Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SR957 Compare Versions

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1	1	By: Whitmire S.R. No. 957
2	2
3	3
4	4	SENATE RESOLUTION
5	5	BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
6	6	SECTION 1. CAUCUS REPORT. At a caucus held on May 29,
7	7	2017, and attended by 28 members of the senate, the caucus made
8	8	the recommendations for the operation of the senate contained in
9	9	this resolution.
10	10	SECTION 2. EMPLOYEES. (a) The lieutenant governor may
11	11	employ the employees necessary for the operation of the office of
12	12	the lieutenant governor from the closing of this session and
13	13	until the convening of the next session. The lieutenant governor
14	14	and the secretary of the senate shall be furnished postage,
15	15	telegraph, telephone, express, and all other expenses incident
16	16	to their respective offices.
17	17	(b) The secretary of the senate is the chief executive
18	18	administrator and shall be retained during the interval between
19	19	adjournment of this session and the convening of the next session
20	20	of the legislature. The secretary of the senate may employ the
21	21	employees necessary for the operation of the senate and to
22	22	perform duties as may be required in connection with the business
23	23	of the state from the closing of this session and until the
24	24	convening of the next session.
25	25	(c) Each senator may employ secretarial and other office
26	26	staff for the senator's office.
27	27	(d) The chairman of the administration committee is
28	28	authorized to retain a sufficient number of staff employees to
29	29	conclude the work of the enrolling clerk, calendar clerk, journal
30	30	clerk, and sergeant-at-arms. The administration committee shall
31	31	establish the salaries for the senate staff.
32	32	SECTION 3. SENATE OFFICERS. (a) The following elected
33	33	officers of the 85th Legislature shall serve for the interval
34	34	between adjournment of this session and the convening of the next
35	35	session of the legislature:
36	36	(1) Secretary of the Senate--Patsy Spaw;
37	37	(2) Calendar Clerk--Tracy Ortiz;
38	38	(3) Doorkeeper--Austin Osborn;
39	39	(4) Enrolling Clerk--Patience Worrel;
40	40	(5) Journal Clerk--Polly Emerson; and
41	41	(6) Sergeant-at-Arms--Rick DeLeon.
42	42	(b) All employees and elected officers of the senate
43	43	shall operate under the direct supervision of the secretary of
44	44	the senate during the interim.
45	45	(c) Officers named in this section serve at the will of
46	46	the senate.
47	47	SECTION 4. DUTIES OF CHAIRMAN OF ADMINISTRATION
48	48	COMMITTEE. (a) The chairman of the administration committee
49	49	shall place the senate chamber in order and purchase supplies and
50	50	make all necessary repairs and improvements between the
51	51	adjournment of this session and the convening of the next session
52	52	of the legislature.
53	53	(b) The chairman shall make an inventory of all furniture
54	54	and fixtures in the senate chamber and in the private offices of
55	55	the members, as well as of the supplies and equipment on hand in
56	56	the purchasing and supply department and shall close the books
57	57	for the Regular Session of the 85th Legislature.
58	58	(c) The chairman shall not acquire any equipment on a
59	59	rental/purchase plan unless the equipment is placed on the senate
60	60	inventory at the termination of the plan.
61	61	(d) The chairman shall examine records and accounts
62	62	payable out of the contingent expense fund as necessary to
63	63	approve all claims and accounts against the senate, and no claim
64	64	or account shall be paid without the consent and approval of the
65	65	chairman.
66	66	(e) The chairman and any member of the administration
67	67	committee shall be entitled to receive actual and necessary
68	68	expenses incurred during the interim.
69	69	(f) In addition to the duties of the administration
70	70	committee expressly imposed by this resolution, the committee
71	71	shall take actions necessary to ensure that the administrative
72	72	operations of the senate comply with applicable law and are
73	73	conducted effectively and efficiently.
74	74	SECTION 5. JOURNAL. (a) The secretary of the senate
75	75	shall have 225 volumes of the Senate Journal of the Regular
76	76	Session of the 85th Legislature printed. Two hundred and
77	77	twenty-five copies shall be bound in buckram and delivered to the
78	78	secretary of the senate who shall forward one volume to each
79	79	member of the senate, the lieutenant governor, and each member of
80	80	the house of representatives on request.
