By: Whitmire S.R. No. 341
SENATE RESOLUTION
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the State of Texas, That
S.R. No. 1, Caucus Report, 87th Legislature, be amended by
amending SECTION 17 to read as follows:
SECTION 1. PROCEDURES RELATED TO COVID-19. (a) Public
seating in the gallery will be limited to ensure social
distancing in accordance with COVID-19 guidelines. A wristband
demonstrating a negative COVID-19 test is required for entry to
the gallery.
(b) No personal data will be collected from persons who
are tested to enter the Capitol. However, aggregate data
indicating the number of persons tested each day and the number
of positive tests shall be available to the members of the
senate.
(c) Each senator may have two [one] staff members
[member] on the floor at a time while the senate is in session.
No additional staff for committees will be allowed, except that
the chair of the Administration Committee may allow additional
staff for members handling extraordinary matters.
(d) To enter the senate floor or attend a committee
hearing, a member must have had a negative COVID-19 test result
that day.
(e) Members' staff must be tested the first day of the
week they enter the Capitol. All senate staff must be tested
before accessing the Senate Chamber or attending a committee
hearing.
(f) All central staff must be tested twice each week and a
record must be kept to ensure that the testing schedule is being
followed. Any central staff who will be working in the Senate
Chamber or might come to the Senate Chamber when the senate is in
session must be tested that day. If the senate meets daily, the
staff person must be tested daily; otherwise, they may follow the
twice weekly testing schedule. Any central staff who routinely
have daily contact with members' offices (post office staff,
messengers, kitchen staff, etc.) must be tested daily.
(g) A person who demonstrates proof of vaccination
against COVID-19 shall be treated for all purposes the same as a
person who has tested negative for COVID-19 and shall be entitled
to a wristband.
(h) A member of the senate shall determine whether to
require a wristband demonstrating a negative COVID-19 test for
entry into the member's office.
(i) [While on the floor, members of the senate shall wear
masks except when alone at their desks.
[(j) Members and employees of the senate shall wear masks
whenever they are in a common area of the Sam Houston Building.
[(k)] A member of the public is required to have a
wristband demonstrating a negative COVID-19 test to enter a
committee hearing.
(j) [(l) During a committee hearing, committee members
shall wear masks to and from the committee dais but are not
required to wear masks while seated at the dais.
[(m)] A committee member may designate an employee to sit
behind the member on the dais during a committee hearing if:
(1) the employee is comfortable with sitting in
close quarters on the dais;
(2) the employee has tested negative for COVID-19 on
the day of the committee hearing; and
(3) [the employee is wearing an N95 or KN95 mask;
and
[(4)] the committee hearing room will physically
accommodate staff seating.
(k) [(n)] The senate leadership will confer with
leadership of the house of representatives to determine
procedures for members of each house visiting the other house's
chamber. Should the house of representatives approve a less
secure standard of COVID-19 procedures than the senate, the
senate may take appropriate measures to address that issue.
(l) [(o)] A member or an employee of the senate who tests
positive for COVID-19 shall promptly leave the Capitol Complex.
The member or employee may return 10 days after the date of the
positive result if the person's symptoms are lessening and the
person has had no fever for the previous 24 hours before the
return date. The member or employee may return to the Capitol
seven days after the date of the positive result if the person
receives a negative result at that time.
_______________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on May 3, 2021, by the
following vote: Yeas 29, Nays 1.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate