| Consideration of local and noncontroversial bills
The house and senate rules both provide for special calendars for the consideration
of local and noncontroversial bills. The calendar used for consideration of these bills
in the house is the Local, Consent, and Resolutions Calendar, which is set by the
Committee
on Local and Consent Calendars. A standing committee may recommend, when reporting a bill
or resolution, that the measure be sent to the Committee on Local and Consent Calendars for
placement on an appropriate calendar. Such a recommendation requires the unanimous consent
of all the committee members present when the measure is reported from committee. Measures
that are eligible for consideration by the Committee on Local and Consent Calendars are
bills that are local as defined by the house rules and bills and resolutions to which no
opposition is anticipated. If the Committee on Local and Consent Calendars determines
that a measure is not eligible for placement on the Local, Consent, and Resolutions Calendar,
it has the power to transfer the measure to the Committee on Calendars.
Local, Consent, and Resolutions Calendars normally are prepared for consideration by the house once a week
during the last half of the regular session. These calendars usually are lengthy, but
consideration of them is expedited because debate is limited and amendments to measures
on these calendars may not be offered unless they have first been approved by the Committee
on Local and Consent Calendars. A measure may be removed from the Local, Consent, and
Resolutions Calendar if debate exceeds 10 minutes or if five or more representatives object
to the consideration of the measure.
The calendar used for consideration of local and noncontroversial bills in the senate
is the Local and Uncontested Calendar, which is set by the
Senate Committee on Administration.
A measure may not be considered by the Senate Committee on Administration for placement on
the Local and Uncontested Calendar unless both the author or sponsor of the measure and
the chair of the committee from which the measure was reported file a written request for
placement on the Local and Uncontested Calendar with the Senate Committee on Administration.
Measures ineligible for placement on the calendar are local or general bills and resolutions
that are contested in committee, create new departments or subdivisions within state government,
or contain any state appropriations. Local and Uncontested
Calendars normally are prepared for consideration by the senate once or twice a week during
the last half of the regular session. Measures on the Local and Uncontested Calendar are
considered without a suspension of the regular order of business, which generally is required
for consideration of legislation in the senate. As in the house, consideration of Local
and Uncontested Calendars in the senate is expedited because the measures on these calendars
usually are not debated and floor amendments to measures on these calendars are prohibited.
A measure may be removed from the Local and Uncontested Calendar if two or more senators
object to the consideration of the measure.
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