JOINT STANDING RULES
TITLE I
DIRECTION, OBJECT AND CALL OF JOINT SESSIONS
Article 1. The Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate, under the direction of its Board, shall meet in a joint session to:
I – inaugurate the legislative session;
II – inaugurate the elected President and Vice-President of the Republic;
III – enact amendments to the Federal Constitution;
IV – (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution);
V – debate and vote on the Budget; and
VI – take cognizance about vetoed matters and to deliberate on them;
VII – (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution);
VIII – (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution);
IX – delegate powers to legislate to the President of the Republic;
X – (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution);
XI – draft or reform the Joint Standing Rules (article 57, paragraph 3, II, of the Constitution); and
XII – attend to the other cases provided for in the Constitution and in these Standing Rules.
Paragraph 1. On proposal of the Boards of the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate, sessions may be held to honor Heads of foreign States and commemorate national dates.
Paragraph 2. The sessions referred to in items I, II, III, and paragraph 1 shall be solemn in character.
Article 2. Sessions that do not have a legally determined date shall be called by the President of the Senate or his Substitute, with prior hearing from the Board of the Chamber of Deputies.
Article 3. The sessions shall take place in the Plenary of the Chamber of Deputies, unless previously chosen another location duly announced.
TITLE II
LEADERS
Article 4. The leadership of the party representatives in each House is recognized, constituted in the form of the respective Standing Rules.
Paragraph 1. The President of the Republic may appoint a Congress member to exercise the function of Government Leader, with the prerogatives set out in these Standing Rules.
Paragraph 2. The Government Leader may appoint up to 18 (eighteen) Vice-Leaders, among the members of the party representatives that support the government.
Paragraph 3. The leaders of the parties that elect the two largest parliamentary blocks in the Federal Senate and in the Chamber of Deputies and that express, in relation to the government, a position different from that of the majority, will nominate Congress members to exercise the role of Minority Leader in the National Congress.
Paragraph 4. The choice of the Minority Leader in the National Congress shall be annual and be done alternately between Senators and Federal Deputies, in accordance with paragraph 3.
Paragraph 5. The Minority Leader may appoint five Vice-Leaders from among the members of the party representatives that integrate the Minority in the Federal Senate and in the Chamber of Deputies.
Paragraph 6. For the purposes of this Resolution, Majority and Minority is understood as provided in articles 65, paragraphs 1 and 2, of the Standing Rules of the Federal Senate, and 13 of the Standing Rules of the Chamber of Deputies.
Paragraph 7. The support structure for the functioning of the leadership shall be in charge of the House to which the legislator belongs.
Article 5. The Leaders, in addition to other duties established in the Standing Rules, are responsible for appointing their Party representatives to the Committees.
Article 6. It is lawful for the Leader to speak once, at any stage of the session, for a maximum of 5 (five) minutes, for urgent communication.
Article 7. Preferably, regardless of registration, the Leader may debate matters and recommend a vote.
Article 8. Absent or impeded the Leader, his duties shall be executed by the Vice-Leader.
TITLE III
JOINT COMMITTEES
Article 9. The members of the Joint Committees of the National Congress shall be appointed by the President of the Senate upon indication of the leaders.
Paragraph 1. If the Leaders do not make the indication, the choice will be up to the President.
Paragraph 2. The timetable for processing matters subject to examination by the Joint Committees must be included in the Senate and Chamber of Deputies' Orders of Business.
Paragraph 3. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Article 10. The Joint Committees, except as provided in the sole paragraph of article 21 and in article 90 shall be composed of 11 (eleven) Senators and 11 (eleven) Deputies, obeying the criterion of party proportionality, always including a representative of the Minority, if proportionality does not give it representation.
Paragraph 1. The Leaders may nominate substitutes in the Joint Committees, by means of an official letter to the President of the Senate, who shall make the respective appointment.
Paragraph 2. The Joint Committees shall meet within 48 (forty-eight) hours of their constitution, under the chairmanship of the oldest of its members, for the election of the President and the Vice-President, being subsequently appointed, by the President-elect, an employee from the Federal Senate or the Chamber of Deputies to act as secretary.
Paragraph 3. The President of the Joint Committee is responsible for appointing the Rapporteur of the matter subject to his analysis.
Article 10-A. The number of members of the joint committees established in these Rules, in the resolutions that integrate it and in the respective act of creation, is added by one more vacancy in the composition destined to each of the Houses of the National Congress, which shall be filled in alternatively, exclusively, by the minority parliamentary groups that do not reach, in the calculation of party proportionality, sufficient number to participate in the referred committees.
Article 10-B. The Special Joint Committees, created by constitutional determination, may have alternate members, Deputies and Senators, by designation of the President of the Federal Senate, in a number not exceeding half of their composition.
Article 11. Before the Committees, within 8 (eight) days from its installation, the Congress member may submit amendments that must then be decided by the President.
