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SR 594

SENATE RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE RULES OF THE SENATE FOR YEARS 2025-2026

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Mark McKenney

SR 594 adopts the Rhode Island Senate's internal rules for 2025-2026, guiding procedure, decorum, committee referrals, voting, and proxy rules for the chamber.

03/13/2025 Senate read and passed
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Bill Summary · SR 594

Summary — SR 594: Senate Resolution Adopting the Rules of the Senate for Years 2025–2026

Bill number: SR 594
Title: Senate Resolution Adopting the Rules of the Senate for Years 2025–2026
Classification: Resolution (internal rules)
Introduced by: Sen. Mark P. McKenney
Introduced: Feb 28, 2025
Status: Senate read and passed Mar 13, 2025; read & adopted and reported enrolled May 31, 2025

Purpose

SR 594 adopts the Senate’s internal rules governing procedure, decorum, committee referral, voting, officer duties and other day‑to‑day operations of the Rhode Island Senate for the 2025–2026 legislative period. It is a chamber governance resolution (not a public law) that defines how the Senate conducts its business.

Key provisions (selected)

  • Definitions: Establishes terms used throughout the rules, including “bill,” “calendar day,” “legislative day,” “president,” “president pro tempore,” “deputy president pro tempore,” “prime sponsor,” “public bill,” “reading clerk,” “secretary of the senate,” “limited‑directed proxy,” and the meaning of “vote/majority vote.”
  • Presiding officer:
    • The President of the Senate is the presiding officer (elected by roll call in odd‑numbered years or upon vacancy).
    • In the President’s absence the President Pro Tempore (or Deputy President Pro Tempore) presides. Temporary appointments to preside may not exceed the legislative day.
    • The presiding officer preserves order, rules on points of order without debate, declares votes, and (subject to Rule 4.4) assigns bills to committees (assignment authority may be delegated to the Majority Leader).
    • Procedure to appeal the presiding officer’s ruling: any senator may appeal immediately; appeal is decided by majority vote without debate.
  • Floor procedure and order of business:
    • Quorum: majority of elected members; attendance recorded by electronic roll call.
    • Daily order of business is specified (e.g., communications, committee reports, introduction of business, unfinished business, consent calendar, calendar, personal privilege, adjournment).
    • Reading of the prior day’s journal by the reading clerk, unless dispensed with by majority.
  • Administrative offices and duties:
    • Duties of the Reading Clerk and Secretary of the Senate are set out (reading/dating bills, recording journal, referring bills to committees, maintaining calendars, transmitting documents to the Governor).
  • Proxy voting: recognizes “limited‑directed proxy” (a single‑vote proxy mechanism) and references rule 8.13 for details.
  • The resolution comprises multiple additional procedural rules (full text spans ~31 pages).

Who is affected

  • Directly: Rhode Island state senators, Senate officers (President, Pro Tempore, Reading Clerk, Secretary), committee chairs and staff.
  • Indirectly: legislative staff, lobbyists, petitioners, and others who interact with Senate procedures.

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Legislative action timeline (highlights):
    • Introduced: 02/28/2025 (referred to Senate Rules, Government Ethics & Oversight)
    • Committee hearing/consideration scheduled: 03/03/2025; committee initially held the measure for further study (03/03)
    • Committee recommended passage: 03/06/2025; placed on calendar for 03/13/2025
    • Senate read and passed: 03/13/2025
    • Received by Secretary of the Senate: 05/26/2025
    • Read & adopted / Vote recorded / Reported enrolled: 05/31/2025

Notes / implications

  • As a chamber rules resolution, SR 594 governs internal Senate operations rather than imposing obligations on the public or creating statutory law.
  • The resolution’s provisions (e.g., delegation of committee assignments, proxy voting rules, appeal procedures) shape legislative workflow, floor debate, and institutional authority during the 2025–2026 session.

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

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