SR 1: Senate Rules; adopt

Senate Resolution 1EX

By: Senators Walker III of the 20th, Anavitarte of the 31st, Robertson of the 29th, Still of the 48th and Dixon of the 45th

A RESOLUTION

Adopting the Rules of the Georgia Senate for the 2026 special session of the General Assembly of Georgia; and for other purposes.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the Rules of the Georgia Senate in effect at the adjournment of the 2026 regular session of the General Assembly are hereby adopted as the Rules of the Georgia Senate for the 2026 special session with the following amendments:

SECTION 1.

Senate Rule 2-1.5 is amended by revising subsection (a) as follows: "(a) A committee may act upon a bill, resolution, or other matter when the Senate is in session or during a recess or adjournment after the opening day of a regular or special session and prior to the last day of that session. When a committee so acts during a day of recess or adjournment, the Secretary of the Senate may accept the report of the committee on such day, and the committee report shall be received and read by the Senate on the next day when the Senate is in session. A standing committee may not take official action after the adjournment sine die of a session and prior to the convening of the next session unless authorized by statute or by the Senate."

S. R. 1EX

SECTION 2.

Senate Rule 2-1.10 is amended by revising subsection (a) as follows: "(a) The Committee on Rules shall arrange and fix the calendar for each day's business after the fifth (5th) legislative day of each regular session and after the first (1st) day of a special session of the General Assembly. The committee shall post the calendar as soon as practicable following the setting of the calendar."

SECTION 3.

Senate Rule 2-8.3 is amended by revising subsection (b) as follows: "(b) All Committee of Conference reports shall be printed and distributed to the Senators on the legislative day prior to consideration of the same during the first thirty-six (36) days of any regular session. During the thirty-seventh (37th) through the fortieth (40th) days of any regular session, such reports shall be printed and distributed to the Senators at least two

(2) hours prior to consideration of the same; provided that this two (2) hour requirement may be suspended by the affirmative vote of a majority of the members to which the Senate is entitled."

SECTION 4.

Senate Rule 2-8.4 is amended by revising it as follows:

"2-8.4 Time Limit; Discharge; Appointment of New Members

After a Committee of Conference has been in existence for five (5) days twenty-four (24) hours and has failed to make a report to the Senate on the question under consideration, the President of the Senate may discharge the conferees and appoint new conferees, or after forty-eight (48) hours, the Senate, on motion and by a majority vote of all members elected to the Senate, may discharge the Senate conferees and new conferees shall be appointed as provided in Rule 2-8.1, instruct said Senate conferees, or make any other motion not contrary to the Rules of the Senate; provided that, after the thirty-fifth (35th) legislative S. R. 1EX

day, the above motions may be made and passed at any time, but not more often than every twenty-four hours."

SECTION 5.

Senate Rule 3-1.2 is amended by revising subsection (a) as follows: "(a)(1) Except for bills providing for Senate, House, or Congressional districts and except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, no No bill or resolution requiring the concurring vote of the House for passage shall be introduced unless the same shall have been filed in the office of the Secretary before 4:00 P.M. on the previous business day; provided that the same shall be filed before 2:00 P.M. on Fridays.

(2) On the first (1st) day of a special session, a bill or resolution requiring the concurring vote of the House of Representatives for passage may be introduced if it has been filed with the Secretary prior to the time for first reading and reference of Senate bills and resolutions in the order of business."

SECTION 6.

Senate Rule 4-2.6 is amended by revising it as follows:

"4-2.6 Order for Second Reading

Any general bill or resolution shall be automatically passed to a second reading Every general bill and resolution shall be read a second time on the same legislative day following the day that the bill or resolution is reported by the committee to which it was referred. Except that after the thirty-fifth (35th) day of any regular session, every bill and resolution shall be read a second time on the same legislative day that the bill or resolution is reported by the committee to which it was referred. No debate shall be admitted upon any bill at the first or second reading."

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SECTION 7.

Senate Rule 4-2.8 is amended by revising subsection (c) as follows: "(c) The number, authors, and title of each bill on the Local Contested Calendar shall be read, considered and voted on as provided in the Rules for general legislation, except that the proponents and opponents shall each be limited to ten (10) three (3) minutes."

SECTION 8.

Senate Rule 4-2.9 is amended by revising subsection (b) as follows: "(b) The Committee on Rules shall arrange and fix the calendar for each day's business after the fifth (5th) legislative day of each regular session of the General Assembly and after the first (1st) day of a special session. Such calendar shall be a standing and continuing special order during said period. No matter shall be taken up or acted on otherwise than in the order and manner fixed by such calendar, except by a three-fourths three-fourths' vote of those voting, provided such three-fourths constitutes a majority of the members elected to the Senate. This Rule may not be suspended by a two-thirds two-thirds' vote of the Senate."

SECTION 9.

Senate Rule 4-2.13 is amended by revising it as follows:

"4-2.13 Transmittal to the House

No bill or resolution shall be transmitted to the House on the day of passage thereof unless two-thirds of the Senators voting, provided the total vote constitutes a quorum, shall so order; provided, however, that, after the thirty-seventh (37th) legislative day of any regular session, and anytime during the 2026 special session, any bill, resolution, or other matter which requires action by the House shall be immediately transmitted to the House by the Secretary of the Senate. The Secretary shall also immediately transmit Senate bills and S. R. 1EX

resolutions requiring House action on the crossover day after any notice to reconsider is disposed of."

SECTION 10.

Senate Rule 6-7.1 is amended by revising subsection (c) as follows: "(c) A notice of motion to reconsider a bill or resolution shall take precedence over a motion to transmit and shall have the effect of defeating the motion to transmit; except on the crossover day, and on legislative days thirty-eight (38) through forty (40) of any regular session, and during the 2026 special session, a Senator must give notice immediately of his or her intention to move to reconsider, and the President or the designee of the President shall set a time during the day when the motion will be entertained, so stating the time to the Senate; the time shall be at the discretion of the President or the designee of the President, but not less than ten (10) minutes. If the Senate is considering any other business at the time the motion to reconsider has been set to be entertained, the motion will be taken up upon conclusion of that business."

SECTION 11.

Senate Rule 6-7.5 is amended by revising it as follows:

"6-7.5 Effect of Motion; Return to General Calendar

All bills and resolutions reconsidered shall take their place at the foot of the calendar of bills then in order for a third reading; however, after the fifth (5th) legislative day of each session, a reconsidered bill or resolution which was passed or adopted shall take its place at the foot of the Rules Calendar, and a reconsidered bill or resolution which was defeated shall be placed on the General Calendar."

SECTION 12.

Senate Rule 7-1.10 is amended by revising subsection (b) as follows: S. R. 1EX

"(b) Upon a motion by any Senator, a special order or a Special Order Resolution may be taken up by the Senate at any time following the conclusion of the current business before the Senate; provided, that, during the first thirty-five (35) days of any regular session, before any motion specified in paragraph (a) of this Rule may be made respecting action taken by the House which requires a recorded vote for passage, notice of intention to so move must have been given to the Senate during the previous legislative day."

SECTION 13.

Senate Rule 8-1.7 is amended by revising subsection (c) as follows: "(c) On all points of personal privilege, individual speeches shall be limited to five (5) minutes, except that, in a special session, and after the 20th twentieth (20th) day of a regular session individual speeches shall be limited to three (3) minutes." S. R. 1EX