sr97
Senate Rule 97.
Space assignments. At the commencement of each biennial session, the committee on senate organization shall assign to each member the seat to be occupied by that member during the biennial session. The schedule of room assignments to members and committees, and the schedule of meetings of standing committees, shall follow the schedule of the previous biennial session unless changed by vote of the committee on senate organization.
sr97m
Senate Rule 97m.
Use of committee rooms and legislative staff for certain meetings. A member may not hold in a committee room a meeting of a formally constituted group or caucus that was not created by the committee on senate organization, other than a meeting of a partisan caucus, or receive staff assistance at such a meeting from the office of the sergeant at arms or a legislative service agency, unless the meeting is approved by the committee on senate organization. Requests for assistance from the office of the sergeant at arms or a legislative service agency for meetings in a committee room with constituent groups does not require approval from the committee on senate organization.
sr98
Senate Rule 98.
Citations on behalf of the senate; joint citations. sr98(1)(1)
A member may sponsor a citation on behalf of the senate to a particular person, group, or organization or to commemorate a particular event or occasion as specified in the citation. Citations may be issued during any floorperiod, during any committee work period, or during the interim period of committee work. Citations are issued without formal approval by vote of the senate.
sr98(1m)
(1m) Citations may be used in place of resolutions for commendations, congratulations, and condolences of persons, groups, or organizations or to give recognition to unusual and important events or occasions, except that the use of citations may not be abused. The committee on senate organization may more specifically interpret this subsection.
sr98(2)
(2) If desired by the issuing member, a citation on behalf of the senate may be coauthored by one or more other members or cosponsored by one or more representatives to the assembly.
sr98(3)
(3) The president and chief clerk shall sign a citation on behalf of the senate. If so signed, it is considered approved by the senate and shall be so recorded in the journal. The issuing senator, and any cosponsor, may also sign the citation. If the president or chief clerk refuses to approve a citation, the committee on senate organization may require the president and chief clerk to approve it. A copy of the finished citation shall be provided to the issuing senator, and another copy thereof shall be filed in the legislative reference bureau.
sr98(4)
(4) All citations on behalf of the senate must be prepared on an artistic form, must first be approved by the committee on senate organization, must be suitable for framing, and must be in substantially the following form:
(Scrollwork Incorporating State Coat of Arms)
----------------------
CITATION BY THE SENATE
----------------------
Know You By These Presents:
Whereas, ...; and
Whereas, ...; now,
Therefore, The Members of the Wisconsin Senate, on the motion of Senator(s)...hereby .... .
State Capitol
Madison,Wisconsin
....................................
(Date)
..............................................
(Appropriate Signatures)
sr98(5)(5) A proposed citation under joint rule
7 shall, when received by the senate and whether originating in this house or in the assembly, be laid aside to allow time to examine the proposed citation for its compliance with joint rule
7. Upon approval by the president and the chief clerk, the citations are considered approved by the senate and shall be so recorded in the journal. If the president or chief clerk refuses to approve a proposed citation, the committee on senate organization may require the president and chief clerk to approve it. A written committee report is not necessary.
sr99
Senate Rule 99.
Definitions. The following are definitions of the major terms used in the senate rules or traditionally used in deliberations on the floor:
sr99(1)
(1)
Act: A bill that has passed both houses of the legislature, been enrolled, and been approved by the governor or passed over the governor's veto, or that becomes law without the signature of the governor, and published.
sr99(2)
(2)
Adjourn: To conclude a legislative day's business [see also sub.
(79)].
sr99(3)
(3)
Adoption: Approval of a motion, amendment, substitute amendment, simple resolution, or joint resolution [see also subs.
