A152 Resolution Submission Deadline in House of Deputies Rules of Order
Resolved, the House of Deputies amends Rule VII.E of its Rules of Order and replaces it as follows:
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E. Resolution or Memorial Submission Deadlines. No resolution or memorial may be submitted after 90 days before the first legislative day, unless:
1. Twenty deputies submit a petition to the Secretary before the first legislative day to consider the resolution as a late resolution;
2. A legislative committee votes to submit as a late resolution by a two-thirds vote;
3.Submitted by a Diocese or Province before the first legislative day;
4. The House votes by a simple majority to accept the resolution;
5. the President of the House of Deputies proposes it;
6. it is a Resolution of privilege or courtesy;
7. it is a message from the House of Bishops; or
8. it is a special order of business.
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E. Submission Deadline. No Resolution or Memorial may be first submitted to the House after the end of the second legislative day, unless it is:
1. a Resolution of privilege or courtesy;
2. proposed by a House of Deputies Legislative Committee;
3. proposed by the President of the House of Deputies;
4. a Message from the House of Bishops; or
5. voted on by the House to consider it.
E. Resolution or Memorial Submission Deadlines. No resolution or memorial may be submitted after 90 days before the first legislative day, unless:
1. Twenty deputies submit a petition to the Secretary before the first legislative day to consider the resolution as a late resolution;
2. A legislative committee votes to submit as a late resolution by a two-thirds vote;
3. Submitted by a Diocese or Province before the first legislative day;
4. The House votes by a simple majority to accept the resolution;
5. the President of the House of Deputies proposes it;
6. it is a Resolution of privilege or courtesy;
7. it is a message from the House of Bishops; or
8. it is a special order of business.
Explanation
This is not a strict resolution deadline, rather it is a deadline deputy to submit resolutions with minimal support from other deputies and introduces additional steps after the 90-day deadline. Deputes, committees, and the House all retain their ability to consider resolutions submitted after the earlier deadline through a variety of mechanisms. It also ensures that resolutions that are submitted after the 90 day date have been vetted with a larger group of people before being submitted for the committee and House to consider under a tighter timeframe.
By encouraging resolutions to be submitted early, Legislative Committees can begin their work before the General Convention and conduct hearings while making recommendations, this modification ensures that resolutions are thoroughly reviewed within the committees and stakeholders. Under the old system, with no encouragement in the rules, resolutions could be filed and have as little as 6-8 hours of review before the hearing was conducted and the committee voted upon the resolution. In a time-limited convention, with deputies focused on other committees and tasks – there was minimal time to review and consider resolutions unless you were an experienced deputy. Tracking new resolutions, existing resolutions, committee work, floor debates, and other events is difficult.
This approach grants committees time to carefully assess each resolution and fosters a more thoughtful and well-informed discernment process. By the ability to publish the resolutions, promoting transparency and encouraging full participation across the wider church in the legislative process. By making resolutions accessible to all stakeholders, we facilitate greater engagement and input from various voices within the church, enriching the quality of the discussions and ultimately leading to more inclusive and representative outcomes once we arrive at Convention. It also facilitates more accurate translation.
Committees retain the ability to propose legislation both before and after the deadline. Committees also retain the ability to adopt a substitute or a consolidated substitute—which should be a significant focus of their work. That means that if the committee wishes to rewrite one or multiple resolutions in their entirety, they can continue to do so after the deadline and it avoids adding more resolutions to the system to track.