RULE 1-1. AUTHORITY AND APPLICATION. The Oklahoma State Senate hereby adopts these rules pursuant to the authority of Section 30 of Article V of the Oklahoma Constitution. Upon adoption by a majority of the members of the Senate unless and until amended, the following rules shall be the rules for the conduct of business by the Senate.

RULE 1-2. PURPOSE. The purpose of the rules is to provide the members of the Senate with uniform, easily understood procedures for the conduct of business.

RULE 1-3. INTERPRETATION. When the Senate is in daily session, interpretation of the rules shall be made by the President Pro Tempore or by an elected member of the Senate designated by the President Pro Tempore as Presiding Officer pursuant to Rule 2-4; when a committee is meeting, interpretation of the rules shall be made by the Chair, or in the Chair's absence the Vice-Chair, of the committee; and at all other times interpretation of the rules shall be made by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. Such interpretations shall be final unless an appeal of a ruling is made successfully pursuant to Rule 9-14.

RULE 1-4. AMENDMENT. Any Senate Rule may be amended upon two-thirds vote of the members of the Senate.

RULE 1-5. SUSPENSION. Except as provided in subsection D of Rule 8-2, subsection C of Rule 8-30 or paragraph 6 of Rule 8-32, any Senate Rule may be suspended upon two-thirds vote of the members of the Senate.

RULE 1-6. MASON’S MANUAL. For matters not specifically covered under the Senate Rules, the person making an interpretation of the Rules pursuant to the provisions of Rule 1-3 may apply the provisions of Mason’s Manual of Legislative Procedure.

RULE 2: SENATE OFFICERS

RULE 2-1. OFFICERS. Officers of the Senate shall be:

The President, who shall be the Lieutenant Governor of the State of Oklahoma;

The President Pro Tempore, who shall be the Presiding Officer of the Senate;

Such other officers as may be designated by the Majority and Minority caucuses; provided, the Majority Caucus shall designate one officer who shall serve as acting President Pro Tempore in the event that the President Pro Tempore vacates the office on a temporary basis. If the President Pro Tempore shall vacate the office on a permanent basis, the officer so designated by the Majority Caucus shall serve as acting President Pro Tempore until such time as the Senate shall elect a new President Pro Tempore;

The Secretary, who shall not be a member of the Senate; and

The Sergeant at Arms, who shall not be a member of the Senate. The Sergeant shall serve at the pleasure of the Senate and shall be appointed to his or her office by the Secretary of the Senate.

RULE 2-2. ELECTION. Pursuant to the provisions of Section 28 of Article V of the Oklahoma Constitution, the President Pro Tempore shall be elected by a majority of the members of the Senate when the Senate convenes on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January of each odd-numbered year. The Secretary of the Senate shall be elected by a majority of the members following the election of the President Pro Tempore.

RULE 2-3. TERMS. The terms of all member officers of the Senate shall begin on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January of each odd-numbered year and such officers shall hold office until their successors are chosen or conclusion of their term of office in the Senate, whichever is earlier; provided, however, that the designee of the Majority Caucus for the office of President Pro Tempore and the designee of the Minority Caucus for the office of Minority Floor Leader shall assume the duties of and have the full authority of their respective offices on the fifteenth day following the General Election.

RULE 2-4. DUTIES AND AUTHORITY OF THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE.

A. CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER. The President Pro Tempore shall be the chief executive officer of the Senate and shall prescribe all policies not otherwise provided by law or by the rules.

B. PRESIDING OFFICER. The President Pro Tempore shall serve as Presiding Officer of the Senate during its daily sessions but may in writing designate other members of the Senate to serve as Presiding Officers at such times as the President Pro Tempore deems appropriate. Wherever the title “Presiding Officer” appears in the rules it shall mean the President Pro Tempore or an elected member of the Senate designated by the President Pro Tempore as Presiding Officer.

C. REFERRAL TO COMMITTEES. The President Pro Tempore may refer any matter concerning exercise of the Senate's discretionary powers and duties under Section 30 of Article V of the Oklahoma Constitution to a standing committee or select committee, as the President Pro Tempore deems appropriate.

D. LEADERSHIP STAFF. The President Pro Tempore shall be entitled to employ a leadership staff, one of whom shall be designated as the “Chief of Staff.” Leadership staff shall serve at the discretion of, for such compensation pursuant to law as may be determined by, and perform such duties as prescribed by, the President Pro Tempore.

E. MANDATORY AUDIT. The President Pro Tempore shall cause an audit of the Senate's expenditures to be made at least once each fiscal year.

F. PHYSICAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT. The President Pro Tempore shall be responsible for the physical property of the Senate and for that portion of the Capitol assigned to the Senate.

G. SENATE LOUNGE AND ANTEROOMS. The President Pro Tempore may prescribe policies restricting the use of the Senate lounge and any rooms adjoining the lounge or the Senate chamber.

H. SAFETY AND SECURITY. The President Pro Tempore is hereby authorized to take such actions as he or she may deem necessary to ensure the safety and security of the members and staff of the Senate and the public.

RULE 2-5. DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY OF THE SENATE. The President Pro Tempore shall determine the duties to be performed for the Senate by the Secretary of the Senate. The Secretary of the Senate shall ensure all official records of the proceedings of the Senate and its committees shall be open for public inspection during regular office hours.

RULE 3: MEMBERSHIP OF THE SENATE

RULE 3-1. MEMBERSHIP OF THE SENATE. Pursuant to Section 9A of Article V of the Oklahoma Constitution, the Senate shall maintain forty-eight Senate districts.

RULE 3-2. JUDGING THE QUALIFICATIONS OF ITS MEMBERS; DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS. Pursuant to the authority granted by Section 30 of Article V of the Oklahoma Constitution, the Senate shall be the judge of the elections, returns, and qualifications of its own members, may punish its members for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel a member. All questions and disputes on the elections, returns and qualifications of a person elected to the Office of Senator shall be the final jurisdiction of the Senate. A sitting member of the Senate contesting the election, returns and qualifications of a Senator or person certified by the State Election Board to serve as a Senator shall file the challenge with the Secretary of the Senate. The Senate shall dispose of all challenges or contests in an expeditious manner.

RULE 3-3. ATTENDANCE. Except as otherwise provided in subsection D of Rule 8-2, a member of the Senate not present during the roll call of Senators shall only be marked as present if the Senator casts a vote in committee or otherwise informs the Secretary of the Senate he or she is present in person in the Senate Chamber. A member of the Senate who is absent from a daily session shall be shown as “excused.”

RULE 3-4. EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTS. Each member of the Senate shall be entitled to designate an executive assistant. Executive assistants shall serve at the discretion of, and perform such duties as prescribed by, the individual member of the Senate for whom employed, subject to such policies as may be established by the President Pro Tempore.

RULE 4: SENATE EMPLOYEES

RULE 4-1. CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER. The President Pro Tempore shall designate a Chief Operating Officer to be responsible for duties not assigned to the Secretary of the Senate.

1. The Chief Operating Officer, under direction of the President Pro Tempore, shall be authorized to perform routine repairs, maintenance and upkeep on that property and facilities entrusted to the Senate for upkeep and maintenance.

2. The Chief Operating Officer, under direction of the President Pro Tempore, may issue credentials to representatives of the news media and may limit access to the Press Gallery to those members of the news media holding such credentials.

RULE 4-2. COMPTROLLER. The Senate shall have an employee acting as Comptroller who shall report to the Chief Operating Officer. The Comptroller shall be responsible for the issuance of all warrants and vouchers and the maintenance of an accurate account of expenditures by the Senate.

RULE 4-3. SERVICE STAFF. As authorized in Section 271 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes, which prescribes the Senate as the sole judge of the number, duties and compensation of its employees, the Chief Operating Officer, subject to the review and supervision of the President Pro Tempore, shall be authorized to employ service staff. Service staff shall be employed according to policies established by the President Pro Tempore and shall receive such compensation pursuant to law as may be determined by, and perform such duties as prescribed by, the President Pro Tempore.

