MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2001 Regular Session

To: Rules

By: Senator(s) Bryan, Little, Burton, Lee, Chamberlin, Tollison

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ADOPTING JOINT RULE 23A TO PROVIDE THAT MEETINGS OF CONFERENCE COMMITTEES ON GENERAL AND REVENUE BILLS SHALL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC; TO PROVIDE THAT NOTICE OF SUCH CONFERENCE COMMITTEES 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 Rule 23A of the Joint Rules of the Mississippi Senate and House is adopted as follows:

"23A. All official meetings of any conference committee on a general or revenue bill 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 the open meetings provisions set forth herein, the term "general" or "revenue" bill shall include only those bills considered general or revenue bills for deadline purposes under Joint Rule 40. The chairman of each Senate and House committee to which general or revenue bills are referred shall name one (1) or two (2) rooms in which conference committee meetings shall be held for all conferences on bills which were first referred to their committees. In the event a conference committee meets in another location, a written notice shall be placed in a conspicuous place in one (1) of the designated rooms giving the location of the conference. The designation of the rooms shall be announced not later than the third legislative day of each session, and copies of a list of these rooms shall be available in the House and Senate docket rooms. This announcement shall constitute notice of the time and place of the meetings of conference committees. If any rule of either house of the Legislature conflicts with the provisions of this joint rule that require conference committee meetings to be open to the public and provide for notice thereof, the provisions of this joint rule shall supersede the conflicting rule to the extent of the conflict. This Joint Rule 23A shall take effect and be in force from and after its adoption, and shall stand repealed from and after sine die adjournment of the 2002 Regular Session."