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 76th Legislature are:
1-8 (1) Secretary of the Senate--Betty King;
1-9 (2) Calendar Clerk--Pat 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 named by the lieutenant governor and serves at the will
1-18 of the lieutenant governor. The parliamentarian is a senate
1-19 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
1-24 at salaries set by the senator.
2-1 (c) The chairman of each committee may employ staff of the
2-2 chair's selection as needed by the committee. A committee employee
2-3 shall be compensated in amounts similar to the compensation paid to
2-4 persons in similar senate positions.
2-5 (d) The secretary of the senate may employ other staff
2-6 necessary for the operation of the senate at salaries approved by
2-7 the administration committee.
2-8 (e) The lieutenant governor, the secretary of the senate,
2-9 and each senator may use the assistance of any assistant
2-10 sergeant-at-arms or other available senate employee for any and all
2-11 services needed in and about the senate.
2-12 (f) In this resolution, "senate employee" includes an
2-13 employee of the lieutenant governor, the secretary of the senate, a
2-14 senator, a senate committee, and any other person compensated from
2-15 funds appropriated for the operation of the senate.
2-16 SECTION 5. DUTIES OF ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE. (a) In
2-17 addition to the duties of the administration committee expressly
2-18 imposed by this resolution, the committee shall take actions
2-19 necessary to ensure that the administrative operations of the
2-20 senate comply with applicable law and are conducted effectively and
2-21 efficiently.
2-22 (b) The committee shall establish appropriate and necessary
2-23 controls over contracts, inventory, and property management.
2-24 (c) The committee may delegate any of its responsibilities
2-25 to the committee chair, or to the secretary of the senate or
2-26 another appropriate senate officer, to be performed under the
3-1 general supervision of the committee.
3-2 (d) Policies adopted by the administration committee must be
3-3 consistent with the provisions of this resolution. To the extent
3-4 of a conflict between a policy and this resolution, this resolution
3-5 prevails.
3-6 (e) Policies adopted by the administration committee are
3-7 subject to the will of the senate, and a majority of the senate may
3-8 reject or modify any policy adopted by the committee.
3-9 SECTION 6. EMPLOYMENT AND PERSONNEL POLICIES. (a) The
3-10 administration committee may adopt and enforce personnel and
3-11 employment policies governing senate employees.
3-12 (b) The administration committee may not adopt a policy that
3-13 limits the salary of an employee of the lieutenant governor, a
3-14 senator, or a senate committee, except that the administration
3-15 committee may require approval by that committee of any senate
3-16 committee employee salary that is proposed to exceed $5,000 a
3-17 month.
3-18 SECTION 7. MEMBER'S EMPLOYEE LEAVE POLICY. (a) An employee
3-19 of a senator accrues vacation leave, compensatory leave, or sick
3-20 leave in accordance with policies adopted by the senator consistent
3-21 with the requirements of this section.
3-22 (b) An employee may accrue vacation leave, compensatory
3-23 leave, or sick leave only if the employee files a monthly time
3-24 record with the senate personnel office. Time records are due not
3-25 later than the 10th day of the following month.
3-26 (c) Compensatory time must be used not later than the last
4-1 day of the 12th month following the month in which the time was
4-2 accrued.
4-3 (d) An employee is not entitled to compensation for accrued
4-4 but unused compensatory time.
4-5 SECTION 8. OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT. An employee of the senate
4-6 may not be employed by and receive compensation from any other
4-7 person during the term of senate employment without the permission
4-8 of the employee's senate employer.
4-9 SECTION 9. WORK HOURS. An employee shall report to work at
4-10 the time, and work for the number of hours set by, the employee's
4-11 senate employer.
4-12 SECTION 10. LIMIT ON MONTHLY STAFF SALARY AND TRAVEL
4-13 EXPENSES. (a) The total amount of staff salaries and intrastate
4-14 staff travel expenses for each senator may not exceed $25,000 a
4-15 month.
4-16 (b) Any unexpended portion of this monthly amount may be
4-17 carried forward from one month to the next and expended until the
4-18 end of the fiscal year.
4-19 SECTION 11. SENATORS' EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT AND PER DIEM.
4-20 The secretary of the senate shall provide for the reimbursement of
4-21 the expenses of each senator and the payment of each senator's per
4-22 diem in accordance with law, this resolution, and the rules of the
4-23 Texas Ethics Commission.
4-24 SECTION 12. OTHER SENATE EXPENSES. (a) The lieutenant
4-25 governor, the secretary of the senate, and each senator may incur
4-26 expenses for carrying out official duties, including expenses for
5-1 items such as subscriptions, stationery, postage, and
5-2 telecommunications.
5-3 (b) Expenses under this section shall be paid from the
5-4 contingent expense fund of the senate.
5-5 SECTION 13. PAYMENT OF SALARIES AND EXPENSES. (a) Salaries
5-6 and expenses authorized by this resolution shall be paid from the
5-7 contingent expense fund as provided by this section.
5-8 (b) Vouchers for payment of any expense, including salaries
5-9 and travel expenses, must be signed by the chair of the
5-10 administration committee and the secretary of the senate.
5-11 (c) The administration committee shall adopt policies
5-12 regarding the presentation of timely, properly completed, and
5-13 signed vouchers.
5-14 SECTION 14. DESIGNATION FOR ATTENDANCE AT MEETINGS AND
5-15 FUNCTIONS. (a) The administration committee shall designate a
5-16 senator or any employee to attend an official meeting of a national
5-17 governmental organization during the regular session of the 76th
5-18 Legislature. The person designated is entitled to reimbursement
5-19 for actual and necessary expenses.
5-20 (b) The lieutenant governor may designate a senator to
5-21 represent the senate at ceremonies and ceremonial functions. The
5-22 necessary expenses of the senator and necessary staff for this
5-23 purpose shall be paid pursuant to a budget adopted by the
5-24 administration committee.
5-25 SECTION 15. ELECTRONIC RECORDING BY MEMBER PROHIBITED. No
5-26 member of the senate may electronically record a private
6-1 conversation held within the brass rail on the senate floor during
6-2 a legislative session without the knowledge and consent of all
6-3 participants to the conversation.
6-4 SECTION 16. JOURNAL. The secretary of the senate shall
6-5 provide for the printing of not more than 500 copies of the daily
6-6 journal. Of that number:
6-7 (1) 175 shall be furnished to the house of
6-8 representatives;
6-9 (2) 60 shall be furnished to the Legislative Reference
6-10 Library; and
6-11 (3) the remainder shall be apportioned among the
6-12 senators and the lieutenant governor.
6-13 ______________________________________
6-14 President of the Senate
6-15 I hereby certify that the above
6-16 Resolution was adopted by the Senate
6-17 on January 12, 1999.
6-18 ______________________________________
6-19 Secretary of the Senate