1. Adoption; Duration.
1.1. Except where otherwise provided, this agreement is effective during any time in which the membership of the House of Representatives consists of 67 seated members of Republican Caucus and 67 seated members of the Democratic Farmer Labor Caucus.
1.2. This agreement must be presented to the House for ratification as the next item of business after election of a Speaker on February 6, 2025. Each caucus leader agrees to work in good faith to secure ratification without further amendment.
1.3. This agreement expires when a caucus of the House obtains an organizational majority of 68 members. An organizational majority of 68 members may be demonstrated by the issuance of a new election certificate or by 68 or more members filing a certification of their caucus membership with the Chief Clerk.
2. Conflicts.
2.1. (a) To the extent a conflict exists between terms of this agreement and other applicable authority, including the Temporary Rules of the House, the terms of this agreement prevail.
(b) This rule is effective upon adoption of this agreement.
3. Rules of the House; Amendments.
3.1. (a) House Rule 5.01 is in effect and applies to the terms of this agreement, including the Temporary Rules adopted herein, except that amendments to this agreement or House Rules, and new policies governing House operations, are not in order unless jointly agreed to by the Chair and Ranking Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus member of the Committee on Rules and Legislative Administration.
(b) This rule is effective upon adoption of this agreement.
4. Powers Shared by Speaker and Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus Leader.
4.1. (a) Members of any councils, commissions, boards, or other bodies required to be appointed by the Speaker of the House or the minority leader of the House must be appointed, in equal numbers, by the Speaker and the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus Leader. If the appointment authority provides for the appointment of an odd number of members, the last member must be appointed by joint agreement of the Speaker and the Democratic Farmer-Labor Caucus Leader. If the Speaker and the Democratic Farmer Labor Caucus Leader do not agree on a joint appointment, the position must remain vacant.
(b) This rule is effective upon adoption of this agreement.
4.2. (a) The Speaker, for the Republican Caucus, and the Democratic Farmer-Labor Caucus Leader, for the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus, may individually determine the application of House Rules 2.01 and 10.05, paragraph (b), to their respective caucus members. The Journal of the House must identify any member participating in a floor session via remote means pursuant to House Rule 10.05.
(b) This rule is effective upon adoption of this agreement.
5. Committee Structure; Appointment of Members.
5.1. (a) Standing committees and divisions of the House must be appointed as follows:
Agriculture Finance and Policy
Capital Investment
Children and Families Finance and Policy
Commerce Finance and Policy
Education Finance
Education Policy
Elections Finance and Government Operations
Energy Finance and Policy
Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy
Ethics
Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy
Health Finance and Policy
Higher Education Finance and Policy
Housing Finance and Policy
Human Services Finance and Policy
Judiciary Finance and Civil Law
Legacy Finance
Public Safety Finance and Policy
Rules and Legislative Administration
State Government Finance and Policy
Veterans and Military Affairs Division
Taxes
Transportation Finance and Policy
Ways and Means
Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy
(b) This rule is effective upon adoption of this agreement.
5.2. (a) For purposes of House Rule 4.03, the major finance and revenue bills are:
the agriculture finance bill;
the capital investment bill;
the children and families finance bill;
the commerce finance bill;
the education finance bill;
the elections finance bill;
the energy finance bill;
the environment and natural resources finance bill;
the health finance bill;
the higher education finance bill;
the housing finance bill;
the human services finance bill;
the judiciary finance bill;
the legacy finance bill;
the public safety finance bill;
the state government finance bill;
the tax bill;
the transportation finance bill; and
the workforce, labor, and economic development finance bill.
(b) This rule is effective upon adoption of this agreement.
5.3. The Speaker and the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus Leader must each appoint one member to serve as chair and one member to serve as vice chair of each standing committee and division. The appointed members shall serve as co-chairs and co-vice-chairs, respectively.
5.4. (a) The membership of each committee and division must be equally divided between members of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus and the Republican Caucus, consistent with the rosters announced December 11, 2024, and subject to modification by joint agreement of the Speaker and the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus Leader. One member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus shall be designated as a nonvoting member during any period in which the Democratic Farmer Labor Caucus consists of 66 members.
(b) This rule is effective upon adoption of this agreement.
5.5. (a) The Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy Committee must consist of five Republican members and three Democratic-Farmer-Labor members, appointed by each respective caucus leader. Rules 5.3 and 5.4 of this agreement do not apply to this committee.
(b) This rule is effective upon adoption of this agreement.
6. Conduct of Committee Business; Voting.
6.1. (a) The affirmative vote of a majority of all appointed committee members, excluding nonvoting members, is required for a standing committee or division to report favorably on a bill or other item of committee business.
(b) This rule is in effect upon adoption of this agreement.