RULE 5: CONDUCT AND ETHICAL STANDARDS

RULE 5-1. LEGISLATIVE CONDUCT. Every Senator shall conduct himself or herself to justify the confidence placed in him or her by the people and, by personal example and admonition to colleagues, shall maintain the integrity and responsibility of his or her office.

RULE 5-2. DECORUM. The decorum of members of the Senate and employees of the Senate during the daily sessions of the Senate shall be determined by the Rules of the Senate and shall be enforced by the Presiding Officer.

RULE 5-3. SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT. The use of Senate supplies and equipment is restricted to official Senate business. Questions of compliance shall be resolved by the President Pro Tempore or, at the discretion of the President Pro Tempore, the Rules Committee.

RULE 5-4. LOBBYISTS. All lobbying activities in the Senate shall be governed and regulated by law and by the Rules of the Senate.

RULE 5-5. CODE OF CONDUCT AND ETHICAL STANDARDS.

A. On the floor during session, appropriate business professional attire, including a suit jacket/blazer, shall be worn by all members of the Senate and other persons granted privileges of the floor, unless otherwise authorized by the President Pro Tempore or Majority Floor Leader. Male members shall wear a tie. Jeans are not considered appropriate business professional attire.

B. Complaints pertaining to employees should be made to the proper authority rather than to the individual. Under no circumstances should complaints pertaining to employees be made on the floor of the Senate, in committee meetings or in other public forums.

C. On the floor during session and in committee, members should endeavor to be congenial and complimentary. Members should avoid personal attacks and dealing in personalities. During public occasions away from the Capitol, members should endeavor to keep personalities out of their discussions and deal with programs, not personalities.

D. The consumption of alcohol is forbidden in the chamber, and any member who is in the chamber in an intoxicated state will be removed by security personnel.

E. It is beneath the dignity of the Senate for members to consume food products in the chamber. Beverages may be consumed from cups of a solid color, and no larger than twenty ounces in size. Cups may reflect the seal of the State of Oklahoma but shall not include a logo.

F. It is beneath the dignity of the Senate for a member to sit upon a desk, or to place his or her feet upon a desk in the chamber.

G. While a Senator is speaking, no Senator should enter into any disturbing private conversation or pass between the speaking Senator and the Presiding Officer. Profane, obscene, or indecent language is discouraged in the Senate and in all standing or special committees of the Senate. The use of cellular telephones, pagers or other audible electronic devices during formal Senate proceedings, either on the floor of the Senate or in committee, is discouraged. No Senator shall record or broadcast, or allow any other person to record or broadcast, any Senate floor proceedings without the express approval of the President Pro Tempore or Majority Floor Leader.

H. A Senator shall address other members with the title “Senator” when addressing one another during formal Senate proceedings either on the floor of the Senate or in committee.

I. No member shall be permitted to vote on any question unless said member is physically present on the floor of the Senate at the time the vote is taken, except as provided in subsection D of Rule 8-2 or as may be provided in subsection B of Rule 8-31.

J. The President Pro Tempore or the Majority Floor Leader shall designate those Senate employees who shall be granted privileges of the floor during any session of the Senate, said employees to be limited to those whose work requires their presence. Any member desiring to bring a guest to the floor of the Senate shall first notify the Majority Floor Leader. No such guest shall enter the chamber until privileges of the floor have been granted pursuant to Rule 8-7.

K. No person other than a member of the Senate shall cause materials to be distributed on each desk in the Senate chamber without first having obtained approval by the Majority Floor Leader. The sponsoring Senator will be identified. Any material so distributed shall be considered a public record from the time of such distribution.

L. No member shall display any sign, picture, photograph, placard, or similar item upon his or her desk in the Senate chamber which could be seen as making a statement to other members in the chamber, the public, or visitors in the gallery. Upon request of the Presiding Officer or the Majority Floor Leader, the Senator shall remove the item.

M. Any member who feels that the standards of the Senate are being violated by either a member of the Senate or the staff should seek redress by submitting a complaint to the President Pro Tempore concerning the violation.

RULE 6: LEGISLATION

Chapter 1: General Provisions

RULE 6-1. LEGISLATION. Legislation to be considered by the Senate shall be limited to Senate Bills, Senate Joint Resolutions, Senate Concurrent Resolutions, Senate Resolutions, House Bills, House Joint Resolutions and House Concurrent Resolutions.

RULE 6-2. INTRODUCTION. Except as may be limited by Rule 6-22, Senate Bills, Senate Joint Resolutions, Senate Concurrent Resolutions and Senate Resolutions may be introduced at any time beginning on the fifteenth day of November of each even-numbered year and ending at the time of sine die adjournment of the Second Session during the following even-numbered year. Legislation may be introduced by presentation to the Secretary of the Senate, together with as many copies as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Senate. Each Senate Bill or Resolution shall be assigned a number by the Secretary of the Senate. House Bills, House Joint Resolutions and House Concurrent Resolutions may be introduced upon receipt of a message from the House of Representatives advising passage and engrossment of the measure.

RULE 6-3. FORM. No legislation shall be introduced in the Senate, except for House Bills, House Joint Resolutions and House Concurrent Resolutions, unless that legislation shall include a Title and an Enacting or Resolving Clause.

RULE 6-4. RESTRICTIONS. Senate Concurrent Resolutions, Senate Resolutions and House Concurrent Resolutions shall be considered only for the following purposes:
1. Memorializing Congress, the President of the United States, or an executive agency of the federal government;
2. Communicating with another entity of state government, or a subdivision thereof;
3. Expressing legislative intent;
4. Expressing policies of the Senate; and
5. Such other purposes specifically approved by the President Pro Tempore.

RULE 6-5. AUTHORS AND COAUTHORS. After introduction in the Senate of any bill or resolution, no Senator or Representative shall be shown or removed as author or coauthor on the face of the bill or resolution unless the Senator or Representative shall submit a written or electronic request to be so shown to the Secretary of the Senate or person designated by the Secretary of the Senate. The change in authorship shall be shown on the face of the next official version of the bill or resolution; provided, however, a printed substitute for or an electronic version of a bill or resolution may show in parentheses, and the electronic voting machine may display immediately, any author or coauthor changes that have been submitted.

While a Senate Bill, Senate Joint Resolution or Senate Concurrent Resolution is within the physical control of the Senate, the principal Senate author of the bill or resolution shall have full and complete discretion in determining who the principal House author of the bill or resolution shall be.

RULE 6-6. DISTRIBUTION OF LEGISLATION. No legislation or amendment shall be considered by the Senate unless a copy has been distributed to the desks of all members of the Senate, or has been made available to all members electronically, on a legislative day previous to consideration of the legislation.

RULE 6-7. FINAL ACTION. If final action is such as to defeat an amendment, a bill or a resolution, no other amendment, bill or resolution having the same effect and covering the same specific or substantially similar subject matter shall be considered by the Senate during either session of the current Legislature, unless otherwise approved by the President Pro Tempore. Action constituting “final action” includes:

1. Failure of the motion “Do Pass” or “Do Pass as Amended” on a vote in a committee, and the failure of the motion of “Do Pass” or “Do Pass as Amended” is not subject to reconsideration;

2. If a vote is taken on Third Reading or Fourth Reading and the measure fails to receive the required number of votes for passage, and
a.         no notice is served to reconsider the vote,
b.         a motion to reconsider the vote fails to prevail or expires, or
c.         a motion to table the motion to reconsider prevails; or

3. In the case of an amendment, if the amendment fails to receive the required number of votes for adoption or if a motion to table prevails. A motion to adopt House amendments to a Senate bill or resolution shall not be considered final action, except as provided in Senate Rule 8-26.

RULE 6-8. FINANCIAL IMPACT VERIFICATION.

A. No amendment, bill or resolution which creates or expands a requirement for insurance coverage provided to state employees by a state agency shall be considered by the Senate or any committee thereof unless such amendment, bill or resolution is accompanied by documentation of the fiscal impact of the proposal on the policyholders and the state agency. The President Pro Tempore shall prescribe procedures for such documentation to be obtained from the Office of Management and Enterprise Services or the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, as applicable.

