Bill Text: TX SR1 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Senate Caucus Report.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2021-01-13 - Reported enrolled [SR1 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SR1-Enrolled.html
By: Whitmire | S.R. No. 1 |
|
||
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. CAUCUS REPORT. At a caucus held in the | ||
offices of the senate attended by 31 members of the senate, the | ||
caucus made the recommendations for the operation of the senate | ||
contained in this resolution. | ||
SECTION 2. SENATE OFFICERS. (a) Senate officers for the | ||
87th Legislature are: | ||
(1) Secretary of the Senate--Patsy Spaw; | ||
(2) Calendar Clerk--Tracy Ortiz; | ||
(3) Doorkeeper--Austin Osborn; | ||
(4) Enrolling Clerk--Patience Worrel; | ||
(5) Journal Clerk--Lourdes Litchfield; and | ||
(6) Sergeant-at-arms--Rick DeLeon. | ||
(b) Officers named in this section serve at the will of | ||
the senate. | ||
SECTION 3. PARLIAMENTARIANANDASSISTANTPARLIAMENTARIAN. | ||
The parliamentarian, Karina Davis, and the assistant | ||
parliamentarian, Colby Beuck, are named by the lieutenant | ||
governor and serve at the will of the lieutenant governor. They | ||
are senate officers. | ||
SECTION 4. EMPLOYEES. (a) The lieutenant governor may | ||
employ staff for the office of the lieutenant governor at | ||
salaries set by the lieutenant governor. | ||
(b) Each senator may employ staff for the senator's | ||
office at salaries set by the senator. | ||
(c) The chair of each committee may employ staff of the | ||
chair's selection as needed by the committee. A committee | ||
employee shall be compensated in amounts similar to the | ||
compensation paid to persons in similar senate positions. | ||
(d) The secretary of the senate may employ other staff | ||
necessary for the operation of the senate at salaries approved by | ||
the administration committee. | ||
(e) The lieutenant governor, the secretary of the senate, | ||
and each senator may use the assistance of any assistant | ||
sergeant-at-arms or other available senate employee for any and | ||
all services needed in and about the senate. | ||
(f) In this resolution, "senate employee" includes an | ||
employee of the lieutenant governor, the secretary of the senate, | ||
a senator, a senate committee, and any other person compensated | ||
from funds appropriated for the operation of the senate. | ||
SECTION 5. DUTIES OF ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE. (a) In | ||
addition to the duties of the administration committee expressly | ||
imposed by this resolution, the committee shall take actions | ||
necessary to ensure that the administrative operations of the | ||
senate comply with applicable law and are conducted effectively | ||
and efficiently. | ||
(b) The committee shall establish appropriate and | ||
necessary controls over contracts, inventory, and property | ||
management. | ||
(c) The committee may delegate any of its | ||
responsibilities to the committee chair or to the secretary of | ||
the senate to be performed under the general supervision of the | ||
committee. | ||
(d) Policies adopted by the administration committee | ||
must be consistent with the provisions of this resolution. To | ||
the extent of a conflict between a policy and this resolution, | ||
this resolution prevails. | ||
(e) Policies adopted by the administration committee are | ||
subject to the will of the senate, and a majority of the senate | ||
may reject or modify any policy adopted by the committee. | ||
SECTION 6. EMPLOYMENT AND PERSONNEL POLICIES. (a) The | ||
administration committee may adopt and enforce personnel and | ||
employment policies governing senate employees. | ||
(b) The administration committee may not adopt a policy | ||
that limits the salary of an employee of the lieutenant governor, | ||
a senator, or a senate committee, except that the administration | ||
committee may require approval by that committee of any senate | ||
committee employee salary that is proposed to exceed $5,000 a | ||
month. | ||
SECTION 7. MEMBER'S EMPLOYEE LEAVE POLICY. (a) An | ||
employee of a senator accrues vacation leave, compensatory | ||
leave, or sick leave in accordance with policies adopted by the | ||
senator consistent with the requirements of this section. | ||
(b) An employee may accrue vacation leave, compensatory | ||
