Rule 8.21. Conference committee reports; consideration
A.(1) A conference committee report shall be a privileged report and notice of its
receipt shall be given by the Clerk on the legislative day of its receipt at the first opportunity
without interrupting pending business. The question of consideration of a conference
committee report shall lie over until the appropriate order of business during the Regular
Orders on the next legislative day. The Clerk shall place each conference committee report
on the calendar in the order in which it was received for consideration.
(2) On the last calendar or legislative day of a session a motion to waive the
requirement that the question of consideration of a conference committee report lie over until
the next legislative day contained in Subparagraph (1) of this Paragraph shall require the
favorable vote of a majority of the elected members of the House and shall be debatable.
(3) A motion to suspend the provisions of this Paragraph shall be a debatable motion.
B. The question upon consideration, unless a substitute or other main motion be
made, shall be the question of the adoption of the conference committee report.
C. Notwithstanding Paragraph A of this Rule, on the last calendar or legislative day
of a session, after the Clerk shall have noticed the receipt of a conference committee report
which is confined to resolving the differences between the two houses regarding the
amendments which were rejected by the house of origin and recommending technical
amendments, the House shall consider such a conference committee report upon motion,
duly adopted, of any member, except as provided in Paragraph D of this Rule. The motion
to take up the consideration of such a conference committee report shall be deemed a
privileged incidental motion, shall be in order during any order of business unless another
motion or instrument then be pending, and shall be adopted by a majority of those present
and voting.
D.(1) On the last calendar or legislative day of a session, if a conference committee
report which is confined is received by the Clerk and there is less than two hours remaining
before adjournment of the session, the motion to take up the consideration of such a
conference committee report shall require the favorable vote of a majority of the elected
members of the House and shall not be debatable.
(2) On the last calendar or legislative day of a session, if a conference committee
report which is not confined is received by the Clerk and there is less than two hours
remaining before adjournment of the session, the motion to take up the consideration of such
a conference committee report shall require the favorable vote of a majority of the elected
members fo the House and shall not be debatable, however, such motion shall not be in order
until after the motion required by Paragraph (A)(2) of this Rule is adopted.
E.(1) If a conference committee report on any appropriation bill supplementing the
General Appropriation Act, the Capital Outlay Bill, the bill appropriating funds for the
judicial branch, the bill appropriating funds for the legislative branch, or the omnibus bond
authorization bill is received on the last day, the provisions of Paragraph C and (D)(1) of this
Rule shall apply to the consideration of such a conference committee report even if the
conference committee report is not confined to resolving the differences between the two
houses regarding the amendments which were rejected by the house of origin and
recommending technical amendments.
(2) The provisions of House Rule 8.15 shall apply to conference committee reports
on the General Appropriation Bill.
F. Prior to the consideration of a motion regarding a conference committee report,
the Clerk shall announce to the House all of the following:
(1) If, in the determination of the Clerk, the conference committee report is confined
to resolving the differences between the two houses regarding the amendments which were
rejected by the house of origin and recommending technical amendments or is not so
confined.
(2) The names of the conferees who signed the report and the names of the conferees
who did not sign the report, unless all of the conferees signed the report, in which case the
Clerk shall announce that fact.
Mason's Manual: Sec. 764, 771, and 774
HR 45, 1998, eff. May 20, 1998; HR 1, 2006 R.S., eff. May 16, 2006; HR 20, 1st Ex.
Sess., 2020, eff. June 18, 2020.
NOTE: 8.27 renumbered 8.21 by authority of House Rule 2.10(D)(4). See HR 6, eff. May
30, 2013, for repeal of prior 8.21.