Paragraph 1. Amendments that are contrary to the provisions of article 63 of the Constitution shall not be accepted.
Paragraph 2. Within 24 (twenty-four) hours after the President's decision, the author of the amendment not accepted, with the support of 6 (six) members of the Committee, at least, may appeal the Presidency's decision to the Committee.
Paragraph 3. The Committee shall decide by simple majority in a meeting that shall be held, when convened by the President, immediately after the expiration of the period established for filing the appeal.
Article 12. The work of the Joint Committee shall only begin with the minimum presence of one third of its composition.
Article 13. Once the advisory opinion is presented, any member of the Joint Committee may discuss it for a maximum period of 15 (fifteen) minutes, only once, allowing the Rapporteur to speak, lastly, for a period of 30 (thirty) minutes.
Sole paragraph. The Rapporteur's advisory opinion shall be conclusive and contain, necessarily, its justification.
Article 14. The Joint Committee shall decide by majority of votes, with the majority of its members present, with the President only having a tiebreaker vote.
Sole paragraph. In the deliberations of the Joint Committee, the votes of the members of the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies shall be taken separately, whenever there is no numerical parity in their composition.
Article 15. The advisory opinion of the Committee, whenever possible, shall consign the vote of its members, separate, unsuccessful, with restrictions or by the conclusions.
Sole paragraph. Votes for conclusions and those with restrictions shall be considered favorable.
Article 16. The advisory opinion of the Committee may conclude for the total or partial approval, or rejection of the matter, as well as the presentation of substitutes, amendments and second-degree amendments.
Sole paragraph. The advisory opinion regarding the filing of the proposal shall be considered rejected.
Article 17. The Committee must always rule on the merits of the main proposal and amendments, even when deciding on the unconstitutionality of that one.
Article 18. The advisory opinion of the Committee should be published in the National Congress Journal and in electronic separates for distribution to Congress members.
Article 19. Minutes of the meetings of the Joint Committees shall be drawn up, which shall be submitted for their examination.
Article 20. Once the period for the work of the Committee has expired, without the submission of the advisory opinion, it must be given orally, in plenary, during the debate of the matter.
Article 21. The Joint Parliamentary Committee of Investigation shall be created in a joint session, with its institution being automatic if requested by 1/3 (one third) of the members of the Chamber of Deputies plus 1/3 (one third) of the members of the Federal Senate.
Sole paragraph. The Joint Parliamentary Committee of Investigation shall have the number of members determined at the time of its creation, and the participation of Deputies and Senators must be equal, obeying the principle of party proportionality.
TITLE IV
ORDER OF WORK
CHAPTER I
SESSIONS IN GENERAL
Section I
Preliminary Provisions
Article 22. The joint session shall last 4 (four) hours.
Sole paragraph. If the time of the session ends when a vote starts, it shall be finalized regardless of an extension request.
Article 23. After hearing the Plenary, the term of the session may be extended:
I – on motion of the President;
II – at the request of any Congress member.
Paragraph 1 If there is a speaker in the stand, the President shall interrupt him or her for consultation with the Plenary on the extension.
Paragraph 2. The extension shall always be for a determined term that cannot be restricted, except for lack of material to be debated or number for the continuation of the session.
Paragraph 3. Before an extension is completed, another one may be requested.
Paragraph 4. The request or proposal for an extension shall not be debated or have its vote recommended.
Article 24. The session may be suspended for the convenience of the order.
Article 25. The session may be canceled at any time due to the death of a Congress member or the Head of one of the Branches of the Republic.
Article 26. Only members of Congress, employees on duty in the plenary and, on the respective parliamentary group, representatives of the press accredited to the Legislative Branch shall be admitted to the sessions.
Article 27. The sessions shall be public and may be secret if the Plenary so deliberates, upon proposal from the Presidency or Leader, with a date determined in advance.
Paragraph 1. The purpose of the secret session must be expressly included in the proposal, but it shall not be disclosed.
Paragraph 2. For the analysis of the proposal, the Congress shall work secretly.
Paragraph 3. In the debate of the proposal and in the recommendation of the vote, 4 (four) speakers may speak, in a group of 2 (two) members of each House, preferably from different parties, for a period of 10 (ten) minutes in the debate, reduced to 5 (five) minutes in the recommendation of vote.
Paragraph 4. In the secret session, before the work begins, the President shall determine the exit, from the plenary, stands, galleries and other premises, of all nonpertinent persons, including employees.
Paragraph 5. The minutes of the secret session shall be written by the Second Secretary, submitted to the Plenary, with any quorum, before the session is ended, signed by the members of the Board and closed in a sealed envelope, dated and initialed by the First and Second Secretaries and submitted to the archives.
Article 28. The sessions shall only be opened with a minimum of 1/6 (one sixth) of the composition of each House of Congress.
Article 29. At the time of the beginning of the session, the President and the other members of the Board shall take their respective seats; if the required quorum is present, the opening of the works shall be announced.
