Note from Lt. Gov. Nicholson: Patriots–You wanted more training on parlipro? Here’s some from the best! At the 2012 class, Michael Levens’s exceptional familiarity with parliamentary procedure made him perhaps the most powerful (and certainly the most feared) member on the Floor. Only when his enemies delved as deeply into the Rules as he had were they able to stop him, and even then their triumph lasted a mere 5 minutes. When we asked him, he agreed to share some tips with the rest of the Academy. Take some time over the Thanksgiving holiday to check them out. Come August 2013, you’ll be glad you did!
As you prepare for Patriot Academy (PA), you will want to ensure that you are well-versed in the procedural rules. They can help you craft a flawless bill that can be defeated only on substance rather than an error in form, and even allow you to delay pieces of legislation that you disagree with. These rules are powerful, and when you see how they work, you can use them to your advantage during PA!
First, ensure that you are very comfortable with the rules in the Parliamentary Packet provided on the PA website. This gives you a very good overview of the general rules of decorum and order of business on the floor and in committee. These foundational rules are not the ones you will need to consult to look for points of order on bills, but they will help you to understand the basic flow of the procedural process. It is absolutely essential to know exactly what to say to make a motion, lay out a bill, ask questions, and make amendments both on the house floor and in committee. If you become familiar with the order of business and the key phrases contained within that short packet, you are well on your way to being an effective Representative.
The most helpful (and advanced) portion of the Parliamentary Packet is “Part Four: General Parliamentary Procedure.” This part describes various motions that can be made such as points of privilege, parliamentary inquiries, and, most importantly, points of order. It provides detailed descriptions and the exact wording you should use while making each motion. This supplies an excellent introduction to these very powerful tools of procedure.
After you have familiarized yourself with the rules provided by PA and if you wish to become a real procedural guru, go to https://www.house.state.tx.us/_media/pdf/hrrules.pdf to download the Texas House Rules. These are the actual procedural rules used in the Texas House of Representatives. Upon opening it, do not feel overwhelmed. There are a plethora of rules contained within the Texas House Rules, but many of them are not very pertinent to PA’s realistic, yet very condensed and simplified, version of a legislative session. Pay particular attention to rules 4, 8, 9, 10, and 11. These rules will cover committees, bills, resolutions, and amendments and are the most relevant rules to PA.
Rule 4 covers the role, duties, and functions of committees. You can use this to ensure that your committee is following the appropriate procedure while it is sitting and to make certain that all reports are submitted to the legislative council without errors (pay particular attention to Chapter C). If a rule 4 violation is discovered on the house floor, a point of order can require that bill to be sent back to the committee to have the error corrected. This delay can be deadly to your bill, so make sure that your committee follows these rules carefully!
Rules 8, 9, and 10 cover the rules on bills and resolutions. Remember that any rule listed in the instructional materials provided by PA on writing your bill will trump any conflicting rule within the House Rules! However, these rules are excellent sources to ensure that you have written a piece of legislation that is free of any defects that could cause it to be killed on a point of order (pay particular attention to sections 1 and 3 of rule 8, as well as section 1 of rule 9). A violation under these rules might be a death blow to your bill and require you to actually suspend all rules to submit another copy of your bill/resolution without the error, which is a lot easier said than done!
Last, rule 11 covers the amendment process. Amendments are a great way to build coalitions of support for your bill. You can appease individuals who have concerns about your bill and turn them from tentative supporters to people who will work the floor for you if you consider an amendment for them! Thus, you should avail yourself of this process so long as the proposed amendment doesn’t violate your principles. Rule 11 will help you to make sure that you propose valid amendments. Specifically, you want to make sure that the amendment still falls within the caption of the bill so that it is germane, such that it relates to the original subject-matter of your legislation (see House Precedents 1-3 of section 2). Consequently, it is always wise to have broad captions for your bill so you can add related amendments.
The rules of procedure can help you to become an incredibly effective Representative during your week at PA. It is also wise to consult with the Parliamentarian for guidance on particular rules while you are still getting comfortable with the process, but don’t be shy! Be bold in your week at PA! Immerse yourself in the process and you just might be surprised at how competent and effective you are after just a few days of using the process to your advantage. Once you have mastered these few rules, you will be able to wield the rules of procedure as either a shield in the drafting stage or a sword on the floor and in committee!
