CHAPTER 13. COMMITTEES

PART 1. JURISDICTION, POWERS, AND FUNCTIONS

Rule 13.1.  Standing committees

           A. There shall be seventeen standing committees of the Senate. The duty of each committee shall be to take into consideration all such subjects as properly pertain to the subjects and purposes assigned to each and which may be referred to it by the Senate. Committee members shall be appointed and may be removed by the President. The seventeen standing committees of the Senate shall be as listed below, and the membership of each committee shall be in the number set forth after the name of the committee:

           (1) Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture and Rural Development, seven members

           (2) Commerce, Consumer Protection and International Affairs, nine members

           (3) Education, seven members

           (4) Environmental Quality, seven members

           (5) Finance, eleven members

           (6) Health and Welfare, nine members

           (7) Insurance, nine members

           (8) Judiciary A, seven members

           (9) Judiciary B, seven members

           (10) Judiciary C, seven members

           (11) Labor and Industrial Relations, seven members

           (12) Local and Municipal Affairs, seven members

           (13) Natural Resources, seven members

           (14) Retirement, seven members

           (15) Revenue and Fiscal Affairs, eleven members

           (16) Senate and Governmental Affairs, nine members

           (17) Transportation, Highways, and Public Works, seven members

           B. The President shall appoint the members of the Finance Committee such that a member resides in each congressional district.

           C. In addition to the membership of each committee provided in Paragraphs A and B above, the President may appoint senators to any standing committee to serve only during the interim between sessions for which the appointment is made except when serving on a statutory committee by virtue of appointment to interim membership of a standing committee and may remove any member so appointed. Such an appointment may be made for all interim activity of the committee, or for one or more interim studies of the committee, or to a particular subcommittee or subcommittees. A member so appointed shall have all of the powers and duties of other members of the committee or subcommittee. However, a member appointed only for one or more studies shall have such powers and duties only for such meetings and hearings as are related to the study or studies for which the member is appointed. A member appointed as provided in this Paragraph shall be considered for quorum and voting requirement purposes for meetings and motions related to any study for which he is appointed and for meetings of any committee or subcommittee to which he is appointed. A member who serves on any statutory committee by virtue of appointment to interim membership of a standing committee shall be considered for quorum and voting requirement purposes for meetings and motions related to all activity of the statutory committee.

           D. The President, the President Pro Tempore, and the Parliamentarian shall be ex officio members of all standing committees. They shall have the powers and authorities of other committee members; however, they shall not vote except when serving on any statutory committee of which they are members by virtue of membership on a standing committee. They shall not be counted in determining the number of members necessary to constitute a quorum, but, if present, shall be counted for purposes of establishing a quorum at any meeting. However, they shall be counted for all quorum and voting requirements of any statutory committee of which they are members by virtue of membership on a standing committee.

           E. The chairman of the Finance Committee shall be an ex officio member of the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee and the chairman of the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee shall be an ex officio member of the Finance Committee. Except as otherwise provided in these rules, such an ex officio member shall have all authority and duties of other members of the committee, but shall have no authority to vote except when serving on a statutory committee of which he is a member by virtue of such ex officio membership on a standing committee.

           F. The chairman of the Commerce, Consumer Protection and International Affairs Committee shall be an ex officio member of the Insurance Committee. The chairman of the Insurance Committee shall be an ex officio member of the Commerce, Consumer Protection and International Affairs Committee. Except as otherwise provided in these rules, such an ex officio member shall have all authority and duties of other members of the committee, except such member shall have no authority to vote.

           G. The chairman of the Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture and Rural Development Committee shall be an ex officio member of the Environmental Quality Committee. The chairman of the Environmental Quality Committee shall be an ex officio member of the Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture and Rural Development Committee. Except as otherwise provided in these rules, such an ex officio member shall have all authority and duties of other members of the committee, except such member shall have no authority to vote.

           H. The chairman of the Natural Resources Committee shall be an ex officio member of the Transportation, Highways and Public Works Committee. The chairman of the Transportation, Highways and Public Works Committee shall be an ex officio member of the Natural Resources Committee. Except as otherwise provided in these rules, such an ex officio member shall have all authority and duties of other members of the committee, except such member shall have no authority to vote.

           SR 53 of 1990 RS; SR 6 of 1992 RS; SR 8 of 1996 1^st Ex; SR 6 of 2002 RS; SR 9 of 2003 RS; SR 3 of 2004, 1^st Ex; SR 3 of 2008 1^st Ex; SR 6 of 2010 RS; SR 16 of 2013 RS.