Paragraph 1. If the required quorum is not present, the President shall wait, for a maximum period of 30 (thirty) minutes, to complete the quorum; after the period has elapsed and the lack of number remains, the session shall not be held.
Paragraph 2. During the session, if the presence of Senators and Deputies is in a number lower than the minimum set in article 28, the President shall end the work, ex officio or at the notice of any Congress member.
Article 30. Once the session is open, the First Secretary shall read the order of business.
Paragraph 1. The minutes of the session, except as provided in paragraph 5 of article 27, shall be included in the National Congress Journal, in which the debates, deliberations and other occurrences shall be faithfully recorded by shorthand collection.
Paragraph 2. The points of order and requests for rectification of the minutes shall be decided by the President.
Article 31. The first half hour of the session shall be reserved for registered speakers who shall be able to speak for 5 (five) non-extendable minutes.
Section II
Order of Business
Article 32. Once the period of period of address is over, the Order of the Business shall proceed.
Article 33. Electronic separates of the Order of Business shall be distributed to Congress members at least 24 (twenty-four) hours in advance.
Article 34. In the organization of the Order of Business, the voting proposals shall precede those under debate.
Sole paragraph. The inversion of the Agenda may be authorized by the Plenary, as proposed by the Presidency or at the request of a Leader.
Article 35. On the Order of Business, the bill being in the voting phase, and if there is no quorum for deliberation, the House shall proceed to the next matter under debate.
Paragraph 1. Once the matter under debate is finished and the lack of a quorum for deliberation persists, the Presidency may suspend the session for a period not exceeding 30 (thirty) minutes, or grant the floor to Congress members who wish to use it, except for the provisions in paragraph 2 of article 29.
Paragraph 2. If there is a quorum for deliberation, the matter shall be returned to the vote, interrupting the speaker who is in the stand.
Section III
Analysis of Matters
Article 36. The analysis of the matters shall be made in a single round of debate and voting.
Article 37. The debate of the main proposition, amendments and second-degree amendments shall be made together.
Sole paragraph. If the Joint Committee decides on the unconstitutionality of the proposal, the debate and voting of this preliminary shall precede the analysis of the matter.
Article 38. In the debate, the speakers shall speak in the order of registration, for a maximum period of 20 (twenty) minutes, giving the floor, preferably, alternately, to Congress members favorable and contrary to the matter.
Article 39. The debate shall end after the last registered speaker speaks. If, after the end of the session, there are still registrations to attend, another one shall be called, at the end of which the debate shall be automatically closed.
Paragraph 1. The debate may be closed at the written request of the Leader or 10 (ten) members of each House, after speaking at least 4 (four) Senators and 6 (six) Deputies.
Paragraph 2. After speaking the last registered speaker, or before the vote on the request mentioned in paragraph 1, the Rapporteur is allowed to speak for a maximum period of 20 (twenty) minutes.
Article 40. A request for postponement of debate shall not be admitted; however, voting may be postponed, at most for 48 (forty-eight) hours, at the request of a Leader, provided that the analysis of the matter is not moot within the constitutional term.
Article 41. The request submitted in a joint session shall not admit debate, but its vote may be recommended by 2 (two) members of each House, preferably one favorable and one contrary, for a maximum period of 5 (five) minutes each.
Sole paragraph. The request for a proposal contained in the Order of Business must be submitted soon after the matter to which it refers is announced.
Article 42. The removal of any proposal can only be requested by its author and shall depend on an order from the Presidency.
Sole paragraph. It is up to the Plenary to decide on the removal of the proposal with the vote started.
Article 43. In the deliberation, the votes of the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate shall always be counted separately.
Paragraph 1. The dissenting vote of one of the Houses shall result in the rejection of the matter.
Paragraph 2. The vote shall begin with the Chamber of Deputies. However, in the case of a bill that is vetoed on the initiative of Senators, the vote shall begin with the Senate.
Section IV
Types of Votes
Article 44. Voting may be carried out by symbolic, nominal and secret processes.
Sole paragraph. Voting shall be done through the symbolic process, except in cases where a special quorum or decision of the Plenary is required, upon the request of a Leader or 1/6 (one sixth) of Senators or Deputies.
Article 45. When voting through the symbolic process, Congress members who approve the matter must remain seated, standing up those who vote for the rejection. The statement of the Leaders represents the vote of their spearheaded present, the declaration of vote being permitted.
Paragraph 1. Once the result of the vote of each House is proclaimed, it can be checked at the request of a Leader, 5 (five) Senators or 20 (twenty) Deputies.
Paragraph 2. In the verification, the counting of votes in favor and against shall be carried out by parliamentary group, with the Secretaries taking note of the result of each row, unless the request establishes the demand for immediate nominal vote.
Paragraph 3. Once the voting verification has been carried out, and if there is a legal number, a new verification shall not be allowed before the expiration of 1 (one) hour.
