National Conference of State Legislatures - PDF document

National Conference of State Legislatures Delaware HouseNorth Carolina HouseFlorida Senate and HouseOhio HouseHawaii Senate and HouseOklahoma Senate and HouseMaine SenateOregon Senate and HouseMaryland SenateSouth Dakota HouseNew Jersey HouseTexas SenateNew Mexico HouseVirginia HouseNew York AssemblyWashington HouseSubcommittees are created by another legislative leader:Michigan SenateSouth Dakota SenateNew York SenateWashington SenateAlaska Senate and HouseNebraska SenateArizona Senate and HouseNevada Senate and AssemblyArkansas SenateNew Hampshire HouseCalifornia SenateNew Jersey HouseColorado SenateNew Mexico SenateConnecticut HouseNorth Dakota Senate and HouseFlorida SenateOhio SenateGeorgia HouseOklahoma HouseIdaho Senate and HouseOregon Senate and HouseIndiana HousePennsylvania SenateIowa Senate and HouseRhode Island SenateKansas Senate and HouseSouth Carolina HouseKentucky HouseTennessee Senate and HouseLouisiana Senate and HouseTexas Senate and HouseMaine Senate and HouseUtah SenateMaryland SenateVermont SenateMichigan HouseVirginia Senate and HouseMinnesota Senate and HouseWashington Senate and HouseMississippi HouseWest Virginia Senate and HouseMissouri Senate and HouseWisconsin Senate and HouseMontana Senate and HouseWyoming Senate and HouseAlabama SenateIndiana SenateArkansas HouseNew Jersey Senate and HouseCalifornia SenatePennsylvania HouseWisconsin Senate (approval of the Senate organization committee) Table 96-4.12Creation of Subcommittees National Conference of State Legislatures4-33Committee Procedures Table 96-4.13Commonly Used Subcommittees State (1)Standing subcommittees that remain in place for the entire bienniumSubcommittees, created around an issue, that remain for the entire sessionSubcommittees, created around an issue, that exist only temporarilySubcommittees created to deal with a specific billOtherAlabamaBAlaskaBBBArizonaHHHBArkansasBCaliforniaSBColoradoSConnecticutBDelawareHFloridaBSGeorgiaHHawaiiBIdahoBHIllinoisHBB2IndianaSHIowaHHHBKansasBBKentuckyHHHLouisianaBMaineBS3MarylandBBMassachusettsMichiganHHBMinnesotaHSMississippiHMissouriBSMontanaBB National Conference of State Legislatures Table 96-4.13Commonly Used Subcommittees, cont’d. State (1)Standing subcommittees that remain in place for the entire bienniumSubcommittees, created around an issue, that remain for the entire sessionSubcommittees, created around an issue, that exist only temporarilySubcommittees created to deal with a specific billOtherNebraskaSNevadaHBNew HampshireHHHHNew JerseyHSNew MexicoHSNew YorkHSNorth CarolinaHHNorth DakotaBOhioHBOklahomaBOregonHSSPennsylvaniaHSSRhode IslandSSSSouth CarolinaHSouth DakotaBTennesseeHSTexasSHBUtahVermontSVirginiaBBBBWashingtonBWest VirginiaHSWisconsinBWyomingB National Conference of State Legislatures4-35Committee Procedures 1.The following chambers did not respond to the survey: Delaware Senate,Georgia Senate, Massachusetts Senate and House, Mississippi Senate, North2.Illinois House: Subcommittees can be created to deal with amendments only.3.Maine Senate: Subcommittees can be created to represent a policy committeeTable 96-4.13Commonly Used Subcommittees, cont’d. National Conference of State Legislatures Alabama3Alaska35Arizona33 or 5Arkansas8California3-56-7varies0ConnecticutvariesDelaware3-5Florida3-46-9GeorgiaHawaii3variesIdaho33Illinois53-5Indiana5-63Iowa35Kansas33KentuckyvariesLouisiana34-5Maine3-53-5Maryland6Michigan33-7Minnesota88Mississippi4Missouri3-55Montana66Nebraska3NANevada3-4variesNew HampshireNA3-5New Jersey33New Mexico4-610New York5variesNorth Carolina12North Dakota33Ohio313Oklahoma7-15Oregon33-7Pennsylvania3-56Rhode Island6South Carolina3-5South Dakota3-53-5Table 96-4.14Average Subcommittee Size National Conference of State Legislatures4-37Committee Procedures Tennessee3-56Texas83Vermont3Virginia3-48Washington55West Virginia35-6Wisconsin35Wyoming331.The following chambers did not respond to the survey: Delaware Senate, Geor Table 96-4.14Average Subcommittee Size, cont’d. National Conference of State Legislatures Alaska Senate and HouseNebraska SenateArizona Senate and HouseNevada Senate and AssemblyArkansas HouseNew Hampshire HouseCalifornia SenateNew Jersey AssemblyColorado SenateNew Mexico Senate and HouseConnecticut Senate and HouseNorth Carolina HouseFlorida SenateNorth Dakota Senate and HouseGeorgia HouseOhio SenateIdaho Senate and HouseOregon Senate and HouseIllinois Senate and HousePennsylvania SenateIndiana HouseSouth Carolina HouseIowa Senate and HouseTennessee Senate and HouseKansas Senate and HouseTexas Senate and HouseKentucky HouseUtah SenateLouisiana Senate and HouseVermont SenateMaine Senate and HouseVirginia Senate and HouseMaryland Senate and HouseWashington HouseMinnesota Senate and HouseWest Virginia Senate and HouseMississippi HouseWisconsin Senate and HouseMissouri Senate and HouseWyoming Senate and HouseAlabama SenateOhio HouseDelaware HouseOklahoma HouseFlorida Senate and HouseOregon SenateHawaii Senate and HouseSouth Dakota HouseMaryland Senate and HouseTexas SenateNew Jersey Senate and HouseVirginia HouseIndiana SenateOklahoma SenateNew York Senate and AssemblySouth Dakota SenateIllinois SenateNew York Senate and AssemblyMichigan Senate and HouseRhode Island Senate Table 96-4.15Appointment of Subcommittee Members National Conference of State Legislatures4-31Committee Procedures A subcommittee is designed to do in-depth work for the parent committee. However,its functions are purely advisory, and a subcommittee reports only to the committeefrom which it was appointed, not to the full body. In most legislative chambers, aTable 96-4.13 shows that the “life expectancy” of subcommittees varies considerably.place for an entire biennium. Thirty-eight chambers reported that they use standingsubcommittees. Usually, however, subcommittees are far more temporary in nature,being created to deal with a single issue or bill. Fifty-three chambers commonly usethis type. Respondents from 18 legislative bodies indicated that they have createdsubcommittee size is three to seven members (see table 96-4.14). The committee60 percent of the legislative chambers (see table 96-4.15). Sometimes, however, thepresiding officer or another leader makes the assignments. In the California Senatecommittee appoints subcommittee members. In Connecticut, the selections are madeby the ranking member of the committee. Seniority is the determining factor in the