PART 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS

Rule 101. Chaplains. Every morning the House on assembling shall join with the Chaplains in religious service. On the first legislative day of each week, the National Anthem must follow the religious service. Every morning the House after assembling shall recite the pledge of allegiance.

Rule 102. Monitors. A monitor shall see to the observance of the rules of the House. If any member violates any of the rules of the House and persists in violating the rules after being notified of the violation by any monitor, the monitor shall give information of the violation to the House.

Rule 103. Vacancy in the office of Clerk or Assistant Clerk. A Clerk or Assistant Clerk is either appointed or elected in the following circumstances.

• A. In the case of a vacancy in the office of Clerk:
  • (1) When the Legislature is in session, the House elects a clerk; or
  • (2) When the Legislature is not in session, the Assistant Clerk is Clerk pro tempore to serve until the Legislature is in session and elects a Clerk.
• B. In the case of a vacancy in the office of Assistant Clerk:
  • (1) When the Legislature is in session, the House elects an Assistant Clerk; or
  • (2) When the Legislature is not in session, the Speaker shall appoint an Assistant Clerk to serve until the Legislature is in session and elects an Assistant Clerk.
• C. In the case of a vacancy in the offices of the Clerk and Assistant Clerk:
  • (1) When the Legislature is in session, the House elects a Clerk and Assistant Clerk; or
  • (2) When the Legislature is not in session, the Speaker shall appoint a Clerk and Assistant Clerk to serve until the Legislature is in session and elects a Clerk and Assistant Clerk.

Rule 104. Partisan staff. The floor leaders shall appoint partisan staff with staffing patterns determined by House leadership.

Rule 105. Lobbyists banned from House floor. One-half hour before the beginning of any regularly scheduled session, registered lobbyists are banned from the floor of the House of Representatives.

Rule 106. Admission to Representatives' hall. Only a member or officer of the House, a member of the Senate, the Secretary of the Senate, the Assistant Secretary of the Senate, the Governor, heads of state departments and bureaus, Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court, Chaplains of the Senate and reporters of the proceedings and debates of the House may be admitted within the Representatives' hall, unless invited by some member of the House. While the House is in session, only members and officers of the House and officers of the Senate on official business are admitted inside the rail, except members of the press, who shall occupy places at the press table, and guests of the Speaker.

Rule 107. Legislation establishing House proceedings statutorily. A member may question the appropriateness of a bill that attempts to establish proceedings of the House in statute. Such legislation may be ruled not properly before the House by the Speaker.

Rule 108. Conduct during joint conventions. During joint conventions, and at any time so determined by the presiding officer, personal electronic communication devices in the chamber or the gallery must be turned off and inconspicuously placed.

Rule 109. Use of personal electronic communication devices. During all sessions of the House, a member shall restrict that member's use of all personal electronic communication devices to personal business and business of the House and shall in such use exercise high standards of discretion, conduct and decorum.


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