Virginia HR 6: House of Delegates; establishing rules for the 2026-2027 Sessions of the General Assembly.

Bill Text

2026 SESSION

INTRODUCED

26105168D

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 6

Offered January 14, 2026

Prefiled January 13, 2026

Establishing the Rules of the House of Delegates for the 2026-2027 Sessions of the General Assembly of Virginia.

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Patron—Herring

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RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the House of Delegates shall be governed by the following Rules:

I. Organization.

Elections.

Rule 1. Voting at elections in the House will be by use of the electronic voting system or, if it is inoperable, viva voce by response to the call of names, and the vote will be recorded in the Journal. Except in the case of block voting, only one person will be chosen at a time. If, on the first voting, no one receives a majority, the person having the smallest number of votes will not be voted for on the next voting and so on until someone receives a majority of the whole vote. If the election is by joint vote of the two houses, messages will be exchanged for each voting announcing the names of persons in nomination. A committee of three from each house will compare the votes and ascertain and report the result.

At the election for any judgeship to the Supreme Court of Virginia, the Court of Appeals of Virginia, Circuit Courts, and Courts Not of Record, no nominee will be offered to the House unless that nominee has been interviewed by the House Courts of Justice Committee and subsequently certified as qualified for election. If more than one nominee is offered for any judgeship, a member may cast a vote for only one nominee.

The Speaker.

Rule 2. The House of Delegates will choose its own Speaker from among the members of the House. The Speaker will be elected in even-numbered years for a term of two years. The nominations for Speaker will be viva voce without debate and no second will be required to place a name in nomination. Once nominations are closed, the election of the Speaker will be a matter of privilege and will be conducted immediately and will not be debated. The voting for Speaker will be by use of the electronic voting system or, if it is inoperable, viva voce by response to the call of names, and the vote will be recorded in the Journal. Each member will vote for only one nominee for Speaker in each round of voting. If, on the first voting, no one receives a majority, the person having the smallest number of votes will not be voted for on the next voting and so on until someone will receive a majority of the whole vote. Once elected, the Speaker will not be removed from office during the term except with the concurrence of two-thirds of the elected membership of the House.

The Speaker may appoint to the Chair any member who will exercise its functions for the time. However, no member, by virtue of such appointment, will preside for a longer time than three consecutive days. During such appointment the Speaker may participate in the debates.

If the Speaker is absent and has named no one to act as temporary Speaker, the duties will be performed by the Leader of the Majority Caucus. If the Majority Leader is unable or unwilling to assume the duties of the Speaker, or until the Majority Leader is available, the duties will be performed by the chairman of one of the standing committees taking precedence in the order in which the committees are named in Rule 16. In the event of a vacancy that occurs during a Regular or Special Session, the House shall elect a successor within seven days of notice of the vacancy. The person receiving a majority of the votes of the members present and voting will be deemed to be elected Speaker.

In the event of a vacancy that occurs during the Interim, the Privileges and Elections Committee will convene at a meeting to be called by the chairman or, in the chairman's absence, the vice chairman or a majority of the membership of the committee to elect a Speaker to serve during the vacancy and until a successor is elected by the House at its next session. At least three working days' notice of the time, place, and purpose of the meeting will be given to all members of the committee. The person receiving a majority of the votes of the members of the committee present and voting will be deemed to be elected Speaker. Pursuant to the provisions of this Rule, the Speaker will serve and perform all the duties of the position until a successor is elected by the House at its next session.

Rule 3. The Speaker will take the Chair every day precisely at the hour to which the House shall have adjourned on the preceding legislative day and will immediately call the House to order. After divine services are performed, the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America shall be recited, and the roll of members be taken, pursuant to Rule 32, with the names of those members present entered upon the Journal. A quorum being present, the Speaker will proceed with the business of the day. The Speaker will have the power to supervise and correct the Journal. The Speaker, having