SCR1 - Joint Rules.

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 1 CHAPTER 35 Relative to the adoption of the Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly for the 2025–26 Regular Session. [ Filed with Secretary of State April 09, 2025. ] LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SCR 1, McGuire. Joint Rules. This measure adopts the Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly for the 2025–26 Regular Session. Digest Key Fiscal Committee: NO Bill Text Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the following rules be adopted as the Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly for the 2025–26 Regular Session: JOINT RULES OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY Standing Committees 1.Each house shall appoint standing committees as the business of the house may require, the committees, the number of members, and the manner of selection to be determined by the rules of each house. Joint Meeting of Committees 3.Whenever any bill has been referred by the Senate to one of its committees, and the same or a like bill has been referred by the Assembly to one of its committees, the chairpersons of the respective committees, when in their judgment the interests of legislation or the expedition of business will be better served thereby, may arrange for a joint meeting of their committees for the consideration of the bill. Effect of Adoption of Joint Rules 3.5.The adoption of the Joint Rules for any extraordinary session may not be construed as modifying or rescinding the Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly for any previous session, nor as affecting in any way the status or powers of the committees created by those rules. Definition of Word “Bill” 4.Whenever the word “bill” is used in these rules, it includes any resolution ratifying a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution and any resolution calling for a constitutional convention. Concurrent and Joint Resolutions 5.Concurrent resolutions relate to matters to be treated by both houses of the Legislature. Joint resolutions relate to matters connected with the federal government. Resolutions Treated as Bills 6.Concurrent and joint resolutions, other than resolutions ratifying proposed amendments to the United States Constitution and resolutions calling for constitutional conventions, shall be treated in all respects as bills except as follows: (a) They shall be given only one formal reading in each house. (b) They may not be deemed bills within the meaning of subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 8 of Article IV of the California Constitution. (c) They may not be deemed bills for the purposes of Rules 10.8, 53, 55, 56, and 61, subdivisions (a) and (c) of Rule 54, and subdivisions (a) and (b) of Rule 62. (d) They may not, except for those relating to voting procedures on the floor or in committee, be deemed bills for the purposes of subdivision (c) of Rule 62. PREPARATION AND INTRODUCTION OF BILLS Title of Bill 7.The title of every bill introduced shall convey an accurate idea of the contents of the bill and shall indicate the scope of the act and the object to be accomplished. In amending a code section, the mere reference to the section by number is not deemed sufficient. Division of Bill Into Sections 8.A bill amending more than one section of an existing law shall contain a separate section for each section amended. Bills that are not amendatory of existing laws shall be divided into short sections, where this can be done without destroying the sense of any particular section, to the end that future amendments may be made without the necessity of setting forth and repeating sections of unnecessary length. Digest of Bills Introduced 8.5.A bill may not be introduced unless it is contained in a cover attached by the Legislative Counsel and it is accompanied by a digest, prepared and attached to the bill by the Legislative Counsel, showing the changes in the existing law that are proposed by the bill. A bill may not be printed where the body of the bill or the Legislative Counsel’s Digest has been altered, unless the alteration has been approved by the Legislative Counsel. If any bill is presented to the Secretary of the Senate or the Chief Clerk of the Assembly for introduction that does not comply with the foregoing requirements of this rule, the Secretary or the Chief Clerk shall return it to the Member who presented it. The digest shall be printed on the bill as introduced, commencing on the first page thereof. Digest of Bills Amended 8.6.Whenever a bill is amended in either house, the Secretary of the Senate or the Chief Clerk of the Assembly, as the case may be, shall request the Legislative Counsel to prepare an amended digest and cause it to be printed on the first page of the bill as amended. The digest shall be amended to show changes in the existing law that are proposed by the bill as amended, with any material changes in the digest indicated by the use of appropriate type. Errors in Digest 8.7.If a material error in a printed digest referred to in Rule 8.5 or 8.6 is brought to the attention of the Legislative Counsel, the Legislative Counsel shall prepare a corrected digest that shows the changes made in the digest as provided in Rule 10 for amendments to bills. The Legislative Counsel shall deliver the corrected digest to the Secretary of the Senate or the Chief Clerk of the Assembly, as the case may be. If the correction so warrants in the opinion of the President pro Tempore of the Senate or the Speaker of the Assembly, a corrected print of the bill as introduced shall be ordered with the corrected digest printed thereon. Bills Amending Title 9 of the Government Code 8.8.A Member who is the first-named author of a bill that would amend, add, or repeal any provision of Title 9 (commencing with Section 81000) of the Government Code, upon introduction or amendment of the bill in either house, shall notify the Chief Clerk of the Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate, as the case may be, of the nature of the bill. Thereafter, the Chief Clerk of the Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate shall deliver a copy of the bill as introduced or amended to the Fair Political Practices Commission pursuant to Section 81012 of the Government Code. Bills Amending the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act 8.9.A Member who is the first-named author of a bill that would amend, add, or repeal any statutory provision of the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act, other than the bond provisions thereof, upon introduction or amendment of the bill in either house, shall notify the Chief Clerk of the Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate, as the case may be, of the nature of the bill. At least 14 days prior to passage in the Assembly or Senate, respectively, the Chief Clerk of the Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate shall make copies of the bill as introduced or amended available in the Bill Room for access by the public and news media. Bills Amending Section 6 of the Smaller Classes, Safer Schools and Financial Accountability Act 8.95.A Member who is the first-named author of a bill that would amend, add, or repeal Section 47614 of the Education Code, upon introduction or amendment of the bill in either house, shall notify the Chief Clerk of the Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate, as the case may be, of the nature of the bill. At least 14 days prior to passage in the Assembly or Senate, respectively, the Chief Clerk of the Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate shall make copies of the