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SR 8603

Adopting the permanent rules of the Senate.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Marcus Riccelli and 1 co-sponsor

Adopts permanent 2025 Senate rules, codifying 2023-24 amendments to govern procedures, committees, bills, and remote operations for the 69th Legislature.

Adopted.
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Bill Summary · SR 8603

Summary: Senate Resolution SR 8603 – Adopting the Permanent Rules of the Senate (2025)

Overview

  • Bill/Resolution: SR 8603 (Substitute Resolution)
  • Sponsor: Senators Riccelli and Short
  • Purpose: Adopt as permanent the Senate Rules for the 2025 Regular Session (69th Legislature), as amended in prior sessions (2023 and 2024), to govern the 2025 session.
  • Status: Adopted (January 13, 2025)
  • Type: Resolution (permanent rules package for the Senate)

Purpose and Effect

SR 8603 codifies the Senate’s permanent rules for the 2025 session, incorporating amendments made in the 2023 and 2024 sessions. It establishes the organizational structure, operating procedures, parliamentary practices, committee framework, and bill/resolution handling rules that govern the Senate’s proceedings, proceedings in remote formats, and related administrative functions.

Key Provisions and Changes

I. Officers, Members, and Employees

  • Defines duties of the President, President Pro Tempore, Secretary of the Senate, Sergeant at Arms, and other officers and employees.
  • Outlines the President’s authority to maintain order, supervise officers, announce business, and issue signatures (including electronic signatures when operating remotely).
  • Provides for the appointment and confirmation of committees; if confirmation is refused, committees may be elected by the Senate.

II. Operations and Management

  • Regulates facilities, operations, use of Senate chambers, and admission policies.
  • Addresses security management and interactions with staff and the public.

III. Rules and Order / Parliamentary Procedure

  • Sets rules for time of convening, quorum, order of business, special orders, unfinished business, and precedence of motions.
  • Establishes voting procedures, announcement of votes, and call of the Senate.
  • Includes rules on one-subject bills, title references, and comparison of enrolled/engrossed bills.

IV. Rules of Debate and Procedures

  • Details rules of debate, points of order, privileges, protests, suspension of rules, and reconsideration.
  • Specifies passage procedures (yeas/nays) and related parliamentary rules.

V. Committees

  • Addresses committee appointment/confirmation, subcommittees, subpoena power, duties, rules, and meetings.
  • Governs recall of bills from committees and rules governing the Rules Committee.
  • Includes provisions on committee-related processes for appropriations/budget bills.

VI. Bills, Resolutions, Memorials, and Gubernatorial Appointments

  • Defines definitions, prefiling, introduction, amendments, and readings of bills.
  • Regulates joint resolutions, memorials, concurrent resolutions, and reference rules.
  • Covers emergency resolutions and gubernatorial appointments.

Affected Parties

  • Members of the Washington State Senate (or equivalent state body, as applicable)
  • Senate staff, including the Secretary, Sergeant at Arms, and security personnel
  • Lobbyists and the public interacting with the Senate (via facilities and remote formats)
  • Holdover and new members who may prefile bills

Procedural/Timelines

  • Effective: Upon adoption for the 2025 regular session (permanent rules).
  • Prefiling windows and administrative preparations are anchored to the terms described (e.g., prefiling beginning the first Monday in December before regular sessions or 20 days prior to special sessions).

Implementation Notes

  • The resolution consolidates and formalizes the Senate’s operating rules, ensuring a consistent procedural framework for the 69th Legislature, including remote operations and signature authority.
  • Provides clarity on committee governance, bill processing, and parliamentary procedures to guide floor actions and administrative functions.

If you’d like, I can highlight specific sections relevant to a particular stakeholder (e.g., a member, staffer, or lobbyist) or compare notable changes to prior rule sets.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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