1-1 By: Rosson, et al. S.R. No. 649
1-2 (In the Senate - Filed April 6, 1995; April 6, 1995, read
1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Administration;
1-4 April 19, 1995, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 5,
1-5 Nays 1; April 19, 1995, sent to printer.)
1-6 SENATE RESOLUTION
1-7 BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the State of Texas, That Rule
1-8 4.03, Rules of the Senate, 74th Legislature, be amended to read as
1-9 follows:
1-10 INTERRUPTION OF MEMBER SPEAKING
1-11 Rule 4.03. (a) No member shall interrupt another Senator
1-12 who has the floor or otherwise interrupt the business of the
1-13 Senate, except for the purpose of making a point of order, calling
1-14 the member having the floor to order, moving the previous question,
1-15 demanding that a point of order under discussion or consideration
1-16 be immediately decided, or making a motion to adjourn or recess.
1-17 Though another member has the floor, any member shall be recognized
1-18 by the presiding officer in order to call to order the member, to
1-19 make a point of order, to move the previous question, or to demand
1-20 that a point of order be immediately decided.
1-21 (b) A member who has the floor must yield to permit the
1-22 Senate to receive messages from the Governor and from the House of
1-23 Representatives and shall not lose the floor. A member who has the
1-24 floor may yield for questions from other members and shall not lose
1-25 the floor. In the event a member is interrupted because of a
1-26 motion to adjourn or recess and the motion fails, the floor shall
1-27 be immediately returned to the interrupted member. In the event
1-28 the interrupted member was speaking under the previous question and
1-29 a motion to adjourn or recess prevails, the member shall resume the
1-30 floor and finish speaking when the bill is next considered by the
1-31 Senate.
1-32 (c) Notwithstanding other provisions of this rule and Rule
1-33 4.05, a member who has been speaking on a pending question
1-34 continuously for four consecutive hours may request permission to
1-35 be excused from the floor for five minutes, which permission shall
1-36 be granted by the presiding officer. The presiding officer shall
1-37 fix the time for the member to resume the floor, at which time the
1-38 member shall resume the floor and continue speaking on the pending
1-39 question unless the Senate, during the member's absence from the
1-40 floor, has proceeded to business other than the pending question.
1-41 If the Senate has proceeded to business other than the pending
1-42 question during the member's absence, the member shall immediately
1-43 resume the floor when consideration of the pending question recurs.
1-44 If the member is absent from the floor at the time fixed for the
1-45 member to return, or when the pending question recurs, the member
1-46 shall lose the floor.
1-47 * * * * *