Amend HR 4 as follows:
(1) Beginning on page 51, line 6, strike all text through page 52, line 11, and substitute the following:
Sec. 2. DETERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP. (a) Membership on the standing committees shall be determined at the beginning of each regular session in the following manner:
(1) For each standing substantive committee, a maximum of one-half of the membership, exclusive of the chair and vice-chair, shall be determined by seniority. The remaining membership of the committee shall be appointed by the speaker.
(2) Each member of the house, in order of seniority, may select a committee [designate three committees] on which the member [he or she] desires to serve as provided under Subdivision (2-a) [, listed in order of preference]. The member is entitled to become a member of the committee of the member's [his or her highest] preference on which there remains a vacant seniority position.
(2-a) The house shall designate by resolution a day not later than the 15th calendar day of each regular session for the seniority selection of committee seats. On the appointed day, the speaker shall first announce the speaker's appointments to the chairmanships of the Committees on Appropriations and State Affairs. The chief clerk shall then call each member in seniority order and the speaker shall recognize each member who desires to select a seat on a substantive committee by seniority. Each member recognized for this purpose shall immediately advance to the front microphone and make the member's selection by declaring the same to the chief clerk, who shall record the selection. The member may not select a committee for which there are no vacant seniority positions. The speaker shall announce when all seniority positions on a committee have been claimed.
(3) [If members of equal seniority request the same committee, the speaker shall appoint the member from among those requesting that committee.] Seniority, as the term is used in this subsection, means [shall mean] a member's numerical standing in rank based on years of cumulative service as a member of the house of representatives as determined under this subsection. A member's seniority is computed beginning on the official date that a member first begins service by taking the oath of office. For members who will take the oath of office on the same date, seniority is determined by lot drawn under the direction of the Committee of House Administration on or before the beginning of the regular session at which the members will take the oath of office for the first time.
(4) After each member of the house has selected one committee on the basis of seniority under Subdivision (2-a), the remaining membership on each standing committee shall be filled by appointment of the speaker, subject to the limitations imposed in this chapter.
(5) Seniority does [shall] not apply to a procedural committee. For purposes of these rules, the procedural committees are the Committee on Calendars, the Committee on Local and Consent Calendars, the Committee on Rules and Resolutions, the General Investigating and Ethics Committee, the Committee on House Administration, and the Committee on Redistricting. The entire membership of these committees shall be appointed by the speaker.
(6) Subdivision (2-a) does not apply to committee appointments by [In announcing the membership of committees,]the speaker because of the death or resignation of a member after [shall designate those appointed by the speaker and those acquiring membership by] seniority selections are made.
(7)] The speaker shall designate the chair and vice-chair from the total membership of the committee.
(2) Beginning on page 7, line 25, strike all text through page 8, line 3, and substitute the following:
[(b)
If members of equal seniority request the same committee, the speaker shall decide which among them shall be assigned to that committee.
(c)
In announcing the membership of the standing substantive committees, the speaker shall designate which are appointees and which acquire membership by seniority.]
(3) On page 13, strike line 24 and substitute "showing the numerical standing in rank and number of years of service of each member, as provided".