Article 46. The nominal process, which shall be used in cases where a special voting quorum is required or by Plenary decision, or even when there is a request for verification, shall be done through the electronic panel or, in the case of vetoes, by ballot voting system that allows electronic counting.
Paragraph 1. (Repealed by Resolution No. 1, 2015-CN).
Paragraph 2. (Repealed by Resolution No. 1, 2015-CN).
Article 47. In the secret voting, the called Congress member shall receive an opaque envelope, of uniform color and size, and shall go to a protected booth, placed in the facility, where ballots must be found for voting. After placing the chosen ballot in the envelope, it shall be thrown into the ballot box, which will be located in the enclosure, under the guardianship of previously designated officials.
Paragraph 1. When the ballot box is conducted to the Board, only its members shall vote.
Paragraph 2. The counting shall be made by the Board, whose President shall invite, for scrutineers, a Senator and a Deputy, preferably affiliated with different political parties.
Paragraph 3. The scrutineers shall open the envelopes and deliver the ballots to the Secretaries, who shall count the votes, the result being announced by the President.
Article 48. Attending the session, the Congress member can only avoid voting on a matter of personal interest, and must notify the Board of his impediment, but his attendance is computed for purposes of quorum.
Section V
Voting Processing
Article 49. After the discussion is over, the House shall proceed immediately to voting, but 4 (four) senators and 4 (four) deputies, preferably from different parties, may orient the voting for a period of 5 (five) minutes each.
Paragraph 1. The bill shall be voted on first, except for the required separate voting and amendments.
Paragraph 2. The amendments shall be voted on in groups, as they have a favorable or contrary advisory opinion, except for the separate voting and included, among those with a favorable opinion, those of the Committee. Of those subject to separate voting, the suppressive ones shall be voted initially, followed by the substitute, modifying and additive amendments.
Paragraph 3. Amendments with second-degree amendments shall be voted on one by one, unless otherwise decided, and substitute or suppressive second-degree amendments shall be voted on before the respective amendments.
Paragraph 4. If there is a substitute bill, it shall have preference over the bill authored by the Committee, or if it has received a favorable advisory opinion from it, unless otherwise decided.
Paragraph 5. When the bill has a preference for voting over the substitute, it is lawful to separate part of it to include in that one; the preference being given to the substitute, parts of the bill or amendments may be subject to separate voting.
Paragraph 6. Once the substitute bill is approved, the original bill and amendments are rejected, except as provided in paragraph 5.
Article 50. The preference and separation requests, which must be presented until the vote on the matter is announced, can only be formulated by a Leader, shall not be debated and shall not have their vote oriented.
Section VI
Final Wording and Engrossed Bill
Article 51. After the voting is finished, the matter shall be returned to the Joint Committee for final wording, the session being interrupted for the time necessary for its drawing up; however, the Committee may be granted a maximum period of 24 (twenty four) hours for its elaboration.
Paragraph 1. Presented to the Board, the final wording shall be read and immediately submitted to debate and voting.
Paragraph 2. The final wording shall be dispensed with if the bill is approved without amendments or in full substitute, and the text considered in conditions to be definitively accepted.
Article 52. The bill text shall be finally approved and sent as an engrossed bill to the President of the Republic for sanction.
Sole paragraph. However, as it is a matter of exclusive jurisdiction of the National Congress, it shall be enacted by the President of the Senate.
CHAPTER II
SOLEMN SESSIONS
Section I
General Rules
Article 53. In the solemn sessions, the President of the Chamber of Deputies and, by invitation, the President of the Supreme Federal Court shall integrate the Board. In the precinct, seats shall be reserved for specially invited senior civil, military, ecclesiastical and diplomatic authorities.
Sole paragraph. The solemn sessions shall be held with any quorum.
Article 54. With the Board composed, the President shall declare the session open and the objective for which it was convened.
Sole paragraph. There will be no business hours in solemn sessions.
Article 55. In solemn sessions, only a Senator and a Deputy may speak, preferably from different parties, and previously appointed by the respective Houses.
Sole paragraph. In the inauguration of the legislative session and in the inauguration of the President and Vice-President of the Republic, there will be no speakers.
Article 56. In solemn sessions, points of order shall not be accepted.
Section II
Inauguration of Legislative Session
Article 57. Once the Board is composed and the session is declared open, the President shall proclaim the inauguration of the work of the National Congress and announce the presence, in the House, of the envoy of the President of the Republic, bearer of the Message, determining that he be brought to the Board by the Directors of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies secretariats, without going through the plenary.
Sole paragraph. Once the Message has been delivered, the President of the Republic's envoy shall withdraw, having to be accompanied to the door, by the aforementioned Directors, and, if he intends to attend the session, taken to a previously reserved place.
Article 58. With the Message in possession, the President shall have it read by the First Secretary, distributing printed copies, if any, to Congress members.
