Joint rule suspensions in the daily files

Did you know that the Assembly and Senate Daily Files actually list some rule suspensions (often referred to as “rule waivers”)? While the respective Daily Files contain calendars, tables of information, committee hearings, and legislative measures on the two Floors, they each contain one set of rule suspensions.

In the Assembly Daily File, there is a page that is titled as follows:

Measures on Which Art. IV, Sec. 8(a) of the Constitution Dispensed with and Joint Rule 55 Suspended in Assembly

A.B.                        S.B.                        A.C.A.                   S.C.A.

In the August 31, 2024 Assembly Daily File, there is only one measure listed on this page, which is AB 269.

Article IV, Section 8(a) of the state Constitution provides: “(a) At regular sessions no bill other than the budget bill may be heard or acted on by committee or either house until the 31st day after the bill is introduced unless the house dispenses with this requirement by rollcall vote entered in the journal, three fourths of the membership concurring.”

This is the so-called 30-day in print rule because a bill (other than the annual budget bill) cannot be acted upon during that month-long period. This waiting period is intended to allow the public to review the contents of an introduced before it is officially acted upon. However, there is a process by which each house can dispense with this rule by a ¾ vote.

Joint Rule 55 provides: “55.A bill other than the Budget Bill may not be heard or acted upon by committee or either house until the bill has been in print for 30 days. The date a bill is returned from the printer shall be entered in the Daily History. This rule may be suspended concurrently with the suspension of the requirement of Section 8 of Article IV of the Constitution or, if that period has expired, this rule may be suspended by approval of the Committee on Rules and two-thirds vote of the house in which the bill is being considered. For purposes of this rule, a bill published on the internet is ‘in print.’”

JR 55 implements the constitutional 30-day waiting period for bills and sets forth the method by which this waiting period can be suspended. The Assembly Daily File contains a specific listing to any legislative measure that does not abide by the 30-day in print rule.

In the Senate Daily File, there is a page that is titled as follows:

Joint Rule 62(a) Suspended in Senate

In the August 31, 2024 Senate Daily File, there are the following measures listed:

August 26, 2024: Assembly Bills 224, 535, 518 and 1034 to be heard in policy and fiscal committees.

August 27, 2024: ACR 210 to be heard in policy and fiscal committees.

August 28, 2024: Assembly Bills 98 and 1205 to be heard in policy and fiscal committees. Assembly Bill 3264 to be heard in policy and fiscal committees. Assembly Bills 18, 218 and 2348 to be heard in policy and fiscal committees. Assembly Bill 3121 to be heard in policy and fiscal committees.

Joint Rule 62(a) provides, in relevant part: “62. (a) Notice of a hearing on a bill by the committee of first reference in each house, or notice of an informational hearing, shall be published in the Daily File at least four days prior to the hearing. Otherwise, notice shall be published in the Daily File two days prior to the hearing.”

JR 62(a) requires bills to be listed in the respective Daily File for at least four days before the noticed committee hearing. For a second or third committee hearing, only two days’ notice in the Daily File is required. However, like all Joint Rules, JR 62(a) can be suspended, and these suspensions are listed in the Senate Daily File.