(16) and
(54)].
sr99(4)
(4)
Amendment: A suggested alteration in a proposal or amendment, often referred to as a simple amendment in distinction to a substitute amendment, which is intended to take the place of the proposal.
sr99(5)
(5)
Appeal: A member's challenge of a ruling on a point of order. To prevail, an appeal requires the support of a majority of a quorum.
sr99(7)
(7)
Bill: A proposed change of law originating in either house, requiring passage by one house and concurrence of the other house of the legislature and approval of the governor, or passage notwithstanding the objections of the governor by a two-thirds vote in each house, or that becomes law without the signature of the governor, before becoming effective.
sr99(8)
(8)
Calendar: The agenda for a legislative day.
sr99(9)
(9)
Call of the house: A procedure for requiring the attendance of absent members.
sr99(10)
(10)
Certificate or citation: A formal legislative document of commendation, congratulations, or condolences.
sr99(11)
(11)
Chair: The position that the presiding officer fills.
sr99(12)
(12)
Chief clerk: The officer elected to perform and direct the clerical and personnel functions of one of the houses.
sr99(13)
(13)
Committee chairperson: The head of a committee.
sr99(14)
(14)
Committee executive action: The action of a committee on any proposal.
sr99(14m)
(14m)
Committee of conference: A committee of representatives to the assembly and of senators, appointed to resolve differences on a specific proposal.
sr99(15)
(15)
Committee of the whole: The membership of one house organized in committee for the discussion of a specific matter.
sr99(16)
(16)
Concurrence: The action by which one house agrees to a proposal or action of the other house [see also subs.
(3) and
(54)].
sr99(18)
(18)
Contested seat: A district in which 2 or more persons claim the right to represent the district.
sr99(20)
(20)
Current membership: The members of one of the houses, certified as elected in the last general election, omitting those who have subsequently resigned, have been removed, or have died.
sr99(22)
(22)
Dilatory: To delay.
sr99(23)
(23)
Division of the question: To break a question into 2 or more separate propositions.
sr99(24)
(24)
Elected membership: The members of one of the houses, certified as elected in the last general election, including those who have subsequently resigned, have been removed, or have died.
sr99(25)
(25)
Engrossed proposal: A proposal incorporating all adopted amendments and all approved technical corrections in the house of origin, whether or not it is reproduced as engrossed.
sr99(26)
(26)
Enrolled proposal: A proposal that was passed, or adopted, and concurred in, incorporating any amendments and corrections that were approved by both houses.
sr99(27)
(27)
Expunge: To remove material from the record and thus undo some senate action.
sr99(27m)
(27m)
Extraordinary session: The convening of the legislature by the assembly and senate committees on organization or by joint resolution of the legislature to accomplish the business specified in the action calling the session.
sr99(28)
(28)
Fiscal estimate: A memorandum pursuant to joint rules
41 to
50, explaining the impact of a bill on state or local finances.
sr99(29m)
(29m)
Floor of the senate: That portion of the senate chamber that is reserved for members, senate officers, and persons granted the privilege of the floor.
sr99(30)
(30)
Floor amendment: Any amendment offered for consideration at the 2nd reading stage, or for committee consideration, but not drafted by the legislative reference bureau.
sr99(31)
(31)
Germaneness: The relevance or appropriateness of amendments.
sr99(32)
(32)
Hearing: A committee meeting at which the public is invited to testify on a proposal or issue.
sr99(33)
(33)
History: A record of actions on a proposal.
sr99(33m)
(33m)
History file: The list of entries made by the chief clerk in the bulletin of proceedings, recording the actions of the legislature on a proposal.
sr99(34)
(34)
Incidental motions and requests: A group of motions and requests that generally relates to the proceedings, procedures, and subsidiary questions during debate, and that must be disposed of before proceeding to the main question under consideration. Incidental questions have lower precedence than privileged questions but higher precedence than subsidiary and main motions.
sr99(35)
(35)
Indefinite postponement: A motion to kill a proposal in its house of origin for a biennial session.
sr99(36)
(36)
Introduction: The formal presentation of a bill before one of the houses [see also sub.
