Rule 13.12. Standing committees; authority for meeting between sessions; authority for forming joint committees or for meeting jointly with House committees; procedure

           A. Each standing committee, with approval of the President, is authorized to:

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

           (2) Study and hold hearings between sessions on matters, subjects, or problems within its subject matter jurisdiction, as provided in Rule 13.4, upon approval of a majority of the members of the committee of such study and hearings, and to report thereon to the Senate.

           (3) Hold joint meetings and hearings, or to establish and function as a joint committee with a House 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) Study and hold hearings in the interim between sessions on any prefiled legislative instrument referred to it by the President between sessions and, at its discretion, to determine the report it will make on such instrument in accordance with rules of the Senate, but any such report shall be provisional and subject to change. Nothing in this Paragraph shall in any way preclude further or additional hearings or a different report during the session.

           (5) Hold joint meetings and hearings, or establish and function as a joint committee with a House committee of similar subject matter jurisdiction, either during sessions or in the interim between sessions, for the purpose of considering and holding hearings on any prefiled legislative instrument which has been referred to either of the two committees, and to report thereon to the legislature. However, the report on any legislative instrument to the Senate shall be the report of the Senate standing committee to which such instrument was referred, and such report shall be made pursuant to the rules of the Senate, particularly Senate Rules 13.9 and 13.10. In addition, any report determined prior to a session shall be provisional and shall be subject to change.

           (6) Meet and hold hearings during sessions of the legislature, whether on a legislative day or on a calendar day.

           B. The authority of the standing committees of the Senate to meet in the interim between sessions upon approval of a majority of the members thereof shall be contingent upon compliance with the provisions herein set forth and approval of the President. Upon approval of a majority of the members of the standing committee for interim meetings or hearings, either as a Senate committee or as a joint committee, the chairman of the committee or any member thereof shall submit to the President, in writing, the recommendation and request of the committee for such interim meetings. The 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. The President shall determine if funds for such meetings are available. If funds are available, the standing committee, with approval of the President, may proceed with the meetings. If a question is raised as to the subject matter jurisdiction of the committee proposing to make the study, the jurisdictional question shall be resolved by the President in accordance with the provisions of Rule 13.4.