SR 1

By: Zaffirini
  S.R. No. 1
  SENATE RESOLUTION
         BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  CAUCUS REPORT.  At a caucus held in the offices
  of the senate attended by 30 members of the senate, the caucus
  made the recommendations for the operation of the senate
  contained in this resolution.
         SECTION 2.  SENATE OFFICERS.  (a)  Senate officers for the
  89th Legislature are:
               (1)  Secretary of the Senate--Patsy Spaw;
               (2)  Calendar Clerk--Nicole Albers;
               (3)  Doorkeeper--Matthew Peabody;
               (4)  Enrolling Clerk--Patience Worrel;
               (5)  Journal Clerk--Lourdes Litchfield; and
               (6)  Sergeant-at-arms--Austin Osborn.
         (b)  Officers named in this section serve at the will of
  the senate.
         SECTION 3.  PARLIAMENTARIAN AND ASSISTANT PARLIAMENTARIAN.
  The parliamentarian, Karina Davis, and the assistant
  parliamentarian, Colby Beuck, are named by the lieutenant
  governor and serve at the will of the lieutenant governor.  They
  are senate officers.
         SECTION 4.  EMPLOYEES.  (a)  The lieutenant governor may
  employ staff for the office of the lieutenant governor at
  salaries set by the lieutenant governor.
         (b)  Each senator may employ staff for the senator's
  office at salaries set by the senator.
         (c)  The chair of each committee may employ staff of the
  chair's selection as needed by the committee.  A committee
  employee shall be compensated in amounts similar to the
  compensation paid to persons in similar senate positions.
         (d)  The secretary of the senate may employ other staff
  necessary for the operation of the senate at salaries approved by
  the administration committee.
         (e)  The lieutenant governor, the secretary of the senate,
  and each senator may use the assistance of any assistant
  sergeant-at-arms or other available senate employee for any and
  all services needed in and about the senate.
         (f)  In this resolution, "senate employee" includes an
  employee of the lieutenant governor, the secretary of the senate,
  a senator, a senate committee, and any other person compensated
  from funds appropriated for the operation of the senate.
         SECTION 5.  DUTIES OF ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE.  (a)  In
  addition to the duties of the administration committee expressly
  imposed by this resolution, the committee shall take actions
  necessary to ensure that the administrative operations of the
  senate comply with applicable law and are conducted effectively
  and efficiently.
         (b)  The committee shall establish appropriate and
  necessary controls over contracts, inventory, and property
  management.
         (c)  The committee may delegate any of its
  responsibilities to the committee chair or to the secretary of
  the senate to be performed under the general supervision of the
  committee.
         (d)  Policies adopted by the administration committee
  must be consistent with the provisions of this resolution.  To
  the extent of a conflict between a policy and this resolution,
  this resolution prevails.
         (e)  Policies adopted by the administration committee are
  subject to the will of the senate, and a majority of the senate
  may reject or modify any policy adopted by the committee.
         SECTION 6.  EMPLOYMENT AND PERSONNEL POLICIES.  (a)  The
  administration committee may adopt and enforce personnel and
  employment policies governing senate employees.
         (b)  The administration committee may not adopt a policy
  that limits the salary of an employee of the lieutenant governor,
  a senator, or a senate committee, except that the administration
  committee may require approval by that committee of any senate
  committee employee salary that is proposed to exceed $5,000 a
  month.
         SECTION 7.  MEMBER'S EMPLOYEE LEAVE POLICY.  (a)  An
  employee of a senator accrues vacation leave, compensatory
  leave, or sick leave in accordance with policies adopted by the
  senator consistent with the requirements of this section.
         (b)  An employee may accrue vacation leave, compensatory
  leave, or sick leave only if the employee files a monthly time
  record with the senate human resources office.  Time records are
  due not later than the 10th day of the following month.
         (c)  Compensatory time must be used not later than the
  last day of the 24th month following the month in which the time
  was accrued.
         (d)  An employee is not entitled to compensation for
  accrued but unused compensatory time.
         SECTION 8.  OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT.  An employee of the senate
  may not be employed by and receive compensation from any other
  person during the term of senate employment without the
  permission of the employee's senate employer.
         SECTION 9.  WORK HOURS.  An employee shall report to work
  at the time, and work for the number of hours, set by the
  employee's senate employer.
         SECTION 10.  LIMIT ON MONTHLY STAFF SALARY AND TRAVEL
  EXPENSES.  (a)  The total amount of staff salaries and intrastate
  staff travel expenses for each senator may not exceed $73,150 per
  month.
         (b)  This monthly amount accrues on the first day of the
  month and may not be expended prior to the month in which it
  accrues, but any unexpended portion for a month may be carried
  forward from one month to the next and expended until the end of
  the fiscal year.
         (c)  An unexpended amount remaining at the end of the
  fiscal year, not to exceed $20,000, may be carried forward to the
  next fiscal year.  The total balance of unexpended funds
  accumulated may not exceed $20,000 at the end of any fiscal
  biennium.
         SECTION 11.  SENATORS' EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT AND PER
  DIEM.  (a)  The secretary of the senate shall provide for the
  reimbursement of the expenses of each senator and the payment of
  each senator's per diem in accordance with law, this resolution,
  and the rules of the Texas Ethics Commission.
         (b)  The per diem rate to be paid to each senator for the
  89th Legislature is $221.
         SECTION 12.  OTHER SENATE EXPENSES.  (a)  The lieutenant
  governor, the secretary of the senate, and each senator may incur
  expenses for carrying out official duties, including expenses
  for items such as subscriptions, stationery, postage, and
  telecommunications.
         (b)  Expenses under this section shall be paid from the
  contingent expense fund of the senate.
         SECTION 13.  PAYMENT OF SALARIES AND EXPENSES.
  (a)  Salaries and expenses authorized by this resolution shall
  be paid from the contingent expense fund as provided by this
  section.
         (b)  Vouchers for payment of any expense, including
  salaries and travel expenses, must be signed by the chair of the
  administration committee and the secretary of the senate.
         (c)  The administration committee shall adopt policies
  regarding the presentation of timely, properly completed, and
  signed vouchers.
         SECTION 14.  DESIGNATION FOR ATTENDANCE AT MEETINGS AND
  FUNCTIONS.  (a)  The administration committee shall designate a
  senator or any employee to attend an official meeting of a
  national governmental organization during a session of the 89th
  Legislature.  The person designated is entitled to reimbursement
  for actual and necessary expenses.
         (b)  The lieutenant governor may designate a senator to
  represent the senate at ceremonies and ceremonial functions.  The
  necessary expenses of the senator and necessary staff for this
  purpose shall be paid pursuant to a budget adopted by the
  administration committee.
         SECTION 15.  ELECTRONIC RECORDING BY MEMBER PROHIBITED.
  No member of the senate may electronically record a private
  conversation held within the brass rail on the senate floor
  during a legislative session without the knowledge and consent of
  all participants in the conversation.
         SECTION 16.  JOURNAL.  The secretary of the senate shall
  provide for the printing of not more than 250 copies of the daily
  journal.  Of that number:
               (1)  140 shall be furnished to the house of
  representatives;
               (2)  four shall be furnished to the Texas State
  Library and Archives Commission;
               (3)  four shall be furnished to the Legislative
  Reference Library; and
               (4)  the remainder shall be apportioned among the
  senators and the lieutenant governor.
  _______________________________ 
      President of the Senate
       I hereby certify that the
  above Resolution was adopted by
  the Senate on January 15, 2025,
  by the following vote:  Yeas 31,
  Nays 0.
  _______________________________ 
      Secretary of the Senate