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LRB-3969/1
RAC:cjs&ahe
2019 - 2020 LEGISLATURE
October 8, 2019 - Introduced by Committee on Rules. Referred to Committee on
Rules.
AR12,1,9 1To renumber and amend assembly rule 31 (8), assembly rule 31 (9), assembly rule
231 (10), assembly rule 31 (11), assembly rule 31 (12) and assembly rule 31 (13);
3to amend assembly rule 11 (4), assembly rule 13 (1) (c), assembly rule 15 (2),
4assembly rule 42 (3) (c), assembly rule 43 (2), assembly rule 55m (1), assembly
5rule 67, assembly rule 69 (1), assembly rule 73 (1) (a), assembly rule 73 (1) (b),
6assembly rule 90 (4), assembly rule 95 (6) and assembly rule 96; and to create
7assembly rule 11 (12), assembly rule 32 (3m), assembly rule 65 (2) (i), assembly
8rule 73 (3m), assembly rule 73m and assembly rule 83 (2m); relating to: the
9assembly rules.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This resolution makes the following changes to the assembly rules:
Appearance at committee meetings by telephone or other means of
telecommunication or electronic communication
The resolution amends the assembly rules to allow a standing committee
chairperson during any biennial session to permit a member to participate in
committee meetings by telephone or by other means of telecommunication or
electronic communication, and be considered present for all purposes, including

voting, if several things occur. First, the member must have contacted the
legislature's human resources office in that biennial session and presented to the
office written documentation that demonstrates the member has a permanent
disability and is unable to attend committee meetings on a regular basis. Second, the
human resources office certifies in writing that the member has a permanent
disability and is unable to attend committee meetings on a regular basis and
provides a written copy of the certification to the speaker and minority leader. Third,
the speaker and minority leader authorize the member to participate in committee
meetings during the biennial session by telephone or by other means of
telecommunication or electronic communication, and be considered present for all
purposes, including voting. Fourth, the member must have made a request to the
chairperson at least two hours before the committee meeting.
Establishing time limits for debate
Current assembly rules require the majority leader and the minority leader to
meet to adopt reasonable recommendations for time limits and schedules for floor
debate. If the majority leader and the minority leader reach agreement, the
Committee on Rules must include the time limits and schedules for floor debate in
the recommendations on the calendar for that day.
The resolution amends the assembly rules to require the majority leader and
the minority leader to meet to adopt reasonable recommendations for time limits and
schedules for floor debate for each proposal on the daily calendar. If the majority
leader and the minority leader reach agreement, the Committee on Rules must
include the time limits and schedules for floor debate for each proposal in the
recommendations on the calendar for that day.
The resolution further provides that if the majority leader and the minority
leader do not reach agreement, the Committee on Rules must establish time limits
and schedules for floor debate for each proposal in the recommendations on the
calendar for that day.
Dilatory motions
Current assembly rules provide that when it appears to the presiding officer
that any motion or procedure is being used for the purpose of delay, the presiding
officer must declare it dilatory and out of order. The resolution amends the rules to
include specifically a motion to recess for purposes of a partisan caucus as one of the
covered motions or procedures.
Call of the assembly
Current assembly rules permit any member who obtains the floor to request a
call of the assembly to require absent members to return to the assembly chamber.
Any such request requires 15 members to second the call. The resolution permits the
presiding officer to order a call of the assembly, without any seconds.
Orders of business
The resolution amends the assembly rules to renumber and move the 8th Order
of Business after the13th Order of Business on the daily calendar. The 8th Order of
Business deals with consideration of resolutions. The resolution further provides
that any resolution that would otherwise be considered under the renumbered 8th