(50m)].
sr99(37)
(37)
Joint convention, also called joint session: A joint meeting of the senate and the assembly.
sr99(38)
(38)
Joint hearing: A hearing held by a joint committee or by committees of both houses.
sr99(39)
(39)
Joint resolution: A proposal requiring adoption by both houses, to: a) express the opinion of the legislature; b) change the joint rules of the legislature; c) propose an amendment to the state constitution; or d) propose or ratify an amendment to the U.S. constitution.
sr99(40)
(40)
Joint rules: The common rules of proceedings adopted by both houses.
sr99(41)
(41)
Journal: The official publication of one of the houses.
sr99(42)
(42)
Leave: Permission to be absent from one of the houses.
sr99(43)
(43)
Legislative day: Any day on which the legislature is in session.
sr99(44)
(44)
Main motions and questions: The final affirmative question concerning a proposal during any stage of its consideration or a motion made or question raised when no other matter is before the house. Main questions have lower precedence than privileged, incidental, and subsidiary questions.
sr99(45)
(45)
Majority: One more than one-half.
sr99(46)
(46)
Manual: The publication containing the rules of a house, the joint rules, the session schedule, the state constitution, alphabetical indexes, and other materials relevant to a legislator's job.
sr99(47)
(47)
Member: A duly elected senator or representative to the assembly.
sr99(48)
(48)
Members present: Those members in attendance at a daily meeting of the senate.
sr99(48m)
(48m)
Measure: Another term for proposal.
sr99(49)
(49)
Motion: A proposed action requiring approval by a vote of a house.
sr99(50)
(50)
Nonconcurrence: The refusal of one house to agree to a proposal, amendment, or action of the other.
sr99(50m)
(50m)
Offer: The formal presentation of a joint resolution, resolution, substitute amendment, amendment, or motion before a house [see also sub.
(36)].
sr99(51)
(51)
Opinion of the attorney general: A formal reply by the attorney general to a specific question.
sr99(52)
(52)
Pair: A written agreement between 2 members on opposite sides of a question not to vote on that question while one or both are absent with leave, which permits the absent member to influence the outcome of a vote.
sr99(53)
(53)
Parliamentary inquiry: A request for an explanation of a legislative rule or proceeding.
sr99(53m)
(53m)
Partisan caucus: A conference convened by 2 or more members of a political party to discuss business related to the organization or agenda of that party within the legislature or to discuss any matter pending in or proposed for introduction in the legislature. To facilitate bipartisan cooperation, the members who convened the conference may permit members of another political party to attend.
sr99(54)
(54)
Passage: Final approval in the first house of a bill introduced in that house if referring to action of one house and final approval of both houses of a bill introduced in either house if referring to action of both houses [see also subs.
(3) and
(16)].
sr99(55)
(55)
Petition: A request that one of the houses take a particular course of action.
sr99(56)
(56)
Point of order: A request that the presiding officer rule on some matter of parliamentary procedure.
sr99(57)
(57)
Precedent: A previous ruling, decision, or action used to interpret legislative rules.
sr99(57d)
(57d)
President: A member of the senate, elected by the membership to preside over the senate and carry out the duties as described in the senate rules, the joint rules, and the statutes.
sr99(57m)
(57m)
President pro tempore: A member of the senate, elected by the membership to carry out the duties of the president in his or her absence until the return of the president or until a president is elected.
sr99(57p)
(57p)
Presiding officer: The person presiding over the senate or assembly in daily session [see also subs.
(11),
(57d), and
(57m)].
sr99(59)
(59)
Privileged motions and requests: A group of motions and requests relating to basic questions concerning the meetings, organization, rules, rights, and duties of the senate or assembly and its members and having the highest precedence for consideration. Privileged motions and requests take precedence over incidental, subsidiary, and main questions.
sr99(60)
(60)
Proposal: A resolution, joint resolution, or bill put before a house for consideration.
sr99(61)
(61)
Question: A statement before one of the houses for decision.
sr99(62)
(62)
Quorum: A majority of the current senate membership, unless otherwise required by the state constitution.
sr99(63)
(63)
Recess: A temporary suspension of business during a roll call day.
sr99(64)
(64)
Reconsideration: A motion to nullify a decision and again consider and vote on the question involved.
sr99(65)
(65)
Regular order of business: The regular sequence of deliberations on any legislative day.
