Assembly

ar32(2) (2) When the assembly is scheduled to meet in joint convention with the senate, the presiding officer may interrupt business to await the arrival of the senate. When the senate arrives, the assembly sergeant at arms shall announce the arrival to the presiding officer. The president of the senate or, in the president's absence, the speaker of the assembly shall preside over any joint convention. The assembly chief clerk shall act as the chief clerk of the joint convention.

ar32(3) (3) Whenever any proposal has been made a special order of business, the assembly shall proceed to the special order at the designated time or a later time, as determined by the presiding officer.

ar32(3)(a) (a) Special orders have precedence over the regular orders of business and shall be considered in any order, as determined by the presiding officer.

ar32(3)(b) (b) The priority and sequence of special orders are not lost either by adjournment or by recess.

ar32(3)(c) (c) Whenever one special order is under consideration, the arrival of the scheduled time for another special order does not interrupt the discussion of the special order under consideration.

ar32(3m) (3m) Any resolution that would otherwise be considered under the 13th order of business may, by motion, be taken up at any time. Any such motion is nondebatable.

ar32(4) (4) Whenever the regular order is interrupted for any purpose it shall be resumed at the point of interruption or as provided in rule 29 (4).

[(1)(a) am. 1997 A.Res. 2]
[(1)(intro.), (b) and (c) am. 1999 A.Res. 3]
[(1)(b) am. 2001 A.Res. 3]
[(1)(a) am. 2003 A.Res. 3]
[(3)(intro.) and (a) am. 2007 A.Res. 4]
[(3m) cr. 2019 A.Res. 12]

ar33 Assembly Rule 33. Resolutions for special orders of business. At any time after a proposal is placed on a calendar or referred to or introduced or offered by the committee on rules, that committee may offer a resolution making the proposal a special order of business at a time and on a date specified in the resolution. A single resolution may make several proposals special orders of business.

ar33(1) (1) Any such resolution may limit the time for debate on the proposal or proposals involved.

ar33(1)(a) (a) The majority leader and the minority leader or their designees, respectively, shall serve as floor managers for the proponents and for the opponents of each such proposal.

ar33(1)(b) (b) Within the time limits established by the resolution, the floor managers shall allocate debate time among the members of their respective sides. The floor managers shall inform the presiding officer of the names of members to be recognized in debate.

ar33(2) (2) A resolution offered by the committee on rules to make a proposal a special order of business is not amendable.

ar33(3) (3) Any resolution offered by the committee on rules to make a proposal a special order is privileged and may be received under any order of business. Such a resolution shall be taken up and acted upon immediately, ahead of all other proposals. The question before the assembly is adoption of the resolution. The only motion in order with regard to any such resolution is the motion to reject. Debate on the questions of adoption and rejection is limited to 5 minutes each.

ar33(4) (4) Any special order created by adoption of a resolution under this rule shall be taken up at the time indicated in the resolution or 12 hours following its adoption, whichever is later. Any motion to reconsider an action on the special order shall be taken up immediately unless a different time is set by vote of a majority of the members present and voting for a specific motion to reconsider. The motion to advance the proposal to its 3rd reading and the motion to message the proposal to the other house may be adopted by a majority of the members present and voting.

ar33(5) (5) If ordered to a 3rd reading, any proposal made a special order under this rule shall appear as a continuing special order of business on the calendar for the 2nd legislative day after the order. Any such continuing special order shall be listed by the time and date of the original order and takes precedence over all other proposals that appear on the same calendar except continuing special orders of an earlier time and date.

ar33(6) (6) Any resolution under this rule must be provided to the members before action is taken thereon.

ar33(7) (7) If any bill that is introduced in the assembly or senate under section 227.19 (5) (e) or 227.26 (2) (f) of the statutes is not advanced to a 2nd reading within 40 days after the date of referral to an assembly standing committee, the committee on rules shall offer a resolution to make the bill a special order of business. This subsection does not apply if the bill is introduced within 40 days after the time at which further proposals may not be introduced or offered in the regular session under joint rule 83 (2).

