Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SR730 Compare Versions

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1		-	2023S0443-3 05/29/23
2	1		By: Whitmire S.R. No. 730
3	2
4	3
5	4		SENATE RESOLUTION
6	5		BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
7	6		SECTION 1. CAUCUS REPORT. At a caucus held on
8	7		May 29, 2023, and attended by 31 members of the senate, the
9	8		caucus made the recommendations for the operation of the senate
10	9		contained in this resolution.
11	10		SECTION 2. EMPLOYEES. (a) The lieutenant governor may
12	11		employ the employees necessary for the operation of the office of
13	12		the lieutenant governor from the closing of this session and
14	13		until the convening of the next session. The lieutenant governor
15	14		and the secretary of the senate shall be furnished postage,
16	15		telegraph, telephone, express, and all other expenses incident
17	16		to their respective offices.
18	17		(b) The secretary of the senate is the chief executive
19	18		administrator and shall be retained during the interval between
20	19		adjournment of this session and the convening of the next session
21	20		of the legislature. The secretary of the senate may employ the
22	21		employees necessary for the operation of the senate and to
23	22		perform duties as may be required in connection with the business
24	23		of the state from the closing of this session and until the
25		-	convening of the next session.
	24	+	convening of the next regular session.
26	25		(c) Each senator may employ secretarial and other office
27	26		staff for the senator's office.
28	27		(d) The chairman of the administration committee is
29	28		authorized to retain a sufficient number of staff employees to
30	29		conclude the work of the enrolling clerk, calendar clerk, journal
31	30		clerk, and sergeant-at-arms. The administration committee shall
32	31		establish the salaries for the senate staff.
33	32		SECTION 3. SENATE OFFICERS. (a) The following elected
34	33		officers of the 88th Legislature shall serve for the interval
35	34		between adjournment of this session and the convening of the next
36	35		session of the legislature:
37	36		(1) Secretary of the Senate--Patsy Spaw;
38	37		(2) Calendar Clerk--Tracy Ortiz;
39	38		(3) Doorkeeper--Matthew Peabody;
40	39		(4) Enrolling Clerk--Patience Worrel;
41	40		(5) Journal Clerk--Lourdes Litchfield; and
42	41		(6) Sergeant-at-Arms--Austin Osborn.
43	42		(b) All employees and elected officers of the senate
44	43		shall operate under the direct supervision of the secretary of
45	44		the senate during the interim.
46	45		(c) Officers named in this section serve at the will of
47	46		the senate.
48	47		SECTION 4. PARLIAMENTARIAN AND ASSISTANT PARLIAMENTARIAN.
49	48		The parliamentarian, Karina Davis, and the assistant
50	49		parliamentarian, Colby Beuck, are named by the lieutenant governor
51	50		and are officers of the senate. They shall serve for the interval
52	51		between adjournment of this session and the convening of the next
53	52		session of the legislature.
54	53		SECTION 5. DUTIES OF CHAIRMAN OF ADMINISTRATION
55	54		COMMITTEE. (a) The chairman of the administration committee
56	55		shall place the senate chamber in order and purchase supplies and
57	56		make all necessary repairs and improvements between the
58	57		adjournment of this session and the convening of the next session
59	58		of the legislature.
60	59		(b) The chairman shall make an inventory of all furniture
61	60		and fixtures in the senate chamber and in the private offices of
62	61		the members, as well as of the supplies and equipment on hand in
63	62		the purchasing and supply department, and shall close the books
64	63		for the Regular Session of the 88th Legislature.
65	64		(c) The chairman shall not acquire any equipment on a
66	65		rental/purchase plan unless the equipment is placed on the senate
67	66		inventory at the termination of the plan.
68	67		(d) The chairman shall examine records and accounts
69	68		payable out of the contingent expense fund as necessary to
70	69		approve all claims and accounts against the senate, and no claim
71	70		or account shall be paid without the consent and approval of the
72	71		chairman.
73	72		(e) The chairman and any member of the administration
74	73		committee shall be entitled to receive actual and necessary
75	74		expenses incurred during the interim.
76	75		(f) In addition to the duties of the administration
77	76		committee expressly imposed by this resolution, the committee
78	77		shall take actions necessary to ensure that the administrative
79	78		operations of the senate comply with applicable law and are
80	79		conducted effectively and efficiently.
