Debate

§ 3. Debate. a. Debate shall only be in order when it is germane to\nthe question under discussion.\n b. If the question in debate contains several points, a Senator may\nhave the same divided, provided the division called for embodies a\ndistinct principle or statement of fact.\n c. When any bill, resolution or motion is under consideration and it\nappears that no Senator desires to be heard further, the Presiding\nOfficer shall put the question: "Does any Senator desire to be heard\nfurther?" If no Senator shall rise to debate, the Presiding Officer\nshall declare the debate closed; except that thereafter the Conference\nLeaders may speak once, or may yield the floor to any Senator who may\nspeak once, and may be followed by the Temporary President who may also\nspeak once, or may yield the floor to any Senator who may speak once.\nThe main question shall then be put immediately.\n d. Debate on motions or resolutions other than concurrent resolutions\nshall be limited to one and one-half hours with one-half hour allocated\nto each conference. Debate upon any bill or concurrent resolution shall\nbe limited to four hours, which shall include sufficient time for all\nSenators to explain their votes. No single Senator shall debate any bill\nor concurrent resolution for more than thirty minutes. When any bill or\nconcurrent resolution shall have been under consideration for two hours,\nincluding all amendments thereto, it shall be in order for any Senator\nto move to close debate, and the Presiding Officer shall recognize the\nSenator who wishes to make such motion. Such motion to close debate\nshall not be amendable or debatable and shall be immediately put, and if\nit shall receive the affirmative vote of a majority of the Senators\npresent, the pending measure shall take precedence over all other\nbusiness.\n e. The vote shall thereupon be taken upon such bill, resolution or\nmotion with such amendments as may be pending at the time of such\nmotion, according to the Rules of the Senate, but without further\ndebate, except that upon the roll call the sponsor of a bill before the\nhouse may speak, not to exceed five minutes, in explanation of his or\nher vote, and any Senator, including co-sponsors of the bill before the\nhouse, may speak not to exceed two minutes in explanation of his or her\nvote. After such motion to close debate has been made by any Senator, no\nother motion shall be in order until such motion has been voted upon by\nthe Senate.\n f. After the Senate shall have adopted the motion to close debate, as\nhereinbefore provided, no motion shall be in order but one motion to\nadjourn or for a call of the Senate by the Temporary President, and a\nmotion to commit. Should said motion to adjourn be carried, the measure\nunder consideration shall be the pending question when the Senate shall\nagain convene, and shall be taken up at the point where it was at the\ntime of such adjournment. The motion to close debate may be ordered upon\na single motion, a series of motions allowable under the rules, or an\namendment or amendments, or may be made to embrace all authorized\nmotions or amendments, and include the bill, resolution or motion to its\npassage or rejection. All incidental questions of order, or motions\npending at the time such motion is made to close debate, whether the\nsame be on appeal or otherwise, shall be decided without debate.\n