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SENATE  RESOLUTION  amending  Rules  VI  and VII of the Senate rules, in
relation to committees

RESOLVED, That section 6 of Rule VI of the Senate rules  is  amended  to
read as follows:
  º  6. Budget bills. When a bill is submitted or proposed by the Gover-
nor by authority of Article VII of the Constitution,  it  shall  become,
for all legislative purposes, a legislative bill, and upon receipt ther-
eof  by  the  Senate  it  shall be endorsed "Budget Bill" and be given a
number by the Secretary and shall be referred to the  Finance  Committee
and be printed.  BUDGET BILLS MAY BE REPORTED FROM THE FINANCE COMMITTEE
DIRECT TO THE THIRD READING CALENDAR.
  RESOLVED, That section 1 of Rule VII of the Senate rules is amended to
read as follows:
  Section  1.  There  shall  be  the following standing committees which
shall serve and shall continue throughout the year:
  To consist of [thirty-three] THIRTY-FIVE Senators:
  Finance
  To consist of [twenty-four] TWENTY-FIVE Senators:
  Rules
  To consist of twenty-three Senators:
  Judiciary
  To consist of nineteen Senators:
  Banks
  Transportation
  To consist of eighteen Senators:
  Education
  Higher Education
  Insurance
  To consist of seventeen Senators:
  Health
  To consist of sixteen Senators:
  Codes
  Labor
  To consist of fourteen Senators:
  Crime Victims, Crime and Correction
  Environmental Conservation
  Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation
  Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs
  To consist of twelve Senators:
  Aging
  Civil Service and Pensions
  Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business
  Energy and Telecommunications
  To consist of ten Senators:
  Agriculture
  Consumer Protection
  Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities
  Racing, Gaming and Wagering
  To consist of eight Senators:
  Elections
  Housing, Construction and Community Development
  Investigations and Government Operations
  Local Government
  To consist of six Senators:
  Children and Families
  Cities

  Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
  Ethics
  Social Services
  Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
  a. The Temporary President, the Vice President Pro Tempore, the Deputy
Majority  Leader  for Legislative Operations and the Minority Leader and
Deputy Minority Leader shall be  nonvoting  ex-officio  members  of  all
standing  committees of the Senate of which they are not actual members.
As far as practicable, Senators shall be appointed to no more than seven
standing committees.
  b. Term limits for chairs and ranking members.  No  chair  or  ranking
member  of  a  committee  shall serve in such capacity longer than eight
consecutive years.
  c. Conference membership of committees. The membership of all  commit-
tees,  unless otherwise provided by the act or resolution creating them,
shall be composed, as nearly as may be, of majority and  minority  party
members  in  the  same proportion as the number of majority and minority
party members in the Senate bears to the total membership of the Senate.
For purposes of committee composition, in the event that the  proportion
of  majority  members would result in a fractional amount, the number of
majority members shall be rounded up to the  next  whole  number.    THE
MEMBERSHIP OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND THE RULES COMMITTEE SHALL BE THE
PROPORTION  OF  MAJORITY  MEMBERS  IN THE SENATE PLUS AN ADDITIONAL FIVE
PERCENT. FURTHER, IN THE CASE OF AN EXCUSED  ABSENCE  OF  ANY  COMMITTEE
MEMBER ON EITHER THE FINANCE OR THE RULES COMMITTEE, THE TEMPORARY PRES-
IDENT  OF  THE  SENATE OR THE MINORITY LEADER MAY DESIGNATE AN ALTERNATE
MEMBER OF THE CONFERENCE FOR MEETINGS OF  STANDING  COMMITTEES  PROVIDED
WRITTEN  NOTICE  IS PROVIDED AND ACCEPTED BY THE COUNSEL TO THE MAJORITY
CONFERENCE AT LEAST ONE HOUR PRIOR TO THE COMMENCEMENT OF SUCH COMMITTEE
MEETING.