The following is the section from the Rules of the House that deals with establishing, keeping and acquitting a quorum. You can view all of the House Rules on the House of Representatives' Web site.

RULE 5

Floor Procedure

CHAPTER A.QUORUM AND ATTENDANCE

Section 1. Quorum —Two-thirds of the house shall constitute a quorum to do business.

Section 2. Roll Calls —On every roll call or registration, the names of the members shall be called or listed, as the case may be, alphabetically by surname, except when two or more have the same surname, in which case the initials of the members shall be added.

Section 3. Leave Of Absence — (a) No member shall be absent from the sessions of the house without leave, and no member shall be excused on his or her own motion.
(b) A leave of absence may be granted by a majority vote of the house and may be revoked at any time by a similar vote.
(c) Any member granted a leave of absence due to a meeting of a committee or conference committee that has authority to meet while the house is in session shall be so designated on each roll call or registration for which that member is excused.

Section 4. Failure To Answer Roll Call —Any member who is present and fails or refuses to record on a roll call after being requested to do so by the speaker shall be recorded as present by the speaker and shall be counted for the purpose of making a quorum.

Section 5. Point Of Order Of “No Quorum ” —(a) The point of order of “No Quorum ” shall not be accepted by the chair if the last roll call showed the presence of a quorum, provided the last roll call was taken within two hours of the time the point of order is raised.

(b) If the last roll call was taken more than two hours before the point of order is raised, it shall be in order for the member who raised the point of order to request a roll call. Such a request must be seconded by 25 members. If the request for a roll call is properly seconded, the chair shall order a roll call.

(c) Once a point of order has been made that a quorum is not present, it may not be withdrawn after the absence of a quorum has been ascertained and announced.

Section 6. Motions In Order When Quorum Not Present — If a registration or record vote reveals that a quorum is not present, only a motion to adjourn or a motion for a call of the house and the motions incidental thereto shall be in order.

Section 7. Motion For Call Of The House — It shall be in order to move a call of the house at any time to secure and maintain a quorum for one of the following purposes:
(1) for the consideration of a specific bill, resolution, motion, or
other measure;
(2) for the consideration of any designated class of bills; or
(3) for a definite period of time.

Motions for, and incidental to, a call of the house are not debatable.

HOUSE PRECEDENTS

1. BILL CONSIDERED UNDER CALL OF THE HOUSE
MADE A SPECIAL ORDER. — In the 51st Legislature, the
speaker, Mr.Manford, held that when a bill was being considered under a call of the house, pursuant to (1)above, a motion to set the bill as a special order for another time was in order.

2. ILLUSTRATION OF A “CLASS OF BILLS ”. — The house was considering H.B.231. Mr.Pool moved a call of the house
until House Bills 231, 232, 233, and 288 were disposed of. Mr. Hale raised a point of order that such was not a valid motion
in that it encompassed four separate bills which did not constitute a “class ” under this section.

The speaker, Mr.Carr, in overruling the point of order, called attention to the fact that all four bills dealt with the same general
subject matter, i.e., segregation in the public schools, that their
provisions were complementary, and that, in his opinion, they
constituted a “class of bills ” as contemplated in this section..
(55th Reg.)

Section 8.Securing A Quorum — When a call of the house is moved for one of the above purposes and seconded by 15 members (of whom the speaker may be one) and ordered by a majority vote, the main entrance to the hall and all other doors leading out of the hall shall be locked and no member permitted to leave the house without the written permission of the speaker. The names of members present shall be recorded. All absentees for whom no sufficient excuse is made may, by order of a majority of those present, be sent for and arrested, wherever they may be found, by the sergeant-at-arms or an officer appointed by the sergeant-at-arms for that purpose, and their attendance shall be secured and retained. The house shall determine on what conditions they shall be discharged. Members who voluntarily appear shall, unless the house otherwise directs, be immediately admitted to the hall of the house and shall report their names to the clerk to be entered in the journal as present.

Until a quorum appears, should the roll call fail to show one present, no business shall be transacted, except to compel the attendance of absent members or to adjourn. It shall not be in order to recess under a call of the house.

EXPLANATORY NOTES

The procedure outlined in this section is mandatory after a call of the house is “moved,” a motion to recess not being acceptable between the “seconding ” and the “ordering ” vote on the call. However, due to its high priority, a motion to adjourn could come between, or even ahead of the “seconding” procedure.

HOUSE PRECEDENTS

1. NO SUBSTITUTE FOR A CALL OF THE HOUSE. — In
the 51st Legislature, the speaker, Mr. Manford, held that there is
no substitute for a call of the house, i.e., a different time or purpose cannot be substituted.

2. CALL OF THE HOUSE IN EFFECT PENDING
VERIFICATION. — In the 51st Legislature, the speaker, Mr. Manford, as the result of a 65 to 64 vote for a call of the house, ordered the doors of the house closed immediately despite a request for a verification which he accepted and allowed. The verification sustained the announced vote.