Each General Assembly has a "G.A. Procedures" committee to consider changes to the rules by which the Assembly conducts its business. Often the rules changes affect Presbyterians all the way down to local congregations. In recent years, business in this committee has given us an open meeting policy and then a separate policy that allows the closing of meetings. The committee makes recommendations on what business from lower governing bodies may be heard at the assembly and how it will be heard. Some of the actions from this year's procedures committee that the Assembly adopted:

• Defeated an attempt to delete a standing rule limiting demonstrations at the G.A. leaving the rule in place.
• Referred to the Office of the General Assembly (OGA) for study and report to the GA in 2002, the options for and against extending voice and vote in G.A. plenary to youth, theological, and missionary delegates. [These delegates, which the Stated Clerk's report numbered as 40% of the delegates to the assembly, currently have voice and vote in committee.]
• Requests "affinity groups" to submit a statement including their goals, methods of operation, theological emphases, annual budget, number of staff, and list of donors giving more than $1,000.
• Disapproved scheduling opportunity for commissioners to ask questions regarding the slate of nominees put forth by the General Assembly Nominating Committee on which they will be voting.

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