The Chair of a committee to which a bill or resolution subject to the provisions of this subsection is assigned may request the Majority Floor Leader to suspend the provisions of paragraph 4 or 6 of subsection A or paragraph 4 or 6 of subsection B of Rule 6-22; provided, any such suspension shall not suspend or affect any of the remaining dates set forth in Rule 6-22.

B. No amendment, bill or resolution which creates a direct fiscal impact on state tax revenues shall be considered by the Senate or any committee thereof unless such amendment, bill or resolution is accompanied by documentation of the fiscal impact of such amendment, bill or resolution. The President Pro Tempore shall prescribe procedures for such documentation to be obtained from the Oklahoma Tax Commission pursuant to the provisions of Section 118 of Title 68 of the Oklahoma Statutes, or from another source as designated by the President Pro Tempore.

C. No amendment, bill or resolution affecting a retirement system, as such term is defined in the Oklahoma Pension Legislation Actuarial Analysis Act, shall be considered by the Senate or any committee thereof unless such amendment, bill or resolution has been submitted to the legislative actuary as provided in the Act, at the direction of the chair of the committee to which such legislation is referred.

RULE 6-9. NAMING OF STATE ASSETS. No amendment, bill or resolution shall be considered by the Senate or any committee thereof which names, dedicates or otherwise memorializes any highway, bridge, state asset or facility unless the persons proposed to be so honored shall have been deceased not less than three (3) years prior to consideration. The prohibition in this rule shall not apply to the naming of highways and bridges on the state highway system designed to honor members of the United States Armed Forces, members of law enforcement or firefighters fallen in the performance of their duties. The prohibition in this rule shall also not apply to the naming of highways and bridges on the state highway system designed to honor Medal of Honor recipients both living and deceased. Every amendment, bill and resolution for the dedication of any highway, bridge, other state asset or facility must specifically state the accomplishments upon which the proposal is based.

Chapter 2: Legislation Requests and Filing

RULE 6-20. RIGHTS TO PROPOSE LEGISLATION. A Senator shall have the right to introduce legislation at any time without regard to any deadlines which have been placed by rule.

RULE 6-21. SHELL BILLS PROHIBITED. No bill or joint resolution (also known as a “shell bill”) shall be filed which fails to effectuate a substantive change in policy.

RULE 6-22. DEADLINES FOR BILLS.

A. During the First Regular Session of the 59th Oklahoma Legislature, the Senate shall adhere to the following legislative procedure schedule:

1. The First Regular Session of the 59th Oklahoma Legislature shall convene at twelve noon on January 3, 2023, for the purpose only of performing the duties set forth in Section 5 of Article VI of the Oklahoma Constitution and organizing pursuant to the provisions of Article V of the Oklahoma Constitution, and shall recess no later than five p.m. on that same day until February 6, 2023, beginning at twelve noon.

2. December 9, 2022, shall be the final date for requesting the drafting of bills or joint resolutions in the Senate for introduction for consideration during the First Regular Session.

3. January 19, 2023, shall be the final date for introduction of bills and joint resolutions in the Senate for consideration on the floor of the Senate during the First Regular Session. Bills and joint resolutions subsequently introduced if reported from committee, shall not be placed on the Calendar for consideration in the Senate until the first legislative day of the Second Regular Session.

4. March 2, 2023, shall be the final legislative day for reporting Senate bills and Senate joint resolutions from committee in the Senate. Bills and joint resolutions subsequently reported from committee shall not be placed on the Calendar for consideration in the Senate until the first legislative day of the Second Regular Session.

5. March 23, 2023, shall be the final legislative day for third reading and final passage of a Senate bill or Senate joint resolution in the Senate.

6. April 13, 2023, shall be the final legislative day for reporting House bills and House joint resolutions from committee in the Senate. Bills and joint resolutions subsequently reported from Committee shall not be placed on the Calendar for consideration in the Senate until the first legislative day of the Second Regular Session.

7. April 27, 2023, shall be the final legislative day for third reading and final passage of a House bill or a House joint resolution in the Senate.

8. The First Regular Session shall adjourn sine die not later than five p.m. on May 26, 2023.

9. Upon a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the membership of the Senate, a bill or joint resolution can be exempt from all deadline dates in the Senate.

B. During the Second Regular Session of the 59th Oklahoma Legislature, the Senate shall adhere to the following legislative procedure schedule:

1. December 8, 2023, shall be the final date for requesting the drafting of bills or joint resolutions in the Senate for introduction for consideration during the Second Regular Session.

2. January 18, 2024, shall be the final date for introduction of bills and joint resolutions in the Senate for consideration on the floor of the Senate during the Second Regular Session.

3. The Second Regular Session of the 59th Oklahoma Legislature shall convene at twelve o'clock noon on February 5, 2024.

4. February 29, 2024, shall be the final legislative day for reporting Senate bills and Senate joint resolutions from committee in the Senate.

5. March 14, 2024, shall be the final legislative day for third reading and final passage of a Senate bill or a Senate joint resolution in the Senate.

6. April 11, 2024, shall be the final legislative day for reporting a House bill or a House joint resolution from committee in the Senate.

7. April 25, 2024, shall be the final legislative day for third reading and final passage of a House bill or a House joint resolution in the Senate.

8. The Second Regular Session shall adjourn sine die not later than five p.m. on May 31, 2024.

9. Upon a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the membership of the Senate, a bill or joint resolution can be exempt from all deadline dates in the Senate.

C. This rule shall be inapplicable to any:

1. Joint resolution introduced for the purpose of disapproving or approving agency rules pursuant to the provisions of the Administrative Procedures Act as set forth in Section 250 et seq. of Title 75 of the Oklahoma Statutes, or for the purpose of disapproving or approving standards adopted by the State Board of Education as set forth in Section 11-103.6a-1 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes;

2. Bill introduced for the purposes of incorporation and merging different versions of a statute amended in more than one measure at the same or different sessions of the Legislature as set forth in Section 23.1 of Title 75 of the Oklahoma Statutes;

3. Bill or joint resolution introduced for the purpose of approving, disapproving, repealing or modifying rules of the Ethics Commission pursuant to the provisions of Section 3 of Article XXIX of the Oklahoma Constitution;

4. Bill or joint resolution which proposes a special or local law and for which notice of intended introduction is published in a newspaper for four consecutive weeks pursuant to the provisions of Section 32 of Article V of the Oklahoma Constitution;

5. Bill or joint resolution authored by the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the House Appropriations and Budget Committee which affects the receipt, expenditure or budgeting of state funds or funds under the control of an entity created by state law; or

6. Bill or joint resolution authored by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives which is deemed by them to be necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety.

D. Paragraph 3 of subsection A and paragraph 2 of subsection B of this rule shall be inapplicable to any bill or joint resolution which contains an “RB” number pursuant to the provisions of the Oklahoma Pension Legislation Actuarial Analysis Act. Such measures shall be submitted to the legislative actuary not later than the date specified in such paragraphs, and may be introduced not later than the first Monday in February following such submission.

RULE 6-23. PENDING LEGISLATION AT ADJOURNMENT OF FIRST REGULAR SESSION.

A. Any bill or joint resolution pending in the Senate at the final adjournment of the First Regular Session of the 59th Oklahoma Legislature shall carry over to the Second Regular Session with the same status as if there had been no adjournment. Bills and joint resolutions pending in a Conference Committee at such time shall not carry over to the Second Regular Session of the 59th Oklahoma Legislature.

B. Simple and concurrent resolutions pending in the Senate at the final adjournment of the First Regular Session of the 59th Oklahoma Legislature shall not carry over for consideration during the Second Regular Session.

RULE 7: COMMITTEES AND COMMITTEE PROCEDURE

RULE 7-1. TYPES AND NUMBER. There shall be two types of Senate committees established by the President Pro Tempore: standing committees and select committees. The President Pro Tempore shall appoint the Chair and Vice-Chair of each standing committee and of each select committee.

