Joint Appropriations Committee adopts permanent rules for 2025–26 session
January 16, 2025 | Appropriations, Joint & Standing, Committees, Legislative, Wyoming
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The Joint Appropriations Committee on Thursday adopted the 2023–24 permanent rules that will govern its proceedings during the 2025–26 Legislature, approving the package by unanimous roll call.
The rules establish procedural norms the committee said are intended to streamline hearings and reduce the appearance of off‑the‑record amendments. Among the provisions are alternating the chairs between days the joint committee meets, a quorum defined as at least three senators and five representatives, and a requirement that a majority of the full House and a majority of the full Senate must vote to pass any substantive non‑budget bill under Rule 14.
Don Richards, Legislative Service Office staff, walked members through the rules and emphasized the quorum and voting thresholds. "Rule number 2 is that, at least 3 members of the Senate and 5 members of the House provide for a quorum," Richards said, and he noted Rule 14’s extra majority requirement for non‑budget bills.
The package also clarifies public‑comment order and amendments: the chairs said they will not accept amendments from the witness table and asked witnesses to provide amendment drafts to staff in advance to allow time for distribution. The rules permit public comment and allow the co‑chairs to set whether comment is taken after each agency presentation or consolidated at the end.
Other provisions specify limits on member debate (three times per motion), subcommittee composition rules (at least one member of each party and a minimum of three members), and an order of precedence for resolving procedural questions: the committee’s rules, then the joint rules of the House and Senate, then the Wyoming Manual of Legislative Procedures, and then Mason’s Manual.
The motion to adopt the rules was made from the chair and seconded; the roll call recorded aye votes from Representative Albemand, Representative Angelos, Representative Harrelson, Representative Pendergraft, Representative Sherwood, Representative Smith, Senator Driscoll, Senator Garoo, Senator Larson, Senator Smith, Co‑Chair Bair and the presiding chair. Richards then announced that the rules had been adopted.
The rules will guide upcoming hearings, including agency callbacks and capital construction deliberations scheduled by the committee.
The rules establish procedural norms the committee said are intended to streamline hearings and reduce the appearance of off‑the‑record amendments. Among the provisions are alternating the chairs between days the joint committee meets, a quorum defined as at least three senators and five representatives, and a requirement that a majority of the full House and a majority of the full Senate must vote to pass any substantive non‑budget bill under Rule 14.
Don Richards, Legislative Service Office staff, walked members through the rules and emphasized the quorum and voting thresholds. "Rule number 2 is that, at least 3 members of the Senate and 5 members of the House provide for a quorum," Richards said, and he noted Rule 14’s extra majority requirement for non‑budget bills.
The package also clarifies public‑comment order and amendments: the chairs said they will not accept amendments from the witness table and asked witnesses to provide amendment drafts to staff in advance to allow time for distribution. The rules permit public comment and allow the co‑chairs to set whether comment is taken after each agency presentation or consolidated at the end.
Other provisions specify limits on member debate (three times per motion), subcommittee composition rules (at least one member of each party and a minimum of three members), and an order of precedence for resolving procedural questions: the committee’s rules, then the joint rules of the House and Senate, then the Wyoming Manual of Legislative Procedures, and then Mason’s Manual.
The motion to adopt the rules was made from the chair and seconded; the roll call recorded aye votes from Representative Albemand, Representative Angelos, Representative Harrelson, Representative Pendergraft, Representative Sherwood, Representative Smith, Senator Driscoll, Senator Garoo, Senator Larson, Senator Smith, Co‑Chair Bair and the presiding chair. Richards then announced that the rules had been adopted.
The rules will guide upcoming hearings, including agency callbacks and capital construction deliberations scheduled by the committee.
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