MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2001 Regular Session

To: Rules

By: Representative Davis, Robinson (84th)

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION AMENDING JOINT RULE 23 TO PROVIDE THAT MEETINGS OF CONFERENCE COMMITTEES SHALL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC; TO PROVIDE THAT NOTICE OF CONFERENCE COMMITTEE MEETINGS SHALL BE GIVEN IN BOTH THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE BY ANNOUNCEMENT OR BY POSTING; TO PROVIDE THAT THIS JOINT RULE SHALL SUPERSEDE ANY CONFLICTING RULE OF EITHER HOUSE OF THE LEGISLATURE.

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

"23. 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. All official meetings of any conference committee are public meetings and shall be open to the public at all times unless declared an executive session in accordance with the provisions of Section 25-41-7, Mississippi Code of 1972. Notice of meetings of conference committees shall be given in both the House of Representatives and the Senate by announcement on the loudspeaker during sessions of the House of Representatives or the Senate or by posting on a bulletin board or boards provided for that purpose by each house. 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. If any rule of either house of the Legislature, whether adopted before or after July 1, 2001, conflicts with the provisions of this joint rule that require conference committee meetings to be open to the public and provide for notice of conference committee meetings, the provisions of this joint rule shall supersede the conflicting rule to the extent of the conflict."

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2001.