46-3701. Joint committee on energy and environment policy; membership; appointment; terms; officers; quorum; meetings; duties; compensation; professional services; legislation.
46-3701
46-3701. Joint committee on energy and environmentpolicy; membership; appointment; terms; officers; quorum; meetings; duties;compensation; professional services; legislation.(a) There is hereby established a joint committee on energyand environmental policy which shall consist of six members of the house ofrepresentatives and five members of the senate.The house of representatives members shall be appointed by the speaker ofthe house and the minority leader.The senate members shall be appointed by the president and the minorityleader. The two major political parties shall have proportional representationon such committee. In the event application of the preceding sentence resultsin a fraction, the party having a fraction exceeding .5 shall receiverepresentation as though such fraction were a whole number.The speaker of the house of representatives shall designate arepresentative member to be chairperson or vice-chairperson of the jointcommittee as provided by this section. The president of the senate shalldesignate a senate member to be chairperson or vice-chairperson of the jointcommittee as provided by this section.
(b) Any vacancy in the membership of the joint committee on energy andenvironmental policy shall be filled by appointment in the manner prescribed bythis section for the original appointment.
(c) All members of the joint committee on energy and environmental policyshall serve for terms of two years ending on the first day of the regularsession of the legislature commencing in the first odd year after appointment,except that the initial members appointed on or after November 10, 2008, shallserve for terms ending on the first day of the regular session of thelegislaturecommencing in 2009. For the initial term of members appointed on or afterNovember 10, 2008, thechairperson of the joint committee shall be a senate member designated by thepresident of the senate. In the biennium commencing with the convening of theregular session of the legislature in 2009, and each two years thereafter, thechairperson of the joint committee shall be a senate member designated by thepresident of the senate. In the biennium commencing with the convening of theregular session of the legislature in 2011, and each two years thereafter, thechairperson of the joint committee shall be a representative member designatedby the speaker of the house of representatives.If a vacancy occurs in the office of the chairperson, a member of the jointcommittee who is a member of the same house of the legislature as the memberwho vacated the office shall be appointed by the speaker of the house orpresident of the senate, depending on the house membership of the vacatingmember, to fill such vacancy.
(d) A quorum of the joint committee on energy and environmental policy shallbe six. All actions of the joint committee shall be taken by a majority of allof the members of the joint committee.
(e) The joint committee on energy and environmental policy shall have theauthority to meet at any time and at any place within the state on the call ofthe chairperson.
(f) The provisions of the acts contained in article 12 of chapter 46 of theKansas Statutes Annotated, and amendments thereto, applicable to specialcommittees shall apply to the joint committee on energy and environmentalpolicy to the extent that the same do not conflict with the specific provisionsof this act applicable to the joint committee.
(g) Members of the joint committee on energy and environmental policy shallreceive compensation, travel expenses and subsistence expenses as provided inK.S.A. 75-3212, and amendments thereto, when attending meetings of thecommittee.
(h) The staff of theoffice of revisor of statutes,the legislative research departmentand other central legislative staff service agencies shall providesuch assistance as may be requested by the joint committee.
(i) The joint committee on energy and environmental policy may introduce suchlegislation as it deems necessary in performing its functions.
(j) The joint committee on energy and environmental policy shall submit areport to the legislature and to the standing committees of the house ofrepresentatives and the senate which are assigned utility, energy, environmentand natural resources issues before December 31 each year with any findings andrecommendations concerning energy and environmental policy which such jointcommittee deems necessary.
(k) The provisions of this section shall not takeeffect if the provisions of 2008 House Bill No. 2412 are passed by thelegislature and enacted into law.
History: L. 2008, ch. 174, § 4; July 1.