The President Pro Tempore may establish, and appoint the members of, as many ad hoc subcommittees of each standing committee as the President Pro Tempore deems appropriate. There shall be as many select committees as are created by the President Pro Tempore.

RULE 7-2. MEMBERSHIP. Membership on standing committees and on select committees shall be subject to the following:

1. The President Pro Tempore shall appoint, subject to the approval of the Senate, the Majority Caucus members and the Chair and Vice-Chair of each standing committee.

2. The Minority Floor Leader shall appoint, subject to the approval of the Senate, the Minority Caucus members of each standing committee, other than a Minority Caucus member who is appointed as a Chair or Vice-Chair of a committee by the President Pro Tempore.

3. Membership of standing committees shall be approved by a majority vote of members of the Senate. In the event of a vacancy or extended absence of a member of the Senate, a replacement member may be appointed by the President Pro Tempore or the Minority Floor Leader, as appropriate. Any such appointment shall be approved by a majority vote of members of the Senate.

4. The President Pro Tempore shall appoint all members of select committees.

5. The President Pro Tempore and Majority Floor Leader shall each be ex-officio and voting members of all standing and select Senate committees.

RULE 7-3. DUTIES OF THE RULES COMMITTEE. The Rules Committee shall determine any policies of the Senate submitted to it by the President Pro Tempore.

RULE 7-4. DUTIES OF LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES. Each legislative committee shall be responsible for the formulation of legislative programs and determination of non-legislative matters within the jurisdiction prescribed by the President Pro Tempore; shall inquire into the administration and execution of all laws and administrative rules within the same jurisdiction; shall consider such proposals as may be submitted to the committee by the President Pro Tempore; and shall be responsible for the continuing codification of all laws within the prescribed jurisdiction.

RULE 7-5. DUTIES OF SELECT COMMITTEES. Select committees shall be responsible for such duties as are prescribed at the time of their formation. No select committee shall be formed without its duties being expressly stated at the time of its formation. If a select committee is appointed for the purpose of conducting an investigation, the Senator requesting the investigation shall not serve as Chair of the committee.

RULE 7-6. AUTHORITY OF COMMITTEES. Any Senate committee is authorized to issue process, compel attendance of witnesses, and to administer oaths to any person appearing before the committee. Any Senate committee which considers legislation is empowered to consolidate bills or resolutions, to develop committee substitutes for such bills or resolutions, to amend such bills or resolutions and to develop a committee bill or resolution irrespective of any other legislation.

RULE 7-7. PROCEDURES. The following procedures shall be observed by all legislative committees of the Senate:

A. MEETING NOTICES. Subject to such exceptions as are provided hereinafter, committees of the Senate shall comply with provisions of the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act. A copy of all notices required by said Act shall be provided to the Chief Operating Officer, who shall designate the appropriate place for such notices to be posted. The Chief Operating Officer shall cause the notice to be posted on the Senate web site and shall take such other actions as may be deemed appropriate to provide adequate notice to the public.

B. MEETING TIMES. The Chair of a committee shall schedule meetings of the committee. Meetings at a time other than the regularly scheduled meeting time of a committee shall not conflict with any regularly scheduled meeting of any other committee, except with the consent of the President Pro Tempore.

C. AGENDA. The agenda for any meeting of a committee shall be set by the Chair and shall include the date, time and place of the meeting. A copy of the agenda shall be provided to members of the committee and to authors of legislation to be considered by the committee at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the meeting unless otherwise approved by the President Pro Tempore. An agenda for a meeting scheduled to meet prior to or during the first three days of session may reflect a measure for which assignment to the committee is anticipated, and the committee may act upon the measure; provided, if the measure is not assigned to the committee during the first three days of session, any committee action on the measure taken prior to or during those days shall be of no force or effect.

D. QUORUM. A quorum shall be present when any committee votes on any matter. Any member of a committee may request a quorum call at any time the committee is meeting. A number equal to a majority of the appointed members of the committee shall constitute a quorum.

E. PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair, or in the Chair's absence the Vice-Chair, of the committee, or a designee, shall preside at meetings of the committee. No person shall address the committee unless first recognized for that purpose. If the Chair selects a designee, the designee must be a member of the committee.

F. CONDUCT OF BUSINESS. When considering legislation or conducting other business, committees shall observe the following procedures:

1. When a legislative measure is taken up for consideration, the Senate author shall be recognized for explanation of the measure.

2. Upon prior approval given by the Chair of the committee and subject to time restraints established by the Chair, any testimony from non-members of the committee in favor and/or opposed to the measure may be given. Upon completion of the testimony, each member of the committee may put questions to those testifying before the committee. No testimony shall be given unless questions are made available to the members of the committee.

3. The Senate author shall be given the opportunity to answer questions put by members of the committee.

4. The Senate author or any member of the committee shall be provided the opportunity for presentation of amendments to the legislation. Amendments to any bill or resolution under consideration by a committee or subcommittee shall be germane to the subject of the introduced bill or resolution. Any amendment must be seconded to receive further consideration. A committee or subcommittee is prohibited from considering a committee substitute or committee amendment that has the same effect and covering the same specific or substantially similar subject matter found in a bill or resolution assigned to a different Senate committee. Provided, the Senate author or any member of the committee offering a committee substitute must submit the proposed committee substitute in writing or electronically to the Chair no later than noon on the legislative day before the meeting of the committee. The Chair may, at his or her discretion, waive the deadline set forth in this rule. When a committee substitute is submitted, the Chair may approve the substitute to be heard by the committee and the committee substitute shall be considered a public record from the time of such approval.

5. Amendments and motions may be adopted by a voice vote; provided, however, that the Senate author, or any member of the committee, may require a roll call vote.

6. Amendments shall be considered in the order they appear in the legislation, or in the order they are presented to the clerk of the committee; provided, an amendment to restore the title or enacting clause shall be considered after disposition of all other amendments. The Chair or other member presiding shall resolve any conflict resulting from claimed priority of presentation.

7. The author of an amendment shall explain the amendment and be afforded the opportunity to answer questions about the amendment put by members of the committee or the author of the legislation.

8. Any member may be recognized for debate or comment on the proposed legislation or amendments thereto. Debate may be limited at the discretion of the Chair or other member presiding, provided that equal time must be given to both proponent and opponent sides of debate.

9. The legislation may be laid on the table at the request of the author or at his or her discretion without a vote of the committee to do so at any time prior to the question being put for committee recommendation on the legislation. The legislation may be brought back up later in the same or subsequent meetings of the committee provided it is listed on the agenda in compliance with this rule. If the legislation is brought up at a subsequent meeting, consideration of the legislation will recommence with explanation of the measure.

10. The vote on a recommendation by the committee to the Senate concerning a legislative measure shall be by recorded roll call and shall require a majority vote of the members of the committee present and voting, which shall not be less than a quorum, for passage. The only permitted recommendations to the Senate on a legislative measure are “DO PASS” or “DO PASS, AS AMENDED”. During any roll call, only a Senator present in the committee room may vote, and every Senator present shall vote. The chair shall request every Senator in the committee room who is a member of the committee and who has not voted to vote. Any Senator choosing to pass upon initial roll call, shall be called on to vote prior to the Vice Chair, then Chair being called on to vote, in advance of closing the committee roll call vote. If any Senator so requested fails to vote, other than as provided in Section 24 of Article V of the Oklahoma Constitution, the chair shall, upon declaring the roll, order that said Senator be shown as voting “NO” on the question. Said “NO” vote shall be included in the determination of the passage or failure of the question. If a Senator is present but not voting as provided in Section 24 of Article V of the Oklahoma Constitution, the Senator shall so inform the chair. In such event, the Senator shall be deemed to be present but not voting, and that Senator's vote shall not be included in the determination of the passage or failure of the question. A tie vote in a committee on the motion of “DO PASS” or “DO PASS, AS AMENDED” shall result in failure of the motion. All committee votes reflecting the votes of each member present and voting on the motion of “DO PASS” or “DO PASS, AS AMENDED”, and a notation of any member not voting as provided in Section 24 of Article V of the Oklahoma Constitution, shall be entered in the Journal.