81	81	(b) The printing of the journals shall be done in
82	82	accordance with the provisions of this resolution under the
83	83	supervision of the chairman of the administration committee. The
84	84	chairman shall refuse to receive or receipt for the journals
85	85	until corrected and published in accordance with the preexisting
86	86	law as finally approved by the chairman of the administration
87	87	committee. When the accounts have been certified by the chairman
88	88	of the administration committee, the accounts shall be paid out
89	89	of the contingent expense fund of the 85th Legislature.
90	90	SECTION 6. PAYMENT OF SALARIES AND EXPENSES.
91	91	(a) Salaries and expenses authorized by this resolution shall
92	92	be paid out of the per diem and contingent expense fund of the
93	93	85th Legislature as provided by this section.
94	94	(b) The senate shall request the comptroller of public
95	95	accounts to issue general revenue warrants for:
96	96	(1) payment of the employees of the lieutenant
97	97	governor's office, the lieutenant governor, members of the
98	98	senate, employees of the senate committees, and employees of the
99	99	senate, except as provided by Subchapter H, Chapter 660,
100	100	Government Code, upon presentation of the payroll account signed
101	101	by the chairman of the administration committee and the secretary
102	102	of the senate; and
103	103	(2) the payment of materials, supplies, and
104	104	expenses of the senate, including travel expenses for members and
105	105	employees, upon vouchers signed by the chairman of the
106	106	administration committee and the secretary of the senate.
107	107	SECTION 7. EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT AND PER DIEM. (a) In
108	108	furtherance of the legislative duties and responsibilities of
109	109	the senate, the administration committee shall charge to the
110	110	individual member's office budget:
111	111	(1) the reimbursement of all actual expenses
112	112	incurred by the members when traveling in performance of
113	113	legislative duties and responsibilities or incident to those
114	114	duties; and
115	115	(2) the payment of all other reasonable and
116	116	necessary expenses for the operation of the office of the
117	117	individual senator during any period the legislature is not in
118	118	session. Expenditures for these services by the administration
119	119	committee are authorized as an expense of the senate and shall
120	120	not be restricted to Austin but may be incurred in individual
121	121	senatorial districts. Such expenses shall be paid from funds
122	122	appropriated for the use of the senate on vouchers approved by
123	123	the chairman of the administration committee and the secretary of
124	124	the senate in accordance with regulations governing such
125	125	expenditures.
126	126	(b) Each senator shall be permitted a payroll of $39,000
127	127	per month to employ secretarial and other office staff and for
128	128	intrastate travel expenses for staff employees. This payroll
129	129	amount accrues on the first day of the month and may not be
130	130	expended prior to the month in which it accrues, but any
131	131	unexpended portion for a month may be carried forward from month
132	132	to month until the end of the fiscal year. An unexpended amount
133	133	remaining at the end of each fiscal year, not to exceed $10,000,
134	134	may be carried forward to the next fiscal year. Other expenses,
135	135	including travel expenses or other reasonable and necessary
136	136	expenses incurred in the furtherance and performance of
137	137	legislative duties or in operation of the member's office or
138	138	incident thereto, shall be provided in addition to the maximum
139	139	salary authorized.
140	140	(c) The secretary of the senate may order reimbursement
141	141	for legislative expenses consistent with this resolution and the
142	142	establishment by the Texas Ethics Commission of per diem rates.
143	143	(d) Any member of the senate and the lieutenant governor
144	144	are eligible to receive such reimbursement on application of the
145	145	member or the lieutenant governor to the secretary of the senate.
146	146	(e) On the application of a member of the senate or the
147	147	lieutenant governor, the applicant shall be entitled to
148	148	reimbursement for legislative expenses for each legislative day.
