Current Status Introducing Body:Senate Bill Number:285 Primary Sponsor:Hinds Committee Number:14 Type of Legislation:SR Subject:Senate Rule Residing Body:Senate Current Committee:Rules Computer Document Number:285 Introduced Date:Jan 08, 1991 Last History Body:Senate Last History Date:Jan 08, 1991 Last History Type:Introduced, referred to Committee Scope of Legislation:Statewide All Sponsors:Hinds Type of Legislation:Senate Resolution
Bill Body Date Action Description CMN
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285 Senate Jan 08, 1991 Introduced, referred to 14
Committee
285 Senate Nov 05, 1990 Prefiled, referred to 14
Committee
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TO AMEND RULE 19, RULES OF THE SENATE, RELATING TO MEMBERSHIP ON STANDING COMMITTEES, SO AS TO CLARIFY THE COMMITTEE SELECTION PROCEDURE, TO DELETE OBSOLETE PROVISIONS, AND TO MAKE VARIOUS GRAMMATICAL CHANGES.
Be it resolved by the Senate:
That Rule 19 of the Rules of the Senate is amended to read:
(1) The standing committees
of the Senate shall be as follows are:
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Banking and Insurance
Corrections and Penology
Education
Ethics
Finance
Fish, Game and Forestry
General Committee (General Committee will encompass most of the relatively inactive committees, namely, Atomic and Nuclear Energy, Federal Relations, Enrolled Acts, Legislative Library, Military, Veterans Affairs, Privileges nd Elections, Rural Electrification, Social Services and Local Legislation.)
Interstate Cooperation
Invitations
Judiciary
Labor, Commerce and Industry
Medical Affairs
Rules
Transportation (Aviation, Highways, Railroads and Shipping.).
(2) The membership of the Ethics Committee shall be is limited to six (6) as set forth in Rule 45 and the membership of the Invitations Committee shall be is limited to ten (10). The membership of the above remaining standing committees shall must not be less than five (5) nor more than eighteen (18).
(3) Members of the Senate with seniority shall be limited to may serve on not more than five standing committees, and members with no seniority shall be limited to may serve on no not more than four standing committees. Membership on the Committee on Ethics, Committee on Interstate Cooperation, and or the Committee on Invitations are is not included in limiting membership on standing committees.
(4) Members of the Senate shall make their committee selections at the commencement beginning of each session following the election of Senators or at such a special session called for that purpose. For the members to make their standing committee selections, the Clerk of the Senate, (or if the Clerk has not been elected, the Clerk of the Senate during the preceding General Assembly or an assistant clerk), shall prepare a roll of the Senate listing the members in the order of length of continuous service, beginning with the longest continuous service. Where two or more members have equal continuous service they shall must be listed in alphabetical order. The Clerk of the Senate then shall then call the roll. Each member, upon his name being called, shall select four unfilled standing committees and one of the three committees listed in subsection (3) on which he wishes to serve. The roll call shall must be repeated with each member, upon his name being called, selecting one additional unfilled standing committee on which he wishes to serve. In the event If a any member is unable to be present for selection of standing committees, that member may authorize in writing any a member of the Senate to make selections in his behalf. Any A Senator who served on a standing committee in the session immediately past shall have the right to may serve on such that committee regardless of the Senator's seniority in the Senate, unless the Senator shall elect elects to be removed from such the committee or unless the Senator is ineligible to reclaim a seat on the said committee by reason of the limitations herein set forth in this rule.
(5) No member shall may chair more than one standing committee.
(6) The membership and chairmanship limitations limitation set forth in this rule do does not apply to the Committee on Interstate Cooperation.
(7) Membership on the Judiciary Committee excludes membership on the Finance Committee and vice versa.
(8) The members shall must be elected at the commencement beginning of each session following election of Senators, with leave to report by bill or otherwise.
(9) In the election of the membership of the Senate standing committees, the seniority system shall be is retained, so as to become is considered a part of these rules, and shall must be followed without regard to party affiliation.
(10) Committee seniority shall be is determined by tenure within the Committee rather than tenure within the Senate. When members with seniority transfer to a new committee their seniority will must be counted ahead of newly-elected Senators.
(11) Where two or more standing committees are combined, initial membership on such committees the combined committee shall must be based on tenure within the Senate.
(12) In the election of the standing committees, the Senate shall proceed viva voce, severally, to elect the chairman of each committee, and then, viva voce, the other members necessary to complete the same standing committees;. and a A majority of the whole number of votes given cast shall be is necessary to the choice of to elect the chairman of a standing committee. In all other elections a plurality of votes shall make a choice is necessary for election. All other committees shall must be appointed by the President, unless the Senate differently directs otherwise.
(13) When any a subject or matter shall have been is referred to a committee, any other subject or matter of a similar nature may, on motion, may be referred to such the same committee.
(14) In any case where Where a rule or law provides for ex officio membership on state boards and commissions by virtue of a chairmanship, the appropriate committee shall elect same the ex officio board or commission member from its membership."