Rules committee re‑refers annual corrections bill, Senate File 5200, to General Register

The House Committee on Rules and Legislative Administration voted May 14 to re‑refer Senate File 5200, the Legislature’s annual corrections bill, to the General Register. Representative Scott moved the measure after Representative Liebling presented the bill to the committee.

Representative Liebling, who presented the bill, said the corrections bill is the regular vehicle the Legislature uses to fix technical and clerical errors in bills passed during the session. “We never blame our staff for errors. We blame members for not recognizing errors,” Liebling said, then described the DEA amendment process used to assemble agreed fixes before the bill reaches the floor.

The bill’s sponsor said the corrections package is intended to address last‑minute oversights that cannot wait for the revisor’s formal correction next year. As an example, Liebling said the types of fixes include minor mistakes such as a missing digit in a statutory reference.

The committee recommended that SF 5200 be placed on the General Register; Representative Scott renewed her motion and the committee adopted the recommendation by voice vote. No roll‑call tally was recorded in the committee transcript.

Why it matters: Corrections bills routinely adjust technical language, effective dates, and cross‑references so statutes and session laws conform to sponsors’ intent and legal drafting rules. The DEA amendment process Liebling described is intended to ensure chairs and affected offices agree on each technical fix before the bill is finalized.

Next steps: With the committee recommendation, SF 5200 will appear on the General Register for further House consideration.