SR 3: Senate Rules; adopt

This resolution formally adopts the Rules of the Senate for the 2025-2026 two-year legislative term, largely by carrying forward the rules in effect at the end of the 2024 session, with a series of specific amendments. It renames the Senate's research arm to the Office of Policy and Legislative Analysis throughout the rules, updates travel reimbursement and staffing oversight language, and creates a new rule (2-1.14) laying out how interim special committees are formed, how many meetings they can hold without extra approval, notice requirements for meetings, quorum rules, and reporting requirements. Other changes update floor conduct rules: cell phones and reading materials are now addressed directly (replacing an old blanket ban on cell phone use and newspaper reading), with a requirement that devices not make noise or distract other senators. The resolution also bars senators from designating a registered lobbyist as a personal aide, and requires Senate Rule changes to also apply at the start of any special session, not just a new two-year term.

• Adopts the Senate's prior rules as the governing rules for the 2025-2026 legislative term, subject to listed amendments.
• Renames the Senate Research Office to the Office of Policy and Legislative Analysis across multiple rules covering travel, staffing, and floor access.
• Creates a new Rule 2-1.14 setting limits on interim special committee meetings, quorum requirements, meeting notice, and reporting of committee findings.
• Replaces the old ban on cell phone use and reading unrelated materials in the Senate Chamber with updated rules allowing devices for legislative business as long as they do not create noise or distraction.
• Bars senators from naming a registered lobbyist, or someone required to register as a lobbyist, as a personal aide with floor access.
• Requires Senate Organizational Rules to be readopted at the start of any special session, not only at the start of a two-year term.

State senators, Senate staff including the renamed Office of Policy and Legislative Analysis, Senate Press Office, and Budget and Evaluation Office, senators' personal aides, registered lobbyists seeking aide positions, and members of any interim special committees created between legislative sessions.

These changes affect how the Georgia Senate governs itself day to day: how staff offices are named and supervised, how interim committees can meet and report between sessions, what senators can do with phones and paperwork on the floor, and who can serve as a senator's aide, directly shaping internal Senate operations rather than public policy outcomes.

• Section 1 and Section 2 rename the Senate Research Office to the Office of Policy and Legislative Analysis in travel reimbursement and Committee on Administrative Affairs staffing rules.
• Section 3 adds Rule 2-1.14, capping interim special committees at five meetings without added approval, setting a 72-hour meeting notice requirement, and requiring quorum and report-filing procedures.
• Section 4 requires all motions in committees, not just standing committees, to receive a second before being put to a vote.
• Section 8 bars senators from designating a registered lobbyist as an aide with an identifying floor badge.
• Section 9 and Section 10 rewrite Senate Chamber conduct rules, replacing a blanket cell phone and reading ban with rules permitting device use for legislative or personal business as long as it is not disruptive.
• Section 11 requires Senate Organizational Rules to be adopted at the start of both new two-year terms and any special session.
• Section 12 removes the prefiling of proposed bills and resolutions reference from the Rules index.

1. 2025-01-13Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
2. 2025-01-13Senate Engrossed (Senate)
3. 2025-01-13Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
4. 2025-01-13Senate Hopper (Senate)

• John Kennedy (R, SD-018)Primary sponsor
• Steve Gooch (R, SD-051)
• Harold Jones (D, SD-022)

1. PassedSenate voteJanuary 13, 2025

   32 yea, 24 nay

   Motion To Engross: Senate Vote #2

2. PassedSenate voteJanuary 13, 2025

   55 yea, 1 nay

   Adoption: Senate Vote #3

• Georgia Senate rules
• legislative procedure
• lobbying restrictions
• committee oversight
• Senate floor conduct