Rule 14.16.  Standing committees; authority for meeting between sessions; authority for forming joint committees or for meeting jointly with Senate committees; procedure

A.  Each of the standing committees of the House of Representatives established by House Rule 6.1 is authorized:

(1)  To study and hold hearings between sessions of the legislature on matters, subjects or problems assigned to it by the House, or by the two houses if acting as a joint committee, and to report thereon to the House or to the legislature.

(2)  To study and hold hearings between sessions on matters, subjects or problems within its subject matter jurisdiction as provided in House Rule 6.6, upon approval of a majority of the members of the committee of such study and hearings, and to report thereon to the House.

(3)  To hold joint meetings and hearings, or to establish and function as a joint committee with a Senate committee, for the purpose of study and investigation of matters within the subject matter jurisdiction of the two committees, either upon direction of the two houses by resolution or upon approval of a majority of the members of the two standing committees, and to report thereon to the legislature.

(4)  To hold hearings in the interim from the third Monday in January until the convening of the session on any prefiled legislative instrument to be introduced in such session which has been referred to it by the Speaker and, at its discretion, to determine the report it will make on such instrument in accordance with the Rules of the House.

(5)  To hold joint meetings and hearings, or to establish and function as a joint committee with a Senate committee of similar subject matter jurisdiction, either during sessions or in the interim, from the third Monday in January until the convening of the session for the purpose of considering and holding hearings on any prefiled legislative instrument to be introduced in such session which has been referred to either of the two committees, and to report thereon to the legislature; provided, however, that the report on any legislative instrument to the House shall be the report of the House standing committee to which such instrument was referred, such report to be made pursuant to the Rules of the House, particularly House Rules 6.9 and 6.11.

B.  The authority of the standing committee of the House to meet in the interim between sessions upon approval of a majority of the members thereof, as provided in Subparagraphs A(2) and (3) above, shall be contingent upon compliance with the following provisions and upon approval of the Speaker of the House: Upon approval of a majority of the members of the standing committee for interim meetings or hearings, either as a House committee or as a joint committee, the chairman of the committee or any member thereof, shall submit to the Speaker of the House in writing the recommendation and request of the committee for such interim meetings.  Such written recommendation and request shall set forth the scope of the study proposed to be made by the committee, the number of meetings anticipated and the estimated cost.  If the funds for such meetings are available, the Speaker of the House shall approve such meetings in the interim; provided, however, that, should a question be raised as to the subject matter jurisdiction of the committee proposing to make such study, such jurisdictional question shall be resolved, in accordance with the provisions of House Rule 6.6, by the Speaker of the House and a majority of the entire membership of the House and Governmental Affairs Committee.

HR 8, 1973; HR 17, 1973; HR 4, 1978; HR 19, 1997, eff. April 11, 1997.