CHAPTER 1. SENATE CHAMBER, FLOOR AND OTHER PHYSICAL FACILITIES

Rule 1.1.  Regulation and control

A. The President of the Senate shall regulate and have control over such parts of the capitol and capitol complex as are set apart for the use of the Senate and its officers.

B. The President shall have general charge and supervision of the Senate Chamber and of all its physical facilities. He shall determine and be responsible for the physical arrangement and security of the Senate Chamber, the committee rooms, and the offices of the Senate and its officers. He may delegate any or all of these responsibilities to the Secretary of the Senate.

C. The President shall provide for the administration and enforcement of the rules governing admission to the Senate.

D.(1) The possession, custody, or use of any dangerous weapon, except by a duly authorized law enforcement officer in the performance of his duties, is prohibited in such parts of the capitol building as are set apart for the use of the Senate and its officers.

(2) As used in this Paragraph, "dangerous weapon" includes any gas, liquid or other substance or instrumentality, which, in the manner used, is calculated or likely to produce death or great bodily harm.

(3) Any person or property entering or within any area described in Subparagraph (1) shall be subject to search, in accordance with law.

(4) The President shall enforce this Paragraph through commissioned special officers employed by the Senate and other law enforcement officers.

Rule 1.2.  Senate Chamber

A. The Senate Chamber shall not be used as a public meeting place. It shall be used only by the Legislature, the Democratic State Central Committee, and the Republican State Central Committee, except that when the Legislature is not in session, the Pelican Boys State; the Pelican Girls State; the Jaycee Action, Silver Haired, Camp Fire Councils Youth, and YMCA Youth legislatures, the Young Democrats of Louisiana; and the College Republicans shall be allowed to use the chamber. The Secretary or his designee shall be present at each such meeting and shall supervise and control the use of the chamber and any of its facilities. Any such group desiring to use the chamber shall contact the Secretary at least thirty days prior to the date on which the meeting is scheduled.

B. No meeting or public hearing of any legislative committee shall be held in the Senate Chamber at any time.

C. The President shall designate a place in the Senate Chamber for the news media, and the members thereof shall have free access thereto. Accreditation of members of any news media for admission shall be administered by the President.

D. The Senate Library and Sections C and D shall be for the exclusive use of members of the legislature and the persons designated in Senate Rule 1.3. No registered lobbyist shall be permitted in the Senate Library. Section B shall be for the exclusive use of the Senators and immediate members of their family. No other person shall be allowed to sit in this Section.

E. No disruptive conversation shall be held in the Senate Chamber. No conversation shall be held within the chamber, except in the presence of a senator, nor shall any conversation be held across the rail.

F. Seating facilities shall be provided for the public in the Senate gallery. Admittance shall be under such conditions as are determined by the President.

G. A former member of the Senate, except one who is a registered lobbyist, may enter those portions of the Senate floor designated as Sections B, C, and D, the Senate Library, the office of the secretary, and that portion of the floor behind the secretary's desk.

A. No person shall be admitted on the Senate floor while the Senate is in session or for thirty minutes before the time fixed for the convening of each session or for thirty minutes after adjournment of each session. However, members of the Senate and the Secretary, officers and employees of the Senate or of senators, members of the House of Representatives, the Clerk of the House, officers and employees of the House or of members of the House, the Legislative Auditor, the Legislative Fiscal Officer, and the employees of any of these shall be admitted to the floor. For the purposes of these rules, the Senate floor is defined as that area so designated in the diagram of the Senate Chamber included at the end of this rule.

B. No member of any news media shall conduct any formal interview with a senator on the Senate floor while the Senate is in session.

C. One chair, permanently affixed to the floor at the desk of each senator, and no other chairs shall be permitted in Section A of the floor of the Senate, except for the six chairs at the news media desks, and the chairs at the President's desk and the Secretary's desk, the number to be determined by the President.

D. Special permission to enter those portions of the Senate floor designated as Sections B, C, and D, the Senate Library, the office of the Secretary, and that portion of the floor behind the Secretary's desk may be granted by the President to visiting officials of other states or of the United States or of foreign countries, or to other dignitaries.

E. No person shall bring food or drink on the Senate Floor within the areas designated as Sections A, B, C, and D on the diagram contained in the rule, of a kind or in a manner which is disruptive of the decorum of the Senate, without special permission of the President.

SENATE CHAMBER

Questions and comments may be directed to websen@legis.la.gov
Baton Rouge, Louisiana.