G. LEGISLATION REQUIREMENTS. Except for legislation containing appropriations, all legislation originating in the Senate which is considered by a Senate committee shall contain an Enacting or Resolving Clause, and a House author at the discretion of the Chair.

H. SUBCOMMITTEES. The Chair may assign to any subcommittee any legislation, proposal or inquiry; provided, however, no subcommittee shall be permitted to report directly to the Senate, but rather shall report to the parent committee.

I. DISTRIBUTION OF MATERIALS. No person shall cause materials to be distributed at any committee meeting without first having obtained approval of the Chair. The person causing the materials to be distributed shall be identified in writing on the face of such materials. Any document or other material distributed to all members of a committee of the Senate during a meeting which is open to the public shall be considered a public record from the time of such distribution.

RULE 7-8. CONFERENCE COMMITTEES. The President Pro Tempore shall appoint members of the Senate to serve on conference committees with members of the House of Representatives at such times and in such numbers as the President Pro Tempore deems appropriate.

RULE 7-9. WITHDRAWAL FROM COMMITTEE. Any bill or resolution may be withdrawn from any committee of the Senate upon a two-thirds vote of the members of the Senate. Any bill or resolution so withdrawn shall be on General Order. The provisions of this rule shall not prevent a bill or resolution from being reassigned from one committee to another, from being assigned directly to the calendar, or from being double-assigned as provided in Rule 8-21.

RULE 8: FLOOR PROCEDURES

Chapter 1: Galleries, Rights And Privileges

RULE 8-1. PRESIDING OFFICER'S AUTHORITY.

A. The Presiding Officer shall maintain order in the Senate. No Senator or other person shall be permitted to address the Senate without first having been recognized by the Presiding Officer. The Presiding Officer may require a Senator to disclose the purpose of a request for recognition prior to acting upon such request. The Presiding Officer shall immediately recognize the Majority Floor Leader at his or her request notwithstanding the previous request of any other Senator, but otherwise may exercise discretion in granting recognition when more than one Senator seeks recognition.

B. If any Senator or other person permitted to address the Senate, in speaking or otherwise, in the opinion of the Presiding Officer transgresses the rules of the Senate, the Presiding Officer shall, either on his or her own motion or at the request of any other Senator, call him or her to order; and when a Senator shall be called to order he or she shall take his or her seat, and may not proceed without leave of the Senate, which, if granted, shall be upon motion that he or she be allowed to proceed in order, which motion shall be determined without debate. Any Senator directed by the Presiding Officer to take his or her seat, and any Senator requesting the Presiding Officer to require a Senator to take his or her seat, may offer a substitute ruling as provided in Rule 9-14.

RULE 8-2. TIME AND PLACE OF DAILY SESSIONS.

A. On the first Tuesday following the first Monday in January of each odd numbered year, the Senate shall convene in its chamber on the fourth floor of the Capitol at twelve o'clock noon for the purposes only of performing the duties as required by Section 5 of Article VI of the Oklahoma Constitution and organizing pursuant to the provisions of Article V of the Oklahoma Constitution and shall recess not later than five o'clock p.m. of that same day until the following first Monday in February of the same year, beginning at twelve o'clock noon.

B. 1. On the first Monday in February of each year, the Senate shall convene in its chamber on the fourth floor of the Capitol at twelve o'clock noon. Thereafter, the Senate shall meet in daily sessions as necessary in the chamber until sine die adjournment. The time of each daily session shall be announced on the preceding legislative day; provided, however, that in the event no such announcement is made, the Senate shall convene at 1:30 p.m.

2. If the Presiding Officer determines that the Senate cannot convene at the date and time announced for a daily session due to a lack of a quorum as required by Rule 8-4, then the Majority Floor Leader or his or her designee shall announce the date and time of the next daily session in writing to all Senators. The written announcement shall also be recorded in the Senate Journal.

C. The Senate may convene in a location other than its chamber, as designated by the President Pro Tempore and upon informing the Governor and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, in the event that the President Pro Tempore determines that an unsafe condition or construction in the State Capitol, a natural disaster or national security emergency prevents the Senate from meeting in its chamber.

D. In the event an emergency exists as outlined in subsection C of this Rule, any determination to meet in another location or in the Senate Chamber that prevents a quorum of Senators from being present to vote or otherwise conduct business, the determination of a member being “present” as specified in Rule 3-3, subsection I of Rule 5-5, paragraph 10 of subsection F in Rule 7-7, subsection B of Rule 8-31, Rule 9-8 and Rule 9-11 shall be defined upon a written agreement of the President Pro Tempore and Minority Floor Leader that includes the duration of the agreement. The agreement shall be recorded in the Senate Journal.

RULE 8-3. GALLERIES AND HALLWAYS. The following provisions shall apply with respect to use of and conduct in the Senate gallery and other public areas of the Capitol under the control of the Senate:

1. The President Pro Tempore or a designee is empowered to assign seats in the galleries of the Senate and is empowered to order the galleries and hallways of the Senate cleared to preserve order or to ensure the safety of the members of the Senate;

2. Firearms and weapons are allowed on the Senate floor, in the gallery, or in any Senate area with permission of the Secretary of the Senate;

3. No food or drink shall be allowed in the galleries;

4. No signs shall be allowed in the gallery or committee rooms. No displays which might cause distraction or disturb the decorum of the Senate shall be allowed in the gallery or committee rooms;

5. No cameras or other recording equipment which might cause distraction or disturb the decorum of the Senate shall be allowed in the gallery;

6. Audible expressions of approval or disapproval or other outbursts in the gallery or committee rooms shall not be permitted;

7. Articles carried by visitors may be required to be checked at the door to the galleries or committee rooms by a Senate employee; and

8. Visitors in the galleries, committee rooms and other areas of the Capitol under the control of the Senate shall be required to conduct themselves with dignity and in an orderly fashion.

Whenever a violation of the provisions of this section occurs, it shall be the duty of the Presiding Officer to enforce order on his or her own initiative and without any point of order being made by a Senator.

RULE 8-4. QUORUM. No business of the Senate shall be conducted without a quorum of its members being in attendance, other than a motion to adjourn, adjourn to a time certain, or operate under call of the Senate pursuant to Rule 9-11, made by the President Pro Tempore or a member designated by the President Pro Tempore. A majority of the members elected to the Senate shall constitute a quorum.

RULE 8-5. ORDER OF BUSINESS. The Order of Business for each daily session of the Senate shall be determined by the Majority Floor Leader and shall include:
Prayer
Executive Nominations
General Order
Third Reading
House Amendments to Senate Bills and Resolutions
Conference Committee Reports
Fourth Reading
Committee Reports
Second Reading
First Reading
Communications
Other Business

No business shall be considered by the Senate during the daily session unless it has been approved by the Majority Floor Leader or the President Pro Tempore or unless it is otherwise specifically allowed under the Senate rules.

RULE 8-6. INTRODUCTIONS. No persons shall be introduced individually in the galleries, except that a member of the Senate may introduce family members. It shall also be permissible to introduce officials from other states and countries or other persons approved in advance by the Majority Floor Leader.

RULE 8-7. PRIVILEGES OF THE FLOOR.

A. No person shall be permitted in the Senate chamber or the lobbies at the front or rear of the chamber during the daily sessions of the Senate except:
1. Members, the Secretary of the Senate and former members of the Senate;
2. Employees of the Senate designated by the President Pro Tempore;
3. Members of the House of Representatives;
4. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor and former Governors and former Lieutenant Governors;
5. Spouses, children and grandchildren of members of the Senate; and
6. Any person who is permitted on the floor by a majority vote of those present.

B. Provided, however, that the above privileges shall exclude any person registered as a lobbyist as provided by law.

C. All persons permitted in the Senate chamber during the daily sessions of the Senate shall conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of Rule 5-5.

D. No person other than those specified in this rule shall be permitted in the Senate Lounge, unless accompanied by a member of the Senate.

E. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection A of this rule, the Majority Floor Leader may prohibit any person other than a member of the Senate from entering the Senate chamber or the lobbies at the front or rear of the chamber during the daily sessions of the Senate.

Chapter 2: Legislative Procedure

RULE 8-20. FIRST READING. A bill or resolution shall be considered introduced upon First Reading and shall automatically be advanced to Second Reading.

RULE 8-21. SECOND READING. The Second Reading of a bill or resolution shall occur the next legislative day following the First Reading. Upon or after Second Reading of a bill or resolution, the same shall be assigned for committee consideration or assigned directly to the calendar.

1. The President Pro Tempore shall have the authority to assign bills and resolutions to a committee, directly to the calendar, or to change a bill or resolution’s assignment to committee. The President Pro Tempore may delegate this authority to the Majority Floor Leader or one or more members of the Senate.

2. All bills or joint resolutions carrying appropriations which are referred to any committee other than the Appropriations Committee shall, immediately upon a report by the committee to which referred, be referred to the Appropriations Committee. Any bill or resolution which is determined to affect the receipt, expenditure or budgeting of state funds or funds under the control of an entity created by state law may be double-assigned to a committee other than the Appropriations Committee or the Finance Committee and then to the Appropriations Committee or Finance Committee.

RULE 8-22. GENERAL ORDER.

A. PLACEMENT OF MEASURES ON GENERAL ORDER.

All bills and resolutions reported by a committee of the Senate or referred directly to the calendar shall be placed on General Order pursuant to the provisions of this subsection.

1. When a committee report is filed, the clerk shall indicate on the face of the report the date and time the report was filed.

2. A bill or resolution reported from committee shall be placed on General Order at the beginning of the second legislative day following the legislative day that a committee report is filed.

3. Bills and resolutions referred directly to the calendar shall be placed on General Order at the beginning of the legislative day following the day of such referral.

4. A list of bills and resolutions on General Order, including a copy of the text of such bills and resolutions and the date such bills and resolutions were placed on General Order, shall be published electronically and made available each legislative day to all members of the Senate.

5. To allow opportunity for amendment under Rule 8-23, no bill or joint resolution may be heard until it has been on General Order for a period of at least one (1) legislative day.

6. No bill or joint resolution shall be considered on the Senate floor without a House author.

B. ORDER OF CONSIDERATION OF LEGISLATION. The Majority Floor Leader, or a designee, shall determine the order in which legislation is considered by the Senate. Nothing in this section nor these rules shall be construed as to guarantee a right to a hearing on any legislation.

C. CONSIDERATION OF MEASURES ON GENERAL ORDER. On General Order, the following procedure shall be observed:
1. Explanation of the bill or resolution by the Senate author or designee of the Senate author; 2. Questions;
3. Consideration of amendments; and
4. Advancement from General Order to Engrossment and Third Reading.

RULE 8-23. AMENDMENTS.

A. Amendments to bills or resolutions shall be in writing and shall be considered only if submitted at least one (1) legislative day prior to consideration on General Order.

B. The Senate shall not consider any proposed amendment not germane to the subject of the bill or resolution. A secondary amendment must be germane to both the primary amendment and the measure which it purports to amend.

C. If any amendment to a bill or resolution is filed as provided in this subsection, a copy of the text of such amendment shall be provided or made available electronically to each member of the Senate.

D. The provisions of subsection A of this rule shall not apply to an amendment offered by the author of a bill or resolution:
1. To strike the title or enacting or resolving clause; or
2. For any other purpose, subject to the approval of the Majority Floor Leader.

E. 1. Amendments shall be considered in the order in which they are submitted unless otherwise directed by the Majority Floor Leader; provided, a floor substitute offered by the author of the measure shall be considered first, and an amendment to restore a title or enacting or resolving clause shall be considered after disposition of all other amendments. If a floor substitute is adopted, the Secretary of the Senate shall conform previously submitted amendments to the measure to the floor substitute, if practicable.

2. Once an amendment is read, it shall be explained by its author, who may then answer questions concerning the amendment. If the author of the amendment is not in attendance at the time an amendment is read, the amendment shall be considered withdrawn unless another member of the Senate coauthors the amendment and provides an explanation.

3. An amendment shall be considered a public record from the time it is placed upon the clerk’s desk.

F. After the final vote on third reading of any bill or joint resolution, no amendment to the measure shall be considered, by unanimous consent or otherwise, unless the final vote and advancement of the measure are properly reconsidered according to the Senate Rules.

G. For any bill or resolution which has been recommended to the full Senate by a Senate committee with a stricken title or enacting clause, the title or enacting clause shall not be restored as part of any other amendment, but an amendment to restore the title or enacting clause may be considered separately.

H. 1. A floor amendment authored by a member to restore a stricken title and/or enacting clause on a measure, prior to being placed on the clerk’s desk and to be properly filed, shall be subject to the following requirements:

a. when the measure is assigned to a single committee, except for the Appropriations Committee, the floor amendment shall be required to have the signature of a majority of the members of the assigned committee which shall include the Chair as part of the majority, except for the Appropriations Committee, which shall only require the signature of the Appropriations Committee Chair,

b. when a measure is double-assigned to a committee and the Appropriations Committee, the author of the floor amendment shall be required to have the signatures of a majority of the committee members of the assigned committee which shall also include the Chair as part of the majority, and also the signature of the Chair of the Appropriations Committee, or

c. when a measure is double-assigned to a committee and the Appropriations Committee and the Appropriations Committee is the only committee that recommends to strike the title and/or enacting clause, only the signature of the Appropriations Committee Chair is required.

2. The provisions of subparagraphs a and b, of this subsection shall also apply to the filing of a floor substitute for a measure.

RULE 8-24. ADVANCEMENT. Once a motion to advance has been adopted, the bill or resolution shall be considered engrossed and on Third Reading.

RULE 8-25. THIRD READING. Upon Third Reading of a bill or resolution, the Senate shall not consider amendments, but shall debate passage of the bill or resolution and then vote upon passage.

RULE 8-26. HOUSE AMENDMENTS. Upon receipt of House amendments to Senate bills or resolutions, the Senate author shall make a motion either to accept the amendments, in which case a successful vote on the motion shall automatically advance the bill or joint resolution to Fourth Reading and final passage, or to reject the amendments and request a conference with the House.

If a motion to adopt House amendments to Senate bills or resolutions fails, the Senate author should serve notice before any other business is considered by the Senate, to reject the amendments and request a conference with the House. If notice to reject House amendments is not made, then the legislation is considered to have received final action pursuant to Rule 6-7.

RULE 8-27. CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORTS.

A. Any Conference Committee Report shall be considered by the Senate only when a majority of the Senate conferees and a majority of the House conferees have signed the report and only when the report is limited to matters germane to the bill or resolution.

If the Senate adopts a Conference Committee Report, the bill or resolution shall be before the Senate for Fourth Reading and final passage. If the Senate rejects a Conference Committee Report or a motion to adopt the report fails, the bill or resolution shall be returned to the conference committee. Upon a report by the Senate conferees that the conferees cannot agree, the bill or resolution reverts to its former status of consideration of House Amendments to Senate bills or resolutions.

B. The conference committee report proposed by the Senate author of a measure considered by the General Conference Committee on Appropriations may not be amended during the committee meeting at which the measure is considered.

RULE 8-28. FOURTH READING. Upon Fourth Reading of a bill or resolution, debate shall be in order on final passage of the bill or resolution, after which the vote shall occur on final passage. After final passage of a bill or resolution, it shall be signed by the Presiding Officer in open session.

Chapter 3: Debate and Voting

RULE 8-30. DEBATE.

A. When a Senator desires to speak, he or she shall rise and address the Presiding Officer, and shall not proceed until recognized, and the Presiding Officer shall recognize the Senator who shall first address the Presiding Officer. No Senator shall interrupt another Senator in debate without his or her consent, and to obtain such consent shall first address the Presiding Officer, and no Senator shall speak more than twice upon any one question in debate on the same legislative day without leave of the Senate, which shall be determined without debate. No Senator shall be recognized for debate after the author has debated or has waived the opportunity to close debate.