[(6) am. 1999 A.Res. 3]
[(intro.), (1)(b), (4), (5) and (7) am. 2001 A.Res. 3]

Chapter 4:
GENERAL PROCEDURES ON PROPOSALS
AND RELATED MATTERS

ar34 Assembly Rule 34. Chief clerk receives matters addressed to the assembly.

ar34(1) (1) The chief clerk shall receive all proposals, amendments, petitions, committee reports, citations under rules 96 and 97, proposals by administrative agencies under rule 13 (2), communications, and all other matters addressed to the assembly and shall dispose of them in accordance with the assembly rules and the joint rules.

ar34(2) (2) Matters shall be kept in the sequence received and, if required, be read by the chief clerk under the appropriate order of business in such sequence.

ar35 Assembly Rule 35. Proposals, amendments, and reports to be provided before debate.

ar35(1) (1) A proposal, conference committee report, or veto, except a resolution under rule 33 or 43, may not be considered until it has been made available to the members for at least 24 hours excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays. If the rules are suspended for the consideration of any proposal before it is available, the proposal shall be read at length at least once before its final passage or final adoption and concurrence.

ar35(2) (2) When an amendment has not been provided to the members, the amendment shall be read at length to the membership by the chief clerk before the presiding officer states the question of its adoption to the assembly.

ar35(3) (3) When a fiscal estimate for, or joint survey committee report on, a bill has not been provided to the members, the chief clerk shall read the estimate or report to the membership before consideration of the bill by the assembly.

[(1) am. 1995 A.Res. 2]
[(1), (2) and (3) am. 1999 A.Res. 3]
[(1) and (3) am. 2001 A.Res. 3]

ar36 Assembly Rule 36. Clerical corrections to proposals or amendments.

ar36(1) (1) The chief clerk and the legislative reference bureau shall:

ar36(1)(a) (a) Correct clerical errors in proposals or amendments, such as errors in spelling, grammatical structure, the improper use of a word, and wrong numbering or referencing.

ar36(1)(b) (b) Insert any missing enacting or enabling clause in any proposal before its passage or final adoption and concurrence if the same has been omitted.

ar36(1)(c) (c) When necessary, make technical corrections in the title of any proposal so that it shows any sections affected and the subject to which the proposal relates, mentioning appropriations, penalties, or rule-making authority if the proposal relates to such matters.

ar36(2) (2) The chief clerk shall enter any correction made under this rule in the history file for the proposal.

[(2) am. 1995 A.Res. 2]
[(title) and (1)(c) am. 2001 A.Res. 3]

ar37 Assembly Rule 37. Petitions and other documents.

ar37(1) (1) Any petition presented to the assembly shall be delivered to the chief clerk and shall be recorded in the journal by number, subject matter, name of the member by whom presented, and name of the communicating person or organization. The speaker may refer any petition to a committee for disposition.

ar37(2) (2) All other documents presented to the assembly shall be delivered to the chief clerk who shall, if directed to do so by the speaker, state the subject matter of each document, the name of the member by whom it was delivered, and the name of the communicating person or organization. The speaker may refer the documents to a committee for disposition. All communications among the documents may be reproduced in the journal when so directed by the speaker or by order of the assembly.

[(2) am. 1995 A.Res. 2]
[am. 2001 A.Res. 3]

ar38 Assembly Rule 38. Assembly publications and copying. All assembly publications and copying shall conform to legislative rules or be as determined by the committee on assembly organization or the joint committee on legislative organization.

[am. 1995 A.Res. 2]

Chapter 5:
OFFERING, INTRODUCTION, AND DISPOSITION
of proposals

ar39 Assembly Rule 39. Introduction and offering of proposals.

ar39(1) (1) Except as otherwise provided in joint rule 83 (2) and this subsection, any member or standing committee may introduce or offer proposals in the assembly on any day of the biennial legislative session. No member or standing committee may offer any assembly joint resolution or resolution memorializing Congress or any branch or officer of the federal government.

ar39(2) (2) Any proposal introduced or offered shall have been prepared by the legislative reference bureau and shall conform to the legislative rules and laws governing form.

ar39(3) (3) A proposal may not be received for introduction or be offered if changes have been made to the draft prepared by the legislative reference bureau.

ar39(4) (4)

ar39(4)(a) (a) Proposals shall be submitted to the office of the chief clerk for introduction or to be offered.

ar39(4)(b) (b) The chief clerk shall prepare a report containing the number, relating clause, and authors of each proposal to be introduced or offered. The report shall be presented to the speaker for referral under rule 42.

ar39(4)(c) (c) The speaker shall refer a properly jacketed proposal within 10 working days after the office of the chief clerk receives the proposal for introduction or to be offered or on the final legislative day of the last general-business floorperiod preceding the veto review session, whichever is earlier. The chief clerk shall publish the referral in the first journal published after the referral is made.

