MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2001 Regular Session

To: Rules

By: Representative Horne, McCoy, Ford, Clark, Flaggs, Holland, Moody, Peranich, Scott (17th), Stevens, Barnett (92nd), Davis, Fillingane, Formby, Watson, Reynolds

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO AMEND JOINT RULE 23 OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE TO ALLOW OBSERVERS AND MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO BE PRESENT AT LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE MEETINGS; TO PROVIDE FOR NOTICE OF THE LOCATION OF SUCH MEETINGS.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That Joint Rule 23 of the 2000-2004 Joint Rules of the Senate and the House is amended as follows:

"23. (1) Conference committees shall meet as soon as practicable and proceed to confer on the differences between the two (2) Houses, seeking to resolve such differences.

(2) The conference committee shall report in writing and such report shall be signed by a majority of the members thereof and submitted to both Houses. Six (6) copies of each report shall be typed, five (5) of which may be carbon copies.

(3) (a) Persons who are not appointed members of the committee, including members of the general public, shall be allowed to observe meetings of a conference committee pertaining to a general or revenue bill or to a resolution proposing a constitutional amendment; however, any member of the committee may excuse himself or herself from a meeting at which observers are present, in order to conduct a private discussion with one or more other members of the committee. For purposes of this subsection, the terms "general or revenue bill" and "resolution proposing a constitutional amendment" include those measures considered as either a general bill, a revenue bill or a constitutional amendment for deadline purposes under Joint Rule 40.

(b) The chairman of each Senate and House committee to which such bills or resolutions are first referred shall designate one or more rooms in which the conference committee meetings pertaining to such bills and resolutions shall be held. The designation of the rooms shall be announced each session before the deadline to concur or not concur in amendments from the other House to general bills and constitutional amendments, and copies of a list of these rooms shall be available in the respective offices of the committee chairmen. This announcement shall constitute notice of the place of the meetings of conference committees and notice that the time of each meeting shall not be announced individually. If a conference committee meets in a location other than a designated room, a written notice giving the location of the meeting shall be posted on a bulletin board in a conspicuous place in one (1) of the designated rooms.

(c) If any statute or rule of either House of the Legislature conflicts with the provisions of this subsection, the provisions of this subsection shall supersede the conflicting statute or rule to the extent of the conflict.

(d) The provisions of this subsection shall take effect and be in force from and after its adoption and shall stand repealed from and after sine die adjournment of the 2002 Regular Session."