B. No Senator in debate shall, directly or indirectly, by any form of words impute to another Senator or to other Senators any conduct or motive unworthy or unbecoming a Senator. No Senator shall use any electronic recording, prop, or any materials distracting to members of the Senate during debate.

C. No Senator shall introduce to or bring to the attention of the Senate during its sessions any occupant in the galleries of the Senate other than those allowed pursuant to Rule 8-6. No motion to suspend this rule shall be in order, nor may the Presiding Officer entertain any request to suspend it by unanimous consent.

D. If any Senator, in speaking or otherwise, in the opinion of the Presiding Officer transgresses the rules of the Senate, the Presiding Officer shall, either on his or her own motion or at the request of any other Senator, call him or her to order; and when a Senator shall be called to order he or she shall take his or her seat, and may not proceed without leave of the Senate, which, if granted, shall be upon motion that he or she be allowed to proceed in order, which motion shall be determined without debate. Any Senator directed by the Presiding Officer to take his or her seat, and any Senator requesting the Presiding Officer to require a Senator to take his or her seat, may offer a substitute ruling as provided in Rule 9-14. A Senator making such a request shall do so at the desk, directly to the Presiding Officer, without interrupting the Senator who is debating.

E. The Presiding Officer shall have the authority to confine members in debate to the question under consideration.

RULE 8-31. MANNER OF VOTING. All votes of the Senate shall be by voice vote, division or roll call vote subject to the following:

A. The voting machine shall be used to record the vote whenever a roll call vote is taken on any question. The machine shall also be used to determine the presence or absence of a quorum. In the event the machine is not operating properly, all roll call votes and determinations of quorums may be taken by calling the roll. The voting machine shall be under the control of the Presiding Officer and shall be operated by a clerk designated by the Presiding Officer.

B. Except as may be provided in subsection D of Rule 8-2, during any roll call, only a Senator present on the Senate floor may vote, and every Senator present shall vote, except when the President Pro Tempore is not present on the Senate floor but recorded as present pursuant to Rule 3-3 and physically present in the State Capitol, the President Pro Tempore may direct the Presiding Officer to activate the President Pro Tempore’s roll call switch in the manner requested by the President Pro Tempore on any question for which a roll call vote is required. During a roll call, the Presiding Officer shall request every Senator in the chamber who has not voted to vote. If any Senator so requested fails to vote, the Presiding Officer shall, upon declaring the roll, order that said Senator be shown as voting “NO” on the question. Said order shall be printed in the Journal directly following the printing of the results of the roll call as reflected by the voting machine, and said “NO” vote shall be included in the determination of the passage or failure of the question. In all other cases, a Senator who fails to vote shall be shown as “excused” in the Journal, except as provided in Section 24 of Article V of the Oklahoma Constitution.

C. On any question for which a roll call vote is not required, a roll call vote shall be in order only if requested before the question is put. A request for roll call shall only be in order when the question is under consideration. A member who has requested a roll call vote on a question for which a roll call vote is not required, shall be present on the Senate floor at the time of the roll call vote or the request for the roll call vote shall be waived. Once the question has been put and a voice vote taken, the Presiding Officer shall state the side that appears to the Presiding Officer to have prevailed, and any member then may request a division, but shall not be entitled to request a roll call vote. The declaration of the vote by the Presiding Officer shall be final.

D. No Senator shall be permitted to vote or change a vote after the result has been announced by the Presiding Officer.

E. If a member's voting machine is inoperative, the member shall rise and advise the Presiding Officer of the malfunction; and the Senator will be permitted to verbally vote on the question; and the vote will then be recorded by the clerk.

F. When a division is called for, those voting in the affirmative shall rise at their seats and remain standing until counted; then those voting in the negative shall rise and stand until they are counted, whereupon the Presiding Officer shall declare the result.

RULE 8-32. RECONSIDERATION OF VOTES. The final vote on Third Reading or Fourth Reading of any bill or joint resolution or on the emergency clause or special election feature or other special feature of any bill or joint resolution may be reconsidered only if a member of the Senate serves notice before any other business is considered by the Senate. Once such notice is served, the following procedures shall be observed:

1. In anticipation of the closing days of a regular session or a deadline for third reading and final passage of a measure in the Senate, all motions to reconsider related to any legislation subject to the deadline shall be disposed of no later than the day of such deadline or the day set for sine die adjournment.

2. Except as heretofore provided, the member serving notice for reconsideration shall have the exclusive right to make such a motion on the day notice is served and the next two succeeding legislative days; provided, that on the third succeeding legislative day, any member of the Senate shall have the right to make such a motion. If no such motion is made on the third succeeding legislative day, then no reconsideration shall be permitted.

3. If the Senate refuses to reconsider or if, upon reconsideration, affirms the first decision, no further consideration shall be in order.

4. For adoption, a motion to reconsider the final vote on a bill or resolution or on the emergency clause or special election feature or other special feature must be approved by a majority of the members of the Senate.

5. A motion to reconsider any other action by the Senate must be made by a Senator who voted on the prevailing side before any other business is considered by the Senate and shall be disposed of on the same day it is lodged. The motion to reconsider shall be decided by a majority of those voting on the question.

6. It shall not be in order for the Senate, by suspension of the Rules or by any other means, to reconsider in the Second Regular Session of a Legislature the vote by which any bill or joint resolution was defeated in the First Regular Session.

Chapter 4: Executive Nominations

RULE 8-40. REFERRAL OF EXECUTIVE NOMINATIONS. When Executive Nominations shall be made by the Governor or other appointing authority to the Senate, said nominations shall be referred for consideration to the standing committee which has in its jurisdiction the entity to which the nomination relates. Nominations shall be made by the Governor or other appointing authority to the Senate no later than May 1 of any year in order to be considered by the full Senate that year.

RULE 8-41. REJECTION. No person whose nomination has been rejected by the Senate shall be eligible to be later confirmed by the Senate during the same session for appointment to the same position. If an executive nomination is not approved during the regular session in which it is submitted, it shall be deemed rejected. If an interim executive nomination is not approved during the first regular session following its submission it shall be deemed rejected. The President Pro Tempore shall notify the appointing authority of the rejection of an executive nomination by the Senate, and shall likewise notify the chief executive of the entity to which the nomination relates.

RULE 8-42. COMMITTEE REPORTS ON EXECUTIVE NOMINATIONS. Committee reports on Executive Nominations may be combined by the Majority Floor Leader for consideration by the Senate. At the request of any member, however, a nominee shall be separated from the combined report and considered individually by the Senate. A majority vote of the members of the Senate shall be required for adoption of a combined report.

Chapter 5: Committee of the Whole

RULE 8-50. COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. Without prior notice, the Senate may, by motion approved by a majority of the members of the Senate, declare itself a Committee of the Whole, at which time the President Pro Tempore or a member designated by the President Pro Tempore shall chair the Committee of the Whole. Rules applicable to other Senate committees shall be applied to the Committee of the Whole, except those rules relating to notice.

RULE 8-51. REPORTS. Once the Committee of the Whole has reported a bill or resolution “DO PASS” or “DO PASS, AS AMENDED”, to the Senate, that bill or resolution shall be considered on Third Reading and shall be voted upon without consideration of amendments or debate.

Chapter 6: Vetoes and Other Legislative Actions

RULE 8-60. OVERRIDES OF VETOES. When a bill or resolution is returned to the Senate because of veto by the Governor, a motion that the vetoed legislation become law the Governor’s objections notwithstanding shall be in order, pursuant to Rule 8-5.

RULE 8-61. OTHER COMMITTEE REPORTS. Committee reports on matters other than legislation or Executive Nominations shall be filed with the Secretary of the Senate and explained by the Chair of the committee making the report, whereupon the Senate may consider any action called for in the report.

RULE 8-62. CORRECTIONS TO LEGISLATION.

