A resolution to amend the Standing Rules of the Senate.
Summary
Senate Resolution 20 amends Rule 1.114 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, which governs the enrollment of bills and their presentation to the Governor. The resolution clarifies the Secretary of the Senate’s responsibilities after a Senate bill passes both houses, including enrolling the bill, presenting it to the Governor, and obtaining receipts that verify the exact date and time the bill is delivered to the Executive Office.
The resolution also authorizes the Secretary of the Senate, unless otherwise directed by the Senate, to enroll a Senate bill while the Senate is not in session if no action remains pending on the bill. It further provides that if the only pending action is immediate effect and the Senate has adjourned sine die, immediate effect will not be granted and the bill will instead be enrolled, with notice to the Senate on the next legislative day. In addition, it requires the Secretary to obtain a receipt when a Governor-approved Senate bill is filed with the Secretary of State and to deposit the official printed copy of each Senate bill with the Secretary of State at year’s end.
The resolution also addresses House bills that have passed both chambers and were previously enrolled by the House, allowing the Secretary of the Senate to present those enrolled House bills to the Governor when the House sends them to the Senate for that purpose. Overall, the measure is an internal procedural rule change rather than a substantive policy bill, and it affects Senate administrative practices, bill processing timelines, and recordkeeping obligations.
Because the bill is a rules amendment and there are no recorded committee transcripts or votes provided, the available context suggests little overt controversy. The tone appears procedural and administrative, focused on clarifying and standardizing legislative workflow rather than advancing a policy dispute. Any potential concern would likely center on the Senate’s authority to enroll bills when not in session and the treatment of immediate effect after adjournment sine die, but no specific opposition is documented in the provided materials.
Impact
SR 20 changes the Senate’s internal rules rather than the Michigan Compiled Laws. It affects the duties of the Secretary of the Senate, the timing and handling of enrollment for Senate and certain House bills, the process for presenting enrolled bills to the Governor, and the documentation required for receipts and filings with the Secretary of State. The practical impact is on legislative administration, bill transmission, and official recordkeeping, not on substantive rights or regulated parties outside the legislative process.
Sentiment
The available record suggests a generally neutral to favorable sentiment, with the resolution appearing to be a housekeeping measure intended to clarify Senate procedure. No committee testimony, recorded debate, or vote history is provided, so there is no evidence of organized support or opposition in the supplied materials. The bill’s procedural nature implies that it was likely viewed as an administrative update rather than a controversial policy change.
Contention
The main points of possible contention are procedural: whether the Secretary of the Senate should be allowed to enroll bills while the Senate is not in session, and whether immediate effect should be denied once the Senate has adjourned sine die if that is the only pending action. Another potential issue is the Senate’s role in handling House bills that were already enrolled by the House and then sent to the Senate for gubernatorial presentation. No specific individuals or groups are identified as opposing these provisions in the provided record.