2018 -- S 2738

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LC004952

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

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S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

AMENDING THE RULES OF THE SENATE

     Introduced By: Senators Nesselbush, Jabour, Euer, Sheehan, and Calkin

     Date Introduced: March 20, 2018

     Referred To: Senate Rules, Government Ethics and Oversight

     RESOLVED, That the Rules of the Senate as adopted on March 30th, 2017 as Senate

Resolution 531 Substitute A, as amended, be and they are hereby amended as follows, to wit:

     By deleting therefrom Rule 2.1 as it presently appears, to wit:

     2.1 Presiding Officer.

     The president of the senate shall, unless absent from the chamber, be the presiding officer

of the sessions of the senate. In the absence of the president from the chair, the president pro

tempore shall preside over the senate. The president may appoint a member of the senate to

temporarily preside over the senate, but in no event shall such appointment continue beyond the

legislative day on which it is made. In case of a vacancy in the offices of president, president pro

tempore and the deputy president pro tempore, or in case all said officers are absent at the hour to

which the senate stands adjourned, the reading clerk shall call the senate to order, and shall

preside until a president pro tempore is elected, which election shall be the first order of business.

     and inserting in place thereof the following, to wit:

     Senate Rule 2.1 Senate Officers.

     The president of the senate shall, unless absent from the chamber, be the presiding officer

of the sessions of the senate. In the absence of the president from the chair, the president pro

tempore shall preside over the senate. The president may appoint a member of the senate to

temporarily preside over the senate, but in no event shall such appointment continue beyond the

legislative day on which it is made. In case all said officers are absent at the hour to which the

senate stands adjourned, the reading clerk shall call the senate to order, and shall preside until a

president pro tempore is elected, which election shall be the first order of business.

     Resignation.

     If the Senate president, president pro tempore or the deputy president pro tempore

resigns, he or she, immediately or within 3 days, shall notify the membership of said resignation

and its effective date. If the president, president pro tempore or the deputy president pro tempore

resigns, but does not or cannot notify the membership within 3 days, the chairperson of the Rules

Committee shall notify the membership of the resignation immediately or within 3 days. If the

chairperson of the Committee on Rules fails to so act within 3 days from the time the vacancy

occurs, the vice chairperson of the Rules Committee shall act instead, following the procedure set

forth in this rule.

     Call for Party Caucuses.

     In case of resignation or vacancy for any reason in the office of president, president pro

tempore or the deputy president pro tempore, the chairperson of the Committee on Rules shall

call for party caucuses for the purpose of filling the vacancy.

     Party caucuses shall be held at the State Capitol not less than 10 days nor more than 30

days from the time the vacancy occurs. All caucus voting shall be by secret ballot, and the votes

shall be tallied by the secretary of the senate and the reading clerk. If no one candidate receives a

majority of the votes, the secretary of the senate and the reading clerk shall call for another round

of voting. The Chair of the Rules Committee shall provide not less than 10 days' notice of the

caucuses in writing to the membership. If the Chair of the Committee on Rules fails to act within

3 days from the time the vacancy occurs, the Vice Chair of the Rules Committee shall act instead,

following the procedure set forth in this rule. Any person selected to fill any vacancy pursuant to

this rule holds the office until another caucus is duly called for the purpose of electing officers of

the Senate.

     Caucuses must follow these rules, as applicable to them, and must adopt written caucus

rules, by majority vote, before conducting the caucus.

     Nominees Voted On the Floor:

     Caucus nominees must be approved by a majority vote of all senators on the senate floor.

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LC004952

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