A. The Title of a bill or resolution shall be made to conform to the text, unless the same has been ordered stricken. A stricken title shall be shown in brackets. The ballot title of a bill or resolution proposing a state question shall be made to conform to the text. The Enacting Clause shall be a part of every bill unless the same shall have been ordered stricken. A stricken Enacting Clause shall be shown by striking through the words of the Enacting Clause.

B. The Senate Service Staff is authorized to correct misspelled words, incorrect citations, typographical errors, repeated words and other similar errors when engrossing or enrolling Senate bills or joint resolutions, or Senate amendments to engrossed House bills or joint resolutions and when preparing committee reports and floor versions of Senate bills or joint resolutions.

C. When engrossing or enrolling Senate bills or joint resolutions, or Senate amendments to engrossed House bills or joint resolutions and when preparing committee reports and floor versions of Senate bills or joint resolutions, the Senate Service Staff is authorized to:

1. Remove sections from a bill or joint resolution labeled as amendatory sections but which consist entirely of existing law and contain no amendments to the existing law;

2. Incorporate amendments to sections of law in the bill or joint resolution which are contained in measures enacted previously during the same legislative session and amending the same sections of law and repeal such previous versions of the section at issue if, in the opinion of a staff attorney designated by the Chief Operating Officer, the incorporation of such amendments and repeal of the previous version would clearly not conflict with the amendments contained in the measure at issue;

3. Modify sections of measures which provide for a measure to become effective on July 1 or a date earlier than ninety days after the date of expected sine die adjournment to read to reflect an effective date of ninety days after the date of sine die adjournment, or to delete such sections, if the emergency clause has failed to receive the required number of votes for passage;

4. For legislation carried over from the previous session, modify sections of measures which provide for a measure to become effective on a date prior to such engrossment or enrollment to match the current year; and

5. Include a designation of the subject of an act as provided in Section 452.9 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

D. The Secretary of the Senate shall, at the direction of the President Pro Tempore and with the approval of the Senate author, have the authority to:

1. Correct nonsubstantive errors in the language of any bill or resolution at the time the same is engrossed or enrolled; and

2. Submit a corrected engrossed or enrolled version of legislation in the event that a version does not accurately reflect the actions of the Senate or a committee thereof.

A detailed record of all such corrections shall be maintained by the Secretary and printed in the Journal.

RULE 9: MOTIONS

RULE 9-1. ORDER OF PRIORITY. Motions shall be considered in the following order of priority:

1. To adjourn to a time certain.
2. To adjourn.
3. Substitute ruling motion.
4. To recess.
5. To operate under Call of the Senate.
6. To limit debate.
7. To advance a measure.
8. To accept or reject House amendments.
9. To adopt a Conference Committee Report.
10. To accept or reject a report of the Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget.
11. To suspend the rules.
12. To commit to a committee or conference committee without instructions.
13. To commit to a committee or conference committee with instructions.
14. To amend.

RULE 9-2. DEBATE. Debate shall be in order on all motions, except the following:

1. To adjourn to a time certain.
2. To adjourn.
3. To recess.
4. To operate under Call of the Senate.
5. To limit debate.
6. To advance.
7. To commit to a committee without instructions.
8. To table.
9. To suspend the rules.

RULE 9-3. MOTIONS TO TABLE. Motions to table shall be in order for all motions except the following:

1. To adjourn to a time certain.
2. To adjourn.
3. To recess.
4. To operate under Call of the Senate.
5. To limit debate.
6. To advance.

RULE 9-4. PRECEDENCE. Motions to table shall take precedence over the original motion. If successful, a motion to table shall constitute a final disposition of the original motion.

RULE 9-5. PRIORITY OF MOTIONS NOT ENUMERATED. Except for those motions otherwise enumerated by priority, all motions shall have equal priority and shall be considered in the order made, or in the order placed on the clerk's desk.

RULE 9-6. WRITTEN MOTIONS OR OTHER ITEMS OF BUSINESS. The Presiding Officer may require any motion, point of order, substitute ruling, or other item of business to be in writing and placed upon the clerk's desk.

RULE 9-7. SUBSTITUTE MOTIONS. Only one substitute motion for a motion of equal priority shall be considered. Successful passage of a substitute motion shall be considered both adoption of the substitute motion in lieu of the original as well as the passage of the substitute motion. If the substitute motion fails, the original motion shall be disposed of before another motion of the same priority can be considered.

RULE 9-8. VOTE REQUIRED. Unless otherwise provided, a motion shall be declared adopted if it is approved by a majority of the members present and voting thereon.

RULE 9-9. MOTIONS TO ADJOURN.

A. ADJOURNMENT. A motion to adjourn shall always be in order except when the motion shall have been the last voted on and no business is transacted thereafter.

B. AFTER ADOPTION OF MOTION TO ADJOURN. Once a motion to adjourn when the desk is clear has been adopted, no motion shall be considered from the floor of the Senate, whether by unanimous consent or otherwise.

C. SINE DIE ADJOURNMENT. The date and time of sine die adjournment of the Senate shall be fixed by motion or resolution; provided, that once the date and time of such sine die adjournment has arrived, no further business shall be conducted by the Senate, and the Presiding Officer shall declare the Senate adjourned sine die.

RULE 9-10. QUORUM CALL. Any member of the Senate may, at any time, request the Presiding Officer to suggest the absence of a quorum. Upon such request, the Presiding Officer shall determine whether a quorum is present and no further business shall be conducted until it is determined that a quorum is present.

RULE 9-11. CALL OF THE SENATE. The Senate may, by majority vote of the members present, operate under Call of the Senate, in which case the President Pro Tempore is empowered to compel the attendance of all members of the Senate and is empowered to confine the members of the Senate to the chamber.

RULE 9-12. PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. Personal privilege shall be granted to a member of the Senate only to permit such member to respond to a public attack on the rights, integrity or reputation of a member of the Senate, or upon the Senate collectively or any committee or employee of the Senate. Remarks made by a member of the Senate who is granted personal privilege shall be confined to such a response.

RULE 9-13. MOTION TO LIMIT DEBATE. When a question subject to debate is before the Senate, a motion to limit the time for debate shall be in order, even if debate already has begun. The motion shall fix the time limits to be allowed for and against the motion, provided that in no case shall the total debate allotted to each side be less than one-half hour. If such motion is successful, the Presiding Officer shall cause the time limits to be enforced and shall divide the time equally for each side of the question. If the motion is once rejected on a question being debated, it can only be adopted with the approval of two-thirds of those voting.

RULE 9-14. SUBSTITUTE RULING MOTIONS. If a Senator disagrees with a ruling on a motion or point of order, he or she may make a motion the Senate adopt a substitute ruling in the following manner:

1. Before other business is transacted by the Senate or by the committee, a member of the Senate or the committee may appeal the ruling by offering a substitute ruling.

2. Once a motion to adopt a substitute ruling is made, no other business shall be transacted until the motion is disposed of by the Senate or by the committee.

3. A motion to adopt a substitute ruling shall be subject to all other Senate Rules pertaining to motions.

Rule 10: Executive Sessions

RULE 10-1. PROCEDURE AND PRIVILEGE. On a motion made and carried that the Senate go into executive session, the Presiding Officer shall direct all persons, except Senators, the Secretary of the Senate, and personnel as authorized by the Senate, to withdraw. The vote of a majority of the Senators voting shall be required on a motion for executive session. During an executive session, the doors shall remain closed and every Senator and officer shall keep confidential all proceedings and matters enjoined by order of the Senate.

Rule 11: Special Sessions

RULE 11-1. SPECIAL SESSIONS.

A. Unless amended by a two-thirds vote of the members of the Senate, these rules shall be in effect for any special session of the 59th Oklahoma Legislature; provided, bills and resolutions reported from committee or referred directly to the calendar shall be placed on General Order immediately upon such report or referral and amendments to such bills and resolutions shall be filed no later than 4:30 p.m. on the day of such report or referral.

B. The selection of officers, the membership of the standing committees and the mileage allowances most recently approved in regular session shall be in effect for any special session.