Rules of Procedure and Organization of the County Council

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6. Responsibilities of the Committee Chairperson. (a) The Chairperson of each Standing Committeeshall receive all referrals to the Committee and shall place referrals on the first available agenda unless: (1) Said Chairperson determines circumstances exist that warrant holding the referral to the second available Committee meeting with the concurrence of the originator; or (2) At the request of the administration on any of its bills (except the Operations and Capital Improvement Project budgets), resolutions, or communications, that referral may be held to a future date with the concurrence of the Committee Chairperson or Council Chairperson as appropriate. (b)Matters required by law for immediate Council action shall be placed on the first available Committee agenda. (c) The Chairperson of each Committee shall preside at all meetings unless the Chairperson voluntarily relinquishes the chair. (d)In the absence of the Committee Chairperson or in the event the Committee Chairperson participates via videoconference, the Vice Chairperson shall perform the duties of the Chairperson. In the absence, disability, or virtual attendance of both the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of a Standing Committee, the Committee shall elect from among its members a temporary Chairperson (Section 3-6(a), Hawai‘i County Charter). For the process of electing a temporary Chairperson, the Finance Committee Chairperson shall act as Chairperson Pro Tempore. (Rule No. 4-2) (e) The Chairperson shall maintain order and proper decorum and reasonably administer the receipt of oral and written testimony in accordance with these rules. (f) The Chairperson may speak on a matter before his or her Committee without relinquishing the Chair, provided deliberation on the matter from all other members of the Committee has ended. Any item introduced to the Committee by the Chairperson, excluding items introduced by request, shall require that the Chairperson first relinquish the position of Chairperson to the Vice Chairperson or temporary Chairperson. 5-2