HJR019 is a joint rules resolution that changes the Legislature’s internal rules for how members request bill drafting. It caps the number of requests for legislation that a senator may file at 10 and a representative may file at 6, while creating exceptions for certain committee-chair requests, appropriation-only requests, requests that only repeal existing statute, and revisor’s statute requests. The resolution also clarifies timing rules for when legislators, legislators-elect, and appointed legislators may file requests, and it sets procedures for what happens if a sponsor leaves office, dies, or cannot continue sponsoring a request.
The resolution further limits late-session requests by generally prohibiting new requests after noon on the 11th day of the annual general session unless the House or Senate approves a motion by constitutional majority. It requires public posting of request titles and sponsors on the Legislature’s website, bars revival of abandoned requests, and directs members seeking funding without a statutory change to use the separate appropriation-request process. The measure takes effect May 6, 2026.
Impact
Because HJR019 amends Joint Rule JR4-2-101, it affects legislative procedure rather than substantive state law. It would change how many requests for legislation individual lawmakers may submit, when those requests may be filed, how sponsorship transfers are handled, and how certain requests are categorized and publicly disclosed. It also reinforces the distinction between legislation requests and appropriation requests under JR3-2-701, which may reduce the use of bill requests for funding-only proposals.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests the measure was not controversial in committee, with a 6-0 House committee vote and no recorded dissent in the provided materials. The bill was held in House committee and later filed, indicating it advanced procedurally but did not yet receive final floor action in the available record. No committee transcript is provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate, but the unanimous committee vote points to generally favorable or at least non-oppositional sentiment.
Contention
The main potential points of contention are the new caps on bill requests and the restrictions on late-session filings, which could be viewed as limiting individual member prerogatives and reducing flexibility for lawmakers to respond to emerging issues. Another possible issue is the exception structure, especially the special treatment of committee chairs, appropriation-only requests, and post-election sponsorship rules, which may raise questions about fairness and workload distribution. The bill also imposes procedural consequences when a legislator leaves office or dies, shifting responsibility to leadership or the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel to manage abandoned requests.