SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 13
1. NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE CHANGE
Notice is hereby given by the Senator from the Fifteenth District of the one day notice required by rule of intent to put a motion to adopt the following rule change:
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Ninety-third General Assembly, First Regular Session, that Senate Rules 25 and 28 of the temporary rules adopted January 5, 2005, be amended to read as follows:
"Rule 25. The president pro tem of the senate shall appoint the following standing [and statutory] committees:
1. Committee on Administration, 5 members.
2. Committee on Aging, Families, Mental and Public Health, 9 members.
3. Committee on Agriculture, Conservation, Parks and Natural Resources, [10] 9 members.
4. Committee on Appropriations, [13] 9 members.
5. Committee on Commerce, Energy and the Environment, [10] 9 members.
6. Committee on Economic Development, Tourism and Local Government, 9 members.
7. Committee on Education, [12] 9 members.
8. Committee on Financial and Governmental [Organization, Veterans' Affairs] Organizations and Elections, [10] 9 members.
9. Committee on Governmental Accountability and Fiscal Oversight, [9] 6 members.
10. Committee on Gubernatorial Appointments, 9 members.
11. Committee on the Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence, 9 members.
12. [Committee on Legislative Research (statutory), 10 members.
13.] Committee on Pensions, Veterans' Affairs and General Laws, [8] 9 members.
[14.] 13. Committee on Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics, 7 members.
[15.] 14. Committee on Small Business, Insurance and Industrial Relations, [12] 9 members.
[16.] 15. Committee on Transportation, [11] 9 members.
[17.] 16. Committee on Ways and Means, [7] 9 members.
All committees shall have leave to report at any time. The chairman of any standing committee may appoint one or more subcommittees, with the approval of the committee, to hold hearings on bills referred to the committee and shall report its findings to the standing committee.
Rule 28. The duties of the standing [and statutory] committees of the senate are as follows:
1. The Committee on Administration shall superintend and have sole and complete control of all financial obligations and business affairs of the senate, the assignment of offices and seats, and the supervision of certain designated employees. The committee shall be authorized to employ an administrator, who shall be provided with office space as designated by the committee. The administrator or the secretary of the senate may be authorized to act for the committee, but only in the manner and to the extent as may have previously been authorized by the committee with such authorization entered in the minutes of the committee. No voucher calling for payment from the contingent fund of the senate shall be drawn, nor shall any valid obligation exist against the contingent fund until the same shall have been approved by the committee or its administrator and be recorded in the minutes thereof. All vouchers must be signed by the chairman of the committee or the administrator, if so authorized. The committee or its administrator shall provide for the receiving and receipt of all supplies, equipment and furnishings purchased for the account of the senate, and the distribution thereof. The administrator shall keep a detailed running account of all transactions and shall open his records for inspection to any senator who so requests. All employees other than elected officials of the senate and employees of the individual senators, shall be selected by the committee, who shall control their tenure, set their compensation, assign their duties and exercise complete supervision over them. When necessary, the committee shall assign office space and seats in the senate chamber.
2. The Committee on Aging, Families, Mental and Public Health shall consider and report upon all matters referred to it concerning the preservation of the quality of life for senior citizens, nursing home and boarding home operations, alternative care programs for the elderly, family and children's issues, mental health, mental retardation and developmental disabilities. It shall also consider, examine and report upon all matters and bills referred to it concerning income maintenance, social services, health care programs, alcoholism and drug abuse, medicaid, child support enforcement, disease control and prevention, hospital operations and alternative state health care proposals.
3. The Committee on Agriculture, Conservation, Parks and Natural Resources shall consider all questions and report on all bills, resolutions, regulatory matters, and all other matters referred to it relating to animals, animal disease, pest control, agriculture, the state park system, conservation of the state's natural resources, soil and water, wildlife and game refuges.
4. The Committee on Appropriations shall report upon all bills and measures and questions referred to it pertaining to general appropriations and disbursement of public money.
5. The Committee on Commerce, Energy and the Environment shall consider all questions and report on all bills, resolutions and all other matters referred to it relating to the development of state commerce, the commercial sector, consumer protection, the development and conservation of energy resources and the disposal of solid, hazardous and nuclear wastes and other matters relating to environmental pollution.
6. The Committee on Economic Development, Tourism and Local Government shall consider all questions and report on all bills referred to it relating to the promotion of economic development, tourism and the promotion of tourism as a state industry, community and business development, county government, township organizations and political subdivisions.
7. The Committee on Education shall examine into and report upon all matters referred to it relating to all matters of education in the state, including the public schools, libraries, programs and institutions of higher learning, and shall examine and report on all propositions, memorials, petitions, or bills relating thereto.