Order of Business, which is the new 13th Order of Business, may be taken up at any
time during the floor day by motion. Any such motion is nondebatable.
Withdrawing proposals from committee
Current assembly rules provide that a motion to withdraw a proposal from
committee is in order only on the first day in any week on which the call of the roll
is taken under the 1st Order of Business. Also, currently, motions to suspend the
rules to withdraw a proposal from committee and take it up on the floor may be made
during the current 13th Order of Business.
The resolution provides that motions to withdraw a proposal from committee,
including unanimous consent requests or motions to suspend the rules to withdraw
a proposal from committee, are in order only during the new 12th Order of Business.
Motion to return a proposal to second reading stage
The resolution amends the assembly rules to provide that a motion may be
made while a proposal is under consideration to return the proposal to the second
reading stage. Any such motion is nondebatable and must be decided by a vote of a
majority of members present and voting.
Determination of legislative day for purposes of referral of proposals to
calendar
Currently, the speaker may withdraw a proposal from a standing committee
and rerefer it to another standing committee or to a special committee or refer it to
the calendar for the second legislative day thereafter. To do this, the speaker must
have the approval of the committee chairperson.
The resolution amends the assembly rules to provide that for purposes of
determining “the second legislative day thereafter,” the Monday before a scheduled
floorperiod shall be counted as the first legislative day.
Reconsideration of assembly decisions on vetoes
Currently, assembly decisions on vetoes are not subject to reconsideration. The
resolution amends the assembly rules to provide that assembly decisions on vetoes
of proposals that failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the governor are
subject to reconsideration at any time and any number of times during the legislative
biennium.
Definition of assembly chamber
The resolution amends the assembly rules to exclude the offices of the majority
leader from the definition of assembly chamber.
AR12,3,1 1Resolved by the assembly, That:
AR12,1 2Section 1 . Assembly rule 11 (4) is amended to read:
AR12,4,2 3Assembly Rule 11 (4) Except as provided in sub. subs. (5) (a) and (12), all
4committee votes shall be taken in the presence of the committee. A member may not
5be recorded as voting unless the member is present at the committee session when

1the vote is taken. This subsection shall not apply to the committee on assembly
2organization when the committee is voting by ballot.
AR12,2 3Section 2 . Assembly rule 11 (12) is created to read:
AR12,4,8 4Assembly Rule 11 (12) During a biennial session, the chairperson of a standing
5committee may allow a member of the committee to participate in a committee
6meeting by telephone or by other means of telecommunication or electronic
7communication, and be considered present for all purposes, including voting, if all
8of the following have occurred:
AR12,4,129 (a) The member has contacted the legislature's human resources office in that
10biennial session and presented to the office written documentation that the member
11has a permanent disability and is unable to attend committee meetings on a regular
12basis.
AR12,4,1513 (b) The human resources office certifies in writing that the member has a
14permanent disability and is unable to attend committee meetings on a regular basis
15and provides a copy of the certification to the speaker and minority leader.
AR12,4,1916 (c) The speaker and minority leader authorize the member to participate in
17committee meetings during the biennial session by telephone or by other means of
18telecommunication or electronic communication, and be considered present for all
19purposes, including voting.
AR12,4,2220 (d) The member has made a request to the chairperson at least 2 hours before
21the meeting to participate in the meeting by telephone or by other means of
22telecommunication or electronic communication.
AR12,3 23Section 3 . Assembly rule 13 (1) (c) is amended to read:
AR12,5,2 24Assembly Rule 13 (1) (c) By a motion, offered under the 13th 12th order of
25business, while the business is pending on any reproduced calendar awaiting

