SENATE RESOLUTION amending Rules VI and VII of the Senate rules, in
relation to committees

RESOLVED, That section 6 of Rule VI of the Senate rules is amended to
read as follows:
º 6. Budget bills. When a bill is submitted or proposed by the Gover-
nor by authority of Article VII of the Constitution, it shall become,
for all legislative purposes, a legislative bill, and upon receipt ther-
eof by the Senate it shall be endorsed "Budget Bill" and be given a
number by the Secretary and shall be referred to the Finance Committee
and be printed. BUDGET BILLS MAY BE REPORTED FROM THE FINANCE COMMITTEE
DIRECT TO THE THIRD READING CALENDAR.
RESOLVED, That section 1 of Rule VII of the Senate rules is amended to
read as follows:
Section 1. There shall be the following standing committees which
shall serve and shall continue throughout the year:
To consist of [thirty-three] THIRTY-FIVE Senators:
Finance
To consist of [twenty-four] TWENTY-FIVE Senators:
Rules
To consist of twenty-three Senators:
Judiciary
To consist of nineteen Senators:
Banks
Transportation
To consist of eighteen Senators:
Education
Higher Education
Insurance
To consist of seventeen Senators:
Health
To consist of sixteen Senators:
Codes
Labor
To consist of fourteen Senators:
Crime Victims, Crime and Correction
Environmental Conservation
Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation
Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs
To consist of twelve Senators:
Aging
Civil Service and Pensions
Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business
Energy and Telecommunications
To consist of ten Senators:
Agriculture
Consumer Protection
Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities
Racing, Gaming and Wagering
To consist of eight Senators:
Elections
Housing, Construction and Community Development
Investigations and Government Operations
Local Government
To consist of six Senators:
Children and Families
Cities

Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
Ethics
Social Services
Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
a. The Temporary President, the Vice President Pro Tempore, the Deputy
Majority Leader for Legislative Operations and the Minority Leader and
Deputy Minority Leader shall be nonvoting ex-officio members of all
standing committees of the Senate of which they are not actual members.
As far as practicable, Senators shall be appointed to no more than seven
standing committees.
b. Term limits for chairs and ranking members. No chair or ranking
member of a committee shall serve in such capacity longer than eight
consecutive years.
c. Conference membership of committees. The membership of all commit-
tees, unless otherwise provided by the act or resolution creating them,
shall be composed, as nearly as may be, of majority and minority party
members in the same proportion as the number of majority and minority
party members in the Senate bears to the total membership of the Senate.
For purposes of committee composition, in the event that the proportion
of majority members would result in a fractional amount, the number of
majority members shall be rounded up to the next whole number. THE
MEMBERSHIP OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND THE RULES COMMITTEE SHALL BE THE
PROPORTION OF MAJORITY MEMBERS IN THE SENATE PLUS AN ADDITIONAL FIVE
PERCENT. FURTHER, IN THE CASE OF AN EXCUSED ABSENCE OF ANY COMMITTEE
MEMBER ON EITHER THE FINANCE OR THE RULES COMMITTEE, THE TEMPORARY PRES-
IDENT OF THE SENATE OR THE MINORITY LEADER MAY DESIGNATE AN ALTERNATE
MEMBER OF THE CONFERENCE FOR MEETINGS OF STANDING COMMITTEES PROVIDED
WRITTEN NOTICE IS PROVIDED AND ACCEPTED BY THE COUNSEL TO THE MAJORITY
CONFERENCE AT LEAST ONE HOUR PRIOR TO THE COMMENCEMENT OF SUCH COMMITTEE
MEETING.