House Rules committee sets testimony limits, outlines deadlines and administrative‑rules process

The House Rules committee at an organizational meeting outlined testimony limits, an omnibus approach to adopting committee rules and key deadlines for introducing bills and amendments, and members briefly introduced themselves.

Members said witnesses would be granted two minutes for testimony and that anyone may question a resolution sponsor during testimony. Chair (name not specified) said, "When we testify in here, traditionally, we're given 2 minutes." He also described an omnibus approach to rules, saying, "rules do have the effect of law." The committee plans to approve a house concurrent resolution that would collect the rules the House and Senate agree to; rules not agreed to would not go into effect, the chair said.

The committee reviewed calendar milestones members should use to plan work. The chair pointed members to a schedule noting a 15th-day target for an unspecified initial deadline, a Feb. 2 deadline for requests to introduce RSs for nonprivilege committees, a 36th‑day deadline for introduction of amendments and joint resolutions, and a March 3 transmittal date when house bills are sent to the Senate and senate bills to the House. Members were reminded that the committee typically meets about twice per week, limiting the number of days available for hearings.

Committee members were told staff expect to bring administrative rules and roughly nine to 10 agency bills to the committee in coming weeks; the chair said those items would be taken up the following week or the week after. The chair indicated the committee would not form subcommittees for administrative rules this year and instead handle them in committee sessions.

Several members introduced themselves and their districts during the meeting. Representative Megan Egbert said she represents District 17 in Boise and is finishing law school. Representative Achilles said he represents District 16, which includes northwest Boise and Garden City. Representative Ben Furman identified his district as District 30 (Bingham and Butte counties). Other members who introduced themselves included Steve Tanner (District 13), Rich Cheatham (District 28), Tony Wischniewski (District 5), James Holzklaw (District 20), Representative Healey (District 15), Representative John Weber (District 34), Representative Lucas Kaylor (District 11), Representative David Levitt (District 25) and Representative Tanya Burgoyne (District 29).

The chair closed by saying the committee would likely meet the next week to begin rules work and RSs and then adjourned.