GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1991

S	1 

SENATE BILL 801

Short Title:  President Pro Tempore Appointments.	(Public)
─────────────────────────────────────── 
Sponsors: Senators Walker; and Johnson.
─────────────────────────────────────── 
Referred to:  Rules and Operation of the Senate.
─────────────────────────────────────── 

April 24, 1991

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO FURTHER PROVIDE FOR THE SEPARATION OF POWERS BETWEEN THE LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT BY PROVIDING THAT THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE RATHER THAN THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR SHALL MAKE APPOINTMENTS TO CERTAIN LEGISLATIVE COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC UTILITIES.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 120-70.2 reads as rewritten:
"§ 120-70.2. Appointment of members and organization.
The Joint Committee shall consist of six sitting members of the General Assembly.  Three shall be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate from the membership of the Senate and three shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives from the membership of the House.  Members will serve at the pleasure of their appointing officer and any vacancies occurring on the Joint Committee shall be filled by the presiding officer of the appropriate house.  The President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall designate one Senator to serve as cochairman and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate one Representative to serve as cochairman.  A quorum shall consist of four members.”Sec. 2.  G.S. 120-70.3(8)	reads as rewritten:
"(8)	To undertake such additional studies or evaluations as may, from time to time, be requested by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Legislative Research Commission, or either House of the General Assembly."
Sec. 3.  G.S. 120-70.32 reads as rewritten:
"§ 120-70.32. Membership; cochairmen; vacancies; quorum.
The Joint Select Committee shall consist of six Senators appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and six Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives who shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing officer.  The President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall designate one Senator to serve as cochairman and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate one Representative to serve as cochairman.  Any vacancy which occurs on the Joint Select Committee shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.  A quorum of the Joint Select Committee shall consist of seven members."
Sec. 4.  G.S. 120-70.33(8) reads as rewritten:
"(8)	To undertake such additional studies as it deems appropriate or as may from time to time be requested by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, either house of the General Assembly, the Legislative Research Commission, the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations, the Environmental Review Commission, or the Joint Legislative Utility Review Committee, and to make such reports and recommendations to the General Assembly regarding such studies as it deems appropriate."
Sec. 5.  G.S. 120-70.42 reads as rewritten:
"§ 120-70.42. Membership; cochairmen; vacancies; quorum.
The Environmental Review Commission shall consist of five Senators appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, five Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing officer, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, and the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on the Environment.  The President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall designate one Senator to serve as cochairman and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate one Representative to serve as cochairman.  Any vacancy which occurs on the Environmental Review Commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.  A quorum of the Environmental Review Commission shall consist of seven members."
Sec. 6.  G.S. 120-70.43(7) reads as rewritten:
"(7)	To undertake such additional studies as it deems appropriate or as may from time to time be requested by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, either house of the General Assembly, the Legislative Research Commission, the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations, the Joint Legislative Utility Review Committee, or the Joint Select Committee on Low-Level Radioactive Waste and to make such reports and recommendations to the General Assembly regarding such studies as it deems appropriate; provided that the Environmental Review Commission shall not undertake any study which the General Assembly has assigned to another legislative commission or committee."
Sec. 7.  This act shall not be construed to affect the validity or term of any appointment made prior to the effective date of this act.  This act is effective on and after 30 January 1991.