ARTICLE VII: DEBATE

A. Opening Debate

A presiding officer shall open debate on the House Floor by opening a new thread in the Floor forum. The bill or question which is open for debate shall be posted at the top of said thread, and the presiding officer shall state the time and date at which debate will ordinarily end.

Each new question shall be discussed in a new thread, though amended bills may continue to debate in the original thread after considering an amendment.

B. Speaking in debate

Only Representatives and Senators may speak during House debate. Members should address their comments through the presiding officer, opening their comments with �Mr. Speaker� or �Madame Speaker.� No member (except Senators) can speak a second time to a question in a single day. When an amendment or other motion is offered, it shall be considered a new question for debate purposes.

C. Decorum

Members should confine their remarks to the merits of the pending question before the House. In referring to another member, members should avoid referring to their colleagues by name, instead referring to �the gentleman from Ohio�, �the gentlelady from Texas,� �the representative from New Hampshire� or, as a last resort, �Representative (name)�.

Members shall not threaten, accuse or question the motives of another member; nor act in a manner that disturbs the House or its procedures; nor use profanity or sexual innuendo; nor speak against their own motion or bill; nor speak adversely on a prior action not pending; nor speak in a language other than English during debate.

D. Extending Debate

1) Following amendments

If an amendment has been passed, the presiding officer should extend debate so that the bill may be considered for at least the same amount of time as originally allotted. For example, if a bill on which debate opens Monday for seven days is amended on Wednesday and Thursday, the original debate thread should be extended for two days past its original deadline, so that the original question shall have been considered for seven days.

2) On Speaker's (or Chair's) authority

Presiding officers are free to extend debate for several days if it is to the benefit of the House or Committee. Such extensions are made with the presumption or unanimous consent, but if two members shall object, the question of extending debate shall immediately be put to a vote, where a 2/3rds majority shall be necessary to extend debate.

E. Closing Debate

Debate shall be closed at the end of the allotted time period. It may be closed early if no member has risen to speak on a question in 48 hours.