Bill > S47

This bill mandates that the Senate Committee on Rules in Massachusetts develop a plan to transition away from the current joint committee system, where committees include members from both the Senate and the House of Representatives, to a system of separate Senate committees. The goal is to create a more transparent, responsive, and efficient legislative process by establishing individual Senate committees to handle all legislative matters. In creating this plan, the committee will examine aspects such as the number, names, responsibilities, and membership of these new Senate committees, consider how to maintain existing legislative deadlines, plan for the allocation of staff, office space, and other resources, outline procedures for joint hearings between separate branch committees, and identify any necessary changes to the Senate's rules or state laws to ensure a smooth shift to this new committee structure.