Proposes an amendment to House Rule 40 to prohibit the consumption of tobacco and alcohol in the House chamber or gallery while the House is in session.
Summary
House Resolution 3 proposes an amendment to Rule 40 of the Idaho House of Representatives rules governing session decorum. The resolution would expressly prohibit smoking, vaping, and the use of any other tobacco products, as well as the consumption of food and alcoholic beverages, in the House chamber or gallery while the House is in session. It also retains the existing requirement that persons in the chamber wear proper attire to maintain the decorum of the House.
The measure is a procedural rule change rather than a change to the Idaho Code. If adopted, it would affect the internal rules of the House of Representatives and the conduct of members, staff, and visitors in the chamber and gallery during floor sessions. It does not create criminal penalties or regulate conduct outside the legislative chamber; instead, it formalizes and clarifies standards for behavior in the House during session.
Impact
HR003 would amend the House of Representatives’ internal rules, specifically Rule 40 on session decorum, to ban tobacco use, vaping, food, and alcoholic beverages in the chamber or gallery while the House is in session. Because it is a chamber rule resolution, its effect is limited to legislative procedure and does not amend state statutes or broader public law. The practical impact would be on legislators, staff, and the public admitted to the chamber, who would be subject to the updated decorum standards.
Sentiment
The available context suggests the resolution is routine and largely procedural, with no recorded committee debate or vote history indicating significant opposition or controversy. The bill caption frames it as a housekeeping measure to clarify chamber conduct, which typically signals neutral or supportive sentiment among House members. No dissenting viewpoints are documented in the provided materials.
Contention
No specific points of contention are reflected in the provided transcripts or voting record, and no committee discussion is available. The only potentially sensitive elements are the restrictions on tobacco, vaping, food, and alcohol in the chamber, which could be viewed as limiting personal conduct, but there is no evidence in the record of organized opposition or debate over those provisions. The resolution also preserves the House’s authority to enforce decorum through its own rules.