Public Works and Highways adopts fall filing deadlines for LSRs and retained bills

The Public Works and Highways committee adopted an amendment to House rules on procedural deadlines, setting a week in September as the fall filing period for legislative service requests (LSRs) and naming Thursday, Jan. 8, as the date to report retained bills.

Committee members said the schedule provides roughly two months for the Office of Legislative Services (OLS) to complete drafting and for staff to process retained measures before session. "This is your proposal for fall deadlines, the filing period, for setting that at a week in September, and essentially giving two months, to essentially sign off, all LSRs," a staff member said during the discussion.

The amendment was presented as a single motion. "I move we adopt the deadlines as listed on our agenda," a member said; another member seconded. There was no further debate. The committee took a voice vote; members said "aye," and the motion was adopted.

Committee staff said the rules committee will reconvene later in the fall to set spring deadlines, typically coordinating with the Senate and taking into account any legislation affecting primary-election timing. "Sometime later this fall, the rules committee would reconvene to talk about spring deadlines ... you all have some other mitigating legislation potentially involving primaries to consider as well," the staff member said.

The committee did not provide a numeric roll-call tally for the vote; the adoption was recorded by voice vote. No amendments to the procedural schedule were offered during the meeting.

The committee adjourned after approving the rule change.