13.81 Joint legislative council.

(1) Creation. There is created a joint legislative council of 22 members consisting of the speaker of the assembly and the president of the senate, the speaker pro tempore of the assembly and the president pro tempore of the senate, the senate and assembly majority and minority leaders, the 2 cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance, the ranking minority member of the joint committee on finance from each house, and 5 senators and 5 representatives to the assembly appointed as are the members of standing committees in their respective houses. The speaker of the assembly and the president of the senate, or the designee of each from within the membership of that house on the council, shall serve as cochairpersons of the council. The speaker of the assembly or the president of the senate may decline to serve as member of the joint legislative council and, instead, appoint a replacement member of his or her house to the joint legislative council.

(2) Meetings. The council upon the call of the cochairpersons, or any committee under s. 13.82 or 13.83 upon the call of the respective chairperson, may meet at any time and place it determines, but when one-third of the total voting membership of the council or of any such committee requests that a meeting be held at a specific time and place, the cochairpersons of the council or the respective chairperson of the committee shall call a meeting for the specific time and place. No committee may meet at a place outside this state without the prior consent of the majority of the officers of the council.

(3) Reports. The council shall prepare a biennial report of its activities for the governor and the legislature. The council may issue reports concerning any phase of its work or the work of any of its committees under ss. 13.82 and 13.83, and shall provide for adequate distribution of such reports. A committee may submit legislation recommended for passage to be introduced in the legislature by the council if a majority of the membership of the council votes to introduce such legislation.

(5) Expenditures. All expenditures for the council shall be by voucher signed either by the cochairpersons or by the director of the council staff.

(6) Reimbursement for special studies. At the end of each fiscal year, the general fund shall be reimbursed, from any other state fund, the amounts actually expended by the joint legislative council under s. 20.765 (3) (e) for the cost of making and publishing surveys and analyses of activities and policies related to such funds. The council shall bill such state funds at the end of each fiscal year for the costs so incurred, in accordance with cost records maintained by the council.

(8) Conference on legislative procedures. Following each general election, the joint legislative council shall sponsor a conference to acquaint new legislators or legislators-elect with legislative procedures. Expenses for the conference shall be paid from the appropriation under s. 20.765 (3) (e).

History: 1977 c. 29 s. 1654 (6) (a), (8) (c); 1977 c. 325; 1979 c. 34 ss. 2r to 4, 2100; 1979 c. 110, 175; 1981 c. 20; 1985 a. 29, 95; 1987 a. 27; 1989 a. 31; 1993 a. 52, 490; 1995 a. 27; 2003 a. 33; 2005 a. 25; 2011 a. 8.

The one man-one vote principle is inapplicable to legislative committees since that principle applies only to the exercise of legislative powers and those powers cannot constitutionally be delegated to these committees. There has been no unconstitutional delegation to the joint legislative council. 63 Atty. Gen. 173.