Bill Text: TX SR1 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Senate Caucus Report.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2017-01-10 - Reported enrolled [SR1 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SR1-Enrolled.html
By: Whitmire | S.R. No. 1 |
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. CAUCUS REPORT. At a caucus held in the | ||
offices of the senate attended by 31 members of the senate, the | ||
caucus made the recommendations for the operation of the senate | ||
contained in this resolution. | ||
SECTION 2. SENATE OFFICERS. (a) Senate officers for the | ||
85th Legislature are: | ||
(1) Secretary of the Senate--Patsy Spaw; | ||
(2) Calendar Clerk--Tracy Ortiz; | ||
(3) Doorkeeper--Austin Osborn; | ||
(4) Enrolling Clerk--Patience Worrel; | ||
(5) Journal Clerk--Polly Emerson; and | ||
(6) Sergeant-at-arms--Rick DeLeon. | ||
(b) Officers named in this section serve at the will of | ||
the senate. | ||
SECTION 3. PARLIAMENTARIAN. The parliamentarian, Karina | ||
Davis, is named by the lieutenant governor and serves at the will | ||
of the lieutenant governor. The parliamentarian is a senate | ||
officer. | ||
SECTION 4. EMPLOYEES. (a) The lieutenant governor may | ||
employ staff for the office of the lieutenant governor at | ||
salaries set by the lieutenant governor. | ||
(b) Each senator may employ staff for the senator's | ||
office at salaries set by the senator. | ||
(c) The chairman of each committee may employ staff of | ||
the chair's selection as needed by the committee. A committee | ||
employee shall be compensated in amounts similar to the | ||
compensation paid to persons in similar senate positions. | ||
(d) The secretary of the senate may employ other staff | ||
necessary for the operation of the senate at salaries approved by | ||
the administration committee. | ||
(e) The lieutenant governor, the secretary of the senate, | ||
and each senator may use the assistance of any assistant | ||
sergeant-at-arms or other available senate employee for any and | ||
all services needed in and about the senate. | ||
(f) In this resolution, "senate employee" includes an | ||
employee of the lieutenant governor, the secretary of the senate, | ||
a senator, a senate committee, and any other person compensated | ||
from funds appropriated for the operation of the senate. | ||
SECTION 5. DUTIES OF ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE. (a) In | ||
addition to the duties of the administration committee expressly | ||
imposed by this resolution, the committee shall take actions | ||
necessary to ensure that the administrative operations of the | ||
senate comply with applicable law and are conducted effectively | ||
and efficiently. | ||
(b) The committee shall establish appropriate and | ||
necessary controls over contracts, inventory, and property | ||
management. | ||
(c) The committee may delegate any of its | ||
responsibilities to the committee chair or to the secretary of | ||
the senate to be performed under the general supervision of the | ||
committee. | ||
(d) Policies adopted by the administration committee | ||
must be consistent with the provisions of this resolution. To | ||
the extent of a conflict between a policy and this resolution, | ||
this resolution prevails. | ||
(e) Policies adopted by the administration committee are | ||
subject to the will of the senate, and a majority of the senate | ||
may reject or modify any policy adopted by the committee. | ||
SECTION 6. EMPLOYMENT AND PERSONNEL POLICIES. (a) The | ||
administration committee may adopt and enforce personnel and | ||
employment policies governing senate employees. | ||
(b) The administration committee may not adopt a policy | ||
that limits the salary of an employee of the lieutenant governor, | ||
a senator, or a senate committee, except that the administration | ||
committee may require approval by that committee of any senate | ||
committee employee salary that is proposed to exceed $5,000 a | ||
month. | ||
SECTION 7. MEMBER'S EMPLOYEE LEAVE POLICY. (a) An | ||
employee of a senator accrues vacation leave, compensatory | ||
leave, or sick leave in accordance with policies adopted by the | ||
senator consistent with the requirements of this section. | ||
(b) An employee may accrue vacation leave, compensatory | ||
leave, or sick leave only if the employee files a monthly time | ||
record with the senate human resources office. Time records are | ||
due not later than the 10th day of the following month. | ||
