Rules committee sets new agency pre-filing date and adjusts special-session rules

The Legislative Rules Committee voted to change a set of procedural deadlines and to advance special-session rules intended to speed work during a likely three-day special session. Among several actions, the committee set the agency pre-filing deadline to the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, moved the deadline for introducing constitutional amendments and study resolutions up by seven legislative days (so they occur before crossover), and aligned the appropriation-referral dollar threshold across chambers.

Legislative Council staff presented a memo summarizing pre-filing patterns and session statistics going back 18 sessions. Emily told the committee that agencies tend to send a high volume of bills at the end of the agency pre-filing window and suggested moving that agency window earlier — staff and some high-volume filers indicated mid-November (around Nov. 15) or the Wednesday before Thanksgiving would spread the workload.

Representative and senator speakers supporting earlier agency filings said the change would reduce staff overload in the first weeks of session and help new legislators and committee chairs manage caseloads. "We were encouraged by leader LaFoure to get ours in so they could get on the schedule," Representative Pyle said, describing how late filings concentrated workload. Counsel noted agencies could still route missed items through legislators if they missed the deadline.

The committee approved a motion to make the Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving the agency pre-filing deadline; the roll call shows a majority of affirmative votes and the chair declared the motion carried. The committee also approved moving constitutional amendment and study-resolution deadlines up seven legislative days so those proposals would be decided before crossover; that motion carried as well.

On special-session procedures, Emily presented two drafts of special-session rule packets modeled on prior special sessions (2023). The drafts overhaul standing committee structure in the short session, replacing many procedural committees with a joint appropriations committee (39 members: 23 House, 16 Senate) and a joint policy committee (28 members). The drafts also permit remote testimony for the public and member remote participation by approval of chamber leaders, allow expedited second readings during special session, and propose synchronizing the appropriation-referral threshold between chambers.

Senator Hogue moved and the committee approved raising the Senate referral dollar threshold to $100,000 to match the House and authorized the House majority leader to appoint a replacement member for the joint appropriations committee vacancy; that motion carried. Staff said these special-session rules would be prepared in separate rule sets for floor consideration and could include effective dates timed to take effect for the coming regular session.

The committee discussed logistics for a three-day special session: staff indicated the governor’s address would likely be scheduled for 10 a.m. on the opening day, with committees meeting before and after the address to ensure bills get the constitutionally required separate-day readings in both chambers so passage within three days remains feasible.

Next steps: Legislative Council will draft the formal rule language and floor packets, return them to the committee and legislative management for consideration, and lay out logistics for the special session schedule.