81	80		SECTION 6. JOURNAL. (a) The secretary of the senate
82	81		shall have 225 volumes of the Senate Journal of the Regular
83	82		Session of the 88th Legislature printed. Two hundred and
84	83		twenty-five copies shall be bound in buckram and delivered to the
85	84		secretary of the senate who shall forward one volume to each
86	85		member of the senate, the lieutenant governor, and each member of
87	86		the house of representatives on request.
88	87		(b) The printing of the journals shall be done in
89	88		accordance with the provisions of this resolution under the
90	89		supervision of the chairman of the administration committee. The
91	90		chairman shall refuse to receive or receipt for the journals
92	91		until corrected and published in accordance with the preexisting
93	92		law as finally approved by the chairman of the administration
94	93		committee. When the accounts have been certified by the chairman
95	94		of the administration committee, the accounts shall be paid out
96	95		of the contingent expense fund of the 88th Legislature.
97	96		SECTION 7. PAYMENT OF SALARIES AND EXPENSES.
98	97		(a) Salaries and expenses authorized by this resolution shall
99	98		be paid out of the per diem and contingent expense fund of the
100	99		88th Legislature as provided by this section.
101	100		(b) The senate shall request the comptroller of public
102	101		accounts to issue general revenue warrants for:
103	102		(1) payment of the employees of the lieutenant
104	103		governor's office, the lieutenant governor, members of the
105	104		senate, employees of the senate committees, and employees of the
106	105		senate, except as provided by Subchapter H, Chapter 660,
107	106		Government Code, upon presentation of the payroll account signed
108	107		by the chairman of the administration committee and the secretary
109	108		of the senate; and
110	109		(2) the payment of materials, supplies, and
111	110		expenses of the senate, including travel expenses for members and
112	111		employees, upon vouchers signed by the chairman of the
113	112		administration committee and the secretary of the senate.
114	113		SECTION 8. EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT AND PER DIEM. (a) In
115	114		furtherance of the legislative duties and responsibilities of
116	115		the senate, the administration committee shall charge to the
117	116		individual member's office budget:
118	117		(1) the reimbursement of all actual expenses
119	118		incurred by the member when traveling in performance of
120	119		legislative duties and responsibilities or incident to those
121	120		duties; and
122	121		(2) the payment of all other reasonable and
123	122		necessary expenses for the operation of the office of the
124	123		individual senator during any period the legislature is not in
125	124		session. Expenditures for these services by the administration
126	125		committee are authorized as an expense of the senate and shall
127	126		not be restricted to Austin but may be incurred in individual
128	127		senatorial districts. Such expenses shall be paid from funds
129	128		appropriated for the use of the senate on vouchers approved by
130	129		the chairman of the administration committee and the secretary of
131	130		the senate in accordance with regulations governing such
132	131		expenditures.
133	132		(b) Each senator shall be permitted a payroll of $63,000
134	133		per month to employ secretarial and other office staff and for
135	134		intrastate travel expenses for staff employees. The amount shall
136	135		increase to $66,150 starting on September 1, 2024. This payroll
137	136		amount accrues on the first day of the month and may not be
138	137		expended prior to the month in which it accrues, but any
139	138		unexpended portion for a month may be carried forward from month
140	139		to month until the end of the fiscal year. An unexpended amount
141	140		remaining at the end of each fiscal year, not to exceed $20,000,
142	141		may be carried forward to the next fiscal year. Other expenses,
143	142		including travel expenses or other reasonable and necessary
144	143		expenses incurred in the furtherance and performance of
145	144		legislative duties or in operation of the member's office or
146	145		incident thereto, shall be provided in addition to the maximum
147	146		salary authorized.
148	147		(c) The secretary of the senate may order reimbursement
149	148		for legislative expenses consistent with this resolution and the
150	149		establishment by the Texas Ethics Commission of per diem rates.
151	150		(d) Any member of the senate and the lieutenant governor
152	151		are eligible to receive such reimbursement on application of the
153	152		member or the lieutenant governor to the secretary of the senate.
154	153		(e) On the application of a member of the senate or the
155	154		lieutenant governor, the applicant shall be entitled to
156	155		reimbursement for legislative expenses for each legislative day.
