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TO AMEND RULE 5 OF THE RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES BY ADDING RULE 5.21 SO AS TO PROVIDE PROCEDURES ON SECOND READING FOR A BILL OR JOINT RESOLUTION TO BE READ ALOUD TO THE CHAMBER.
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
That Rule 5 of the Rules of the House of Representatives be amended by adding:
"5.21 (A) A member of the House may request that a bill or joint resolution under consideration for second reading be read aloud to the chamber. Provided, further, the bill or joint resolution must be read aloud before receiving a vote on the question of second reading.
(B) The member requesting that a bill or joint resolution be read aloud may withdraw the request and shall ask to be recognized in order to withdraw the request. No other request to read the bill or joint resolution may be entertained by the House. After a bill or joint resolution has been read aloud, any additional requests to read the same bill or joint resolution are out of order.
(C) A member who requests that a bill or joint resolution be read aloud must remain seated in their assigned seat in the House chamber while the bill or joint resolution is read. If the member making the request fails or refuses to remain seated in his assigned seat, the request to have the bill or joint resolution read aloud must be considered withdrawn. The Speaker shall enforce the provisions of this subsection.
(D) The Speaker will accept no motion other than the motion to adjourn while the bill or joint resolution is being read aloud, but the adoption of a motion to adjourn does not dispense with the requirement to comply with a request to read a bill or joint resolution pursuant to this rule."
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