Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SR865 Compare Versions

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1	1	By: Whitmire S.R. No. 865
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 27,
7	7	2019, and attended by 31 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 86th 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--Lourdes Litchfield; 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. PARLIAMENTARIAN AND ASSISTANT PARLIAMENTARIAN.
48	48	The parliamentarian, Karina Davis, and the assistant
49	49	parliamentarian, Colby Beuck, are named by the lieutenant
50	50	governor and are officers of the senate. They shall serve for the
51	51	interval between adjournment of this session and the convening of
52	52	the next session of the legislature.
53	53	SECTION 5. DUTIES OF CHAIRMAN OF ADMINISTRATION
54	54	COMMITTEE. (a) The chairman of the administration committee
55	55	shall place the senate chamber in order and purchase supplies and
56	56	make all necessary repairs and improvements between the
57	57	adjournment of this session and the convening of the next session
58	58	of the legislature.
59	59	(b) The chairman shall make an inventory of all furniture
60	60	and fixtures in the senate chamber and in the private offices of
61	61	the members, as well as of the supplies and equipment on hand in
62	62	the purchasing and supply department and shall close the books
63	63	for the Regular Session of the 86th Legislature.
64	64	(c) The chairman shall not acquire any equipment on a
65	65	rental/purchase plan unless the equipment is placed on the senate
66	66	inventory at the termination of the plan.
67	67	(d) The chairman shall examine records and accounts
68	68	payable out of the contingent expense fund as necessary to
69	69	approve all claims and accounts against the senate, and no claim
70	70	or account shall be paid without the consent and approval of the
71	71	chairman.
72	72	(e) The chairman and any member of the administration
73	73	committee shall be entitled to receive actual and necessary
74	74	expenses incurred during the interim.
75	75	(f) In addition to the duties of the administration
76	76	committee expressly imposed by this resolution, the committee
77	77	shall take actions necessary to ensure that the administrative
78	78	operations of the senate comply with applicable law and are
79	79	conducted effectively and efficiently.
80	80	SECTION 6. JOURNAL. (a) The secretary of the senate
81	81	shall have 225 volumes of the Senate Journal of the Regular
82	82	Session of the 86th Legislature printed. Two hundred and
83	83	twenty-five copies shall be bound in buckram and delivered to the
84	84	secretary of the senate who shall forward one volume to each
85	85	member of the senate, the lieutenant governor, and each member of
86	86	the house of representatives on request.
87	87	(b) The printing of the journals shall be done in
88	88	accordance with the provisions of this resolution under the
89	89	supervision of the chairman of the administration committee. The
90	90	chairman shall refuse to receive or receipt for the journals
91	91	until corrected and published in accordance with the preexisting
92	92	law as finally approved by the chairman of the administration
93	93	committee. When the accounts have been certified by the chairman
94	94	of the administration committee, the accounts shall be paid out
95	95	of the contingent expense fund of the 86th Legislature.
96	96	SECTION 7. PAYMENT OF SALARIES AND EXPENSES.
97	97	(a) Salaries and expenses authorized by this resolution shall
98	98	be paid out of the per diem and contingent expense fund of the
99	99	86th Legislature as provided by this section.
100	100	(b) The senate shall request the comptroller of public
101	101	accounts to issue general revenue warrants for:
102	102	(1) payment of the employees of the lieutenant
103	103	governor's office, the lieutenant governor, members of the
104	104	senate, employees of the senate committees, and employees of the
105	105	senate, except as provided by Subchapter H, Chapter 660,
106	106	Government Code, upon presentation of the payroll account signed
107	107	by the chairman of the administration committee and the secretary
108	108	of the senate; and
109	109	(2) the payment of materials, supplies, and
110	110	expenses of the senate, including travel expenses for members and
111	111	employees, upon vouchers signed by the chairman of the
112	112	administration committee and the secretary of the senate.
113	113	SECTION 8. EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT AND PER DIEM. (a) In
114	114	furtherance of the legislative duties and responsibilities of
115	115	the senate, the administration committee shall charge to the
116	116	individual member's office budget:
117	117	(1) the reimbursement of all actual expenses
118	118	incurred by the members when traveling in performance of
119	119	legislative duties and responsibilities or incident to those
120	120	duties; and
121	121	(2) the payment of all other reasonable and
122	122	necessary expenses for the operation of the office of the
123	123	individual senator during any period the legislature is not in
124	124	session. Expenditures for these services by the administration
125	125	committee are authorized as an expense of the senate and shall
126	126	not be restricted to Austin but may be incurred in individual
127	127	senatorial districts. Such expenses shall be paid from funds
128	128	appropriated for the use of the senate on vouchers approved by
129	129	the chairman of the administration committee and the secretary of
130	130	the senate in accordance with regulations governing such
131	131	expenditures.
132	132	(b) Each senator shall be permitted a payroll of $41,000
133	133	per month to employ secretarial and other office staff and for
134	134	intrastate travel expenses for staff employees. This payroll
135	135	amount accrues on the first day of the month and may not be
136	136	expended prior to the month in which it accrues, but any
137	137	unexpended portion for a month may be carried forward from month
138	138	to month until the end of the fiscal year. An unexpended amount
139	139	remaining at the end of each fiscal year, not to exceed $12,000,
140	140	may be carried forward to the next fiscal year. Other expenses,
141	141	including travel expenses or other reasonable and necessary
142	142	expenses incurred in the furtherance and performance of
143	143	legislative duties or in operation of the member's office or
144	144	incident thereto, shall be provided in addition to the maximum
145	145	salary authorized.
