By Rosson, et al. S.R. No. 649 74R8309 SRD-D R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the State of Texas, That Rule 1-2 4.03, Rules of the Senate, 74th Legislature, be amended to read as 1-3 follows: 1-4 INTERRUPTION OF MEMBER SPEAKING 1-5 Rule 4.03. (a) No member shall interrupt another Senator 1-6 who has the floor or otherwise interrupt the business of the 1-7 Senate, except for the purpose of making a point of order, calling 1-8 the member having the floor to order, moving the previous question, 1-9 demanding that a point of order under discussion or consideration 1-10 be immediately decided, or making a motion to adjourn or recess. 1-11 Though another member has the floor, any member shall be recognized 1-12 by the presiding officer in order to call to order the member, to 1-13 make a point of order, to move the previous question, or to demand 1-14 that a point of order be immediately decided. 1-15 (b) A member who has the floor must yield to permit the 1-16 Senate to receive messages from the Governor and from the House of 1-17 Representatives and shall not lose the floor. A member who has the 1-18 floor may yield for questions from other members and shall not lose 1-19 the floor. In the event a member is interrupted because of a 1-20 motion to adjourn or recess and the motion fails, the floor shall 1-21 be immediately returned to the interrupted member. In the event 1-22 the interrupted member was speaking under the previous question and 1-23 a motion to adjourn or recess prevails, the member shall resume the 1-24 floor and finish speaking when the bill is next considered by the 2-1 Senate. 2-2 (c) Notwithstanding other provisions of this rule and Rule 2-3 4.05, a member who has been speaking on a pending question 2-4 continuously for four consecutive hours may request permission to 2-5 be excused from the floor for five minutes, which permission shall 2-6 be granted by the presiding officer. The presiding officer shall 2-7 fix the time for the member to resume the floor, at which time the 2-8 member shall resume the floor and continue speaking on the pending 2-9 question unless the Senate, during the member's absence from the 2-10 floor, has proceeded to business other than the pending question. 2-11 If the Senate has proceeded to business other than the pending 2-12 question during the member's absence, the member shall immediately 2-13 resume the floor when consideration of the pending question recurs. 2-14 If the member is absent from the floor at the time fixed for the 2-15 member to return, or when the pending question recurs, the member 2-16 shall lose the floor.