Order and decorum

§ 4. Order and decorum. a. Prior to the order of business, the\npresiding officer shall ask those in the chamber to rise and pledge\nallegiance to the flag. Those in attendance shall remain standing during\nthe daily invocation and until asked to take their seats by the\npresiding officer. Senators shall not interrupt the business of the\nSenate, or read any newspaper while the journals or public papers are\nbeing read; or walk out of or across the Chamber when the Presiding\nOfficer is putting a question; or when a Senator is speaking, pass\nbetween him or her and the Chair. Cellular telephones and audible pagers\nshall not be used in the Chamber or in the Senate Galleries. No sign,\nplacard or prop shall be displayed, posted or carried in the Chamber.\nCellular telephones shall not be used in the lobby by members of the\ngeneral public. No person shall be introduced by a Senator during the\nregular business of the Senate, except that it shall be permissible to\nintroduce a person who has served as a member of the New York State\nLegislature or a person who is present in the Chamber for the purpose of\nnomination to an office to be confirmed by the Senate. On the nomination\nof any person to an office which is subject to the confirmation of the\nSenate, nominating and seconding speeches shall be limited to fifteen\nminutes per conference.\n b. Members are expected to uphold the highest standards of civility in\ndealing with other members. Debate should be dignified and lacking in\npersonal invective. A Senator rising to debate or present a paper, to\ngive a notice, to make a motion or report, shall address the Presiding\nOfficer and shall not proceed further until recognized by the Chair; he\nor she shall speak on the same subject but twice the same day without\nleave of the Senate; and when two or more Senators address the Chair,\nthe Presiding Officer shall name the Senator who is first to speak. A\nSenator, while speaking after recognition by the Chair, may, upon\nrequest of a Senator, yield to him or her temporarily without thereby\nrelinquishing his or her prior right to the floor and, thereafter, may\nterminate such interruption and resume speaking at any time; provided,\nhowever, that it shall not be in order for a Senator to rise and request\nthat a Senator, other than the one with the right to the floor, yield to\na question. Furthermore, it shall not be in order for a Senator, with\nthe right to the floor, to ask another Senator to yield to a question,\nunless such Senator has previously spoken during the debate on the\nmatter. All questions and responses shall be directed through the chair,\nand the presiding officer shall not be interrupted when speaking. After\ncompletion of the order of business for the day, and with the unanimous\nconsent of the Senate, a Senator may make a statement, not exceeding\nfifteen minutes in length, concerning a subject or matter not pending\nbefore the Senate for consideration.\n c. When a Senator shall be called to order, he or she shall take his\nor her seat until the Presiding Officer shall have determined whether he\nor she is in order or not; and if decided to be out of order, he or she\nshall not proceed without the permission of the Senate; and every\nquestion of order shall be decided by the Presiding Officer, subject to\nan appeal to the Senate by any Senator. It shall require an affirmative\nvote of a majority of all members elected to overrule a ruling of the\nChair. No second appeal shall be determined until the original appeal\nshall be decided; and if a Senator shall be called to order for words\nspoken, the words excepted to shall be immediately taken down in\nwriting.\n