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House Agriculture Committee adopts filing and testimony rules at organizational meeting; no bills on notice
Summary
At an organizational meeting, the Tennessee House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee set deadlines and submission rules for bills, amendments and testimony and said no bills were on notice for the session.
The Tennessee House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on Monday set procedures for submitting bills, amendments and testimony for the committee this session and said there were no bills on notice at its organizational meeting.
Chairman Chris Todd, who was appointed to lead the committee this term, told members the committee will require bill sponsors to put bills "on notice by 03:30PM on Wednesday before the next scheduled meeting" and to submit notices through the House portal. He said the deadline to file amendments to committee bills is Mondays at 10 a.m. and that "verbal amendments and amendments filed after the deadline shall not be considered." Chairman Todd said amendments must be submitted by email from the member or the member's assistant.
The new operating guidelines also set rules for public participation. Witness cards must be submitted to the chairman's office at least 24 hours before a scheduled meeting; completion of a witness card does not guarantee a chance to speak. Testimony will be limited to three minutes and must be limited to the topic at hand, Todd said. He added that committee materials will not be distributed in paper form and must be provided electronically in advance so staff can email members and add items to the committee dashboard.
Todd recognized House clerks Emma Thoreau and Paul Obrecht and identified committee support staff, including research analyst Nathan Witt, assistant Rob Cagle and committee attorney Doug Garrett. Vice Chair Greg Martin was introduced as the committee's vice chair. Todd encouraged public observation and participation but asked that in-room audiences remain quiet and respectful during meetings.
There were no formal motions or votes on legislative items during the meeting. After the procedural remarks and a brief personal-order reading, Todd asked if there were other announcements; with none raised he adjourned the meeting "without objection."
