The Acts of Convention

House of Deputies

The House of Deputies Committee on Governance and Structure presented its Report #50 on Resolution A118 (Amend Canons I.1, I.6.5, I.9.11, and V.1; and Joint Rule of Order V.15) and moved adoption with amendment.

Original Text of Resolution:

(A118)

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That Canon I.1 be amended to read as follows:

(a) At the time and place appointed for the meeting of the General Convention, the President of the House of Deputies, or, if absent, the Vice-President of the House, or, if there be neither, a presiding officer pro tempore appointed by the members of the House of Deputies on the Joint Committee of Arrangements for the General Convention, shall call to order the members present. The Secretary of the House of Deputies, or, if absent, a Secretary pro tempore appointed by the presiding officer, shall record the names of those whose testimonials, in due form, shall have been presented, which record shall be prima facie evidence that the persons whose names are therein recorded are entitled to seats. In the event that testimonials are presented by or on behalf of persons from jurisdictions which have not previously been represented in a General Convention, then the Secretary, or one appointed instead as provided herein, shall proceed as provided in Clause (c). If there be a quorum present, the Secretary of the House of Deputies shall so certify, and the House shall proceed to organize by the election, by ballot, of a Secretary of the House of Deputies, and a majority of the votes cast shall be necessary to such election. Nominees for Secretary of the House of Deputies must be confirmed communicants in good standing or clergy of The Episcopal Church.Upon such election, the presiding officer shall declare the House organized. If there be a vacancy in the office of President or Vice-President, the vacancy or vacancies shall then be filled by election, by ballot, the term of any officer so elected to continue until the adjournment of the General Convention. As soon as such vacancies are filled, the President shall appoint a committee to wait upon the House of Bishops and inform it of the organization of the House of Deputies, and of its readiness to proceed to business.

(b) There shall be a President and a Vice-President of the House of Deputies, who shall perform the duties normally appropriate to their respective offices or specified in these Canons. They shall be elected not later than the seventh day of each regular meeting of the General Convention in the manner herein set forth. The House of Deputies shall elect from its membership, by a majority of separate ballots, a President and a Vice-President, who shall be of different orders. Such officers shall take office at the adjournment of the regular meeting at which they are elected, and shall continue in office until the adjournment of the following regular meeting of the General Convention. They shall be and remain ex officio members of the House during their term of office. No person elected President or Vice-President shall be eligible for more than three consecutive full terms in each respective office. In case of resignation, death, absence, or inability, of the President, the Vice-President shall perform the duties of the office until the adjournment of the next meeting of the General Convention. In case of resignation, death, absence, or inability of the Vice-President, the President shall appoint a Deputy of the opposite order, upon the advice and consent of the lay persons, presbyters and deacons of the Executive Council, who shall serve until the adjournment of the next meeting of the General Convention. The President shall be authorized to appoint an Advisory Council for consultation and advice in the performance of the duties of the office. The President may also appoint a Chancellor to the President, a confirmed adult communicant of the Church in good standing who is learned in both ecclesiastical and secular law, to serve so long as the President may desire, as counselor in matters relating to the discharge of the responsibilities of that office.

(c) In order to aid the Secretary of the House of Deputies in preparing the record specified in Clause (a), it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Convention of every Diocese to forward to the Secretary of the House of Deputies, as soon as may be practicable, a copy of the latest Journal of the Diocesan Convention, together with a certified copy of the testimonials of members aforesaid, and a duplicate copy of such testimonials. Where testimonials are received for persons from jurisdictions which have not previously been represented in General Convention, the Secretary shall ascertain that the applicable provisions of Article V, Section 1, of the Constitution have been complied with prior to such persons being permitted to take their seats in the House.

