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SC 520

Joint Rules; amend to allow cosponsorship of bills, joint resolutions and concurrent resolutions originating in other house.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Briggs Hopson

SC 520 would amend Joint Rules to allow cross-chamber cosponsorship: senators may cosponsor house-originated bills, and representatives may cosponsor senate-originated measures.

Died In Committee
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Bill Summary · SC 520

SC 520 — Joint Rules; allow cosponsorship of measures originating in the other house

Overview

SC 520 is a concurrent resolution proposed to amend the Joint Rules of the legislature to permit cosponsorship of bills, joint resolutions, and concurrent resolutions that originate in the other chamber. The bill aims to formalize cross-chamber support by allowing members to cosponsor measures regardless of whether the measure originated in their own house or the other house.

  • Bill Number: SC 520
  • Title: Joint Rules; amend to allow cosponsorship of bills, joint resolutions and concurrent resolutions originating in other house
  • Classification: Concurrent resolution
  • Subject: Rules
  • Introduced: January 20, 2025
  • Status: Died In Committee
  • Legislative Actions:
    • 2025-01-20: Referred To Rules
    • 2025-04-03: Died In Committee

Purpose and Rationale

  • Main aim: Change Joint Rules to permit cosponsorship of measures by members from the opposite chamber, i.e., a senator may cosponsor a house-originated bill and a representative may cosponsor a senate-originated measure.
  • Rationale (implied): Improve cross-chamber collaboration, signal broader support for measures, and potentially streamline bicameral engagement by recognizing cross-chamber sponsorship in the formal cosponsorship process.

Key Provisions (illustrative)

  • Amend Joint Rules to authorize cosponsorship across chambers for:
    • Bills
    • Joint resolutions
    • Concurrent resolutions
  • Scope: Applies to measures originating in the other chamber; cosponsors would be members from the non-originating chamber.
  • Rules implementation: Each chamber would need to adopt the necessary modifications to its Joint Rules to implement cross-chamber cosponsorship, including record-keeping and procedural handling.
  • Relationship to origin: The measure’s origination remains with the chamber of origin; cross-chamber cosponsorship does not change sponsorship requirements but expands who may cosponsor.

Who is Affected

  • Members of both chambers (senators and representatives): able to cosponsor across chambers.
  • Legislative staff and processing desks: adjust to track cross-chamber cosponsors and reflect them in official records.
  • Committees: may see changes in how cosponsorship is reported, though committee referrals and substantive consideration processes remain unchanged unless modified separately.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Introduction and referral: Introduced January 20, 2025; referred to Rules.
  • Consideration: Died in Committee on April 3, 2025, meaning the measure did not proceed to the floor for debate or vote.
  • Next steps (if revived): To become law, the Joint Rules amendment would require approval by both chambers’ rules processes and adoption as part of each chamber’s adopted Joint Rules.

Potential Impact and Considerations

  • Positive implications:
    • Enhanced bipartisanship signals by allowing cross-chamber sponsorship.
    • Potentially greater visibility and support for measures that have broad appeal.
    • Could facilitate more collaborative bicameral positioning on issues.
  • Potential challenges:
    • Administrative adjustments to record-keeping and public transparency.
    • Clarification required on whether cross-chamber cosponsorship affects priority or procedural timelines.
  • Fiscal/administrative impact: Likely minimal; primarily a procedural change with limited budgetary effect.

Summary

SC 520 seeks to open cosponsorship across chambers for measures originating in the other house by amending the Joint Rules. While introduced and referred to Rules, it died in Committee on April 3, 2025, leaving it without floor action. If revived, it would require adoption of corresponding rule changes in both chambers to become effective.

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

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