6.2. The intent of this agreement is that all powers and duties of a committee chair will be exercised by joint agreement of the co-chairs. Except where otherwise provided, all provisions of this agreement, House Rules, and applicable law that establish powers or duties of a committee chair must be construed and applied in favor of this intent. The Speaker and the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus Leader may jointly issue additional guidance on implementation of this intent.
7. Bills on the Calendar for the Day.
7.1. To the extent practicable, a bill placed on the Calendar for the Day by the Committee on Rules and Legislative Administration must be taken up on the day designated for its consideration. This Rule may be waived by joint agreement of the Speaker and the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus Leader.
8. Conference Committees.
8.1. The House must only appoint an even number of members to a conference committee, divided equally between members of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus and the Republican Caucus. The leader representing each caucus must appoint that caucus' members.
8.2. To the extent practicable, a conference committee report must be taken up on the day it becomes available for consideration. This Rule may be waived by joint agreement of the Speaker and the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus Leader.
9. Election Contests.
9.1. A communication received by the House on or after January 14, 2025, from a court of competent jurisdiction related to an election contest must be referred to the Committee on Ethics.
9.2. A challenge to the election returns or eligibility of a House member for which a communication from a court has not been received is not in order.
9.3. The Committee on Ethics must prescribe procedures for investigating and taking evidence in a hearing related to an election contest. The procedures must allow for the submission of evidence, and must provide the member whose eligibility is questioned with appropriate notice and an opportunity to be heard by the committee.
9.4. The Committee on Ethics must not act on an election contest referred to it until all proceedings in the contest, including appeals, have concluded.
9.5. No more than 15 days after receipt of a referral, or no more than 15 days after conclusion of all expected court communications have been received, whichever is later, the Committee on Ethics must conclude its consideration and may report its recommendations to the House for final disposition.
9.6. The House may consider the election returns and eligibility of a member only after receiving a report from the Committee on Ethics. A minority report on an election contest is not in order.
9.7. The affirmative vote of 68 members is required for the House to reject the returns of an election and declare a vacancy in the affected district.
9.8. Rules 9.1 to 9.8 are effective upon adoption of this agreement.
10. House Administration.
10.1. The Speaker and the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus Leader must jointly agree on decisions related to the administrative, business, and finance operations of the House, as identified by the House Director of Human Resources, the House Controller, or other appropriate staff.
11. Employment of Personnel.
11.1 (a) The complement of staff allocated to each caucus of the House must be that agreed to on November 18, 2024, and may only be modified by joint agreement of the Speaker and the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus Leader. The Democratic Farmer-Labor Caucus Leader agrees to make good faith efforts to solicit and secure necessary support for the appropriation of additional funds to the House to protect the House carryforward account.
(b) This rule is effective upon adoption of this agreement.
This agreement has been signed and agreed to by the following members of the House on February 5, 2025.
On behalf of the Republican Caucus,
LISA DEMUTH
HARRY NISKA
KRISTIN ROBBINS
PEGGY SCOTT
PAUL TORKELSON
On behalf of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus,
MELISSA HORTMAN
JAMIE LONG
AISHA GOMEZ
ATHENA HOLLINS
ZACK STEPHENSON
12. Scope of Supplemental Agreement.
12.1. Rules 1.1, 1.3, and 3.1 of the Agreement for House Organization dated February 5, 2025, apply to the terms of this supplemental agreement. To the extent a conflict exists between the terms of this supplemental agreement and other applicable authority, including the Temporary Rules of the House and the terms of the Agreement for House Organization dated February 5, 2025, the terms of this supplement agreement prevail.
12.2. Each caucus leader agrees to work in good faith to secure ratification of this supplemental agreement without further amendment.
13. Committee and Floor Procedure.
13.1. A minority report to a committee report is not in order.
13.2. The fiscal calendar established under House Rule 1.22 is not in effect.
13.3. If a question of germaneness is raised under House Rule 3.21 and the question is put to the body, or if a decision of the presiding officer under House Rule 3.21 is appealed, the affirmative vote of at least one member of each caucus is required to find the motion or proposition germane.
13.4. The following motions may only be approved by the House by the affirmative vote of at least 68 members:
to adjourn sine die; and
to take a bill from the table.
13.5. A resolution to vacate the office of Speaker may only be approved by the House by the affirmative vote of at least 68 members.
14. Legislative Coordinating Commission Duties.
14.1. The Speaker Emerita is designated as the Speaker of the House for the purpose of serving as Legislative Coordinating Commission chair, as required by Minnesota Statutes, section 3.303, subdivision 3.
Speaker LISA DEMUTH
Speaker Emerita MELISSA HORTMAN
Republican Floor Leader HARRY NISKA
DFL Floor Leader JAMIE LONG