The House Rules Committee voted to approve House Resolution 1, draft 2.2, adopting new calendar deadlines for bill drafting in the second year of the biennium.

Brynn Haire, director and chief counsel of Legislative Counsel, told the committee the proposal makes three targeted changes: move the member bill request deadline to Dec. 5; push the deadline to request changes to bill contents to Jan. 15; and set the deadline to have a bill "approved for introduction" (with cosponsors) to Jan. 31. "The proposal includes 3 changes 3 deadline changes," Haire said, and described the three goals as "quality control," "management of the volume of requests" and "member service."

Haire told members the office faces a concentrated workload in the weeks before the current deadlines. "Our office typically in the last several biennia receive on average around 500 requests for bills in the second year of the biennium," she said, and noted that historically "about 30 to 37% of those requests are received just in the days prior to the deadline." Haire said the revised calendar would give staff more weekdays after the Thanksgiving holiday and additional weeks in January when members are back in the building.

Betsy Ann, staff who walked members through the draft resolution text, said the change would amend House Rule 40 for the second year of the biennium and that short-form and charter-bill deadlines would not change. She described several non-substantive stylistic edits included in the draft.

Representative John McCoy asked whether the shift would apply immediately if the committee approved the resolution. The chair said the current rules remain in effect until the resolution is passed by the House; the committee will introduce the resolution Jan. 6 and take it up for action Jan. 7. "So the current rules will hold until we pass this on the seventh," the chair said.

Representative Bartholomew asked what happens if a fixed calendar deadline falls on a weekend. Haire replied the date itself would stand and work received on that calendar day would be processed, even if it falls on a Sunday.

After brief discussion and acknowledgement that the committee can grant exceptions for extenuating circumstances, Haire moved to approve the resolution. The motion carried on a roll call vote with six recorded yes votes and one absence. Haire stated the motion on the record: "I will make a motion that we approve house resolution 1, draft 2.2." The roll call recorded Representative Bartholomew, Representative Dolan, Representative Feltes, Representative Potent and Representative McCoy voting yes; Representative Tuft was recorded as absent; the chair recorded a yes vote. The committee recorded the outcome as 6 yes, 0 no, 1 absent.

The committee assigned members to report the resolution when it is introduced; the chair said members may contact the chair, Betsy Ann or Haire with questions. The committee confirmed the resolution will be introduced Jan. 6 and taken up Jan. 7.

What the committee approved is a rules change for future sessions; the specific deadlines will be applied in the second year of the next biennium unless and until the committee alters them again.