1assembly action. The motion requires a vote of a majority of the members present
2and voting for adoption.
AR12,4 3Section 4 . Assembly rule 15 (2) is amended to read:
AR12,5,8 4Assembly Rule 15 (2) The motion to withdraw a proposal from committee,
5including a unanimous consent request or motion to suspend the rules to withdraw
6a proposal from committee,
is in order only on the first day in any week on which the
7call of the roll is taken under the first
during the 12th order of business. The motions
8shall be decided by vote of a majority of the members present and voting.
AR12,5 9Section 5. Assembly rule 31 (8) is renumbered assembly rule 31 (13), and
10assembly rule 31 (13) (title), as renumbered, is amended to read:
AR12,5,11 11Assembly Rule 31 (13) (title) Eighth Thirteenth order.
AR12,6 12Section 6. Assembly rule 31 (9) is renumbered assembly rule 31 (8), and
13assembly rule 31 (8) (title), as renumbered, is amended to read:
AR12,5,14 14Assembly Rule 31 (8) (title) Ninth Eighth order.
AR12,7 15Section 7. Assembly rule 31 (10) is renumbered assembly rule 31 (9), and
16assembly rule 31 (9) (title), as renumbered, is amended to read:
AR12,5,17 17Assembly Rule 31 (9) (title) Tenth Ninth order.
AR12,8 18Section 8. Assembly rule 31 (11) is renumbered assembly rule 31 (10), and
19assembly rule 31 (10) (title), as renumbered, is amended to read:
AR12,5,20 20Assembly Rule 31 (10) (title) Eleventh Tenth order.
AR12,9 21Section 9. Assembly rule 31 (12) is renumbered assembly rule 31 (11), and
22assembly rule 31 (11) (title), as renumbered, is amended to read:
AR12,5,23 23Assembly Rule 31 (11) (title) Twelfth Eleventh order.
AR12,10 24Section 10. Assembly rule 31 (13) is renumbered assembly rule 31 (12), and
25assembly rule 31 (12) (title), as renumbered, is amended to read:
AR12,6,1
1Assembly Rule 31 (12) (title) Thirteenth Twelfth order.
AR12,11 2Section 11 . Assembly rule 32 (3m) is created to read:
AR12,6,5 3Assembly Rule 32 (3m) Any resolution that would otherwise be considered
4under the 13th order of business may, by motion, be taken up at any time. Any such
5motion is nondebatable.
AR12,12 6Section 12 . Assembly rule 42 (3) (c) is amended to read:
AR12,6,15 7Assembly Rule 42 (3) (c) After initial referral by the speaker or presiding officer
8under sub. (1) (a) or (b) to an assembly committee but before a vote by the committee
9is commenced on a proposal, the speaker, with the consent of the chairperson and
10notwithstanding rule 15, may withdraw the proposal from the standing committee
11to which it was initially referred and rerefer it to another standing committee or to
12a special committee or refer it to the calendar for the 2nd legislative day thereafter.
13For the purpose of determining the 2nd legislative day thereafter, the Monday before
14a scheduled floorperiod shall be counted as the 1st legislative day.
Rereferral under
15this rule may not be used to satisfy section 13.093 (1) of the statutes.
AR12,13 16Section 13. Assembly rule 43 (2) is amended to read:
AR12,6,19 17Assembly Rule 43 (2) Any resolution subject to rule 89 that is referred to the
18calendar shall be taken up on the 8th 13th order of business on the 2nd legislative
19day after it is offered notwithstanding the existence of any unfinished calendars.
AR12,14 20Section 14 . Assembly rule 55m (1) is amended to read:
AR12,7,6 21Assembly Rule 55m (1) Before the committee on rules establishes a calendar
22for any session day, the majority leader and the minority leader shall meet to adopt
23reasonable recommendations for time limits and schedules for floor debate on all
24proposals
for each proposal on the proposed calendar for that day. If the majority
25leader and the minority leader reach agreement, the committee on rules shall

1include the time limits and schedules for floor debate for each proposal in the
2recommendations on the calendar for that day. If the majority leader and the
3minority leader do not reach agreement, the committee on rules shall establish time
4limits and schedules for floor debate for each proposal in the recommendations on the
5calendar for that day.
The schedules and time limits shall be announced by the
6presiding officer before floor consideration of the proposals each proposal.
AR12,15 7Section 15 . Assembly rule 65 (2) (i) is created to read:
AR12,7,9 8Assembly Rule 65 (2) (i) To return a proposal to the 2nd reading stage [rule
973m].
AR12,16 10Section 16 . Assembly rule 67 is amended to read:
AR12,7,14 11Assembly Rule 67. Nondebatable motions. Any motion to adjourn, recess,
12end debate, take up a resolution under rule 32 (3m), return a proposal to the 2nd
13reading stage under rule 73m,
or suspend the rules, and all incidental questions
14relating to such motions including appeals, are decided without debate.
AR12,17 15Section 17 . Assembly rule 69 (1) is amended to read:
AR12,7,19 16Assembly Rule 69 (1) When it appears to the presiding officer that any motion
17or procedure is being used for the purpose of delay, including a motion to recess for
18purposes of a partisan caucus,
the presiding officer shall declare it dilatory and out
19of order.
AR12,18 20Section 18 . Assembly rule 73 (1) (a) is amended to read:
AR12,7,24 21Assembly Rule 73 (1) (a) May be applied only to: 1) final assembly decisions
22on amendments; and 2) final assembly decisions on proposals made at the conclusion
23of any given stage of a proposal's consideration; and 3) assembly decisions on a veto
24of a proposal that has failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the governor
.
AR12,19 25Section 19 . Assembly rule 73 (1) (b) is amended to read:
AR12,8,5
1Assembly Rule 73 (1) (b) May not be applied to: 1) the assembly's approval of
2a conference committee report or of a resolution confirming a nomination for
3appointment under rule 51m; 2) the assembly's decision on a veto of a proposal that
4has passed notwithstanding the objections of the governor
; or 3) an assembly action
5to recede from its position on a proposal so as to agree with the position of the senate.
AR12,20 6Section 20 . Assembly rule 73 (3m) is created to read:
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