[(3) and (4)(a) and (b) am.; (4)(c) cr. 1995 A.Res. 2]
[(4)(c) am. 1995 A.Res. 14]
[am. 2001 A.Res. 3]
[(1) am. 2003 A.Res. 3]
[(4)(c) am. 2007 A.Res. 4]

ar40 Assembly Rule 40. Readings of bills.

ar40(1) (1) Every assembly bill, and every senate bill received by the assembly for consideration, shall receive a reading on each of 3 separate and nonconsecutive legislative days under the appropriate order of business designated in rule 31.

ar40(2) (2) Unless otherwise ordered, each reading shall consist of reading the relating clause in the bill's title or on first reading be as provided in rule 42 (2) or (3).

ar41 Assembly Rule 41. Readings of resolutions.

ar41(1) (1) Except as further provided in subs. (2) and (3) and except as otherwise provided in this subsection, any assembly joint resolution or resolution, and any senate joint resolution received by the assembly for consideration, shall receive a reading on each of 2 separate and nonconsecutive legislative days under the appropriate order of business designated in rule 31. Unless otherwise ordered, each reading shall consist of reading the relating clause in the resolution's title or on first reading be as provided in rule 42 (2) or (3). This subsection does not apply to any senate joint resolution that the assembly is prohibited from considering under rule 32 (1) (a).

ar41(2) (2) Any joint resolution proposing a change in the constitution of this state or the ratification of an amendment to the constitution of the United States shall be given 3 separate readings as provided for bills in rule 40.

ar41(3) (3) Any privileged resolution or joint resolution shall be treated as provided in rules 33 and 43.

[(1) am. 2003 A.Res. 3]

ar42 Assembly Rule 42. First reading and reference of proposals.

ar42(1) (1) Upon the introduction or offering of any proposal in the assembly, or the initial receipt of a senate proposal for consideration in the assembly, the proposal shall be read for the first time.

ar42(1)(a) (a) Any proposal that requires 2 or more readings shall be referred by the presiding officer or speaker to committee, or to the calendar for the 2nd legislative day following the referral, or to the committee on rules.

ar42(1)(ad) (ad) All bills introduced in the assembly which by any statute require reference to a particular committee shall be so referred upon first reading and all senate bills when received from the senate shall be so referred upon first reading except where the senate record on the bill discloses that the statutory requirement has been satisfied by reference to the committee in the senate.

ar42(1)(am) (am) Notwithstanding par. (ad), the speaker or presiding officer may refer any bill that pertains only incidentally to a matter of concern to a joint survey committee directly to the committee appropriate to the major substance of the bill, and in that case shall direct the appropriate joint survey committee to prepare its report on the bill while that bill is in the possession of the other committee. This rule does not suspend the requirement that the report of the appropriate joint survey committee must be received before the bill is given its 2nd reading.

ar42(1)(b) (b) The presiding officer or speaker may refer any bill that requires referral to more than one joint survey committee simultaneously to several or all of the joint survey committees. The presiding officer or speaker may refer any bill that requires referral to one or more joint survey committees simultaneously to several or all of the joint survey committees and to an assembly committee.

ar42(1)(c) (c) The presiding officer or speaker may refer any bill simultaneously to the joint committee on finance and to the appropriate joint survey committees.

ar42(2) (2) On any legislative day when a report, showing the number and relating clause of proposals introduced or offered together with the speaker's referral, is provided to the members before the 2nd order of business for assembly proposals or the 4th order of business for senate proposals, such provision serves as the first reading and the announcement of the referral of the proposals, and the content of the report shall be entered in the daily journal under the appropriate order of business.

ar42(3) (3)

ar42(3)(a) (a) Beginning on inauguration day and on any day of the regular biennial session period, proposals may be introduced or offered and referred by the speaker or presiding officer if the action is not in conflict with any limitations imposed by the session schedule or otherwise agreed to by both houses.

ar42(3)(b) (b) Whenever the introduction or offering and referral of an assembly proposal or the receipt and referral of a senate proposal occurs on a day on which the assembly does not meet, the chief clerk shall record in the journal the appropriate information concerning the proposal and the recording constitutes the proposal's first reading.

ar42(3)(c) (c) After initial referral by the speaker or presiding officer under sub. (1) (a) or (b) to an assembly committee but before a vote by the committee is commenced on a proposal, the speaker, with the consent of the chairperson and notwithstanding rule 15, may withdraw the proposal from the standing committee to which it was initially referred and rerefer it to another standing committee or to a special committee or refer it to the calendar for the 2nd legislative day thereafter. For the purpose of determining the 2nd legislative day thereafter, the Monday before a scheduled floorperiod shall be counted as the 1st legislative day. Rereferral under this rule may not be used to satisfy section 13.093 (1) of the statutes.

