Rule 1.2. Admission to the floor and chamber and House facilities

            A. Only the members of the House and the Clerk of the House; officers and employees of the House or of members of the House; the Secretary of the Senate, members of the Senate and the officers and employees of the Senate, or of senators; the director of the Legislative Council, the Legislative Auditor, the Legislative Fiscal Officer and their employees shall be admitted on the floor while the House is in session. The House floor, for purposes of these rules, is defined as that area so designated in the diagram of the House Chamber and House floor included in this rule.

            B. One chair shall be permanently affixed to the floor at the desk of each House member, and no other chairs shall be permitted on the floor of the House.

            C. Special permission to sit on the House floor may be granted by the presiding officer of the House to visiting officials of other states or of the United States or of foreign countries.

            D. A designated place in the House Chamber shall be provided for the news media, who shall have free access thereto. Accreditation of members of the press and of members of any news media for admission shall be administered by the Speaker of the House or he may delegate this function to the House and Governmental Affairs Committee. No member of the press or of any news media shall conduct any formal interview with a House member on the House floor while the House is in session.

            E. Section A of the attached diagram shall be designated for use of employees of the House and others designated in Paragraph A of this Rule and, upon permission of the presiding officer of the House, it shall be for the use of family members and special guests of House members.

            F. Section B of the attached diagram shall be provided with seating facilities for the public and House members on a first-come, first-served basis. No person shall be allowed into this section unless there is an available seat.

            G. One or more sergeants at arms shall be designated to supervise Section B, and one or more employees shall be designated to carry messages from the public in this area to any House member with whom a consultation is desired.

            H. Seating facilities shall be provided for the public in the House gallery. Admittance shall be under such conditions as determined by the presiding officer of the House.

            I. Only members of the House and of the Senate and legislative staff shall be admitted to the legislative lounges.

            J. An interpreter designated and authorized by the presiding officer of the House to provide speech translation services for the House of Representatives shall be admitted to the floor while the House is in session in order to provide such services.

            Mason's Manual: Sec. 705(3 and 6)

            HR 3, 1973; HR 7, 1975; HR 4, 1978; HR 14, 1985; HR 4, 1st Ex. Sess., 1988; HR 13, 1988; HR 8, 1991, eff. Jan. 13, 1991; HR 45, 1998, eff. May 20, 1998; HR 3, 2018.