Article 59. After reading the Message, the session shall be closed.
Section III
Inauguration of the President and Vice-President of the Republic
Article 60. After the session is open, the President shall appoint 5 (five) Senators and 5 (five) Deputies to form the committee responsible for receiving the candidates at the main entrance and leading them to the Hall of Honor, suspending it afterwards.
Article 61. When the session is reopened, the elected President and Vice-President shall be introduced to the plenary by the same committee previously designated, and shall occupy the seats, respectively, on the right and left of the Chairman.
Sole paragraph. Spectators, including members of the Board, shall remain standing.
Article 62. The President of the Board shall then announce that the elected President of the Republic will make the commitment determined in article 78 of the Constitution, requesting those present to remain standing during the act.
Article 63. In compliance with the provisions of the previous article, the President of the Board shall proclaim the President of the Republic as sworn in.
Article 64. After observing the same formalities as the previous articles, the Vice-President of the Republic shall be sworn in.
Article 65. After the provision of commitments, the First Secretary shall read the term of investiture, which shall be signed by the sworn in and by the members of the Board.
Article 66. The President of the Republic may be given the floor to address the National Congress and the Nation.
Article 67. At the end of the ceremony, the reception committee shall take the President and the Vice-President of the Republic to a previously designated place, ending the session.
Section IV
Reception to Foreign Head of State
Article 68. Once the session is opened, the President will appoint 3 (three) Senators and 3 (three) Deputies to compose the committee charged with welcoming the visitor to the main entrance and lead him to the Hall of Honor, then suspending the session.
Article 69. When the session is reopened, the Head of State shall be introduced to the plenary by the previously appointed committee, taking the seat to the right of the President on the Board.
Paragraph 1. The spectators, including the members of the Board, with the exception of the President, shall remain standing.
Paragraph 2. Then, the speakers shall be given the floor.
Article 70. If the visitor wants to speak, he must do so after the speakers of the session.
Article 71. After the ceremony, the Reception Committee shall take the visitor to a previously designated place, ending the session.
CHAPTER III
LEGISLATIVE MATTERS
Section I
Constitutional Amendment Proposal
Article 72. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Article 73. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Article 74. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Article 75. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Article 76. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Article 77. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Article 78. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Article 79. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Article 80. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Article 81. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Article 82. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Article 83. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Article 84. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Article 85. Once the proposal is approved in the second round, the Boards of the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate, in a joint, solemn session, will enact the amendment to the Constitution with the respective order number.
Sole paragraph. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Section II
The Bill of Initiative of the President of the Republic
Article 86. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Article 87. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Article 88. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Section III
Budget Bill
Article 89. The Message from the President of the Republic forwarding a budget bill shall be received and read in a joint session, specially called for this purpose, to be carried out within 48 (forty-eight) hours of its delivery to the President of the Senate.
Article 90. The budget bill shall be analyzed by a Joint Committee that shall count on the collaboration of the Permanent Committees of the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate.
Paragraph 1. (Repealed by Resolution No. 1, 2006-CN).
Paragraph 2 The substitute shall only participate in the work of the Joint Committee in the absence or impediment of a full member.
Paragraph 3. The participation of the Standing Committees in the study of budgetary matters shall obey the following rules:
I – the Permanent Committees concerned, once the Joint Committee is constituted, must request the President of the Committee to be sent the text of the budget bill;
II – the Joint Committee, when forwarding the project to the solicitor, shall establish deadlines and rules to be obeyed in the preparation of its advisory opinion, which shall cover, exclusively, the parts that deal with the matter within its specific jurisdiction;
III – the Permanent Committee shall issue a detailed advisory opinion on the annex distributed to it and shall prepare a comparative study of the programs and appropriations proposed with the rendering of accounts for the previous year and, whenever possible, with the execution of the budget law in force;
IV – the advisory opinion of the Permanent Committee shall be forwarded, by the President of the Joint Committee, to the respective Rapporteur to serve as a subsidy to the study of the matter;
V – the advisory opinion of the Rapporteur of the Joint Committee must make express reference to the point of view provided by the Permanent Committee;
VI – by deliberation of the majority of its members, the Permanent Committees of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies that have competing jurisdiction may hold joint meetings under the alternate direction of the respective Presidents, and may conclude by presenting a single advisory opinion; and
VII – the advisory opinions of the Permanent Committees that conclude by submitting amendments must be sent to the Joint Committee within the period established in Resolution No. 1, 2001-CN.
Paragraph 4. The deliberations of the Joint Committee shall start with the representatives of the Chamber of Deputies, and the dissenting vote of the majority of the representatives of one of the Houses shall cause the rejection of the matter.
Paragraph 5. In the election of the President and Vice-President of the Committee, the provisions of paragraph 4 are not applicable.
Article 91. (Repealed by Resolution No. 1 of 1991-CN).
Article 92. (Repealed by Resolution No. 1 of 1991-CN).