[(3)(c) cr. 1995 A.Res. 2]
[(3)(c) am. 1995 A.Res. 31]
[(2) am. 1999 A.Res. 3]
[am.; (1)(ad) and (am) cr. 2001 A.Res. 3]
[(3)(c) am. 2001 A.Res. 3]
[(3) (c) am. 2019 A.Res. 13]

ar43 Assembly Rule 43. Privileged resolutions.

ar43(1) (1) Any resolution or joint resolution relating to the officers, members, former members, procedures, or organization of the assembly or legislature is privileged in that it may be offered under any order of business by a member who has the floor and may be taken up immediately before all other proposals, unless referred by the presiding officer to a standing committee or to the calendar.

ar43(2) (2) Any resolution subject to rule 89 that is referred to the calendar shall be taken up on the 13th order of business on the 2nd legislative day after it is offered notwithstanding the existence of any unfinished calendars.

ar43(3) (3) Any resolution to reprimand, censure, or expel an officer or member of the assembly shall identify the charges against the officer or member cited and shall be referred to the committee on ethics and standards of conduct for review under rule 21.

[(3) cr. 1989 A.Res. 27]
[(1) am. 1995 A.Res. 2]
[(2) am. 1997 A.Res. 2]
[(1) and (2) am. 2001 A.Res. 3]
[(2) am. 2019 A.Res. 12]

ar44 Assembly Rule 44. Vetoes.

ar44(1) (1) Upon the receipt of a message from the governor that an assembly bill has been vetoed in whole or in part, or of a senate message that the senate has passed a vetoed senate bill or senate proposal vetoed in part, the speaker or presiding officer shall refer the veto to the calendar for the 2nd legislative day thereafter, or to the committee on rules for calendar scheduling, or to a standing committee for review and report.

ar44(2) (2) Notwithstanding the referral of a veto to a standing committee, the committee on rules may schedule the veto for assembly action. When so scheduled, the veto is before the assembly and may be passed notwithstanding the objections of the governor even if the standing committee has not submitted its report.

[(1) am. 2001 A.Res. 3]

ar45 Assembly Rule 45. Subsequent reference of proposals.

ar45(1) (1) Whenever a committee reports on a proposal referred to that committee, the speaker or presiding officer shall refer or rerefer the proposal, except as otherwise provided in subs. (2) and (3), to the calendar for the 2nd legislative day thereafter for 2nd reading or to the committee on rules for calendar scheduling or to another standing or special committee, unless it is his or her judgment that reference of the proposal to the joint committee on finance is required by law or rule and the speaker or presiding officer refers the proposal to that committee. On any legislative day when a committee report, showing the speaker's subsequent referrals, has been provided to the members before the 3rd order of business, the report may not be read by the chief clerk to the members, but the content of the committee report and the speaker's referrals and rereferrals shall be reproduced in the journal.

ar45(2) (2) Any bill originally referred to the joint survey committee on retirement systems as required by law, and subsequently reported to the assembly, shall be referred by the speaker or presiding officer to a standing committee except the committee on rules and shall, when reported by that committee, be referred as provided in sub. (1).

ar45(3) (3) Any bill originally referred to the joint survey committee on tax exemptions as required by law, and subsequently reported to the assembly, shall be referred by the speaker or presiding officer either to a standing committee, or to the calendar for the 2nd legislative day thereafter, or to the committee on rules.

ar45(4) (4) When a bill, during or after consideration by a standing committee or during consideration by the assembly, is found to be without the report of one or more joint survey committees to which it should have been referred, the bill shall be so referred by the speaker or presiding officer.

ar45(5) (5) Beginning on inauguration day and on any day of the regular biennial session period, proposals may be reported by one committee and referred by the speaker or presiding officer to another committee or to the calendar if the action is not in conflict with any limitations imposed by the session schedule or otherwise agreed to by both houses. Whenever the referral of a proposal occurs on a day on which the assembly does not meet, the chief clerk shall record in the journal the appropriate information concerning the referral.

ar45(6) (6) Except as incidental to calendar scheduling by the committee on rules, the report of a committee of conference may not be referred to committee.