(c) Compensatory time must be used not later than the | ||
last day of the 12th month following the month in which the time | ||
was accrued. | ||
(d) An employee is not entitled to compensation for | ||
accrued but unused compensatory time. | ||
SECTION 8. OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT. An employee of the senate | ||
may not be employed by and receive compensation from any other | ||
person during the term of senate employment without the | ||
permission of the employee's senate employer. | ||
SECTION 9. WORK HOURS. An employee shall report to work | ||
at the time, and work for the number of hours, set by the | ||
employee's senate employer. | ||
SECTION 10. LIMIT ON MONTHLY STAFF SALARY AND TRAVEL | ||
EXPENSES. (a) The total amount of staff salaries and intrastate | ||
staff travel expenses for each senator may not exceed $39,000 per | ||
month. | ||
(b) This monthly amount accrues on the first day of the | ||
month and may not be expended prior to the month in which it | ||
accrues, but any unexpended portion for a month may be carried | ||
forward from one month to the next and expended until the end of | ||
the fiscal year. | ||
(c) An unexpended amount remaining at the end of the | ||
fiscal year, not to exceed $10,000, may be carried forward to the | ||
next fiscal year. The total balance of unexpended funds | ||
accumulated may not exceed $10,000 at the end of any fiscal | ||
biennium. | ||
SECTION 11. SENATORS' EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT AND PER | ||
DIEM. (a) The secretary of the senate shall provide for the | ||
reimbursement of the expenses of each senator and the payment of | ||
each senator's per diem in accordance with law, this resolution, | ||
and the rules of the Texas Ethics Commission. | ||
(b) The per diem rate to be paid to each senator for the | ||
85th Legislature is $190. | ||
SECTION 12. OTHER SENATE EXPENSES. (a) The lieutenant | ||
governor, the secretary of the senate, and each senator may incur | ||
expenses for carrying out official duties, including expenses | ||
for items such as subscriptions, stationery, postage, and | ||
telecommunications. | ||
(b) Expenses under this section shall be paid from the | ||
contingent expense fund of the senate. | ||
SECTION 13. PAYMENT OF SALARIES AND EXPENSES. | ||
(a) Salaries and expenses authorized by this resolution shall | ||
be paid from the contingent expense fund as provided by this | ||
section. | ||
(b) Vouchers for payment of any expense, including | ||
salaries and travel expenses, must be signed by the chair of the | ||
administration committee and the secretary of the senate. | ||
(c) The administration committee shall adopt policies | ||
regarding the presentation of timely, properly completed, and | ||
signed vouchers. | ||
SECTION 14. DESIGNATION FOR ATTENDANCE AT MEETINGS AND | ||
FUNCTIONS. (a) The administration committee shall designate a | ||
senator or any employee to attend an official meeting of a | ||
national governmental organization during a session of the 85th | ||
Legislature. The person designated is entitled to reimbursement | ||
for actual and necessary expenses. | ||
(b) The lieutenant governor may designate a senator to | ||
represent the senate at ceremonies and ceremonial functions. The | ||
necessary expenses of the senator and necessary staff for this | ||
purpose shall be paid pursuant to a budget adopted by the | ||
administration committee. | ||
SECTION 15. ELECTRONIC RECORDING BY MEMBER PROHIBITED. | ||
No member of the senate may electronically record a private | ||
conversation held within the brass rail on the senate floor | ||
during a legislative session without the knowledge and consent of | ||
all participants to the conversation. | ||
SECTION 16. JOURNAL. The secretary of the senate shall | ||
provide for the printing of not more than 250 copies of the daily | ||
journal. Of that number: | ||
(1) 140 shall be furnished to the house of | ||
representatives; | ||
(2) four shall be furnished to the Texas State | ||
Library and Archives Commission; | ||
(3) four shall be furnished to the Legislative | ||
Reference Library; and | ||
(4) the remainder shall be apportioned among the | ||
senators and the lieutenant governor. | ||
_______________________________ | ||
President of the Senate | ||
I hereby certify that the | ||
above Resolution was adopted by | ||
the Senate on January 10, 2017, | ||
by the following vote: Yeas 31, | ||
Nays 0. | ||
_______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate |