Regular Session 2021-2022 Senate Resolution 0079 P.N. 0960

PRINTER'S NO. 960

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE RESOLUTION

No.

Session of

2021

INTRODUCED BY MUTH, L. WILLIAMS, BREWSTER, KANE, SAVAL,

CAPPELLETTI AND COSTA, JUNE 24, 2021

REFERRED TO RULES AND EXECUTIVE NOMINATIONS, JUNE 24, 2021

A RESOLUTION

Amending the Rules of the Senate, further providing for

committees.

RESOLVED, That Senate Rule 14 be amended to read:

Rule 14. Committees.

(a) Standing committees.--

(1) There shall be the following permanent standing

committees, the Chair, the Vice Chair and members thereof to

be appointed by the President Pro Tempore as soon as possible

after the election of the President Pro Tempore in sessions

convening in odd-numbered years or such other times as may be

necessary. The composition of each standing committee shall

reasonably reflect the caucus composition of the Senate

membership.

Aging and Youth - 10 members

Agriculture and Rural Affairs - 10 members

Appropriations - 21 members

Banking and Insurance - 13 members

Communications and Technology - 10 members

Community, Economic and Recreational Development - 13

members

Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure - 13

members

Education - 10 members

Environmental Resources and Energy -- 10 members

Finance -- 10 members

Game and Fisheries -- 10 members

Health and Human Services -- 10 members

Intergovernmental Operations -- 10 members

Judiciary - 13 members

Labor and Industry -- 10 members

Law and Justice -- 10 members

Local Government -- 10 members

Rules and Executive Nominations - 16 members

State Government -- 10 members

Transportation - 13 members

Urban Affairs and Housing -- 10 members

Veterans' Affairs and Emergency Preparedness -- 10

members

(2) Subcommittees. Each standing committee or the chair

thereof may appoint, from time to time, a subcommittee to

study or investigate a matter falling within the jurisdiction

of the standing committee or to consider a bill or resolution

referred to it. A subcommittee may hold public hearings only

with the prior permission of its standing committee.

Subcommittees shall be regulated by the Senate Rules of

Procedure and shall be in existence for only that time

necessary to complete their assignments and report to their

standing committees.

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(b) Members-ex-officio.--

(1) The President Pro Tempore shall be an ex-officio

voting member of all standing committees and any

subcommittees that may be established and shall not be

included in the number of committee members herein provided.

However, the President Pro Tempore shall not be an ex-officio

Member of the Committee on Ethics and Official Conduct.

(2) The Majority Leader and the Minority Leader shall

each be an ex-officio member of the Committee on

Appropriations and shall not be included in the number of

members of the committee provided herein.

(3) The Majority Leader shall serve as Chair of the

Committee on Rules and Executive Nominations and the Minority

Leader shall serve as the Minority Chair.

committees shall exist and function both during and between

sessions. Such power shall not extend beyond November 30th of

any even-numbered year.

(d) Powers and responsibilities.--Standing committees are

authorized:

(1) To maintain a continuous review of the work of the

Commonwealth agencies concerned with their subject areas and

the performance of the functions of government within each

such subject area, and for this purpose to request reports

from time to time, in such form as the standing committee

shall designate, concerning the operation of any Commonwealth

agency and presenting any proposal or recommendation such

agency may have with regard to existing laws or proposed

legislation in its subject area. The standing committee is

authorized to require public officials and employees and

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private individuals to appear before the standing committee

for the purpose of submitting information to it.

(2) In order to carry out its duties, each standing

committee is empowered with the right and authority to

inspect and investigate the books, records, papers,

documents, data, operation and physical plant of any public

agency in this Commonwealth.

(3) In order to carry out its duties, each standing

committee or special committee appointed under Rule 5(a)(2)

may issue subpoenas, subpoenas duces tecum and other

necessary process to compel the attendance of witnesses and

the production of any books, letters or other documentary

evidence desired by the committee. The chair may administer

oaths and affirmations in the manner prescribed by law to

witnesses who shall appear before the committee to testify.

(e) Notice of meetings.--

(1) The following apply:

(i) The Chair of a committee or, in the absence of

the Chair, the Vice Chair, with the approval of the

Chair, shall provide each member of the committee with

written notice of committee meetings, which shall include

the date, time and location of the meeting and the number

of each bill, resolution or other matter which may be

considered. During session, notice of meetings of

standing committees shall be published daily. Notice

shall be delivered by the Chair to the Secretary-

Parliamentarian's office on a form prescribed by the

Secretary-Parliamentarian of the Senate by the end of the

session on the day preceding its intended publication.

