Bill Text: TX SCR22 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Authorizing the creation and appointment of joint legislative study committees by the lieutenant governor and speaker of the House of Representatives.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-06-18 - Signed by the Governor [SCR22 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SCR22-Enrolled.html
S.C.R. No. 22 |
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WHEREAS, The Texas Legislature for each of the last 20 | ||
regular sessions has adopted a concurrent resolution authorizing | ||
the creation and appointment of joint legislative study committees | ||
by the lieutenant governor and speaker of the House of | ||
Representatives; and | ||
WHEREAS, Renewal of the prior authorizations to the presiding | ||
officers enables the legislature to address and study issues that | ||
remain unresolved on sine die adjournment or that emerge subsequent | ||
to that time; and | ||
WHEREAS, It is also desirable to adopt by resolution various | ||
rules and policies regarding the operation of joint committees to | ||
supplement, and reconcile differences between, the Senate and House | ||
rules of procedure; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas | ||
hereby authorize the lieutenant governor and speaker of the House | ||
of Representatives to create by mutual agreement such joint | ||
committees as they consider necessary during the term of this | ||
legislature; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That each joint committee created pursuant to this | ||
resolution be composed of such combination of legislators, state | ||
officials, or citizen members as shall be determined mutually by | ||
the presiding officers of each house; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That on the request of the presiding officers, the | ||
governor may appoint members to a joint committee created pursuant | ||
to this resolution; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That the presiding officers issue for each | ||
committee so created a joint proclamation identifying the issue or | ||
issues to be studied and listing the committee membership or | ||
describing the committee composition and that the proclamation be | ||
filed with the secretary of the Senate and the chief clerk of the | ||
House of Representatives; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That the presiding officers designate jointly a | ||
chair, or designate alternatively two co-chairs, from among the | ||
legislative members of the committee; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That the chair or co-chairs, acting jointly and | ||
within four weeks of the proclamation, prepare and present to the | ||
presiding officers a proposal for budget and staffing; and, be it | ||
further | ||
RESOLVED, That the chair or co-chairs be directed to use to | ||
the greatest extent possible the existing staff and administrative | ||
resources of committee members, standing committees, officers of | ||
the Senate and House, and legislative service agencies; and, be it | ||
further | ||
RESOLVED, That the presiding officers jointly review each | ||
budget and staffing proposal, adopt budgetary and staffing | ||
allocations, and determine the manner in which each joint committee | ||
is to be funded; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That the joint committee chair, or the co-chairs | ||
acting by mutual agreement, have authority to create and appoint | ||
subcommittees or affiliated advisory panels and to designate | ||
respective chairs for each, contingent on the advance approval of | ||
the presiding officers for the creation and appointment of | ||
subcommittees or advisory panels containing membership external to | ||
the committee; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That each joint committee, and its subcommittees | ||
and advisory panels, convene at the call of its chair or co-chairs; | ||
provided that no joint committee, nor its subcommittees or advisory | ||
panels, shall convene in a public hearing or other meeting for the | ||
transaction of business unless public notice has been posted by its | ||
chair or co-chairs at the locations specified by the Senate and | ||
House rules of procedure for posting of notice of standing | ||
committee meetings at least five calendar days in advance of the | ||
hearing or meeting; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That the preceding clause be construed, for | ||
purposes of Section 551.046, Government Code, as a joint rule of the | ||
Senate and House of Representatives controlling the posting of | ||
notice for joint committees, and their subcommittees and advisory | ||
panels, in lieu of required posting with the secretary of state; | ||
and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That each joint committee have authority to issue | ||
process as provided in Sections 301.024-301.027, Government Code, | ||
provided that any motion for the issuance of process must receive | ||
the record vote of at least two-thirds of those present and voting, | ||
a quorum being present; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That each joint committee be entitled to accept | ||
grants and donations as provided by Sections 301.032(b) and (c), | ||
Government Code, and that, on expiration of a joint committee, any | ||
unexpended funds remaining from a grant or donation be transferred | ||
in equal proportions to the accounts of the Senate and House of | ||
Representatives unless otherwise provided by the grantor or donor; | ||
and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That each joint committee, except as modified by or | ||
pursuant to this resolution, have all other powers and duties | ||
provided to special committees by Subchapter B, Chapter 301, | ||
Government Code, and the Senate and House rules of procedure; and, | ||
be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That the operating accounts for each joint | ||
committee created pursuant to this resolution and any grants and | ||
donations that such committee may receive be administered by the | ||
accounting and purchasing sections of the Texas Legislative | ||
Council; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislative Council, under the | ||
guidance of the presiding officers, be responsible for preparing | ||
and maintaining a manual of procedures for joint committees and | ||
other entities created by the legislature for which funds are to be | ||
administered by the Texas Legislative Council; the manual must | ||
establish requirements relating to printing needs, accounting | ||
procedures, ultimate disposition of records, and other | ||
administrative and financial matters; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That citizen members appointed by the lieutenant | ||
governor or speaker of the House of Representatives to joint | ||
committees created pursuant to this resolution be reimbursed from | ||
funds appropriated to the Texas Legislative Council for expenses of | ||
transportation, meals, lodging, and incidentals for travel on | ||
official committee business, at rates established by the joint | ||
chairs of the Texas Legislative Council consistent with provisions | ||
of the General Appropriations Act; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That citizen members appointed by the governor to | ||
joint committees created pursuant to this resolution be reimbursed | ||
from funds appropriated to the office of the governor for expenses | ||
of travel on official committee business, at rates established by | ||
the joint chairs of the Texas Legislative Council consistent with | ||
provisions of the General Appropriations Act; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That citizen members appointed by the lieutenant | ||
governor to Senate select committees and citizen members appointed | ||
by the speaker of the House of Representatives to House committees | ||
expanded or created under House Rule 4, Sections 24, 57, and 58, | ||
when engaged in travel on official committee business, be | ||
reimbursed for (1) transportation expenses at the same rates as | ||
authorized for state employees by the General Appropriations Act, | ||
and (2) actual expenses for meals, lodging, and incidentals, | ||
subject to any maximum reimbursement limitations for meals and | ||
lodging set by the Senate Committee on Administration for Senate | ||
select committees and by the House Administration Committee for | ||
House select committees; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislative Council be authorized to | ||
reimburse the Senate and House of Representatives for expenses | ||
incurred by members of the Senate and House for transportation, | ||
meals, lodging, and incidentals for travel on official business of | ||
joint committees created pursuant to this resolution; and, be it | ||
further | ||
RESOLVED, That the final report of each joint committee be | ||
approved by a majority of the voting membership of the committee; | ||
dissenting voting members may attach statements to the final report | ||
subject to any limitations specified in the rules adopted by the | ||
committee; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That each joint committee created pursuant to this | ||
resolution expire on January 14, 2025, or an earlier date specified | ||
in the proclamation creating the committee. | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I hereby certify that S.C.R. No. 22 was adopted by the Senate | ||
on April 3, 2023, by a viva-voce vote. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
I hereby certify that S.C.R. No. 22 was adopted by the House | ||
on May 28, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 139, Nays 0, | ||
two present not voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
Received: | ||
______________________________ | ||
Date | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of State |