8. The Committee on Financial and Governmental [Organization, Veterans' Affairs] Organizations and Elections shall consider all questions and report on all bills, resolutions and all other matters referred to it relating to banks and banking, savings and loan associations and other financial institutions in the state. The committee shall also examine and report upon all bills and matters referred to it relating to the reorganization, establishment, consolidation or abolition of departments, boards, bureaus and commissions of state government, the internal operation of any state agency and the effect of federal legislation upon any state agency. The committee shall consider all questions and report on all bills, resolutions and on all matters referred to it relating to election law [and to military organizations] and all matters relating to the department of corrections including the state's penal institutions and training facilities and the sentencing of people to the department of corrections.
9. The Committee on Governmental Accountability and Fiscal Oversight shall consider all bills, except regular appropriation bills, which require new appropriations or expenditures of appropriated funds in excess of $100,000, or which reduce such funds by that amount during any of the first three years that public funds will be used to fully implement the provisions of the Act. Any such senate bill, after having been approved by the regular standing committee to which it has been assigned and after the same has been perfected and ordered printed by the senate, shall thereafter be referred to the Committee on Governmental Accountability and Fiscal Oversight for its consideration prior to its submission to the senate for final passage thereof by the senate. Any such house bill after having been reported by the regular standing committee to which it was assigned shall be referred to the Committee on Governmental Accountability and Fiscal Oversight for its consideration prior to its being considered by the senate for third reading and final passage. Any senate or house bill, amended so as to increase expenditures or reduce revenue in excess of $100,000 during any of the first three years that public funds will be used to fully implement its provisions shall upon timely motion be referred or re-referred to the Committee on Governmental Accountability and Fiscal Oversight. The author or first-named sponsor of a bill referred to the Committee on Governmental Accountability and Fiscal Oversight shall be entitled to a hearing on his/her bill but such committee hearing shall be limited to the reception of testimony presented by the author or first-named sponsor in person and none other. The Committee on Governmental Accountability and Fiscal Oversight may recommend the passage of a bill subject to the adoption of an amendment specifying a certain effective date proposed by the committee, and if such an amendment is not adopted the bill shall again be referred to that committee. The committee shall also hear all bills referred to it relating to budget reform, governmental efficiency and management.
10. The Committee on Gubernatorial Appointments shall consider and report upon all gubernatorial appointments referred to it.
11. The Committee on the Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence shall consider all questions and bills relating to the judicial department of the state including civil procedure and the criminal laws of this state, criminal costs and all related matters; and shall examine the constitutionality of all bills referred to it by the senate, and examine into and report upon all matters and bills relating to the practice in the courts of this state and in which questions of law or equity may arise, and may consider, examine and report on all matters and bills referred to the committee relating to workers' compensation. The Committee shall also examine and report upon all matters and bills referred to it relating to probation or parole of persons sentenced under the criminal laws of the state.
12. [The Committee on Legislative Research (statutory) shall perform its statutory duties and other assignments made.
13.] The Committee on Pensions, Veterans' Affairs and General Laws shall consider and report on all bills, resolutions and all other matters concerning retirement, pensions and pension plans which may be referred to it. The committee shall also examine and report upon all matters and bills referred to it concerning veterans' affairs and general topics.
[14.] 13. The Committee on Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics shall consider and report on all rules for the government of the senate and joint rules when requested by the senate, shall consider, examine and report upon all matters and bills referred to it relating to ethics and the conduct of public officials and employees, shall recommend to the Senate the rules by which investigations and disciplinary proceedings will be conducted, and shall examine and report upon all resolutions and other matters which may be appropriately referred to it. The committee shall see that bills and amendments are properly perfected and printed. The committee shall examine all Truly Agreed To and Finally Passed bills carefully, and report that the printed copies furnished the senators are correct. Upon the written request of the sponsor or floor handler of a bill, the committee may recommend that any such bill on the calendars for perfection or house bills on third reading be called up or considered out of order in which the bill appears on that calendar. A recommendation to consider bills out of order shall require approval by a majority of the committee with the concurrence of two-thirds of the senate members. No floor debate shall be allowed on the motion to adopt the committee report.
The Committee shall examine bills placed on the Consent Calendar and may, by majority vote, remove any bill from the consent calendar within the time period prescribed by Rule 45, that it determines is too controversial to be treated as a consent bill.
[15.] 14. The Committee on Small Business, Insurance and Industrial Relations shall take into consideration all matters referred to it relating to the ownership and operation of small businesses; life, accident, indemnity and other forms of insurance; and all matters relating to urban renewal and housing. The committee shall also take into consideration and report on all bills relating to labor management, fair employment standards, workers' compensation and employment security within the state and shall examine any bills referred to it relating to industrial development and other matters relating to urban areas.
[16.] 15. The Committee on Transportation shall consider, examine and report upon all matters and bills referred to it concerning roads, highways, bridges, airports and aviation, railroads, port authorities, and other means of transportation and matters relating to motor vehicles and drivers' licenses.
[17.] 16. The Committee on Ways and Means shall consider, examine and report upon all matters and bills referred to it concerning the revenue and public debt of the state, and interest thereon, the assessment of real and personal property, the classification of property for taxation purposes and gaming."