Massachusetts State House
Press Association
Statutes, Legislative Rules
CHAPTER 44, RESOLVES OF 1909.
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RESOLVE relative to quarters in the state house assigned to members of the press.
Resolved, That the quarters in the state house assigned for use by representatives of the press shall be enlarged and improved by the addition of room number four hundred and forty-four [since renumbered Room 456], and in such other manner as may be directed by the governor and council, who may expend for the purposes of this resolve such sum as they deem to be necessary. (Approved April 1, 1909.)
RULES OF THE SENATE.
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REPORTERS' GALLERY.
No. 59. The use of the reporters' gallery of the Senate Chamber shall be subject to the approval and direction of the Committee on Rules during the session and of the President after prorogation. Except in the reporter's official capacity as a reporter, no reporter who is entitled to the privileges of the reporters' gallery shall seek to influence the action of the Senate or any member, nor shall such person approach a member to seek to influence such member in any place from which legislative agents are excluded by Rule 61. Every legislative reporter desiring admission to the reporters' gallery of the Senate Chamber shall state in writing that such reporter is not the agent or representative of any person or corporation interested in legislation before the General Court and will not act as representative of any such person or corporation while such reporter retains a place in the gallery; but nothing in this rule shall prevent such legislative reporter from engaging in other employment, provided such other employment is specifically approved by the Committee on Rules and reported to the Senate. [1847; 1911; 1914; 1925; 1989; 2003; 2015.]
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THE SENATE CHAMBER AND ADJOINING ROOMS.
No. 61. No person, except members of the legislative and executive departments of the state government, persons in the exercise of an official duty directly connected with the business of the Senate, and reporters who are afforded press privileges by the Senate President, shall, unless invited by the President, be admitted to the floor of the Senate Chamber or to the Senate Reading room or to the corridor between the Senate Reading room and the Senate Chamber during the sessions of the Senate, or during the half hour preceding or succeeding said sessions, nor to the Senate reading room, cloak room or anterooms on any day when a session of the Senate is held, except upon written invitation bearing the name of the person it is desired to invite and the name of the Senator extending the invitation, which invitation shall be surrendered when the person enters one of the otherwise restricted areas.
Reporters desiring access to the Senate Chamber shall make written application to the President stating the purposes for which the privileges are required, and such privileges shall be granted only upon written approval by the President.
No legislative agent shall be admitted to the floor of the Senate Chamber. On any day when a session of the Senate is held, no legislative agent shall be admitted to the Senate Reading room, the cloak room, the Senate corridor or anterooms and no person, except members of the legislative and executive departments of the state government and persons in the exercise of an official duty directly connected with the business of the Senate shall be permitted to loiter in the Reading room, the cloak room, the Senate corridor or anterooms at any time. Smoking shall not be permitted in the Senate Reading room, the cloak room or the anterooms. [1870; 1875; 1886; 1891; 1895; 1896; 1897; 1898; 1907; 1909; 1914; 1916; 1925; 1989.]
RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
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PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR.
No. 80. . . . The legislative reporters shall be entitled to the privileges of the reporters' galleries.
This rule shall not be suspended unless by unanimous consent of the members present. [99.] (60, 61.) [Amended Jan. 9, 1991, Jan. 23, 2007.]
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REPRESENTATIVES' CHAMBER AND ADJOINING ROOMS.
No. 81. (a) Use of the Representatives' Chamber members' corridor or adjoining rooms shall be for official business or educational purposes only and shall be subject to the approval of the Speaker or the committee on Rules. The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply if the purpose of admittance is to attend a meeting in an adjoining room to which members of the general public are allowed to attend.
(b) No legislative agent or counsel shall be admitted to the members' corridor or adjoining rooms. No other person shall be admitted to the members' corridor or adjoining rooms, except persons entitled to the privileges of the floor of the House unless upon written invitation of a member bearing the name of the member and the person the member invites. Upon entering, the invitation shall be given to the court officer assigned to the area. The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply if the purpose of admittance is to attend a meeting in an adjoining room to which members of the general public are allowed to attend.
(c) No person shall be admitted to the north gallery of the House except upon a card of the Speaker.
(d) Subject to the approval and direction of the committee on Rules during the session and of the Speaker after prorogation, the use of the reporters' galleries of the House Chamber shall be under the control of the organization of legislative reporters known as the Massachusetts State House Press Association and the State House Broadcasters Association.
(e) Every legislative reporter desiring admission to the reporters' galleries shall state in writing that he/she is not the agent or representative of any person or corporation interested in legislation before the General Court, and will not act as representative of any such person or corporation while retaining a place in the galleries; but nothing herein contained shall prevent such legislative reporter from engaging in other employment, provided such other employment is specifically approved by the committee on Rules and reported to the House.
(f) All formal sessions of the House of Representatives shall be open to both commercial and public radio and television, except designated times during such sessions, as determined by the House, reserved for the consideration of non-controversial business which does not give rise to debate. The manner and conditions of such broadcasts shall be established by the Speaker. Television, radio or web-broadcasts may be prohibited on any given day by the Speaker.
The Speaker may arrange for a limited number of remote connections at a location outside of the Representatives' Chamber for commercial and public radio and television to obtain audio and visual feeds of formal sessions being recorded or streamed by the House. Video or audio obtained from such feed shall be used only for reporting purposes. Access to the connections provided shall be on a first-come-first serve basis; provided, however, that commercial and public radio and television acquiring access shall be required to share the audio or video feeds with other any other commercial and public radio and television station seeking access. The manner and conditions of access shall be established by the Speaker with the approval of the House. Access may be prohibited by the Speaker with the approval of the House.
Clauses (a) through (e) of this rule shall not be suspended unless by unanimous consent of the members present. [100.] (59.) [Amended April 18, 1979; Jan. 12, 1983; Jan. 12, 1987; Jan. 9, 1991; Jan. 26, 1999, Jan. 23, 2007.]
JOINT RULES OF THE TWO BRANCHES.
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ACCOMMODATIONS FOR REPORTERS.
No. 32. Subject to the approval and direction of the committees on Rules of the two branches, acting concurrently, during the session, and of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives after prorogation, the use of the rooms and facilities assigned to reporters in the State House shall be under the control of the organizations of legislative reporters known as the Massachusetts State House Press Association and the State House Broadcasters Association. No person shall be permitted to use such rooms or facilities who is not entitled to the privileges of the reporters' galleries of the Senate or of the House. Within 10 days after the General Court convenes the Massachusetts State House Press Association and the State House Broadcasters Association shall each transmit to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Sergeant-at-Arms a list of the legislative reporters with the principal publication or news service which each represents. [Adopted Jan. 27, 1911. Amended Feb. 24, 1914; Feb. 19, 1920; April 17, 1925; May 23, 1979; Feb. 12, 2009.]