MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2001 Regular Session

To: Rules

By: Senator(s) Bryan, Little, Burton, Lee, Chamberlin, Tollison, Hamilton, Browning, Dickerson, Chaney, Dearing, Carmichael, Farris, King, Hyde-Smith, Williamson, Johnson (19th), Posey, Dawkins, Smith, Mettetal, Jordan, Furniss, Harden, Jackson, Nunnelee, Cuevas, Frazier

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ADOPTING JOINT RULE 23A TO PROVIDE THAT MEETINGS OF CONFERENCE COMMITTEES ON GENERAL OR REVENUE BILLS AND ON RESOLUTIONS PROPOSING A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT SHALL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC; TO PROVIDE THAT NOTICE OF SUCH CONFERENCE COMMITTEE MEETINGS SHALL BE GIVEN IN BOTH THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That the following shall be adopted as Rule 23A of the 2000-2004 Joint Rules of the Mississippi Senate and House:

23A. All official meetings of any conference committee on a general or revenue bill or on a resolution proposing a constitutional amendment 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. For purposes of this rule, 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. The chairman of each Senate and House committee to which such bills or resolutions are first referred shall designate one (1), two (2) or three (3) rooms in which official meetings of the conference committees pertaining to such bills and resolutions shall be held. For the 2001 Regular Session, the designation of the rooms shall be announced within three (3) legislative days after adoption of this rule, and for subsequent sessions, the designation of the rooms shall be announced not later than the third legislative day of each session. 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 official 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 placed in a conspicuous place in one (1) of the designated rooms.

If any statute or rule of either house of the Legislature conflicts with the provisions of this rule, the provisions of this rule shall supersede the conflicting statute or rule to the extent of the conflict.

The provisions of this Joint Rule 23A shall take effect and be in force from and after its adoption and shall stand repealed from and after December 31, 2003.