HF 3576

as introduced - 84th Legislature (2005 - 2006) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to legislative organization; requiring various changes in legislative
procedures and meeting times; prohibiting per diem payments to legislators
during special sessions called due to failure of the legislature to pass major
budget bills; amending Minnesota Statutes 2004, sections 3.099, subdivision 1;
16A.103, by adding a subdivision; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota
Statutes, chapter 3.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

new text begin [3.051] RULES OF PROCEEDINGS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Applicability. new text end

new text begin The rules of each house and the joint rules of the
legislature must conform to the provisions of this section.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Bill introductions; limitations. new text end

new text begin No member of the legislature may
introduce more than 20 bills in a given biennial session of the legislature. No bills
or resolutions may be introduced by any member after the third deadline for bill
consideration, as that deadline is established in each house, without the consent of
two-thirds of the members of that body. Each bill shall be unique in content and form, and
if any bill introduction is substantially identical to an existing bill, that bill may not be
introduced without the consent of two-thirds of the members of that body.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Bills heard in committee. new text end

new text begin Every bill introduced in either body of the
legislature must be referred to a special or standing committee, and must be given a
hearing in that committee at the author??a??a??s request.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Conference committees; content. new text end

new text begin A conference committee report must
not contain significant changes to current policies or statutes if those changes have not
been contained substantially in a bill or resolution that has been passed by one of the two
bodies. Any member may object to a conference committee report on these grounds, and if
such an objection is received and sustained by a majority of the members of one house, the
conference committee report must be referred to a joint meeting of the Rules Committees
of both houses for review. This joint committee must meet within three calendar days of
receiving such a referral, and shall either:
new text end

new text begin (1) determine that one body has passed a substantially similar policy in bill or
resolution form, and therefore refer the conference report back to the floor of both bodies
with a statement to that effect, including in the statement the time, date, and details
of the passage; or
new text end

new text begin (2) shall report the conference committee report back to the floors with a notation
that the policy in question has not been passed in a substantially similar form by either
body, and therefore shall make a recommendation that the report be rejected.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Action on major budget bills. new text end

new text begin If the legislature has not passed all of
the major finance and revenue bills by the last day it can meet in regular session in an
odd-numbered year, the entire membership of the house of representatives and the entire
membership of the senate must vote on each unpassed major finance and revenue bill:
new text end

new text begin (1) on the last day that the legislature can meet in regular session in the
odd-numbered year; and
new text end

new text begin (2) every day the chamber meets in a special session called because one or more
major finance or revenue bills have not been enacted, beginning with the third day of
the special session.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 3.099, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Pay days; mileage; per diem.

new text begin (a) new text end The compensation of each
member of the legislature is due on the first day of the regular legislative session of the
term and payable in equal parts on January 15, in the first month of each term and on the
first day of each following month during the term for which the member was elected. The
compensation of each member of the legislature elected at a special election is due on the
day the member takes the oath of office and payable within ten days of taking the oath for
the remaining part of the month in which the oath was taken, and then in equal parts on the
first day of each following month during the term for which the member was elected.

new text begin (b) new text end Each member shall receive mileage for necessary travel to the place of meeting
and returning to the member's residence in the amount and for trips as authorized by the
senate for senate members and by the house of representatives for house members.

new text begin (c) new text end Each member shall also receive per diem living expenses during a regular or
special session of the legislature in the amounts and for the purposes as determined by the
senate for senate members and by the house of representatives for house members.

new text begin (d) A member must not receive per diem living expenses during a special session
that is called in an odd-numbered year because the legislature failed to pass all of the major
finance and revenue bills during the regular session that year. The house of representatives
and the senate must adopt rules or resolutions specifying which bills are major finance
or revenue bills for purposes of this paragraph. If the house and the senate fail to agree
on which bills are major finance or revenue bills, "major finance or revenue bill" means
the primary bill establishing state tax policy, and the primary bill making appropriations
in each of the following areas: higher education; early childhood through high school
education; agriculture and rural development; environment and natural resources; health
and human services; state government finance; economic development; public safety; and
transportation. A member must not receive per diem living expenses during a special
session that is called in an even-numbered year because the legislature failed to pass a bill
making appropriations for capital investment purposes during the regular session that year.
For purposes of this paragraph, the legislature has passed a major finance and revenue bill
if both the house of representatives and the senate have passed identical versions of the
same bill, even if the governor vetoes the bill.
new text end

new text begin (e) new text end On January 15 in the first month of each term and on the first day of each
following month, the secretary of the senate and the chief clerk of the house of
representatives shall certify to the commissioner of finance, in duplicate, the amount of
compensation then payable to each member of their respective houses and its total.

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 16A.103, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Even year sessions. new text end

new text begin The rules of each house and the joint rules of the
legislature must require the legislature to set a date for any session to be held in the
even year of the biennium to convene no earlier than one week after completion of the
February forecast.
new text end