House. Select Committee on Rules Review (HR 17)
Dates
- Existence: 1993
biographical statement
On February 2, 1993 the Pennsylvania House of Representatives adopted House Resolution 17, which established the Select Committee on Rules Review. The responsibility of this committee was to study and report on the rules of the House of Representatives. The members of the committee included Jeffery Coy (chairman), Ivan Itkin, Thomas Corrigan St., Frank Dermody, Robert Freeman, Anthony Williams, Matthew Ryan, Roy Cornell, J. Scot Chadwick, George Kenney Jr. and Kenneth Lee.
The group addressed the issue of legislative expenses and procedural rules in place on the House floor. One of the main concerns of House members was that they were not given enough advance notice to prepare for bills being considered by the entire House. The committee recommended comprehensive changes in the way in which members were made aware of proposed actions on the floor. These recommendations included making the daily calendar available to all members of the House, instituting a policy of twenty-four hour notice prior to a vote on final passage for legislation with no legal deadline, and increasing the amount of time that members were given to digest and consider amendments proposed on the floor before voting on them, among other things. They also reaffirmed the present rules of the House, recognizing that there were rules in place that the House should be using, but were not. Financially, the committee addressed the issues of per diems, transportation costs, office equipment and lease payments. They also encouraged the Bipartisan Management Committee to review other ways in which the House could run in a more effective and cost-efficient manner.