Summary of SR108 (2026rs) – Amending the Senate Rules
SR108, introduced by Senator Orr and referred to the Senate Rules Committee, seeks comprehensive amendments to multiple Senate Rules. The proposed changes cover leadership roles, floor access, bill handling, committee structure, ethics oversight, and related procedural processes.
1) Purpose and intent
- Modernize and reorganize Senate leadership powers, committee assignments, and operational rules.
- Clarify and expand floor access and presence rules for non-members and staff.
- reorganize committee structure, including new ethics and conduct oversight mechanisms.
- Establish clearer processes for bill recommittal, amendments, and floor procedures.
- Create a formal Senate Ethics and Conduct Committee to handle misconduct complaints.
2) Key provisions and changes
Rule 1 – Presiding Officers and succession
- Outlines who presides when the President of the Senate is absent (President Pro Tempore first; then Senate Majority Leader; then Chairperson of the committee named in Rule 48, if needed).
- Specifies protocols for opening ceremonies (prayer, Pledge).
Rule 4 – Floor access and privileges
- Limits floor access to: current/former legislators, certain former officials, registered lobbyists, officers/employees of both houses, up to specific staff of the President of the Senate and President Pro Tem, Governor and staff, press, and certain Legislative Services Agency personnel.
- Floor admissions managed by the Secretary of the Senate; non-members must not impede Senate business.
- On the first legislative day of any session, families of members may be on the floor for that day only, with enforcement by the Secretary of the Senate.
Rule 11 – Bill recommittal and timing
- Limits certain types of bill introduction late in Regular Sessions (no non-local bills after the 24th legislative day, unless special handling).
- Establishes recommittal flows: both Senate and House bills may be recommitted; initial referral restrictions apply before a second reading.
Rule 18 – Debate motions and floor procedure
- Sets a defined precedence for motions (e.g., adjourn, recess, table, recommit, substitute, amend) in debates.
- Clarifies that some motions (e.g., carry over) require unanimous consent.
- Final passage considerations: committee amendments/substitutes must be addressed before floor amendments; read-aloud requirements for floor amendments; committee amendments need not be read aloud.
- Rules on carry-over to the call of the chair and related timing.
Rule 33 – Reading at length and final passage
- Final passage wording must be used for three-reading bills.
- Allows a member to request reading at length; such reading requires unanimous consent to suspend.
- After reading at length, amendments are generally limited to suspension of the rules; recommitment may occur.
Rule 47 – Leadership roles and assignments
- The Senate President Pro Tempore may designate the Majority Leader to perform duties in the Pro Tempore’s absence, except for signing.
- The Pro Tempore serves as an additional voting member on all Standing Committees, with potential substitutions allowed in writing for a term of at least one year.
- Establishes a Senate Committee on Assignments (composition: President Pro Tempore, Presiding Officer, Senate Majority Leader, plus 3–4 additional members) to appoint chairs, vice chairs, and committee memberships, aiming to reflect diversity and adjust membership as needed by majority vote of the Committee.
Rule 48 – Standing committees and structure
- Reaffirms the number and naming of standing committees and their duties.
- Specifies committee chair authority to appoint subcommittees; subcommittee reports must be reviewed by the full standing committee.
- Introduces roles such as Ranking Minority Member on each committee and subcommittee, with selection rules based on seniority within the minority party.
- Details formal committee meeting requirements and formal notification for meetings.
- Enumerates the list of standing committees and their maximum membership counts (varied by committee; ranges typically from 9 to 16).
Key standing committees include: Rules, Finance and Taxation (Education and General Fund subcommittees), Confirmations, Judiciary, State Governmental Affairs, County and Municipal Government, Education Policy, Agriculture/Conservation/Forestry, Banking and Insurance, Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development, Transportation and Energy, Healthcare, Children and Youth Health, Tourism, Veterans/Public Safety, Economic Expansion and Trade, plus Local Legislation committees for Jefferson, Mobile, Madison, Shelby, and a general Local Legislation committee.
Rule 48 – Ethics and Conduct Committee (new)
- Creates a Senate Ethics and Conduct Committee (five members; one from the minority party).
- Outlines selection by district call, terms, and voting process for selecting members.
- Establishes chair and vice chair from among the committee.
- Provides procedures if a member is accused, including confidentiality, due process, executive session hearings, and potential sanctions (warning, censure, removal from assignments, floor recognition restrictions, suspension, expulsion, referral to Ethics Commission or Attorney General).
- Defines misconduct broadly (legal wrongs impairing duties, violations of Senate Rules, sexual harassment, ethics law violations, constitutional violations, and false or reckless complaints).
- Sets complaint filing requirements, timelines, notification, response rights, due process, and the confidential nature of proceedings.
Other procedural alignment (Section C and D)
- Ensures chairs of finance-related committees (Education vs. General Fund) carry over certain leadership responsibilities.
- Aligns chairperson replacement and substitute authority with the Committee on Assignments when necessary.
3) Who or what would be affected
- Senators and legislative leadership (President, President Pro Tempore, Senate Majority Leader) via changes to presiding duties and committee leadership.
- Senate committees and subcommittees, including their composition, chair/vice chair appointments, and the expansion of an Ethics and Conduct oversight process.
- Floor access policies affecting non-members and staff presence on the Senate floor.
- Procedures for introducing, recommitting, amending, and finalizing bills, including timing restrictions and reading requirements.
- Ethics and conduct processes for addressing misconduct by Senators, including confidential handling and potential disciplinary actions.
4) Procedural and timeline aspects
- Introduction/First Reading: SR108 was introduced and referred to Rules; first reading occurred on 02-Apr-2026.
- Scheduling and action: The bill references the 24th legislative day as a cutoff for certain bill introductions; operations around carry-over, call of the chair, and reading at length are defined.
- Ethics committee creation: Establishes a quadrennial (four-year) term for Ethics and Conduct Committee members, with a minority party member included and a detailed election process by district.
- Budget and staffing: Distinct budget allocations for the Senate Majority Leader and the Senate Minority Leader; potential changes to staff appointment and compensation are implied by new leadership and committee structures.
Note: The bill’s action history shows reporting from Rules, adoption orders, and passage processes in late March/early April 2026, with provisions already moving through committee and floor considerations.
