A . The recording of official state House of Delegates business meetings by any electronic device is strictly prohibited without the express approval of the TSTA President or Executive Director.
B . Any rule herein provided may be suspended by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present and voting.
C . The order of business may be suspended by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the delegates present and voting.
D . All voting delegates who have been properly certified to the state House of Delegates shall wear the proper identification badges visible on the front at all times during the state House of Delegates.
E . Only certified voting delegates have permanent floor privileges for the duration of the state House of Delegates. Staff may be on the floor only when conducting official state House of Delegates business. No other person may be on the floor unless at the direction or invitation of the TSTA President or Executive Director.
F . All main motions and amendments shall be in writing, signed by the maker and seconder, and sent to the Chair before recognition is sought to offer the motion. If a delegate is recognized to make a motion and that motion has not been submitted in writing before such recognition, then that delegate shall lose recognition and will have to seek recognition again after submitting the motion in writing.
G . Objection to the consideration of a motion shall only be in order immediately after the maker of the motion or NBI has had the opportunity to speak to it.
H . Any delegate wishing to speak must rise, address the Chair, and give name, local association, region, and whether speaking as an individual or for a group before being assigned the floor.
I . No more than two (2) delegates will be recognized for requests for information prior to debate on any given motion and amendment. Further points of information will be recognized in the regular speaking order.
J . No delegate shall speak in debate more than twice to the same question during the same meeting, nor longer than three (3) minutes at one time.
K . A delegate shall not speak for or against a motion and move to close debate on the same recognition.
L . Calling the Previous Question shall require approval by two-thirds (2/3) of the delegates present and voting.
M . A counted vote shall be taken only after approval, by a standing vote, of a majority of the delegates present. The doors shall be closed while a count is being taken under the charge of the Credentials, Bylaws, and Elections Committee.
N . All new business items and legislative amendments shall be previously submitted/filed no later than 21 days prior to the House of Delegates. The maker of any submitted NBI or Legislative Amendment that will be ruled out of order as written shall be notified at least 10 days before the beginning of the second business session and be allowed to move a modified NBI or Legislative Amendment.
O . When the Chair of the Legislative Committee presents the Legislative Program, it shall include a motion to adopt that program. That motion shall remain pending while any amendments dealing with the Legislative Program are considered. All such amendments shall be written in a Legislative Program Amendment Form and shall be declared out of order if not written in the form of an amendment to the Legislative Program.
P . New business items (NBIs) and Legislative Amendments (LAs) coming before the House of Delegates shall be considered in the order received.
Q . The order of business shall provide one hour for consideration of new business items at the second business session and at least one hour for consideration of new business items at the start of the third business session.
R . New business items (NBIs) adopted by the state House of Delegates shall be assigned to an appropriate TSTA committee or TSTA center by the Executive Director and President. It shall be the responsibility of committees or centers to carry out directions of the state House of Delegates’ adopted new business items until achieved or changed by a subsequent state House of Delegates action.
S . A committee chairperson and/or designee and the Executive Director and President shall report to succeeding Houses of Delegates action taken to achieve the purposes of the new business items referred as provided in Item R. above.
T . Smoking shall not be permitted on the floor of the House of Delegates.
U . Cell phones shall be in silent mode during all business sessions.
These Standing Rules are subject to amendment from the floor before adoption. Amendments are approved by simple majority vote, and final adoption as amended by two-thirds (2/3) vote.