Rules Committee recommends Senate Bill 1658 'constitutional and in proper form'

At a meeting of the Arizona House Rules Committee, members voted to recommend that Senate Bill 1658 is constitutional and in proper form.

Tim Fleming, an attorney in the Rules Committee office, told members his office had reviewed Senate Bill 1658 and concluded the measure is constitutional and in proper form. Vice Chair Carter moved the committee recommendation; the motion passed after a roll-call vote and the committee clerk announced the recommendation.

Representative De Los Santos asked a procedural question about whether identical legislative language must come from both House and Senate appropriations committees for a bill to move forward. Fleming cited Rule 7 and explained that substitution and the Committee of the Whole can be part of the process, and that the version chosen for third reading ultimately must match the other chamber’s bill if substitution is used. The committee then completed its roll call on Senate Bill 1658. Representative Contreras initially voted no but later changed his vote to aye before the recommendation was finalized.

The committee chair announced that the committee had recommended Senate Bill 1658 be found constitutional and in proper form and the meeting moved on to the next item.

Votes at a glance: The committee recommended Senate Bill 1658 as constitutional and in proper form; the final announced recommendation was recorded as approved by the committee.