leave, or sick leave only if the employee files a monthly time | ||
record with the senate human resources office. Time records are | ||
due not later than the 10th day of the following month. | ||
(c) Compensatory time must be used not later than the | ||
last day of the 24th month following the month in which the time | ||
was accrued. | ||
(d) An employee is not entitled to compensation for | ||
accrued but unused compensatory time. | ||
SECTION 8. OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT. An employee of the senate | ||
may not be employed by and receive compensation from any other | ||
person during the term of senate employment without the | ||
permission of the employee's senate employer. | ||
SECTION 9. WORK HOURS. An employee shall report to work | ||
at the time, and work for the number of hours, set by the | ||
employee's senate employer. | ||
SECTION 10. LIMIT ON MONTHLY STAFF SALARY AND TRAVEL | ||
EXPENSES. (a) The total amount of staff salaries and intrastate | ||
staff travel expenses for each senator may not exceed $41,000 per | ||
month. | ||
(b) This monthly amount accrues on the first day of the | ||
month and may not be expended prior to the month in which it | ||
accrues, but any unexpended portion for a month may be carried | ||
forward from one month to the next and expended until the end of | ||
the fiscal year. | ||
(c) An unexpended amount remaining at the end of the | ||
fiscal year, not to exceed $12,000, may be carried forward to the | ||
next fiscal year. The total balance of unexpended funds | ||
accumulated may not exceed $12,000 at the end of any fiscal | ||
biennium. | ||
SECTION 11. SENATORS' EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT AND PER | ||
DIEM. (a) The secretary of the senate shall provide for the | ||
reimbursement of the expenses of each senator and the payment of | ||
each senator's per diem in accordance with law, this resolution, | ||
and the rules of the Texas Ethics Commission. | ||
(b) The per diem rate to be paid to each senator for the | ||
87th Legislature is $221. | ||
SECTION 12. OTHER SENATE EXPENSES. (a) The lieutenant | ||
governor, the secretary of the senate, and each senator may incur | ||
expenses for carrying out official duties, including expenses | ||
for items such as subscriptions, stationery, postage, and | ||
telecommunications. | ||
(b) Expenses under this section shall be paid from the | ||
contingent expense fund of the senate. | ||
SECTION 13. PAYMENT OF SALARIES AND EXPENSES. | ||
(a) Salaries and expenses authorized by this resolution shall | ||
be paid from the contingent expense fund as provided by this | ||
section. | ||
(b) Vouchers for payment of any expense, including | ||
salaries and travel expenses, must be signed by the chair of the | ||
administration committee and the secretary of the senate. | ||
(c) The administration committee shall adopt policies | ||
regarding the presentation of timely, properly completed, and | ||
signed vouchers. | ||
SECTION 14. DESIGNATION FOR ATTENDANCE AT MEETINGS AND | ||
FUNCTIONS. (a) The administration committee shall designate a | ||
senator or any employee to attend an official meeting of a | ||
national governmental organization during a session of the 87th | ||
Legislature. The person designated is entitled to reimbursement | ||
for actual and necessary expenses. | ||
(b) The lieutenant governor may designate a senator to | ||
represent the senate at ceremonies and ceremonial functions. The | ||
necessary expenses of the senator and necessary staff for this | ||
purpose shall be paid pursuant to a budget adopted by the | ||
administration committee. | ||
SECTION 15. ELECTRONIC RECORDING BY MEMBER PROHIBITED. | ||
No member of the senate may electronically record a private | ||
conversation held within the brass rail on the senate floor | ||
during a legislative session without the knowledge and consent of | ||
all participants in the conversation. | ||
SECTION 16. JOURNAL. The secretary of the senate shall | ||
provide for the printing of not more than 250 copies of the daily | ||
journal. Of that number: | ||
(1) 140 shall be furnished to the house of | ||
representatives; | ||
(2) four shall be furnished to the Texas State | ||
Library and Archives Commission; | ||
(3) four shall be furnished to the Legislative | ||
Reference Library; and | ||
(4) the remainder shall be apportioned among the | ||
