Bill > H56

This bill amends Rule 18 of the House of Representatives' rules for the 2015-2016 legislative sessions, outlining the appointment and removal processes for various leadership positions and committee roles. Specifically, the Speaker will appoint and can recommend the removal of the Speaker pro Tempore, Majority Floor Leader, Assistant Majority Floor Leader, and two Second Assistant Majority Floor Leaders. The Minority Leader will appoint and can recommend the removal of several minority party leadership positions, including the Assistant Minority Floor Leader, Second Assistant Minority Floor Leader, two Third Assistant Minority Floor Leaders, and ranking minority members on key committees such as Ways and Means, Rules, Financial Services, Health Care Financing, Judiciary, Bonding, Capital Expenditures, and State Assets, Public Safety and Homeland Security, Transportation, and Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. The Minority Leader is defined as the member of the minority party selected by their party. All these appointments and removals must be ratified by a majority vote of the respective party caucus, with a process for repeated appointments if rejected. The Speaker also appoints and can recommend the removal of chairs of standing committees, and vice chairs and assistant vice chairs for specific committees like Ways and Means, Post Audit and Oversight, Rules, Revenue, Financial Services, Health Care Financing, Bonding, Capital Expenditures, and State Assets, State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, and Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. The majority party then votes to accept or reject these appointments. The bill also makes a minor change to Rule 87 by striking out the figure "50,000" in clause (ii) of paragraph (c). Finally, both the Speaker and Minority Leader can remove a member appointed under this rule who has been criminally indicted, without requiring a majority vote of their parties.