SECTION 91 - A99-LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT

     91.1.     (LEG: Legislative Employee Designations)  The positions included in this section designated (P) shall denote a permanent employee and the salary is an annual rate.  The positions designated (T) shall denote a temporary employee and the salary is for a period of six months to be paid at that rate only while the General Assembly is in session.  The positions designated as (Interim) shall denote a temporary employee and the salary is for a period of six months to be paid at that rate while the General Assembly is not in session.  The positions designated (PTT) shall denote part-time temporary employees on a twelve-months basis.  The positions designated (PPT) shall denote permanent part-time employees retained for full-time work for a period of months or the duration of the legislative session.

     91.2.     (LEG: Legislative Employee BPI/Merit)  Legislative employees designated (P) or (PPT) shall receive base pay and average merit pay in the same manner as such pay is granted to classified state employees, but for purposes of this paragraph, the term “legislative employees” does not include employees of the House of Representatives.  From the funds appropriated for Employee Pay Increases, the Speaker of the House and the President ProTempore of the Senate shall determine the amount necessary for compensation of the employees of the House and Senate.

     91.3.     (LEG: Interim Expenses Allowance)  The Chairman of the Standing House and Senate Committees shall each be allowed the sum of six hundred and fifty dollars for expenses during the interim, between sessions of the General Assembly, to be paid from the House or Senate approved accounts, with each body paying the expense allowance of the chairman in its membership.  The Speaker of the House is authorized to approve not more than six hundred and fifty dollars for expenses during the interim for Chairmen of the Standing Committees of the House.

     91.4.     (LEG: Subsistence/Travel Regulations)(A)Members of the General Assembly shall receive subsistencefor each legislative day that the respective body is in session and in any other instance in which a member is allowed subsistence expense.  No member of the General Assembly except those present are eligible for subsistence on that day.  Legislative day is defined as those days commencing on the regular annual convening day of the General Assembly and continuing through the day of adjournment sine die, excluding Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

     (B)    Standing Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives are authorized to continue work during the interim; however, House members must receive advanced approval by the Speaker of the Houseand Senate members must receive advanced approval by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate or Standing Committee Chairman to meet.  If such advanced approval is not received, the members of the General Assembly shall not be paid the per diem authorized in this provision.  When certified by the Speaker of the House, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, or Standing Committee Chairman, the members serving on such committees shall receive a subsistenceand mileage at the rate provided for by law, and the regular per diem established in this act for members of boards, commissions, and committees while attending scheduled meetings.  Members may elect to receive actual expenses incurred for lodging and meals in lieu of the allowable subsistence expense.  The funds for allowances specified in this proviso shall be paid to the members of the Senate or House of Representatives from the Approved Accounts of the respective body except as otherwise may be provided.

     (C)    Joint Study Committees created pursuant to Acts and Resolutions of the General Assembly are authorized to continue work during the interim to secure such information and complete such investigations as may be assigned to the respective committees; however, House members must receive advanced approval by the Speaker of the Houseand Senate members must receive advanced approval by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate or Standing Committee Chairman to meet.  If such advanced approval is not received, the House and Senate members of the Joint Study Committee shall not be paid the per diem authorized in this provision.  When certified by theappropriate authority, the members appointed to such committees shall receive a subsistenceand mileage at the rate provided for by law, and the regular per diem established in this act for members of boards, commissions, and committees while attending scheduled meetings.  Members may elect to receive actual expenses incurred for lodging and meals in lieu of the allowable subsistence expense.  The allowances specified in this proviso shall be paid from funds appropriated to the respective committees for such purposes, or from Approved Accounts of the respective body of the General Assembly if no funds have been appropriated to such a committee for these purposes.

     (D)   Members of the Senate and the House of Representatives when traveling on official State business shall be allowed a subsistenceand transportation expenses as provided for by law, and the regular per diem established in this act for members of boards, commissions, and committees upon approval of the appropriate chairman.  When traveling on official business of the Senate or the House of Representatives not directly associated with a committee of the General Assembly, members shall be paid the same allowance upon approval of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives.  In either instance, the members may elect to receive actual expenses incurred for lodging and meals in lieu of the allowable subsistence expense.  The funds for the allowances specified in this proviso shall be paid from the Approved Accounts of the Senate or the House of Representatives or from the appropriate account of the agency, board, commission, task force or committee upon which the member serves.

     (E)    Members of the House of Representatives shall not be reimbursed for per diem, subsistence, or travel in connection with any function held outside of the regular session of the General Assembly unless prior approval has been received from the Speaker of the House.

     (F)    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, subsistence and mileage reimbursement for members of the General Assembly shallbe the level authorized by the Internal Revenue Service for the Columbia area.  Provided, in calculating the subsistence reimbursement for members of the General Assembly the reimbursement rate for the lodging component shall be the average daily rate for hotels in the Columbia Downtown area as defined by the Columbia Metro Convention and Visitor’s Bureau for the preceding fiscal year .

