Article 3. Legislative Rules And Procedures of California Government Code >> Division 2. >> Title 2. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 8. >> Article 3.

Rules Each house of the Legislature shall adopt rules for its proceedings for each regular and special session by resolution adopted by an affirmative recorded vote of two thirds of the membership of the house in question. No rule of either the Senate or Assembly shall be amended except by resolution adopted by an affirmative recorded vote of two thirds of the Members of that house. Any standing rule of either house may be suspended temporarily by a vote of two thirds of the Members of that house present and voting; provided, that in no case may a rule be suspended in the absence of a quorum. Any such temporary suspension shall apply only to the matter under immediate consideration, and in no case shall it extend beyond an adjournment.

Joint Rules The Senate and Assembly shall adopt rules for their joint proceedings for each regular and special session by resolution adopted by an affirmative recorded vote of two thirds of the membership of each house. No joint rule so adopted may be amended except by resolution adopted by an affirmative recorded vote of two thirds of the membership of each house. The Senate and Assembly may provide for temporary suspension of a joint rule by a single house upon the affirmative recorded vote of two thirds of the members of that house; provided, that the temporary suspension shall apply only to the matter under immediate consideration, and in no case shall it extend beyond an adjournment.

Standing committees All standing committees of both the Senate and the Assembly, except the Senate Committee on Rules and the Assembly Committee on Rules, shall be created and the size and jurisdiction thereof established through the adoption of or amendment to the rules of the respective houses by resolution, two thirds of the membership of the house in question concurring. Committee membership shall be determined in the following manner:
  (a). The membership of each committee shall be proportional to the partisan composition of the house in question.
  (b). Majority party members of each committee shall be selected by the majority party in a manner to be determined by the party caucus in each house.
  (c). Minority party members of each committee shall be selected by the minority party or parties, in a manner to be determined by the party caucus or caucuses in each house.
  (d). The Assembly Committee on Rules and the Senate Committee on Rules shall provide for the necessary and reasonable expenses of all committees of their respective houses pursuant to the provisions of Sections 9912 and 9916.
  (e) The majority party in each house shall be that party with the largest number of Members in that house. Each other party with membership in the house shall be a minority party.

Special and select committees; subcommittees No special or select committees nor any subcommittee shall be established in either the Senate or the Assembly except by affirmative vote of two thirds of the Committee on Rules of the house in question. Membership of special or select committees or subcommittees shall be determined according to the provisions of Section 9922. For purposes of this title, "special" and "select" committees or subcommittees include all committees or subcommittees which are not standing committees of either house or joint committees of the two houses.

Joint committees No joint committee shall be established except by passage of concurrent resolution, two thirds of the membership of each house concurring. The membership of each joint committee shall be allocated equally between the Senate and the Assembly, and the delegation from each house shall be chosen pursuant to the procedures set forth in Section 9922.

Member voting Each house of the Legislature shall provide in its rules for appropriate voting procedures on the floor and in committees or subcommittees; provided, that no Member shall be allowed to cast a vote for another Member, nor shall any Member be allowed to change his or her vote or add a vote to the roll after the vote is announced, without the consent of four fifths of the membership of the house, nor shall any vote be taken in any committee or subcommittee of either house in the absence of a quorum, except a vote to adjourn.