PROCEDURES ON BILLS

    1. A Bill which has been brought from the House of Representatives by message received in the Clerk's office shall lie upon the Table and the Minister or Senator in charge of the Bill shall at the same time supply printed copies of it to the Clerk who shall send a copy to each Senator forthwith.

    2. The Minister or Senator in charge of the Bill shall give notice to the Clerk of the day, not being sooner than 3 days from the laying of the Bill upon the Table, upon which the First Reading is to be taken.

  2. On the motion being moved and seconded "That the Bill be read a first time" no debate shall take place but the Clerk shall read the title of the Bill. The Bill shall then be deemed to have been ordered to be set down for second reading upon some future day.

    1. On the motion being moved and seconded, "That the Bill be now read a second time," a debate may take place which shall be confined to the principles and merits of the Bill.

    2. To the question " That the Bill be now read a second time" an amendment may be moved to leave out ah the words after "that" and insert the words the Second Reading of the Bill - be deferred until (date)". On the amendment being seconded the following question shall be proposed" That the Amendment be made, " and debate shall continue thereon.

    3. At the conclusion of the debate the question on the amendment shall be put. If the amendment is defeated the Bill shall be deemed to have been read a second time.

    1. When a Bill has been read a second time it shall stand committed to a Committee of the whole Senate.

    2. When time for considering a Bill in Committee shall have arrived, the Senate shall resolve itself into a Committee of the whole Senate for the consideration of the Bill. When the Senate has resolved itself into Committee of the whole Senate, the Clerk shall call the clauses in order by reading the number of each clause. Amendments shall be called at the relevant points in each clause. The President shall also call the number of each clause, and put the question relating thereto but only if an amendment to a clause has been carried shall he propose the question, "That this clause as amended stand part of the Bill".

    3. The consideration of a clause may be postponed but the motion for postponement may not be moved after the clause has been amended.

    4. A clause may be replaced, or a new clause inserted at the proper and logical stage, during the course of consideration of the clauses of a Bill. Notice of any proposed new clause or the replacement of an existing one shall be given prior to tile sitting unless the President considers that such notice may be dispensed with. The President shall call on the Senator in whose name the clause stands and if that Senator moves "That clause.... be replaced by the following clause" or "That the following clause be inserted immediately after clause..." and after any debate thereon the question shall be proposed and, if carried, the Bill shall be amended accordingly without any further question and any renumbering or other minor consequential amendment may be performed by the Government draftsman.

    5. The consideration of the schedule or the schedules (if any), shall follow the consideration of the clauses. Schedules shall be called by the Clerk and may be amended in the same manner as clauses, and the consideration of new schedules should follow the consideration of original schedules.

    6. If the consideration of a Bill in Committee of the whole Senate is not completed the proceedings on the Bill may on motion made be adjourned until some subsequent sitting or meeting of the Senate but if no such motion is made such consideration shall continue at the next sitting.

    7. On resumption of the consideration of a Bill in Committee, the Senate shall resolve itself into Committee of the whole Senate without question put.

    8. When the consideration of a Bill in Committee of the whole Senate has been completed the Senate shall resume its sitting without question put, and the passage of the Bill shall then be reported, with or without amendment, by the Minister or his deputy in charge of the Bill.

    1. When a Bill has been considered in Committee of the whole Senate and been reported to the House it may, on motion, be read a third time, either forthwith or at some subsequent sitting.

    2. On the motion for the third reading of a Bill being moved and seconded, the President shall put the following question, "That the Bill be now read a third time and do pass".

    3. To this question the only amendments shall be -

      1. That the third reading be postponed to some specific date in the future.

      2. That the Bill be recommitted, either generally or for a limited and defined purpose.

    4. If the motion for the third reading be carried, the Clerk shall read the title to the Bill and the preamble, if any, and the enacting clause.

    1. When a motion for the third reading of a Bill has been agreed to the Clerk shall, subject to the provisions of sections 62-65 of the Constitution, endorse the end of the Bill with the words "Passed by the Senate without amendment (with amendment (s) this day, (giving the date) ".

    2. When a Bill has been read a third time and passed by the Senate, the President shall send a message to Mr. Speaker informing him that the Senate has agreed to the Bill with or without amendment, and desiring the concurrence of the House of Representatives to the amendments made by the Senate to the Bill.

    3. The Clerk shall transmit to the House of Representatives the said Message, together with the copy of the Bill as brought from the House of Representatives with the amendments (if any) made by the Senate clearly marked therein, and with the Clerk's endorsement thereon.

    4. When amendments have been made by the House of Representatives to the amendments made by the Senate to a Bill, consideration of such amendments by the Senate shall take place either forthwith on the return of the Bill from the House without notice on the motion of a Minister or his deputy or at some future sitting after notice given.

    5. On the order being read for the consideration of House amendments such amendments shall be read in turn by the Clerk, and on each amendment being read, the following motions may be moved by a Minister or his deputy in charge of the Bill

      1. That the amendment be agreed to; or

      2. That the amendment be disagreed to.
      Motions under the last two preceding paragraphs shall not require to be seconded.