     91.5.     (LEG: Senate Voucher Approval)  All payroll vouchers, disbursement vouchers, and interdepartmental transfers of the Senate shall only require the approval of the Clerk of the Senate.

     91.6.     (LEG: Supplies Approval)  All supplies for the Senate shall be purchased only upon the authority of the Clerk of the Senate and all supplies for the House of Representatives shall be purchased only upon the authority of the Clerk of the House.

     91.7.     (LEG: House Pages)  Up to one hundred forty-four Pages may be appointed pursuant to House policies and procedures and they shall be available for any necessary service to the House of Representatives.

     91.8.     (LEG: Senate Research Personnel Compensation)  Senate Research personnel other than Directors of Research and the committee research staff shall be paid from funds appropriated for Senate Research at the direction of the Clerk of the Senate.

     91.9.     (LEG: Contract for Services)  The Standing Committees of the Senate may, upon approval of the President Pro Tempore, contract with state agencies and other entities for such projects, programs, and services as may be necessary to the work of the respective committees. Any such projects, programs, or services shall be paid from funds appropriated for contractual services.

     91.10.   (LEG: Jt. Leg. Committee Operational Authorization)  Only the Joint Legislative Committees for which funding is provided herein are authorized to continue operating during the current fiscal year under the same laws, resolutions, rules or regulations which provided for their operations during the prior fiscal year.

     91.11.   (LEG: Legislative Carry Forward)  In addition to the funds appropriated in this section, the funds appropriated under Part IA, Sections 91A, 91B, 91C, 91D, and 91E for the prior fiscal year which are not expended during that fiscal year may be carried forward to be expended for the same purposes in the current fiscal year.

     91.12.   (LEG:SenateExpenditures/O&MCommittee)  Notwithstanding any limitation or other provisions of law to the contrary, funds expended by the Senate for salary adjustments, professional fees and dues, and necessary expenses, supplies, and equipment for Senate employees, must be paid from funds appropriated to the Senate Operations and Management Committee and funds available in approved accounts of the Senate, and shall be authorized and allocated in such manner as determined by the Senate Operations and Management Committee.  From the funds annually allocated to each Senator and Representative for postage and telephone, $250 may be used to purchase American and State flags.

     91.13.   (LEG: In-District Compensation)  All members of the General Assembly shall receive an in-district compensation of $1,000per month.

     91.14.   (LEG: Additional House Support Personnel)The House Operations and Management Committee shall determine procedures and policies for the administration and operation of the Legislative Aide program and the House Operations and Management Committee shall manage the program.  Appropriations to the House of Representatives in Part IA shall fund the program.

     91.15.   (LEG: House Postage)  The Speaker of the House is authorized to approve no more than$700 per member per fiscal year for postage.

     91.16.   (LEG: Legislative Dual Employment)  Each committee and joint legislative committee provide a list to the members of the General Assembly of all employees who hold dual positions of state employment.

     91.17.   (LEG: Code of Law Reimbursement)  The Legislative Council may require reimbursement from public sector recipients except for the General Assemblyof its cost of acquiring codes of law, supplements, or replacement volumes distributed to them.

     91.18.   (LEG: Statewide Acts Availability)  From the funds appropriated in Part IA, Section 91D of this act, for the current fiscal year the clerks of the House of Representatives and the Senate are to make all statewide Acts available to the public electronically.  The provisions of this section are in lieu of the House and Senate Clerks’ duties related to the printing and mailing of acts as set forth in Sections 2-13-190, 2-13-210, and 11-25-640 through 11-25-680 of the 1976 Code.

     91.19.   (LEG: LAC Matching Federal Funds)  The Legislative Audit Council is authorized to use funds appropriated in this act as state matching funds for federal funds available for audits and reviews.  The council is also authorized to charge state agencies for federal funds, if available, for the costs associated with audits and reviews.  Agencies shall remit the federal funds to the Legislative Audit Council as reimbursement for the costs of audits and reviews.

     91.20.   (LEG: Other Funds Oversight Committee)  There is created a joint committee of the Senate and of the House of Representatives entitled the Other Funds Oversight Committee.  The committee shall consist of eight members as follows:  the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, or his designee; one member of the Senate Finance Committee appointed by the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee; the Chairman of the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, or his designee; one member of the House Ways and Means Committee appointed by the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee; the Senate Majority Leader, or his designee; the Senate Minority Leader, or his designee; the House Majority Leader, or his designee; and the House Minority Leader, or his designee.

     The committee shall review and examine the source of other funds in this State and recommend to the General Assembly the appropriate policy for the receipt, appropriation, expenditure, and reporting of other funds.  In making its determination, the committee shall solicit and receive testimony from state agencies, departments, boards or commissions regarding the status of the receipt of other funds, the conditions of receipt, the expenditure of other funds, and any relevant statistic or measurement.  The committee shall make recommendations to the General Assembly regarding any necessary action.

     TheExecutive Budget Office must notify the committee of any request for an increase in interim budget authorization resulting from other funds collections that is made by any state agency, department, board, or commission.  The committee shall review each request and recommend appropriate action.

     Members of the committee shall serve without compensation, but are allowed the usual per diem and mileage as provided by law for members of boards, commissions, and committees while on official business.

     For purposes of the proviso, ‘other funds’ means any revenues received by an agency which are not federal funds and are not general funds appropriated by the General Assembly in the appropriations act.

     91.21.   DELETED

     91.22.   (LEG: DMV Audit Review)  For Fiscal Year 2015-16, the provisions of Section 56-1-5(F) are suspended.  Any savings generated by not conducting the review shall be used to conduct audits required by Section 2-15-60 of the 1976 Code.

     91.23.   (LEG: Electronic Correspondence)  For Fiscal Year 2015-16, the House of Representatives may not expend any funds for the printing or mailing of bills, summaries, committee agendas, etc. to committee members.  The House of Representatives shall send all relevant information concerning committee meetings to committee members via electronic means.

     91.24.   (LEG: Technology Panel)  Of the funds appropriated in XII.E.2. for Technology the K-12 Technology Initiative partnership shall provide a reportto the House Education and Public Works Committee, the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Education Committee and the Senate Finance Committee, describing the state’s efforts to facilitate the cost effective provision of connectivity and internet bandwidth to schools and libraries on a statewide basis, regardless of location, activities to assist schools and libraries in minimizing and detecting internet security threats, the development and utilization of technological and online resources to support student development and achievement, the development and utilization of curriculum and professional training to support the use of instructional technology in schools and libraries, and other educational technology related activities engaged in by the partnership.  Further, the report must detail information on the expenditure of the K-12 Technology funds by each district as well as a list of the districts requesting flexibility in the use of those funds.  The report shall be submitted no later thanJune 1, 2016.

     91.25.   (LEG: Legislative Department Applicability)  For purposes of this act and any other provision of law that would have any effect on the expenditure of state revenue through the applicability of the particular provision or through compliance with a mandate or requirement of the provision, the terms “state agency” or “agency” do not include any component of the Legislative Department unless the provision of law specifically includes these entities and the inclusion only applies for purposes of the particular provision.

     91.26.   DELETED

     91.27.   (LEG: Act 388 Study Committee)  Of the funds appropriated to the Senate, a study committee shall be established to review and study the effects of Act 388 of 2006 on the various classes of property.

     Membership of the committee shall be comprised of five members as follows:

          (1)    one member of the Senate appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate;

          (2)    one member of the Senate appointed by the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee;

          (3)    one member of the Senate appointed by the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee;

          (4)    one member of the Senate appointed by the Senate Majority Leader; and

          (5)    one member of the Senate appointed by the Senate Minority Leader.

     The study committee shall provide a report with findings and recommendations to the General Assembly by June 30, 2016, at which time the study committee shall be dissolved.

     91.28.   DELETED

     91.29.   (LEG: Requested Information)  The departments, bureaus, officers, commissions, institutions, and other agencies or undertakings of the State, upon request, shall immediately furnish to President Pro Tempore of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives in such form as he may require, any information requested in relation to their respective affairs or activities.

     91.30.   (LEG: Voting System Research Committee)  There is created a joint legislative committee, entitled the “Joint Voting System Research Committee.”  This committee shall be comprised of ten members of the General Assembly, as follows:

              (1)    the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, or his designee;

              (2)    the Speaker of the House of Representatives, or his designee;

              (3)    the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, or his designee;

              (4)    the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, or his designee;

              (5)    the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, or his designee;

              (6)    the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, or his designee;

              (7)    the Majority Leader of the Senate, or his designee;

              (8)    the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives or his designee;

              (9)    the Minority Leader of the Senate, or his designee; and

              (10)  the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives or his designee.

     In the event a designee is appointed they must be selected from the membership of the General Assembly.

     The committee shall identify and evaluate current voting system technologies that meet the standards established by Title 7 of the 1976 Code.  The committee shall issue a report which shall include, but is not limited to, the following:

              (1)    an evaluation of each form of voting system technology considered by the committee, including costs, usability, reliability, accessibility, ability to conduct random audits of election results, and security matters related to each, as well as any possible solutions to address any concerns raised;

              (2)    consideration of best practices established by the United States Election Assistance Commission; and

              (3)    an analysis as to which technology should be implemented in South Carolina.  This analysis shall include costs to acquire and fully implement the recommended technology for a statewide uniform voting system.  The analysis must include proposed milestones and success measures for implementation.

     The report shall be submitted to the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee no later than January 30, 2016, after which the committee shall be dissolved.

     Staff for the joint committee shall be provided by the Senate Finance Committee, the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the House Judiciary Committee.  Members of the study committee shall serve without compensation for per diem, mileage, and subsistence.