46-3701. Joint committee on energy and environmental policy; membership; appointment; terms; officers; quorum; meetings; duties; compensation; professional services; legislation. (a) There is hereby established a joint committee on energy and environmental policy which shall consist of six members of the house of representatives and five members of the senate. The house of representatives members shall be appointed by the speaker of the house and the minority leader. The senate members shall be appointed by the president and the minority leader. The two major political parties shall have proportional representation on such committee. In the event application of the preceding sentence results in a fraction, the party having a fraction exceeding .5 shall receive representation as though such fraction were a whole number. The speaker of the house of representatives shall designate a representative member to be chairperson or vice-chairperson of the joint committee as provided by this section. The president of the senate shall designate a senate member to be chairperson or vice-chairperson of the joint committee as provided by this section.

(b) Any vacancy in the membership of the joint committee on energy and environmental policy shall be filled by appointment in the manner prescribed by this section for the original appointment.

(c) All members of the joint committee on energy and environmental policy shall serve for terms of two years ending on the first day of the regular session of the legislature commencing in the first odd year after appointment, except that the initial members appointed on or after November 10, 2008, shall serve for terms ending on the first day of the regular session of the legislature commencing in 2009. For the initial term of members appointed on or after November 10, 2008, the chairperson of the joint committee shall be a senate member designated by the president of the senate. In the biennium commencing with the convening of the regular session of the legislature in 2009, and each two years thereafter, the chairperson of the joint committee shall be a senate member designated by the president of the senate. In the biennium commencing with the convening of the regular session of the legislature in 2011, and each two years thereafter, the chairperson of the joint committee shall be a representative member designated by the speaker of the house of representatives. If a vacancy occurs in the office of the chairperson, a member of the joint committee who is a member of the same house of the legislature as the member who vacated the office shall be appointed by the speaker of the house or president of the senate, depending on the house membership of the vacating member, to fill such vacancy.

(d) A quorum of the joint committee on energy and environmental policy shall be six. All actions of the joint committee shall be taken by a majority of all of the members of the joint committee.

(e) The joint committee on energy and environmental policy shall have the authority to meet at any time and at any place within the state on the call of the chairperson.

(f) The provisions of the acts contained in article 12 of chapter 46 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, and amendments thereto, applicable to special committees shall apply to the joint committee on energy and environmental policy to the extent that the same do not conflict with the specific provisions of this act applicable to the joint committee.

(g) Members of the joint committee on energy and environmental policy shall receive compensation, travel expenses and subsistence expenses as provided in K.S.A. 75-3212, and amendments thereto, when attending meetings of the committee.

(h) The staff of the office of revisor of statutes, the legislative research department and other central legislative staff service agencies shall provide such assistance as may be requested by the joint committee.

(i) The joint committee on energy and environmental policy may introduce such legislation as it deems necessary in performing its functions.

(j) The joint committee on energy and environmental policy shall submit a report to the legislature and to the standing committees of the house of representatives and the senate which are assigned utility, energy, environment and natural resources issues before December 31 each year with any findings and recommendations concerning energy and environmental policy which such joint committee deems necessary.

(k) The provisions of this section shall not take effect if the provisions of 2008 House Bill No. 2412 are passed by the legislature and enacted into law.

History: L. 2008, ch. 174, § 4; July 1.