Article 93. The bill shall be distributed in electronic separates within 5 (five) days after its reading.
Article 94. (Repealed by Resolution No. 1 of 1991-CN).
Article 95. (Repealed by Resolution No. 1 of 1991-CN).
Article 96. (Repealed by Resolution No. 1 of 1991-CN).
Article 97. (Repealed by Resolution No. 1 of 1991-CN).
Article 98. (Repealed by Resolution No. 1 of 1991-CN).
Article 99. Amendments pending decision by the Plenary shall be debated and voted on in groups, as they have a favorable advisory opinion or contrary, except for those subject to separate voting.
Article 100. If the Committee does not deliver its advisory opinion within the prescribed period, the President of the Senate, having made the publication of the amendments, shall convene a joint session to consider the matter, when he shall designate the Rapporteur who shall deliver an oral advisory opinion.
Article 101. (Repealed by Resolution No. 1 of 1991-CN).
Article 102. In the processing of the annual budget bill, in addition to the provisions of this Section, the rules established in this Regulation shall apply, as appropriate, to other bills.
Article 103. When dealing with multi-annual investment budget bills, the rules provided for in this Section shall apply, as appropriate.
Section IV
Veto
Article 104. (Repealed by Resolution No. 1, 2015-CN).
Paragraph 1. (Provision reordered due to the Act of the Board of the National Congress No. 1, 2015).
Paragraph 2. (Repealed by Resolution No. 1, 2015-CN).
Article 104-A. The term referred to in paragraph 4 of article 66 of the Federal Constitution shall be counted from the filing of the veto in the Presidency of the Federal Senate.
Article 105. (Repealed by Resolution No. 1, 2015-CN).
Article 106. Once the electronic separates with the text of the bill are distributed, indicating the vetoed and sanctioned parts, the vetoes shall be included in the Order of Business.
Paragraph 1. The vetoes shall be analyzed in sessions of the National Congress to be convened on the third Tuesday of each month, without fail.
Paragraph 2. If for any reason the session referred to in paragraph 1 does not take place, a joint session shall be called for the following Tuesday.
Paragraph 3. After the constitutional term has expired, the agenda of the joint sessions of the National Congress is suspended for any other deliberation, until the final veto vote.
Article 106-A. The discussion of the vetoes included in the agenda shall take place as a whole.
Paragraph 1. In the debate, the speakers shall be allowed to speak for 5 (five) minutes.
Paragraph 2. After the debate by 4 (four) Senators and 6 (six) Deputies, the ballot voting process shall begin, with the leaders being able to guide their parliamentary groups for up to 1 (one) minute.
Article 106-B. The veto vote shall be nominal and take place through a ballot with identification of the legislator, under the terms of article 46, which shall contain all vetoes included in the Order of Business, grouped by bill.
Article 106-C. It shall be considered as fillibuster in relation to the item of the ballot that is blank the legislator whose leader in this sense has spoken, in which case, his presence will not be counted for the purpose of quorum.
Article 106-D. Until the beginning of the Order of Business, separate voting of individual or related provisions may be submitted for consideration on the electronic panel, at the request of leaders, which shall not depend on approval by the Plenary, subject to the following proportionality.
I – in the Chamber of Deputies:
a) from 5 (five) to 24 (twenty-four) Deputies: 1 (one) separate voting per ballot;
b) from 25 (twenty-five) to 49 (forty-nine) Deputies: 2 (two) separate votings per ballot;
c) from 50 (fifty) to 74 (seventy-four) Deputies: 3 (three) separate votings per ballot;
d) 75 (seventy-five) or more Deputies: 4 (four) separate votings per ballot.
II – in the Federal Senate:
a) from 3 (three) to 5 (five) Senators: 1 (one) separate voting per ballot;
b) from 6 (five) to 11 (eleven) Senators: 2 (two) separate votings per ballot;
c) from 12 (twelve) to 17 (seventeen) Senators: 3 (three) separate votings per ballot;
d) 18 (eighteen) or more Senators: 4 (four) separate votings per ballot.
Paragraph 1. When the ballot contains more than 8 (eight) bills or more than 80 (eighty) provisions, the number of separate votings shall be admitted up to double the expected.
Paragraph 2. The overlapping of leaders is inadmissible, for the purposes of the head paragraph, although the combination is admissible.
Paragraph 3. For voting on the electronic panel of each vetoed matter, there shall be recommendation, for 5 (five) minutes, of 2 (two) Senators and 2 (two) Deputies, preferably alternating between favorable and contrary, applicable, in any case, the guidance provided for in paragraph 2 of article 106-A.
Article 107. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Article 108. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Section V
Decree-laws
Article 109. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Article 110. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Article 111. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Article 112. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Section VI
Objections of the Accounting Court
Article 113. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Article 114. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Article 115. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Section VII
Legislative Delegation
Article 116. The National Congress may delegate powers for legislative elaboration to the President of the Republic.