senators and the lieutenant governor. | ||
SECTION 17. PROCEDURES RELATED TO COVID-19. (a) Public | ||
seating in the gallery will be limited to ensure social | ||
distancing in accordance with COVID-19 guidelines. A wristband | ||
demonstrating a negative COVID-19 test is required for entry to | ||
the gallery. | ||
(b) No personal data will be collected from persons who | ||
are tested to enter the Capitol. However, aggregate data | ||
indicating the number of persons tested each day and the number | ||
of positive tests shall be available to the members of the | ||
senate. | ||
(c) Each senator may have one staff member on the floor at | ||
a time while the senate is in session. No additional staff for | ||
committees will be allowed, except that the chair of the | ||
Administration Committee may allow additional staff for members | ||
handling extraordinary matters. | ||
(d) To enter the senate floor or attend a committee | ||
hearing, a member must have had a negative COVID-19 test result | ||
that day. | ||
(e) Members' staff must be tested the first day of the | ||
week they enter the Capitol. All senate staff must be tested | ||
before accessing the Senate Chamber or attending a committee | ||
hearing. | ||
(f) All central staff must be tested twice each week and a | ||
record must be kept to ensure that the testing schedule is being | ||
followed. Any central staff who will be working in the Senate | ||
Chamber or might come to the Senate Chamber when the senate is in | ||
session must be tested that day. If the senate meets daily, the | ||
staff person must be tested daily; otherwise, they may follow the | ||
twice weekly testing schedule. Any central staff who routinely | ||
have daily contact with members' offices (post office staff, | ||
messengers, kitchen staff, etc.) must be tested daily. | ||
(g) A person who demonstrates proof of vaccination | ||
against COVID-19 shall be treated for all purposes the same as a | ||
person who has tested negative for COVID-19 and shall be entitled | ||
to a wristband. | ||
(h) A member of the senate shall determine whether to | ||
require a wristband demonstrating a negative COVID-19 test for | ||
entry into the member's office. | ||
(i) While on the floor, members of the senate shall wear | ||
masks except when alone at their desks. | ||
(j) Members and employees of the senate shall wear masks | ||
whenever they are in a common area of the Sam Houston Building. | ||
(k) A member of the public is required to have a wristband | ||
demonstrating a negative COVID-19 test to enter a committee | ||
hearing. | ||
(l) During a committee hearing, committee members shall | ||
wear masks to and from the committee dais but are not required to | ||
wear masks while seated at the dais. | ||
(m) A committee member may designate an employee to sit | ||
behind the member on the dais during a committee hearing if: | ||
(1) the employee is comfortable with sitting in | ||
close quarters on the dais; | ||
(2) the employee has tested negative for COVID-19 on | ||
the day of the committee hearing; | ||
(3) the employee is wearing an N95 or KN95 mask; and | ||
(4) the committee hearing room will physically | ||
accommodate staff seating. | ||
(n) The senate leadership will confer with leadership of | ||
the house of representatives to determine procedures for members | ||
of each house visiting the other house's chamber. Should the | ||
house of representatives approve a less secure standard of | ||
COVID-19 procedures than the senate, the senate may take | ||
appropriate measures to address that issue. | ||
(o) A member or an employee of the senate who tests | ||
positive for COVID-19 shall promptly leave the Capitol Complex. | ||
The member or employee may return 10 days after the date of the | ||
positive result if the person's symptoms are lessening and the | ||
person has had no fever for the previous 24 hours before the | ||
return date. The member or employee may return to the Capitol | ||
seven days after the date of the positive result if the person | ||
receives a negative result at that time. | ||
_______________________________ | ||
President of the Senate | ||
I hereby certify that the | ||
above Resolution was adopted by | ||
the Senate on January 13, 2021, | ||
by the following vote: Yeas 31, | ||
Nays 0. | ||
_______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate |