By: Truan S.R. No. 1
SENATE RESOLUTION
1-1 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-2 SECTION 1. CAUCUS REPORT. At a caucus held in the offices
1-3 of the senate attended by 30 members of the senate, the caucus made
1-4 the recommendations for the operation of the senate contained in
1-5 this resolution.
1-6 SECTION 2. SENATE OFFICERS. (a) Senate officers for the
1-7 75th Legislature are:
1-8 (1) Secretary of the Senate--Betty King;
1-9 (2) Calendar Clerk--Patricia Rodgers;
1-10 (3) Doorkeeper--Don Long;
1-11 (4) Enrolling Clerk--Patsy Spaw;
1-12 (5) Journal Clerk--Dianne Arrington; and
1-13 (6) Sergeant-at-arms--Carleton Turner.
1-14 (b) Officers named in this section serve at the will of the
1-15 senate.
1-16 SECTION 3. PARLIAMENTARIAN. The parliamentarian, Walter
1-17 Fisher, is to be named by the lieutenant governor and shall serve
1-18 at the will of the lieutenant governor. The parliamentarian is a
1-19 senate officer.
1-20 SECTION 4. EMPLOYEES. (a) The lieutenant governor may
1-21 employ staff for the office of the lieutenant governor at salaries
1-22 set by the lieutenant governor.
1-23 (b) Each senator may employ staff for the senator's office
2-1 at salaries set by the senator.
2-2 (c) The chairman of each committee may employ staff of the
2-3 chair's selection as needed by the committee. A committee employee
2-4 shall be compensated in amounts similar to the compensation paid to
2-5 persons in similar senate positions.
2-6 (d) The secretary of the senate may employ other staff
2-7 necessary for the operation of the senate at salaries approved by
2-8 the administration committee.
2-9 (e) The lieutenant governor, the secretary of the senate,
2-10 and each senator may use the assistance of any assistant
2-11 sergeant-at-arms or other available senate employee for any and all
2-12 services needed in and about the senate.
2-13 (f) In this resolution, "senate employee" includes an
2-14 employee of the lieutenant governor, the secretary of the senate, a
2-15 senator, a senate committee, and any other person compensated from
2-16 funds appropriated for the operation of the senate.
2-17 SECTION 5. DUTIES OF ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE. (a) In
2-18 addition to the duties of the administration committee expressly
2-19 imposed by this resolution, the committee shall take actions
2-20 necessary to ensure that the administrative operations of the
2-21 senate comply with applicable law and are conducted effectively and
2-22 efficiently.
2-23 (b) The committee shall establish appropriate and necessary
2-24 controls over contracts, inventory, and property management.
2-25 (c) The committee may delegate any of its responsibilities
3-1 to the committee chair, or to the secretary of the senate or
3-2 another appropriate senate officer, to be performed under the
3-3 general supervision of the committee.
3-4 (d) Policies adopted by the administration committee must be
3-5 consistent with the provisions of this resolution. To the extent
3-6 of a conflict between a policy and this resolution, this resolution
3-7 prevails.
3-8 (e) Policies adopted by the administration committee are
3-9 subject to the will of the senate, and a majority of the senate may
3-10 reject or modify any policy adopted by the committee.
3-11 SECTION 6. EMPLOYMENT AND PERSONNEL POLICIES. (a) The
3-12 administration committee may adopt and enforce personnel and
3-13 employment policies governing senate employees.
3-14 (b) The administration committee may not adopt a policy that
3-15 limits the salary of an employee of the lieutenant governor, a
3-16 senator, or a senate committee, except that the administration
3-17 committee may require approval by that committee of any senate
3-18 committee employee salary that is proposed to exceed $5,000 a
3-19 month.
3-20 SECTION 7. MEMBER'S EMPLOYEE LEAVE POLICY. (a) An employee
3-21 of a senator accrues vacation leave, compensatory leave, or sick
3-22 leave in accordance with policies adopted by the senator consistent
3-23 with the requirements of this section.
3-24 (b) An employee may accrue vacation leave, compensatory
3-25 leave, or sick leave only if the employee files a monthly time
4-1 record with the senate personnel office. Time records are due not
4-2 later than the 10th day of the following month.
