JOINT RULES OF THE SENATE AND [As finally adopted on Jan. 17, 1918.] Committees. 1. Joint standing committees shall be appointed at the beginning of the political year as follows: A committee on Administration and Commissions; A committee on Agriculture; A committee on Banks and Banking; A committee on Constitutional Amendments; A committee on Counties; A committee on Education; A committee on Election Laws; A committee on Federal Relations; A committee on Fisheries and Game; A committee on Harbors and Public Lands; A committee on Military Affairs; A committee on Municipal Finance; A committee on Public Service; A committee on Roads and Bridges; A committee on Social Welfare; A committee on State House and Libraries; A committee on Towns; A committee on Water Supply; Each to consist of three members on the part of the Senate, and eight on the part of the House; A committee on Cities; A committee on Insurance; A committee on Legal Affairs; A committee on Street Railways; Each to consist of four members on the part of the Senate, and eleven on the part of the House. Matters referred by either the Senate or the House to its committee on the Judiciary, on Ways and Means, or on Rules shall be considered by the respective committees of the two branches, acting as joint committees, when, in the judgment of the chairmen of the respective committees of the two branches, the interests of legislation or the expedition of business will be better served by such joint consideration. Matters may also be referred respectively to the committees on the Judiciary, on Ways and Means, and on Rules, of the two branches, as joint committees. The committees on Rules, together with the presiding officers of the two branches, acting as a joint committee, may consider and suggest such measures as shall, in their judgment, tend to facilitate the business of the session. [Amended Jan. 6, 1882; Jan. 5, 1883; Jan. 7, 1884; Jan. 8, 1885; Jan. 26, 1885; Jan. 8, 1886; Jan. 12, 1887; Jan. 9, 1888; Jan. 28, 1889; Jan. 8, 1890; Feb. 2, 1891; Jan. 11, 1892; Feb. 10, 1892; Feb. 7, 1893; Jan. 8, 1894; Jan. 7, 1895; Jan. 7, 1896; Jan. 11, 1897; Jan. 10, 1898; Jan. 9, 1899; Jan. 22 and Jan. 29, 1901; Jan. 6, 1902; Jan. 9, 1903; Jan. 8, 1904; Jan. 6, 1905; Jan. 4, 1907; Jan. 5, 1910; Jan. 4, 1911; Jan. 1, 1913; and Jan. 12, 1914.] 2. No member of either branch shall act as counsel for any party before any committee of the Legislature. 3. No committee of the Senate or the House shall travel unless authorized by a vote of two-thirds of the members of its branch present and voting. No joint committee shall travel unless authorized by a concurrent vote of two-thirds of the members of each branch present and voting. No committee shall travel except at the expense of the Commonwealth. In any case when a committee is authorized to travel, the Sergeantat-Arms shall provide transportation only for members of the committee and the officer accompanying them, and the reasonable travelling expenses of such members and officers only shall be charged to or paid by the Commonwealth. Neither the Sergeant-at-Arms nor the officer detailed by him shall permit any person to accompany such committee while in the discharge of its official duties unless invited by vote of the committee. All bills for the travelling expenses of committees shall, in such form and detail as may be prescribed by the Auditor of the Commonwealth, be submitted by the Sergeant-at-Arms to the committee by whom they have been incurred; and such bills, before they are presented to the Auditor of the Commonwealth, shall first be approved by a majority of the committee incurring them. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall procure from the Auditor and shall, on the first Monday in each month, transmit to the General Court in print a statement of all such bills which have been presented to the Auditor during the preceding month. [Adopted Feb. 7, 1890. Amended Feb. 2, 1891, and Jan. 20, 1904.] 4. Joint committees may report by bill, resolve, or otherwise, to either branch, at their discretion, having reference to an equal distribution of business between the two branches, except that money bills shall be reported to the House; and except that when a report is made from any committee to either branch, and the subject-matter thereof is subsequently referred therein to a joint committee, such committee shall report its action to the branch in which the original report was made. [See also next rule.] 5. Reports of joint committees may be recommitted to the same committees at the pleasure of the branch first acting thereon, and bills or resolves may be recommitted in either branch, but no such recommittal shall be made after the fourth Wednesday in March. A concurrent vote shall, however, be necessary for the recommitment of such reports, bills, or resolves, with instructions. After recommitment, report shall, in all cases, be made to the branch originating the recommitment. [Amended Feb. 2, 1891.] 6. Bills and resolves reported by joint committees shall be printed or fairly written in a legible hand, without material erasure or interlineation, and on not less than one sheet of paper, with suitable margins, and with spaces between the several sections. Dates and numbers shall be printed or written in words at length. [Amended Jan. 28, 1889.] 7. Whenever, upon any application for an act of incorporation or other legislation, the purpose for which such legislation is sought can be secured without detriment to the public interests by a general law or under existing laws, the committee to which the matter is referred shall report such general law, or "leave to withdraw," or "ought not to pass." [Amended Feb. 2, 1891, and Feb. 7, 1893.] |