(d) The Secretary of the House of Deputies shall keep full minutes of the proceedings of the House; record them, with all reports, in a book provided for that purpose; preserve the Journals and Records of the House; deliver them to the Registrar, as hereinafter provided; and perform such other duties as may be directed by the House. The Secretary shall appoint a First Assistant Secretary of the House of Deputies and may, with the approval of the House, appoint other Assistant Secretaries, and the Secretary , and Assistant Secretariesof the House of Deputies and the First Assistant Secretary shall continue in office until the organization of the next General Convention, and until their successors be chosen.

(e) It shall be the duty of the Secretary of the House of DeputiesGeneral Convention, whenever any alteration of the Book of Common Prayer or of the Constitution is proposed, or any other subject submitted to the consideration of the several Diocesan Conventions, to give notice thereof to the Ecclesiastical Authority of the Church in every Diocese, as well as to the Secretary of the Convention of every Diocese, and written evidence that the foregoing requirement has been complied with shall be presented by the Secretary of the General Convention to the General Convention at its next session. All such notices shall be sent by certified or registered mail, with the local Secretary's certificates to be returned. The Secretary of the General Convention shall notify all diocesan Secretaries that it is their duty to make known such proposed alterations of the Book of Common Prayer, and of the Constitution, and such other subjects, to the Conventions of their respective Dioceses at their next meeting, and to certify to the Secretary of the House of Deputiesof the General Convention that such action has been taken.

(f) The Secretary of the House of Deputies and the Treasurer of the General Convention shall be entitled to seats upon the floor of the House of Deputies, and, with the consent of the President, they may speak on the subjects of their respective offices.

(g) At the meetings of the House of Deputies the Rules of Order fo the previous meeting shall be in force until they are amended or repealed by the House.

(h) In case of the resignation, death or total disability of the President and Vice-President during the recess of the General Convention, the Secretary of the House of Deputies shall perform such ad interim duties as may appertain to the office of President until the next meeting of the General Convention or until such disability is removed.

(i) If, during recess, a vacancy shall occur in the office of Secretary of the House of Deputies, the duties thereof shall devolve upon the First Assistant Secretary, or, if there be none such, upon a Secretary pro tempore appointed by the President of the House of Deputies, or if the office of President be also vacant, then by the Vice-President, and if both offices be vacant, then by the members from the House of Deputies of the Joint Committee on Planning and Arrangements for the next General Convention, appointed by the preceding General Convention.

(j) At every regular meeting of the General Convention, the Secretary of the House of Deputies elected by the House of Deputies shall, by concurrent action of the two Houses of the General Convention, also be made the Secretary of the General Convention, who shall have responsibility for assembling and printing of the Journal of the General Convention, and for other matters specifically referred to the Secretary by General Convention or its officers to the Secretary of the General Convention. If a vacancy shall occur in the office of Secretary of the General Convention, the duties thereof shall devolve upon a Secretary pro tempore jointly appointed by the President of the House Deputies, or if the office of President be vacant, then by the Vice President, and the Presiding Bishop. The term of the Secretary pro tempore shall extend until the election of a Secretary of the General Convention at the next regular General Convention.; and be it further

Resolved, That Canon I.6.5 be amended as follows:

(a) It shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Convention of every jurisdiction to forward to the Secretary of the of the House of DeputiesGeneral Convention, immediately upon publication, two copies of the Journals of the Convention of the jurisdiction, together with Episcopal charges, statements, and such other records in paper or electronic format as may show the state of the Church in that jurisdiction, and two copies to the Archives of the Church in a common format as prescribed by the Archivist of the Church.; and be it further

Resolved, That Canon I.9.11 be amended as follows:

Sec. 11. Each Provincial Synod shall keep minutes, journals or other records of its meetings, and shall transmit one copy of the records to the Secretary of the House of DeputiesGeneral Convention, and one copy to the Archives of The Episcopal Church. The Synod shall also transmit copies of any unpublished inactive records to the Archives.; and be it further

Resolved, That Canons V.1.2 and V.1.5 be amended as follows:

Sec. 2. Whenever a Canon is amended, enacted, or repealed in different respects by two or more independent enactments at the same General Convention, including the enactment of an entire Title, the separate enactments shall be considered as one enactment containing all of the amendments or enactments, whether or not repealed, to the extent that the change made in separate amendments or enactments, are not in conflict with each other. The two members of the Committee on Canons from each House of General Convention appointed pursuant to Canon V.1.5(a) shall make the determination whether or not there is a conflict and certify the text of the single enactment to the Secretary of the General Convention.

