The joint rules

1. The resolution provides that three-fourths of all the members elected to both houses are necessary to approve any bill to grant increased retirement fund benefits under section 26 of article IV of the constitution. Current joint rules provide that three-fourths of all the members elected to each house are necessary. This change is made to conform with a recent Supreme Court decision on section 26 of article IV of the constitution.

2. The resolution eliminates a requirement that meetings of joint committees must be chaired by the cochairperson from the house that referred the business to the committee. Instead, the resolution provides that, unless otherwise provided by both cochairpersons of a joint committee, any meeting of a joint committee must be chaired by the cochairperson from the house that referred the business to the committee.

3. The resolution eliminates a requirement that a duplicate committee record must be filed with the Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB).

4. The resolution permits the chief clerk of each house to include any appropriate information in the history file of a legislative proposal.

5. The resolution amends the definition of "rules of procedure" to be "rules of proceedings" and provides that these are legislative rules that govern legislative operations and the conduct of legislative business and are found in the following sources: the state constitution; the joint rules, senate rules, and assembly rules;

custom, usage, and precedent in each house; the statutes; and parliamentary law.

6. The resolution permits the LRB, if time permits, to prepare in plain language an analysis of a substitute amendment, to be reproduced with the substitute amendment when it is offered.

7. The resolution requires the chief clerk of each house to publish, on a daily basis on the legislature's committee Internet Web site, a committee schedule containing the name of each committee, its chairperson, the room number or place, and the time and date of each meeting scheduled; and to designate each proposal, appointment, or administrative rule to be heard by number or name, author, and topic.

8. The resolution authorizes the committee on assembly organization to designate a committee work day for assembly advice and consent on nominations for appointment. Currently, the committee on senate organization does this for the senate.

9. The resolution provides that citations may be printed in either 8-1/2 inch by 11 inch form or 8 inch by 14 inch form, but must be limited to a single page. Currently, citations must be printed in 8-1/2 inch by 11 inch form.

10. The resolution requires the Joint Committee on Legislative Organization (JCLO) to adopt a policy for the preservation of historically significant legislative records that are maintained by the chief clerks of the two houses.

11. The resolution requires the chief clerk of each house to prepare the bound copy of the journal within 90 days after the final adjournment of any biennial session of the legislature. Currently, this must be done within 60 days.

12. The resolution provides that during any extended floorperiod or extraordinary session, a house may give its advise and consent on nominations for appointment.

13. The resolution provides that, unless otherwise provided by the committee on senate organization or the assembly committee on rules, any vetoes of regular or special session bills not previously on a calendar in the house of origin must be shown as pending business on the calendar for the veto review session's first day. Currently, any vetoes of regular or special session bills not previously on a calendar in the house of origin must be shown as pending business on the calendar for the veto review session's first day.

14. Finally, the resolution requires JCLO to adopt a continuity of operations plan for the purpose of meeting at a temporary seat of government to conduct legislative business during a disaster or the imminent threat of a disaster if it is imprudent, inexpedient, or impossible to conduct legislative business at the state capitol.