Purpose of the Bill

This resolution aims to establish temporary joint rules for the Minnesota Senate and House of Representatives for their 94th legislative session. The main purpose is to govern the legislative process, particularly addressing procedures for resolving disagreements through conference committees.

Main Provisions

• Adoption of Temporary Rules: The temporary joint rules from the 93rd session will continue to be in effect for the 94th session until new Permanent Joint Rules are adopted.
• Conference Committees:
  • Formation of a committee with a minimum of three and a maximum of six members from each house when there's disagreement between the Senate and House on amendments to bills.
  • All conference committee meetings will be open to the public, with a goal of providing a 24-hour notice before meetings.
  • Committees cannot meet from midnight to 7:00 a.m., although meetings can be extended past midnight by a two-thirds vote.
  • The chair will alternate between the Senate and House every calendar day, excluding Sundays and holidays.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Limitations on Conference Reports:

  • Reports must only include provisions relevant to the original bill or any amendments or related topics that have been referred to the committee.
  • The report cannot involve a larger budget than the amounts specified unless approved by the Senate and House leaders.
  • New governmental bodies like commissions or task forces cannot be created unless already specified in the original or referred amendments.

• Timing for Report Consideration: Requires that reports from conference committees be available to legislators 12 hours before being acted upon, except during the final meeting days of the session.

Relevant Terms

• Temporary Joint Rules
• Conference Committee
• Legislative Procedure
• Public Meetings
• Germane Provisions
• Rulemaking Authority