Current Status Introducing Body:Senate Bill Number:828 Primary Sponsor:Short Type of Legislation:SR Subject:Senate Rules Residing Body:Senate Computer Document Number:828 Introduced Date:19930614 Last History Body:Senate Last History Date:19940202 Last History Type:Committee Report: majority favorable, minority unfavorable Scope of Legislation:Statewide All Sponsors:Short Type of Legislation:Senate Resolution
Bill Body Date Action Description CMN Leg Involved
____ ______ ____________ ______________________________ ___ ____________
828 Senate 19940202 Committee Report: majority 14
favorable, minority
unfavorable
828 Senate 19930614 Introduced, referred to 14
Committee
View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.
COMMITTEE REPORT
February 2, 1994
S. 828
S. Printed 2/2/94--S.
Read the first time June 14, 1993.
To whom was referred a Senate Resolution (S. 828), to amend Rule 19 of the Rules of the Senate regarding the membership of the Senate Judiciary Committee, etc., respectfully
That they have duly and carefully considered the same, and recommend that the same do pass:
Majority favorable. Minority unfavorable.
GLENN F. McCONNELL WARREN K. GIESE
For Majority. For Minority.
TO AMEND RULE 19 OF THE RULES OF THE SENATE REGARDING THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE AND THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE TO PROVIDE THAT EACH COMMITTEE SHALL HAVE A MEMBERSHIP OF TWENTY-THREE SENATORS.
Be it resolved by the Senate:
That Rule 19 of the Rules of the Senate is amended to read:
The Standing Committees of the Senate shall be as follows:
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 and Elections, Rural Electrification, Social Services, and Local Legislation.)
Invitations
Judiciary
Labor, Commerce and Industry
Medical Affairs Rules
Transportation (Aviation, Highways, Railroads and Shipping)
(1) The membership of the above listed committees shall be not less than five (5) nor more than eighteen (18), except as otherwise provided herein. The Committee on Ethics shall be composed of ten (10) members. Of the ten (10) members selecting a seat, five (5) shall be members of the majority party and five (5) shall be members of the minority party. The Committee on Invitations shall be limited to not more than ten (10) members. The several committees shall have such powers and duties as provided for in these rules.
(2) In addition to the above listed standing committees, there shall be two (2) special committees to be known as the Committee on Interstate Cooperation which shall be composed of five (5) members and the Chairmen's Committee to be composed of the Chairmen of the fourteen (14) standing committees. The Chairman of the Chairmen's Committee shall in all cases be the most senior Senator serving thereon.
(3) Members of the Senate shall be limited to serve on not more than five (5) standing committees. Membership on the Committee on Ethics, the Committee on Invitations, and the Committee on Interstate Cooperation are not included in limiting membership on standing committees. No member shall chair more than one (1) standing committee but may chair a standing committee and a special committee concurrently.
(4) Members of the Senate shall make their committee selections at the commencement of each session following the election of Senators or at such 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 be listed in alphabetical order. The Clerk of the Senate shall then call the roll. Each member, upon his name being called, shall select four (4) unfilled standing committees on which he wishes to serve. The roll call shall be repeated a second time with each member, upon his name being called, selecting one additional unfilled standing committee on which he wishes to serve. In the event any member is unable to be present for selection of standing committees, that member may authorize in writing any member of the Senate to make selections in his behalf. This procedure shall be followed on the first day of the session following the election of Senators and at any other session where the Senate proceeds to fill vacancies on a committee by whatever reason caused. Any Senator who served on a standing committee in the session immediately past shall have the right to serve on such committee regardless of the Senator's seniority in the Senate, unless the Senator shall elect to be removed from such committee or unless the Senator is ineligible to reclaim a seat on the said committee by reason of the limitations herein set forth.
(5) The Finance and Judiciary Committees shall each be composed of twenty-three members. A Senator shall select a seat to these committees in accordance with the procedure set forth in Item (4) of this rule. The selection of Finance or Judiciary Committee shall count as one of the four choices made during the initial call and membership Membership on the Judiciary Committee excludes membership on the Finance Committee and vice versa.
(6) Except as otherwise provided herein, in the selection of the membership of the Senate standing committees, the seniority system shall be retained so as to become a part of these rules and shall be followed without regard to party affiliation.
(7) Committee seniority shall be determined by tenure within the Committee rather than tenure within the Senate. When members with seniority transfer to a new committee, their seniority will be counted ahead of newly-elected Senators.
(8) Where two or more standing committees are combined, initial membership on such committees shall be based on tenure within the Senate.
(9) In the election of the chairmen of the standing committees, the Senate shall proceed viva voce, severally, to elect the chairman of each committee by a majority vote.
(10) When any subject or matter shall have been referred to a Committee, any other subject or matter of a similar nature may, on motion, be referred to such committee.
(11) The membership on committees of conference and free conference between the two Houses shall be determined by the President of the Senate in consultation with the chairman of the committee of jurisdiction on the bill subject to conference. Provided that the conference committee on any resolution affecting sine die adjournment shall be appointed by the Chairmen's Committee.
(12) Time schedules for committee meetings. The following schedule shall be the regular meeting times for standing and special committees when the General Assembly is in session. The time and date may be changed by the Chairmen's Committee and any additional meeting may be called by individual committee chairmen.
1st and 3rd Tuesday
11:00 a.m.
The Chairmen's Committee
Every Tuesday
3:00 p.m.
Finance and Judiciary
1st and 3rd Wednesday
9:00 a.m.
Education
10:00 a.m.
Fish, Game & Forestry
3:00 p.m.
Transportation
2nd and 4th Wednesday
9:00 a.m.
Medical Affairs and General
3:00 p.m.
Banking & Insurance
1st and 3rd Thursday
9:00 a.m.
Corrections & Penology and
Agriculture & Natural Resources
2nd and 4th Thursday
9:00 a.m.
Labor, Commerce & Industry
The Rules Committee, Ethics Committee, Interstate Cooperation Committee, and the Invitations Committee shall meet at the call of the Chair. Provided, however, that nothing herein shall prohibit the Chairman of a standing committee from canceling a committee meeting.
The above listed dates refer to calendar weeks as opposed to session weeks. The date, time and place of any called meetings shall be reported to the Clerk of the Senate who shall post such information in the lobby of the Gressette Senate Office Building and the State House. Notice of regular scheduled meetings, as well as called meetings, shall be posted at least 24 hours in advance whenever feasible.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be retained by the Clerk of the Senate."