146	146	(c) The secretary of the senate may order reimbursement
147	147	for legislative expenses consistent with this resolution and the
148	148	establishment by the Texas Ethics Commission of per diem rates.
149	149	(d) Any member of the senate and the lieutenant governor
150	150	are eligible to receive such reimbursement on application of the
151	151	member or the lieutenant governor to the secretary of the senate.
152	152	(e) On the application of a member of the senate or the
153	153	lieutenant governor, the applicant shall be entitled to
154	154	reimbursement for legislative expenses for each legislative day.
155	155	(f) For purposes of this section, a legislative day
156	156	includes each day of a regular or special session of the
157	157	legislature, including any day the legislature is not in session
158	158	for a period of four consecutive days or less, and all days the
159	159	legislature is not in session if the senator or lieutenant
160	160	governor attends a meeting of a joint, special, or legislative
161	161	committee as evidenced by the official record of the body, and
162	162	each day, limited to 12 days per month for non-chairs or 16 days
163	163	per month for chairs and the lieutenant governor, the senator or
164	164	the lieutenant governor, including those living within a 50-mile
165	165	radius, is otherwise engaged in legislative business as
166	166	evidenced by claims submitted to the chairman of the
167	167	administration committee.
168	168	SECTION 9. MEMBER'S EMPLOYEE LEAVE POLICY. (a) An
169	169	employee of a senator accrues vacation leave, compensatory
170	170	leave, or sick leave in accordance with policies adopted by the
171	171	senator consistent with the requirements of this section.
172	172	(b) An employee may accrue vacation leave, compensatory
173	173	leave, or sick leave only if the employee files a monthly time
174	174	record with the senate human resources office. Time records are
175	175	due not later than the 10th day of the following month.
176	176	(c) Compensatory time must be used not later than the
177	177	last day of the 12th month following the month in which the time
178	178	was accrued.
179	179	(d) An employee is not entitled to compensation for
180	180	accrued but unused compensatory time.
181	181	SECTION 10. DESIGNATION FOR ATTENDANCE AT MEETINGS AND
182	182	FUNCTIONS. (a) The lieutenant governor may appoint any member
183	183	of the senate, the secretary of the senate, or any other senate
184	184	employee to attend meetings of the National Conference of State
185	185	Legislatures and other similar meetings. Necessary and actual
186	186	expenses are authorized upon the approval of the chairman of the
187	187	administration committee and the secretary of the senate.
188	188	(b) The lieutenant governor may designate a member of the
189	189	senate to represent the senate at ceremonies and ceremonial
190	190	functions. The necessary expenses of the senator and necessary
191	191	staff for this purpose shall be paid pursuant to a budget
192	192	approved by the administration committee.
193	193	SECTION 11. MEETINGS DURING INTERIM. (a) Each of the
194	194	standing committees and subcommittees of the senate of the
195	195	86th Legislature may continue to meet at such times and places
196	196	during the interim as determined by such committees and
197	197	subcommittees and to hold hearings, recommend legislation, and
198	198	perform research on matters directed either by resolution, the
199	199	lieutenant governor, or as determined by majority vote of each
200	200	committee.
201	201	(b) Each continuing committee and subcommittee shall
202	202	continue to function under the rules adopted during the
203	203	legislative session where applicable.
204	204	(c) Expenses for the operation of these committees and
205	205	subcommittees shall be paid pursuant to a budget prepared by each
206	206	committee and approved by the administration committee.
207	207	(d) The operating expenses of these committees shall be
208	208	paid from the contingent expense fund of the senate, and
209	209	committee members shall be reimbursed for their actual expenses
210	210	incurred in carrying out the duties of the committees.
211	211	SECTION 12. SENATE OFFICES. Members not returning for
212	212	the 87th Legislature shall vacate their senate offices by
213	213	December 1, 2020.
214	214	SECTION 13. FURNISHING OF INFORMATION BY SENATE
215	215	EMPLOYEE. An employee of the senate may not furnish any
216	216	information to any person, firm, or corporation other than
217	217	general information pertaining to the senate and routinely
218	218	furnished to the public.
219	219	SECTION 14. OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT. An employee of the
220	220	senate may not be employed by and receive compensation from any
221	221	other person, firm, or corporation during the employee's senate
222	222	employment without the permission of the employee's senate
223	223	employer.
224	224	SECTION 15. REMOVAL OF SENATE PROPERTY. The secretary of
225	225	the senate is specifically directed not to permit the removal of
226	226	any of the property of the senate from the senate chamber or the
227	227	rooms of the senate except as authorized by the chairman of the
228	228	administration committee.
229	229	_______________________________
230	230	President of the Senate
231	231	I hereby certify that the
232	232	above Resolution was adopted by
233	233	the Senate on May 27, 2019, by the
234	234	following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
235	235	_______________________________
236	236	Secretary of the Senate