Article 117. The acts of exclusive jurisdiction of the National Congress and those of the private jurisdiction of the Chamber of Deputies or the Federal Senate, or the following legislation cannot be delegated:
I – organization of the courts and appellate courts and the guarantees of the judiciary;
II – nationality, citizenship, public rights and electoral law; and
III – the monetary system.
Article 118. The delegation may be requested by the President of the Republic.
Article 119. The proposal shall be sent or presented to the President of the Federal Senate, who shall convene a joint session, to be held within 72 (seventy-two) hours, for the National Congress to take cognizance of it.
Paragraph 1. At the session referred to in this article, once the matter has been distributed in electronic separates, a Joint Committee will be created to issue an advisory opinion on the proposal.
Paragraph 2. The Committee must conclude its advisory opinion by presenting a draft resolution that shall specify the content of the delegation, the terms for its exercise and shall also establish a period of no more than 45 (forty-five) days for enactment, publication or remittance of the elaborated bill, for consideration by the National Congress.
Article 120. Once the advisory opinion has been published and the electronic separates have been distributed, a joint session shall be convened within 5 (five) days, to debate the matter.
Article 121. Once the discussion has ended and there are amendments, the matter will return to the committee, which will have 8 (eight) days to issue an opinion.
Sole paragraph. Once the advisory opinion has been published and the electronic separates have been distributed, a joint session shall be called to vote.
Article 122. The bill of resolution, once approved, shall be enacted within 24 (twenty-four) hours, with the communication to the President of the Republic, when applicable.
Article 123. The delegated laws, prepared by the President of the Republic, shall be enacted, unless the resolution of the National Congress determined the Plenary to vote on the bill.
Article 124. Within 48 (forty-eight) hours of receipt of the bill prepared by the President of the Republic, the Senate Presidency shall refer the matter to the Committee that has examined the request and, within a period of 5 (five) days, issue its advisory opinion on compliance or not of the bill with the content of the delegation.
Article 125. The bill prepared by the President of the Republic shall be voted on as a whole, allowing for the separate voting of parts considered by the Committee to be in disagreement with the delegation act.
Article 126. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
Article 127. Not performed, within the stipulated period, any of the acts referred to in article 119, paragraph 2, in fine, the delegation shall be considered insubstantial.
Section VIII
Reform of the Joint Standing Rules
Article 128. The Joint Standing Rules may be modified by draft resolution of initiative of:
I – the Boards of the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies; and
II – at least 100 (one hundred) subscribers, 20 (twenty) Senators and 80 (eighty) Deputies.
Paragraph 1. The bill shall be presented in a joint session.
Paragraph 2. In the case of item I, once the bill has been distributed in electronic separates, a joint session will be convened within 5 (five) days to discuss it.
Paragraph 3. In the case of item II, once the bill has been received, it shall be forwarded to the Boards of the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, to issue an advisory opinion within 15 (fifteen) days.
Paragraph 4. After the term provided for in paragraph 3 has expired, with or without an advisory opinion, a joint session shall be called, to be held within 5 (five) days, for the debate of the bill.
Article 129. At the end of the debate, with amendments on the initiative of any Congress member, the bill shall return to the Boards of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies to comment on them within 10 (ten) days, after which, with or without an advisory opinion, a joint session shall be called for voting on the matter.
Article 130. The Boards of the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, if they so agree, may offer a single advisory opinion, both on the bill and on the amendments.
TITLE V
POINTS OF ORDER
Article 131. A point of order, which can be raised at any stage of the session, for any period of 5 (five) minutes, is any doubt about the interpretation of these Standing Rules, in their exclusive practice or related to the Constitution.
Paragraph 1. The point of order must be objective, indicate the regulatory provision on which it is based, refer to a specific case related to the matter dealt with at the time, and cannot be a doctrinal or speculative thesis.
Paragraph 2. To contradict the point of order, a Congress member will be allowed to speak for a period not exceeding that established in this article.
Article 132. The Presidency's decision in point of order is unappealable, unless it is related to a constitutional provision.
Paragraph 1. Once the appeal is presented, which shall not have a suspensive effect, the President, ex-officio or on the appellant's proposal, approved by the Plenary, shall refer the matter to the Constitution and Justice Committee of the House to which the appellant belongs.
Paragraph 2. The advisory opinion of the Committee, approved by the Plenary, shall establish a rule to be observed by the Board in identical cases.
Article 133. No Congress member may renew, in the same session, a point of order resolved by the Presidency.
TITLE VI
JOINT PROVISIONS ON THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS
CHAPTER I
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 134. The bill, approved in one of the Houses of the National Congress, shall be sent to the other House as an engrossed bill by the respective President.
Sole paragraph. The bill shall have a summary and be accompanied by a copy or publication of all documents, votes and speeches that formed it in its processing.
