By: Whitmire S.R. No. 1

SENATE RESOLUTION

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 87th 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--Lourdes Litchfield; and

(6) Sergeant-at-arms--Rick DeLeon.

(b) Officers named in this section serve at the will of the senate.

SECTION 3. PARLIAMENTARIANANDASSISTANTPARLIAMENTARIAN. The parliamentarian, Karina Davis, and the assistant parliamentarian, Colby Beuck, are named by the lieutenant governor and serve at the will of the lieutenant governor. They are senate officers.

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 chair 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 24th 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 $41,000 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 $12,000, may be carried forward to the next fiscal year. The total balance of unexpended funds accumulated may not exceed $12,000 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 87th Legislature is $221.

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 87th 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 in 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.

SECTION 17. PROCEDURES RELATED TO COVID-19. (a) Public seating in the gallery will be limited to ensure social distancing in accordance with COVID-19 guidelines. A wristband demonstrating a negative COVID-19 test is required for entry to the gallery.

(b) No personal data will be collected from persons who are tested to enter the Capitol. However, aggregate data indicating the number of persons tested each day and the number of positive tests shall be available to the members of the senate.

(c) Each senator may have one staff member on the floor at a time while the senate is in session. No additional staff for committees will be allowed, except that the chair of the Administration Committee may allow additional staff for members handling extraordinary matters.

(d) To enter the senate floor or attend a committee hearing, a member must have had a negative COVID-19 test result that day.

(e) Members' staff must be tested the first day of the week they enter the Capitol. All senate staff must be tested before accessing the Senate Chamber or attending a committee hearing.

(f) All central staff must be tested twice each week and a record must be kept to ensure that the testing schedule is being followed. Any central staff who will be working in the Senate Chamber or might come to the Senate Chamber when the senate is in session must be tested that day. If the senate meets daily, the staff person must be tested daily; otherwise, they may follow the twice weekly testing schedule. Any central staff who routinely have daily contact with members' offices (post office staff, messengers, kitchen staff, etc.) must be tested daily.

(g) A person who demonstrates proof of vaccination against COVID-19 shall be treated for all purposes the same as a person who has tested negative for COVID-19 and shall be entitled to a wristband.

(h) A member of the senate shall determine whether to require a wristband demonstrating a negative COVID-19 test for entry into the member's office.

(i) While on the floor, members of the senate shall wear masks except when alone at their desks.

(j) Members and employees of the senate shall wear masks whenever they are in a common area of the Sam Houston Building.

(k) A member of the public is required to have a wristband demonstrating a negative COVID-19 test to enter a committee hearing.

(l) During a committee hearing, committee members shall wear masks to and from the committee dais but are not required to wear masks while seated at the dais.

(m) A committee member may designate an employee to sit behind the member on the dais during a committee hearing if:

(1) the employee is comfortable with sitting in close quarters on the dais;

(2) the employee has tested negative for COVID-19 on the day of the committee hearing;

(3) the employee is wearing an N95 or KN95 mask; and

(4) the committee hearing room will physically accommodate staff seating.

(n) The senate leadership will confer with leadership of the house of representatives to determine procedures for members of each house visiting the other house's chamber. Should the house of representatives approve a less secure standard of COVID-19 procedures than the senate, the senate may take appropriate measures to address that issue.

(o) A member or an employee of the senate who tests positive for COVID-19 shall promptly leave the Capitol Complex. The member or employee may return 10 days after the date of the positive result if the person's symptoms are lessening and the person has had no fever for the previous 24 hours before the return date. The member or employee may return to the Capitol seven days after the date of the positive result if the person receives a negative result at that time.

_______________________________

President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on January 13, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.

_______________________________

Secretary of the Senate