157	156		(f) For purposes of this section, a legislative day
158	157		includes each day of a regular or special session of the
159	158		legislature, including any day the legislature is not in session
160	159		for a period of four consecutive days or less, and all days the
161	160		legislature is not in session if the senator or lieutenant
162	161		governor attends a meeting of a joint, special, or legislative
163	162		committee as evidenced by the official record of the body, and
164	163		each day, limited to 12 days per month for non-chairs or 16 days
165	164		per month for chairs and the lieutenant governor, the senator or
166	165		the lieutenant governor, including those living within a 50-mile
167	166		radius, is otherwise engaged in legislative business as
168	167		evidenced by claims submitted to the chairman of the
169	168		administration committee.
170	169		SECTION 9. MEMBER'S EMPLOYEE LEAVE POLICY. (a) An
171	170		employee of a senator accrues vacation leave, compensatory
172	171		leave, or sick leave in accordance with policies adopted by the
173	172		senator consistent with the requirements of this section.
174	173		(b) An employee may accrue vacation leave, compensatory
175	174		leave, or sick leave only if the employee files a monthly time
176	175		record with the senate human resources office. Time records are
177	176		due not later than the 10th day of the following month.
178	177		(c) Compensatory time must be used not later than the
179	178		last day of the 24th month following the month in which the time
180	179		was accrued.
181	180		(d) An employee is not entitled to compensation for
182	181		accrued but unused compensatory time.
183	182		SECTION 10. DESIGNATION FOR ATTENDANCE AT MEETINGS AND
184	183		FUNCTIONS. (a) The lieutenant governor may appoint any member
185	184		of the senate, the secretary of the senate, or any other senate
186	185		employee to attend meetings of the National Conference of State
187	186		Legislatures and other similar meetings. Necessary and actual
188	187		expenses are authorized upon the approval of the chairman of the
189	188		administration committee and the secretary of the senate.
190	189		(b) The lieutenant governor may designate a member of the
191	190		senate to represent the senate at ceremonies and ceremonial
192	191		functions. The necessary expenses of the senator and necessary
193	192		staff for this purpose shall be paid pursuant to a budget
194	193		approved by the administration committee.
195	194		SECTION 11. MEETINGS DURING INTERIM. (a) Each of the
196	195		standing committees and subcommittees of the senate of the
197	196		88th Legislature may continue to meet at such times and places
198	197		during the interim as determined by such committees and
199	198		subcommittees and to hold hearings, recommend legislation, and
200	199		perform research on matters directed either by resolution, the
201	200		lieutenant governor, or as determined by majority vote of each
202	201		committee.
203	202		(b) Each continuing committee and subcommittee shall
204	203		continue to function under the rules adopted during the
205	204		legislative session where applicable.
206	205		(c) Expenses for the operation of these committees and
207	206		subcommittees shall be paid pursuant to a budget prepared by each
208	207		committee and approved by the administration committee.
209	208		(d) The operating expenses of these committees shall be
210	209		paid from the contingent expense fund of the senate, and
211	210		committee members shall be reimbursed for their actual expenses
212	211		incurred in carrying out the duties of the committees.
213	212		SECTION 12. SENATE OFFICES. Members not returning for
214	213		the 89th Legislature shall vacate their senate offices by
215	214		December 1, 2024.
216	215		SECTION 13. FURNISHING OF INFORMATION BY SENATE
217	216		EMPLOYEE. An employee of the senate may not furnish any
218	217		information to any person, firm, or corporation other than
219	218		general information pertaining to the senate and routinely
220	219		furnished to the public.
221	220		SECTION 14. OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT. An employee of the
222	221		senate may not be employed by and receive compensation from any
223	222		other person, firm, or corporation during the employee's senate
224	223		employment without the permission of the employee's senate
225	224		employer.
226	225		SECTION 15. REMOVAL OF SENATE PROPERTY. The secretary of
227	226		the senate is specifically directed not to permit the removal of
228	227		any of the property of the senate from the senate chamber or the
229	228		rooms of the senate except as authorized by the chairman of the
230	229		administration committee.
	230	+	_______________________________
	231	+	President of the Senate
	232	+	I hereby certify that the
	233	+	above Resolution was adopted by
	234	+	the Senate on May 29, 2023, by
	235	+	the following vote: Yeas 31,
	236	+	Nays 0.
	237	+	_______________________________
	238	+	Secretary of the Senate