(ii) Whenever the Chair of any standing committee

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shall refuse to call a regular meeting, then a majority

plus one of the members of the standing committee may

vote to call a meeting by giving two days' written notice

to the Secretary-Parliamentarian of the Senate, setting

the time and place for such meeting. Such notice shall be

read in the Senate and the same posted by the Secretary-

Parliamentarian in the Senate. Thereafter, the meeting

shall be held at the time and place specified in the

notice. In addition, any such meeting shall comply with

all provisions of 65 Pa.C.S. Ch. 7 (relating to open

meetings) relative to notice of meetings.

(iii) When the majority plus one of the members of a

standing committee believe that a certain bill or

resolution in the possession of the standing committee

should be considered and acted upon by such committee,

they may request the Chair to include the same as part of

the business of a committee meeting. Should the Chair

refuse such request, the membership may require that such

bill be considered by written motion made and approved by

a majority plus one vote of the entire membership to

which the committee is entitled.

(2) A committee meeting, or hearing for which notice has

not been published as provided in paragraph (1), may be held

during a session only if approval is granted by the Majority

Leader and the Minority Leader and if notice of the bills to

be considered is given during session.

(f) Bills recommitted.--Any bill or resolution reported by

any standing committee without prior notice having been given as

required by these Rules shall be recommitted to the committee

reporting the same.

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(g) Public meetings or hearings.--

(1) The following apply:

(i) The Chair of a standing committee may hold

hearings open to the public and in doing so shall make a

public announcement in writing prior to the date of the

hearing of the date, time, location and subject matter of

the hearing.

(ii) The Chair of a standing committee shall have

the power to designate whether or not a meeting of the

committee for the purpose of transacting committee

business shall be open to the public or shall be held in

executive session and therefore closed to the public, but

no matters may be considered in executive session for

which an open meeting is required under 65 Pa.C.S. Ch. 7

(relating to open meetings).

(2) All standing committees may have their hearings

reported and transcribed if payment for such service is being

made from committee funds. If payment is expected to be made

from a source other than committee funds, approval must be

first obtained from the President Pro Tempore.

(3) The meetings of the Senate standing and special

committees may be livestreamed as determined by the committee

chair, if held in a hearing room equipped for that purpose,

and posted on the official Senate Internet website. The

official Senate livestream and recordings of the livestream,

video or audio, may be broadcasted and posted on the

respective Senate caucus websites and social media platforms.

The restrictions on video and audio feeds under Rule 23 apply

to livestreamed and video recordings of standing and special

committee meetings.

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(h) Quorum of committee.--A committee is actually assembled

only when a quorum constituting a majority of the members of

that committee is present in person. A majority of the quorum of

the whole committee shall be required to report any bill,

resolution or other matter to the Floor for action by the whole

Senate.

(i) Quorum of subcommittee.--A subcommittee is actually

assembled only when a quorum constituting a majority of the

members of that subcommittee is present in person. A majority of

the quorum of the whole subcommittee shall be required to report

any bill, resolution or other matter to the committee.

(j) Discharging committees.--

(1) No standing committee shall be discharged from

consideration of any bill, resolution or other matter within

10 legislative days of its reference to committee without the

unanimous consent of the Senate or after such 10-day period

except by majority vote of all members elected to the Senate.

(2) Such discharge shall be by resolution which shall

lie over one day for consideration upon introduction and

which may be considered under the Order of Business of

Resolutions on the Calendar.

(k) Special committees.--

(1) Any Senator may file a petition with the Secretary-

Parliamentarian to form a special committee. The petition

shall identify the following:

(i) the need;

(ii) the purpose;

(iii) the scope; and

(iv) the powers and responsibilities of the special

committee.

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(2) Upon filing a petition, the Secretary-

Parliamentarian shall make the petition available to the

Senators, which includes being available on the Senate

Virtual Session Desk application, and publish the petition on

the Internet website maintained by the Senate.

(3) The Senate shall take a roll call vote on the

question of adopting the petition no later than 10

legislative days following the filing of the petition. If a

majority of each Majority and Minority party votes to approve

the petition, the petition shall be adopted, and the special

committee shall be formed.

(4) The composition of the special committee shall be

equally divided between the Majority party, including

Senators who caucus with the Majority party, and the Minority

party, including Senators who caucus with the Minority party.

(5) The Majority Leader and the Minority Leader shall

appoint members of their respective caucus to serve on the

special committee.

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