By: Whitmire	S.R. No. 1

	SENATE RESOLUTION
	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
	84th 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--Polly Emerson; and
	(6)  Sergeant-at-arms--Rick DeLeon.
	(b)  Officers named in this section serve at the will of
	the senate.
	SECTION 3.  PARLIAMENTARIAN. The parliamentarian, Karina
	Davis, is named by the lieutenant governor and serves at the will
	of the lieutenant governor. The parliamentarian is a senate
	officer.
	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 chairman 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 12th 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 $40,000.00
	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 $10,000, may be carried forward to the
	next fiscal year. The total balance of unexpended funds
	accumulated may not exceed $10,000 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
	84th Legislature is $150.
	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 84th
	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 to 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.
		_______________________________
		President of the Senate
		I hereby certify that the
		above Resolution was adopted by
		the Senate on January 13, 2015,
		by the following vote:  Yeas 28,
	Nays 3.
		_______________________________
		Secretary of the Senate