Sec. 5 (a) The Committee on Canons of each House of the General Convention shall, at the close of each regular meeting of the General Convention, appoint two of its members to certify the changes, if any, made in the Canons, including a correction of the references made in any Canon to another, and to report the same, with the proper arrangement thereof, to the Secretary of the General Convention, who shall publish them in the Journal.

(b) The Committee on Constitution of each House of the General Convention shall, at the close of each regular meeting of the General Convention, appoint a similar committee of two of its members to certify in like manner the changes, if any, made in the Constitution, or proposed to be made therein under the provisions of Article XII of the Constitution, and to report the same to the Secretary of the General Convention, who shall publish them in the Journal. The committee shall also have and exercise the power of renumbering of, and correction of references to, Articles, Sections and Clauses of the Constitution required by the adoption of amendments to the Constitution at a meeting of the General Convention in the same manner as provided with respect to the Canons in the foregoing Sections 4 and 5(a) of this Canon.; and be it further

Resolved, That Joint Rule of Order V.15, be amended to read as follows:

15. The Secretary of the House of DeputiesGeneral Convention, being the Secretary of the General Convention, shall, with the cooperation of the Secretary of the House of Bishops, and of such Bishops as may be appointed by the Presiding Officer of the House of Bishops, prepare a summary of the actions of the General Convention of particular interest to the Congregations of the Church, and make the same available to the Congregations, through the Ministers-in-charge thereof, and to the Lay Deputies; such summary to be sent to the Clergy along with the Pastoral Letter put forth by the House of Bishops, and to be made available to all Deputies on the last day of the Convention, along with such Pastoral Letter, if feasible to do so, or within thirty days thereafter.

Committee Amendment:

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That Canon I.1.1 be amended to read as follows:

(a) At the time and place appointed for the meeting of the General Convention, the President of the House of Deputies, or, if absent, the Vice-President of the House, or, if there be neither, a presiding officer pro tempore appointed by the members of the House of Deputies on the Joint Committee of Arrangements for the General Convention, shall call to order the members present. The Secretary of the House of Deputies, or, if absent, a Secretary pro tempore appointed by the presiding officer, shall record the names of those whose testimonials, in due form, shall have been presented, which record shall be prima facie evidence that the persons whose names are therein recorded are entitled to seats. In the event that testimonials are presented by or on behalf of persons from jurisdictions which have not previously been represented in a General Convention, then the Secretary, or one appointed instead as provided herein, shall proceed as provided in Clause (c).If there be a quorum present, the Secretary of the House of Deputies shall so certify, and the House shall proceed to organize by the election, by ballot, of a Secretary of the House of Deputies, and a majority of the votes cast shall be necessary to such election. Nominees for Secretary of the House of Deputies must be confirmed communicants in good standing or clergy of The Episcopal Church. Upon such election, the presiding officer shall declare the House organized. If there be a vacancy in the office of President or Vice-President, the vacancy or vacancies shall then be filled by election, by ballot, the term of any officer so elected to continue until the adjournment of the General Convention. As soon as such vacancies are filled, the President shall appoint a committee to wait upon the House of Bishops and inform it of the organization of the House of Deputies, and of its readiness to proceed to business.

