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3. Powers and Duties of the Speaker

(a) All officers of the House shall be subordinate to the Speaker in all that relates to the prompt, efficient, and correct discharge of their official duties under the Speaker's supervision.

(b) Possessing the powers and performing the duties herein described, the Speaker shall:

(1) Take the chair at the hour to which the House stands adjourned, call the members to order, and upon the appearance of a quorum, proceed to business.

(2) Preserve order and decorum and have general direction of the chamber of the House and the approaches thereto, and in the event of any disturbance or disorderly conduct therein, order the same to be cleared.

(3) Decide all questions of order, subject to a member's right to appeal to the House. On appeal from such decisions, the Speaker shall have the right, in the Speaker's place, to assign the reason for such decision.

(4) Rise to put a question, but may state it while sitting. The Speaker shall announce the result promptly on the completion of every vote.

(5) Have the right to name any member to perform the duties of the chair, but such substitution shall not extend beyond three days of actual session. 

(6) When the House shall resolve itself into the committee of the whole, name a chairman to preside thereover, and shall call such member to the chair.

(7) Have the power to accredit the persons who shall act as representatives of the public, press, radio, and television, and assign them seats.

(8) Except as otherwise provided in House Rule No. 25B, determine the number of members and the number thereof from each political party of all committees, whether reference, joint, or special, and appoint the membership thereof; except that the minority leader of the House of Representatives shall appoint the minority membership of the committees of reference, and the Speaker shall appoint any member of the House who is not affiliated with either of the major political parties in the House to committees of reference.

(9) Refer each bill, and may refer any joint resolution, joint memorial, resolution, or memorial upon introduction, to the appropriate committee of reference of the House.

(10) Sign all bills, resolutions, and memorials passed by the General Assembly, which fact shall be entered in or appended to the journal.

(11) Sign all writs, warrants, and subpoenas issued by order of the House or by any committee thereof, and the same shall be attested by the chief clerk.

(12) Administer all oaths required in the discharge of the business of the House.

(13) Receive all messages and communications from other departments of the government and announce them to the House.

(14) Represent the House, declare its will, and in all things obey its commands.

(15) Vote upon all questions except upon appeals from decisions made by the Speaker.

(16) Repealed 1989 Session.

(c) The Speaker may, in addition to the exercise of the above powers and duties:

(1) Speak to points of order in preference to other members, rising from the chair for that purpose.

(2) Speak as other members on general questions when some other member is called to the chair.

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