149	149	(f) For purposes of this section, a legislative day
150	150	includes each day of a regular or special session of the
151	151	legislature, including any day the legislature is not in session
152	152	for a period of four consecutive days or less, and all days the
153	153	legislature is not in session if the senator or lieutenant
154	154	governor attends a meeting of a joint, special, or legislative
155	155	committee as evidenced by the official record of the body, and
156	156	each day, limited to 12 days per month for non-chairs or 16 days
157	157	per month for chairs and the lieutenant governor, the senator or
158	158	the lieutenant governor, including those living within a 50-mile
159	159	radius, is otherwise engaged in legislative business as
160	160	evidenced by claims submitted to the chairman of the
161	161	administration committee.
162	162	SECTION 8. MEMBER'S EMPLOYEE LEAVE POLICY. (a) An
163	163	employee of a senator accrues vacation leave, compensatory
164	164	leave, or sick leave in accordance with policies adopted by the
165	165	senator consistent with the requirements of this section.
166	166	(b) An employee may accrue vacation leave, compensatory
167	167	leave, or sick leave only if the employee files a monthly time
168	168	record with the senate human resources office. Time records are
169	169	due not later than the 10th day of the following month.
170	170	(c) Compensatory time must be used not later than the
171	171	last day of the 12th month following the month in which the time
172	172	was accrued.
173	173	(d) An employee is not entitled to compensation for
174	174	accrued but unused compensatory time.
175	175	SECTION 9. DESIGNATION FOR ATTENDANCE AT MEETINGS AND
176	176	FUNCTIONS. (a) The lieutenant governor may appoint any member
177	177	of the senate, the secretary of the senate, or any other senate
178	178	employee to attend meetings of the National Conference of State
179	179	Legislatures and other similar meetings. Necessary and actual
180	180	expenses are authorized upon the approval of the chairman of the
181	181	administration committee and the secretary of the senate.
182	182	(b) The lieutenant governor may designate a member of the
183	183	senate to represent the senate at ceremonies and ceremonial
184	184	functions. The necessary expenses of the senator and necessary
185	185	staff for this purpose shall be paid pursuant to a budget
186	186	approved by the administration committee.
187	187	SECTION 10. MEETINGS DURING INTERIM. (a) Each of the
188	188	standing committees and subcommittees of the senate of the
189	189	85th Legislature may continue to meet at such times and places
190	190	during the interim as determined by such committees and
191	191	subcommittees and to hold hearings, recommend legislation, and
192	192	perform research on matters directed either by resolution, the
193	193	lieutenant governor, or as determined by majority vote of each
194	194	committee.
195	195	(b) Each continuing committee and subcommittee shall
196	196	continue to function under the rules adopted during the
197	197	legislative session where applicable.
198	198	(c) Expenses for the operation of these committees and
199	199	subcommittees shall be paid pursuant to a budget prepared by each
200	200	committee and approved by the administration committee.
201	201	(d) The operating expenses of these committees shall be
202	202	paid from the contingent expense fund of the senate, and
203	203	committee members shall be reimbursed for their actual expenses
204	204	incurred in carrying out the duties of the committees.
205	205	SECTION 11. SENATE OFFICES. Members not returning for
206	206	the 86th Legislature shall vacate their senate offices by
207	207	December 1, 2018.
208	208	SECTION 12. FURNISHING OF INFORMATION BY SENATE
209	209	EMPLOYEE. An employee of the senate may not furnish any
210	210	information to any person, firm, or corporation other than
211	211	general information pertaining to the senate and routinely
212	212	furnished to the public.
213	213	SECTION 13. OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT. An employee of the
214	214	senate may not be employed by and receive compensation from any
215	215	other person, firm, or corporation during the employee's senate
216	216	employment without the permission of the employee's senate
217	217	employer.
218	218	SECTION 14. REMOVAL OF SENATE PROPERTY. The secretary of
219	219	the senate is specifically directed not to permit the removal of
220	220	any of the property of the senate from the senate chamber or the
221	221	rooms of the senate except as authorized by the chairman of the
222	222	administration committee.
223	223	________________________________
224	224	President of the Senate
225	225	I hereby certify that the
226	226	above Resolution was adopted by
227	227	the Senate on May 29, 2017.
228	228	________________________________
229	229	Secretary of the Senate
230	230	________________________________
231	231	Member, Texas Senate