bill as introduced or amended available in the Bill Room for access by the public and news media. Bills Amending the Protect App-Based Drivers and Services Act 8.96. A Member who is the first-named author of a bill that would amend, add, or repeal any statutory provision of the Protect App-Based Drivers and Services Act (Chapter 10.5 (commencing with Section 7448) of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code), upon introduction or amendment of the bill in either house, shall notify the Chief Clerk of the Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate, as the case may be, of the nature of the bill. At least 12 business days prior to passage in the Assembly or Senate, respectively, the Chief Clerk of the Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate shall print, publish on the internet, and distribute to the Members the bill in its final form. Bills Amending the Emergency Ambulance Employee Safety and Preparedness Act 8.97. A Member who is the first-named author of a bill that would amend, add, or repeal any statutory provision of the Emergency Ambulance Employee Safety and Preparedness Act (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 880) of Part 2 of Division 2 of the Labor Code), upon introduction or amendment of the bill in either house, shall notify the Chief Clerk of the Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate, as the case may be, of the nature of the bill. At least 12 business days prior to passage in the Assembly or Senate, respectively, the Chief Clerk of the Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate shall print, publish on the internet, and distribute to the Members the bill in its final form. Restrictions as to Amendments 9.A substitute or amendment must relate to the same subject as the original bill, constitutional amendment, or resolution under consideration. An amendment is not in order when all that would be done to the bill is the addition of a coauthor or coauthors, unless the Committee on Rules of the house in which the amendment is to be offered grants prior approval. Changes in Existing Law to be Marked by Author 10.In a bill amending or repealing a code section or a general law, any new matter shall be underlined, and any matter to be omitted shall be in type bearing a horizontal line through the center and commonly known as “strikeout” type. When printed the new matter shall be printed in italics, and the matter to be omitted shall be printed in “strikeout” type. In an amendment to a bill that sets out for the first time a section being amended or repealed, any new matter to be added and any matter to be omitted shall be indicated by the author and shall be printed in the same manner as though the section as amended or repealed was a part of the original bill and was being printed for the first time. When an entire code is repealed as part of a codification or recodification, or when an entire title, part, division, chapter, or article of a code is repealed, the sections comprising the code, title, part, division, chapter, or article shall not be set forth in the bill or amendment in strikeout type. Rereferral to Fiscal and Rules Committees 10.5.A bill shall be rereferred to the fiscal committee of each house when it would do any of the following: (1) Appropriate money. (2) Result in a substantial expenditure of state money. (3) Result in a substantial increase or loss of revenue to the state. (4) Result in substantial reduction of expenditures of state money by reducing, transferring, or eliminating any existing responsibilities of any state agency, program, or function. Concurrent and joint resolutions shall be rereferred to the fiscal committee of each house when they contemplate any action that would involve any of the following: (1) Any substantial expenditure of state money. (2) Any substantial loss of revenue to the state. The above requirements do not apply to bills or concurrent resolutions that contemplate the expenditure or allocation of operating funds. This rule may be suspended in either house as to any particular bill by approval of the Committee on Rules of the house and two-thirds vote of the membership of the house. Short Title 10.6.A bill may not add a short title that names a current or former Member of the Legislature. Heading of Bills 10.7.A bill or resolution may be authored only by a Member or committee of the house of origin, unless written approval for a Member or committee not of the house of origin to be a joint author is received from the President pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the Assembly and provided to the Secretary of the Senate and the Chief Clerk of the Assembly, as appropriate, provided that a Member or committee not of the house of origin may not be a lead author. Members or committees that are not of the house of origin may be “principal coauthors” or “coauthors.” A bill may not indicate in its heading or elsewhere that it was introduced at the request of a state agency or officer or any other person. A bill may not contain the words “By request” or words of similar import. Consideration of Bills 10.8.The limitation contained in subdivision (a) of Section 8 of Article IV of the Constitution may be dispensed with as follows: (a) A written request for dispensation entitled “Request to Consider and Act on Bill Within 30 Calendar Days” shall be filed with the Chief Clerk of the Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate, as the case may be, and transmitted to the Committee on Rules of the appropriate house. (b) The Committee on Rules of the Assembly or Senate, as the case may be, shall determine whether there exists an urgent need for dispensing with the 30-calendar-day waiting period following the bill’s introduction. (c) If the Committee on Rules recommends that the waiting period be dispensed with, the Member may offer a resolution, without further reference thereof to committee, authorizing hearing and action upon the bill before the 30 calendar days have elapsed. The adoption of the resolution requires an affirmative recorded vote of three-fourths of the elected Members of the house in which the resolution is presented. Printing of Amendments 11.(a) Any bill amended by either house shall be immediately reprinted. Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (b), if new matter is added by the amendment, the new matter shall be printed in italics in the printed bill; if matter is omitted, the matter to be omitted shall be printed in strikeout type. When a bill is amended in either house, the first or previous markings shall be omitted. (b) If amendments to a bill, including the report of a committee on conference, are adopted that omit the entire contents of the bill, the matter omitted need not be reprinted in the amended version of the bill. Instead, the Secretary of the Senate or the Chief Clerk of the Assembly, as the case may be, may select the amended bill and cause to be printed a brief statement to appear after the last line of the amended bill identifying which previously printed version of the bill contains the complete text of the omitted matter. Manner of Printing Bills 12.The State Printer shall observe the directions of the Joint Rules Committee in printing all bills, constitutional amendments, and concurrent and joint resolutions. Distribution of Legislative Publications 13.The Secretary of the Senate and the Chief Clerk of the Assembly shall order a sufficient number of bills and legislative publications as may be necessary for legislative requirements. A complete list of bills may not be delivered except upon payment therefor of the [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]