4-3 (c) Compensatory time must be used not later than the last
4-4 day of the 12th month following the month in which the time was
4-5 accrued.
4-6 (d) An employee is not entitled to compensation for accrued
4-7 but unused compensatory time.
4-8 SECTION 8. OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT. An employee of the senate
4-9 may not be employed by and receive compensation from any other
4-10 person during the term of senate employment without the permission
4-11 of the employee's senate employer.
4-12 SECTION 9. WORK HOURS. An employee shall report to work at
4-13 the time, and work for the number of hours set by, the employee's
4-14 senate employer.
4-15 SECTION 10. LIMIT ON MONTHLY STAFF SALARY AND TRAVEL
4-16 EXPENSES. (a) The total amount of staff salaries and intrastate
4-17 staff travel expenses for each senator may not exceed $25,000 a
4-18 month.
4-19 (b) Any unexpended portion of this monthly amount may be
4-20 carried forward from one month to the next and expended until the
4-21 end of the fiscal year.
4-22 SECTION 11. SENATORS' EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT AND PER DIEM.
4-23 The secretary of the senate shall provide for the reimbursement of
4-24 the expenses of each senator and the payment of each senator's per
4-25 diem in accordance with law, this resolution, and the rules of the
5-1 Texas Ethics Commission.
5-2 SECTION 12. OTHER SENATE EXPENSES. (a) The lieutenant
5-3 governor, the secretary of the senate, and each senator may incur
5-4 expenses for carrying out official duties, including expenses for
5-5 items such as subscriptions, stationery, postage, and
5-6 telecommunications.
5-7 (b) Expenses under this section shall be paid from the
5-8 contingent expense fund of the senate.
5-9 SECTION 13. PAYMENT OF SALARIES AND EXPENSES. (a) Salaries
5-10 and expenses authorized by this resolution shall be paid from the
5-11 contingent expense fund as provided by this section.
5-12 (b) Vouchers for payment of any expense, including salaries
5-13 and travel expenses, must be signed by the chair of the
5-14 administration committee and the secretary of the senate.
5-15 (c) The administration committee shall adopt policies
5-16 regarding the presentation of timely, properly completed, and
5-17 signed vouchers.
5-18 SECTION 14. DESIGNATION FOR ATTENDANCE AT MEETINGS AND
5-19 FUNCTIONS. (a) The administration committee shall designate a
5-20 senator or any employee to attend an official meeting of a national
5-21 governmental organization during the regular session of the 75th
5-22 Legislature. The person designated is entitled to reimbursement
5-23 for actual and necessary expenses.
5-24 (b) The lieutenant governor may designate a senator to
5-25 represent the senate at ceremonies and ceremonial functions. The
6-1 necessary expenses of the senator and necessary staff for this
6-2 purpose shall be paid pursuant to a budget adopted by the
6-3 administration committee.
6-4 SECTION 15. FURNISHING OF INFORMATION BY SENATE EMPLOYEE.
6-5 An employee of the senate may not furnish any information to any
6-6 person other than general information pertaining to the senate and
6-7 routinely furnished to the public. This section does not apply to
6-8 an employee of the lieutenant governor, an individual senator, or a
6-9 committee.
6-10 SECTION 16. ELECTRONIC RECORDING BY MEMBER PROHIBITED. No
6-11 member of the senate may electronically record a private
6-12 conversation held within the brass rail on the senate floor during
6-13 a legislative session without the knowledge and consent of all
6-14 participants to the conversation.
6-15 SECTION 17. JOURNAL. The secretary of the senate shall
6-16 provide for the printing of not more than 700 copies of the daily
6-17 journal. Of that number:
6-18 (1) 175 shall be furnished to the house of
6-19 representatives;
6-20 (2) 60 shall be furnished to the Legislative Reference
6-21 Library; and
6-22 (3) the remainder shall be apportioned among the
6-23 senators and the lieutenant governor.
6-24 ______________________________________
6-25 President of the Senate
6-26 I hereby certify that the above
6-27 Resolution was adopted by the Senate
7-1 on January 14, 1997.
7-2 ______________________________________
7-3 Secretary of the Senate
7-4 ______________________________________
7-5 Member, Texas Senate