assembly or a committee thereof regarding the price and terms of payment for the purchase, sale, exchange, or lease. (f) Prior to holding a closed session pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (c), the presiding officer of the Assembly or the chairperson of the committee, as appropriate, shall state publicly which paragraph of subdivision (e) is applicable. If the closed session is held pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (e), the presiding officer or chairperson shall state the title of or otherwise specifically identify the litigation to be discussed, unless the presiding officer or chairperson states that to do so would jeopardize the ability to effectuate service of process upon one or more unserved parties, or that to do so would jeopardize the ability of the Assembly or the committee to conclude existing settlement negotiations to its advantage. If the closed session is held pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (e), the notice of the closed session shall identify the real property that the negotiations may concern and the person with whom the negotiations may take place. (g) The legal counsel for the Assembly or the committee shall prepare and submit to the Assembly or the committee a memorandum stating the specific reasons and legal authority for the closed session. If the closed session is held pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (e), the memorandum shall include the title of or other identification of the litigation. If the closed session is held pursuant to paragraph (2), (3), or (4) of subdivision (e), the memorandum shall set forth the existing facts and circumstances on which the closed session is based. The legal counsel shall submit the memorandum to the Assembly or the committee prior to the closed session, if feasible, or, in any case, not later than one week after the closed session. The memorandum is exempt from disclosure under the Legislative Open Records Act contained in Article 3.5 (commencing with Section 9070) of Chapter 1.5 of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 2 of the Government Code. (h) For purposes of paragraph (3) of subdivision (c), “litigation” includes any adjudicatory proceeding, including eminent domain, before a court, administrative body exercising its adjudicatory authority, hearing officer, or arbitrator. (i) For purposes of this rule, all expressions of the lawyer-client privilege other than those provided in this rule are hereby abrogated. This rule is the exclusive expression of the lawyer-client privilege for the purposes of conducting closed-session meetings pursuant to this rule. (j) Disclosure of a memorandum required under this rule shall not be deemed a waiver of the lawyer-client privilege provided for under Article 3 (commencing with Section 950) of Chapter 4 of Division 8 of the Evidence Code. Conference Committee Meetings 11.4.A Member may not participate in a meeting of a conference committee considering any bill that is not open to the public. Assembly Investigating Committees 11.5.(a) The standing committees of the Assembly created pursuant to Rule 11, with the exception of the Committee on Rules, are hereby constituted Assembly investigating committees and are authorized and directed to conduct oversight hearings and to ascertain, study, and analyze all facts relating to any subjects or matters which the Committee on Rules shall assign to them upon request of the Assembly or upon its own initiative. (b) Each of the Assembly investigating committees consists of the members of the standing committee on the same subject as most recently constituted. The chairperson and vice chairperson is the chairperson and vice chairperson of the standing committee. Vacancies occurring in the membership of the committee shall be filled by the appointing authority. (c) Each committee and any subcommittee, and its members, have and may exercise all the rights, duties, and powers conferred upon investigating committees and their members by law and by the Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly and the Standing Rules of the Assembly as they are adopted and amended from time to time, which rules are incorporated herein and made applicable to the committee or subcommittee and their members. (d) In order to prevent duplication and overlapping of studies between the various investigating committees herein created, a committee may not commence the study of any subject or matter not specifically authorized herein or assigned to it unless and until prior written approval thereof has been obtained from the Committee on Rules. (e) The Committee on Rules shall provide for the expenses of the above committees and their members and for any charges, expenses, or claims they may incur under this rule, to be paid from the Assembly Operating Fund and disbursed, after certification by the Chairperson of the Committee on Rules or the Chairperson of the Committee on Rules’ authorized representative, upon warrants drawn by the Controller upon the State Treasury. Membership of Standing Committees 12.The Speaker shall determine the size, and appoint the membership and the chairperson and vice chairperson, of all standing committees and subcommittees. In appointing Members to serve on committees, the Speaker shall consider the preferences of the Members. Committee on Rules 13.There is a Committee on Rules, which acts as the executive committee of the Assembly. No regular member of the Committee on Rules may simultaneously serve as a chairperson of any standing committee. All meetings of the Committee on Rules that are required to be open and public shall be held in a room of appropriate size, and audiovisual recordings of those meetings shall be created and maintained. Organization of Party Caucuses 13.1.Subject to the discretion of the Speaker and the leader of the caucus of the political party having the second greatest number of Members, after the general election held in November of each even-numbered year, the respective caucuses each may meet for the purpose of selecting their officers for the next regular session. The date and time of the convening of the respective party caucus meetings shall be at the discretion of the Speaker and the leader of the caucus of the political party having the second greatest number of Members. The rules and procedures of each caucus shall be determined by that caucus, but may not be inconsistent with these rules. Powers of the Committee on Rules 14.(a) The Committee on Rules has the following powers: (1) To refer each bill and resolution to a committee, as provided by these rules. (2) To appoint all employees of the Assembly not otherwise provided for by statute. It has authority to terminate, to discipline, to establish, and to modify the terms and conditions of employment of, or to suspend, with or without pay, any employee of the Assembly, the Chief Clerk, and the Sergeant at Arms. (3) To make studies and recommendations designed to promote, improve, and expedite the business and procedure of the Assembly and of the committees thereof, and to propose any amendments to the Rules deemed necessary to accomplish these purposes. (4) To adopt additional policies or requirements regarding the use of cameras and other recording equipment at committee hearings or Assembly Floor sessions. (5) To contract with other agencies, public or private, as it deems necessary for the rendition and affording of those services, facilities, studies, and reports to the committee that will best assist it to carry out the purposes for which it is created. (6) To cooperate with and secure the cooperation of county, city, city and county, and other local law enforcement agencies in investigating any matter within the scope of these ru [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]