Article 135. The correction of language inaccuracies, made by the reviewing Chamber, as long as it does not change the meaning of the proposition, does not constitute an amendment that requires its return to the initiating Chamber.
Article 136. Once the bill has been amended by the reviewing Chamber, it shall return it to the initiating Chamber, accompanied by the amendments, with a copy or publication of the documents, votes and speeches that formed its processing.
Article 137. When voting on the amendments offered by the reviewing Chamber, it is only lawful for the initiating Chamber to split them when it comes to articles, paragraphs and subitems, as long as it does not modify or impair the meaning of the amendment.
Article 138. Any Senator or Deputy interested in debating and voting on amendments in the reviewing Chamber is allowed to participate in the work of the Committees that must give their advisory opinion on it, and may debate the matter without the right to vote.
Article 139. The approved bills shall definitely be sent for sanction within a non-extendable period of 10 (ten) days.
Article 139-A. The bill of code in process in the National Congress for more than three legislatures shall, before its final discussion in the House that will forward it to the sanction, undergoes a review to adapt it to the constitutional and legal changes enacted since its presentation.
Paragraph 1. The Rapporteur of the bill at the House in which the procedure in the National Congress is finalized, before presenting its advisory opinion to the Committee, shall forward to the President of the House a report pointing out the necessary changes to update the text of the bill in view of the legal changes approved during the course of its processing.
Paragraph 2. The report mentioned in paragraph 1 shall be forwarded by the President to the other House of National Congress, which shall submit it to the respective Constitution and Justice Committee.
Paragraph 3. The Committee, within a period of 5 (five) days, shall offer an advisory opinion on the matter, which shall limit itself to checking whether the proposed changes are restricted to promoting the necessary update, in the form of paragraph 1.
Paragraph 4. The advisory opinion of the Committee shall be analyzed in plenary within 5 (five) days, with preference over the other propositions, prohibited amendments or modifications.
Paragraph 5. The advisory opinion being voted, the appropriate communication shall be made to the House where the bill of code is located, for the continuation of its regulatory procedure, incorporating the approved changes.
Article 140. When there is a bill on the same matter in both Chambers, priority shall be given to the discussion and voting, to whichever comes first to review.
CHAPTER II
PROVISIONS ON MATTERS WITH PROCEDURES WITHIN A DETERMINED TERM
Article 141. (Repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution).
CHAPTER III
BILLS DRAWN UP BY JOINT COMMITTEE
Article 142. The bill prepared by the Joint Committee shall be forwarded, alternately, to the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.
Article 143. The bill of the Joint Committee shall have the following procedure in the Chamber that takes cognizance of it initially:
I – received during the period of address, it shall be read and published, and must be submitted for debate, in the first round, 5 (five) days later;
II – the debate, in the first round, shall take place, at least, in 2 (two) consecutive sessions;
III – the discussion closed, the vote shall proceed, unless there are amendments, in which case they shall be forwarded to the Joint Committee to give their advisory opinion on them;
IV – the advisory opinion on the amendments being published, the matter shall be included in the voting phase in the Order of Business of the session to be held 48 (forty-eight) hours later;
V – approved with amendments, the bill shall return to the Joint Committee to prepare the first round wording; and
VI – the bill shall be included in the Order of Business, for debate, in the second round, obeying the interstice of 48 (forty-eight) hours of its approval, without amendments, in the first round, or of the publication of the advisory opinion of the Joint Committee, with the first round wording.
Paragraph 1. The processing in the reviewing House shall obey the provisions of items I to V of this article.
Paragraph 2. Returning the bill to the initiating Chamber, with amendments, it shall be formed with the advisory opinion on them given in its processing in that House.
TITLE VII
GENERAL AND TEMPORARY PROVISIONS
Article 144. Any publication relating to joint sessions and the work of the Joint Committee shall be made in the National Congress Journal or in its sections.
Article 145. At the request of the Presidency, the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies shall appoint officials from their secretariats to serve on the Joint Committees and the auxiliary services of the Board in joint sessions.
Article 146. During the joint sessions, the galleries shall be open to the public, with the spectators not being allowed any support or disapproval of what happens in plenary or the committal of acts that may disturb the work.
Article 147. The archive of the joint sessions is kept by the Federal Senate Secretariat.
Sole paragraph. The annals of the joint sessions are published by the Board of the Federal Senate.
Article 148. (Expired term).
Article 149. (Expired term).
Article 150. The expenses with the operation of the joint sessions, as well as the Joint Committees, are met by the Federal Senate's own allocation, except with regard to personnel expenses, which are borne by the respective House.
Article 151. In the cases omitted in these Standing Rules, the provisions of the Standing Rules of the Senate shall apply and, if this is still omitted, those of the Chamber of Deputies.
Article 152. This Resolution takes effect on the date of its publication.
Brasília, August 11, 1970.
Senator João Cleofas
President of the Federal Senate.
(*) Text consolidated by the Secretariat-General of the Federal Senate in January 2023.
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