(b) There shall be a President and a Vice-President of the House of Deputies, who shall perform the duties normally appropriate to their respective offices or specified in these Canons. They shall be elected not later than the seventh day of each regular meeting of the General Convention in the manner herein set forth. The House of Deputies shall elect from its membership, by a majority of separate ballots, a President and a Vice-President, who shall be of different orders. Such officers shall take office at the adjournment of the regular meeting at which they are elected, and shall continue in office until the adjournment of the following regular meeting of the General Convention. They shall be and remain ex officio members of the House during their term of office. No person elected President or Vice-President shall be eligible for more than three consecutive full terms in each respective office. In case of resignation, death, absence, or inability, of the President, the Vice-President shall perform the duties of the office until the adjournment of the next meeting of the General Convention. In case of resignation, death, absence, or inability of the Vice-President, the President shall appoint a Deputy of the opposite order, upon the advice and consent of the lay persons, presbyters and deacons of the Executive Council, who shall serve until the adjournment of the next meeting of the General Convention. The President shall be authorized to appoint an Advisory Council for consultation and advice in the performance of the duties of the office. The President may also appoint a Chancellor to the President, a confirmed adult communicant of the Church in good standing who is learned in both ecclesiastical and secular law, to serve so long as the President may desire, as counselor in matters relating to the discharge of the responsibilities of that office.

(c) In order to aid the Secretary of the House of Deputies in preparing the record specified in Clause (a), it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Convention of every Diocese to forward to the Secretary of the House of Deputies, as soon as may be practicable, a copy of the latest Journal of the Diocesan Convention, together with a certified copy of the testimonials of members aforesaid, and a duplicate copy of such testimonials. Where testimonials are received for persons from jurisdictions which have not previously been represented in General Convention, the Secretary shall ascertain that the applicable provisions of Article V, Section 1, of the Constitution have been complied with prior to such persons being permitted to take their seats in the House.

(d) The Secretary of the House of Deputies shall keep full minutes of the proceedings of the House; record them, with all reports, in a book provided for that purpose; preserve the Journals and Records of the House; deliver them to the Registrar, as hereinafter provided; and perform such other duties as may be directed by the House. With the approval of the House, Tthe Secretary shall appoint a First Assistant Secretary of the House of Deputies and may, with the approval of the House, appoint other Assistant Secretaries. and t The Secretary and Assistant Secretaries,of the House of Deputies and the First Assistant Secretary shall continue in office until the organization of the next General Convention, and until their successors be chosen.The other Assistant Secretaries shall continue in office until the adjournment of the General Convention at which they were appointed.

(e) It shall be the duty of the Secretary of the House of DeputiesGeneral Convention, whenever any alteration of the Book of Common Prayer or of the Constitution is proposed, or any other subject submitted to the consideration of the several Diocesan Conventions, to give notice thereof to the Ecclesiastical Authority of the Church in every Diocese, as well as to the Secretary of the Convention of every Diocese, and written evidence that the foregoing requirement has been complied with shall be presented by the Secretary of the General Convention to the General Convention at its next session. All such notices shall be sent by certified or registered mail, with the local Secretary's certificates to be returned. The Secretary of the General Convention shall notify all diocesan Secretaries that it is their duty to make known such proposed alterations of the Book of Common Prayer, and of the Constitution, and such other subjects, to the Conventions of their respective Dioceses at their next meeting, and to certify to the Secretary of the House of Deputiesof the General Convention that such action has been taken.

(f) The Secretary of the House of Deputies and the Treasurer of the General Convention shall be entitled to seats upon the floor of the House of Deputies, and, with the consent of the President, they may speak on the subjects of their respective offices.

(g) At the meetings of the House of Deputies the Rules of [sic] Orders fo [sic] the previous meeting shall be in force until they are amended or repealed by the House.

(h) In case of the resignation, death or total disability of the President and Vice-President during the recess of the General Convention, the Secretary of the House of Deputies shall perform such ad interim duties as may appertain to the office of President until the next meeting of the General Convention or until such disability is removed.

(i) If, during recess, a vacancy shall occur in the office of Secretary of the House of Deputies, the duties thereof shall devolve upon the First Assistant Secretary, or, if there be none such, upon a Secretary pro tempore appointed by the President of the House of Deputies, or if the office of President be also vacant, then by the Vice-President, and if both offices be vacant, then by the members from the House of Deputies of the Joint Committee on Planning and Arrangements for the next General Convention, appointed by the preceding General Convention.

(j) At every regular meeting of the General Convention, the Secretary of the House of Deputies elected by the House of Deputies shall, by concurrent action of the two Houses of the General Convention, also be made the Secretary of the General Convention, who shall have responsibility for assembling and printing of the Journal of the General Convention, and for other matters specifically referred to the Secretary by General Convention or its officers to the Secretary of the General Convention. If a vacancy shall occur in the office of Secretary of the General Convention, the duties thereof shall devolve upon a Secretary pro tempore jointly appointed by the President of the House Deputies, or if the office of President be vacant, then by the Vice President, and the Presiding Bishop. The term of the Secretary pro tempore shall extend until the election of a Secretary of the General Convention at the next regular General Convention.; and be it further

Resolved, That Canon I.6.5 be amended as follows:

(a) It shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Convention of every jurisdiction to forward to the Secretary of the of the House of DeputiesGeneral Convention, immediately upon publication, two copies of the Journals of the Convention of the jurisdiction, together with episcopal charges, statements, and such other records in paper or electronic format as may show the state of the Church in that jurisdiction, and two copies to the Archives of the Church in a common format as prescribed by the Archivist of the Church.; and be it further

Resolved, That Canon I.9.11 be amended as follows:

Sec. 11. Each Provincial Synod shall keep minutes, journals or other records of its meetings, and shall transmit one copy of the records to the Secretary of the House of DeputiesGeneral Convention, and one copy to the Archives of The Episcopal Church. The Synod shall also transmit copies of any unpublished inactive records to the Archives.; and be it further

Resolved, That Canons V.1.2 and V.1.5 be amended as follows:

Sec. 2. Whenever a Canon is amended, enacted, or repealed in different respects by two or more independent enactments at the same General Convention, including the enactment of an entire Title, the separate enactments shall be considered as one enactment containing all of the amendments or enactments, whether or not repealed, to the extent that the change made in separate amendments or enactments, are not in conflict with each other. The two members of the Committee on Canons from each House of General Convention appointed pursuant to Canon V.1.5(a) shall make the determination whether or not there is a conflict and certify the text of the single enactment to the Secretary of the General Convention.

Sec. 5 (a) The Committee on Canons of each House of the General Convention shall, at the close of each regular meeting of the General Convention, appoint two of its members to certify the changes, if any, made in the Canons, including a correction of the references made in any Canon to another, and to report the same, with the proper arrangement thereof, to the Secretary of the General Convention, who shall publish them in the Journal.

(b) The Committee on Constitution of each House of the General Convention shall, at the close of each regular meeting of the General Convention, appoint a similar committee of two of its members to certify in like manner the changes, if any, made in the Constitution, or proposed to be made therein under the provisions of Article XII of the Constitution, and to report the same to the Secretary of the General Convention, who shall publish them in the Journal. The committee shall also have and exercise the power of renumbering of, and correction of references to, Articles, Sections and Clauses of the Constitution required by the adoption of amendments to the Constitution at a meeting of the General Convention in the same manner as provided with respect to the Canons in the foregoing Sections 4 and 5(a) of this Canon.; and be it further

Resolved, That Joint Rule of Order V.15, be amended to read as follows:

15. The Secretary of the House of DeputiesGeneral Convention, being the Secretary of the General Convention, shall, with the cooperation of the Secretary of the House of Bishops, and of such Bishops as may be appointed by the Presiding Officer of the House of Bishops, prepare a summary of the actions of the General Convention of particular interest to the Congregations of the Church, and make the same available to the Congregations, through the Ministers-in-charge thereof, and to the Lay Deputies; such summary to be sent to the Clergy along with the Pastoral Letter put forth by the House of Bishops, and to be made available to all Deputies on the last day of the Convention, along with such Pastoral Letter, if feasible to do so, or within thirty days thereafter.

Motion carried

Resolution adopted with amendment

(Communicated to the House of Bishops in HD Message #264)