(a) This rule takes effect when the Governor, pursuant to the relevant portions of the "Colorado Disaster Emergency Act", part 7 of article 33.5 of title 24, Colorado Revised Statutes, declares that the state of Colorado is in a state of disaster emergency caused by a public health emergency infecting or exposing a great number of people to disease, agents, toxins, or other such threats and activates the Colorado emergency operations plan. This Joint Rule 44 remains in effect and is applicable, in addition to any applicable rules of the House of Representatives or the Senate or these Joint Rules, until the Governor's declaration of a public health disaster emergency expires or is terminated or until the Executive Committee of the Legislative Council, referred to in this Joint Rule 44 as the "executive committee", by a majority vote declares that this Joint Rule 44 is no longer in effect, whichever occurs first. The provisions of this Joint Rule 44 and any action taken by the executive committee pursuant to this Joint Rule 44 supersede any conflicting rules of the House of Representatives, rules of the Senate, and these Joint Rules.
(b) When this Joint Rule 44 takes effect as provided in subsection (a) of this Joint Rule 44 and so long as this Joint Rule 44 remains in effect, the General Assembly, whenever it is deemed necessary, may adopt a joint resolution that temporarily adjourns the House of Representatives and the Senate until a date certain or until recalled by the Speaker and the President acting jointly. Before recalling the General Assembly to convene on a date other than the date specified in the joint resolution, the Speaker and the President shall consult with the minority leaders of both chambers and provide to the General Assembly as much advance notice of the date of convening as possible and with at least twenty-four hours public notice. While the General Assembly is temporarily adjourned for more than three consecutive calendar days pursuant to such a joint resolution, the counting of legislative days of a regular session is suspended pursuant to subsection (g) of this Joint Rule 44.
(c) Within a reasonable time after this Joint Rule 44 takes effect, the executive committee shall meet and may:
(1) Prioritize any legislation that the executive committee deems necessary to enact prior to temporary or final adjournment of the regular session;
(A) Repealed, Senate Joint Resolution 13-035, May 8, 2013;
(B) Repealed, House Joint Resolution 10-1017, April 15, 2010;
(C) Repealed, Senate Joint Resolution 21-001, January 14, 2021;
(D) Repealed, Senate Joint Resolution 21-001, January 14, 2021;
(E) Repealed, Senate Joint Resolution 21-001, January 14, 2021;
(F) Repealed, Senate Joint Resolution 21-001, January 14, 2021;
(G) Repealed, Senate Joint Resolution 21-001, January 14, 2021.
(2) With the approval of at least two members of the executive committee from each house, change for all members the bill request limits specified in Joint Rule 24 (b)(1)(A) to a number not less than one per member by decreasing, increasing, or waiving said bill limits, and change or waive the bill request deadlines specified in Joint Rule 23 (a). This subsection (c)(2) does not limit the authority of the House Committee on Delayed Bills and the Senate Committee on Delayed Bills to act on individual delayed bill requests as provided in Joint Rule 23 (b) and Joint Rule 24 (b)(1)(A).
(3) Pursuant to Joint Rule 23 (c), issue a memorandum modifying the deadlines specified in Joint Rule 23 (a) if the executive committee determines that the deadline schedule for the remainder of the regular session requires adjustment; and
(4) Repealed, Senate Joint Resolution 21-001, January 14, 2021.
(5) Adopt necessary protocols and safety precautions. If the executive committee, in consultation with the Governor and the representatives of the department of public health and environment, determines that the health risk to the members of the General Assembly or to the public of meeting in the state capitol building during the declared disaster emergency is unacceptable, the executive committee may make arrangements to have the General Assembly meet on a temporary basis in another location in the city and county of Denver.
(d) Repealed, Senate Joint Resolution 21-001, January 14, 2021.
(e) (1) (A) Notwithstanding any committees of reference that are constituted for a regular session of the General Assembly pursuant to Senate Rule 21, the majority leader of the Senate may reconfigure one or more of the committees of reference, maintaining the representation on each committee in proportion, as nearly as practicable, as determined by the majority leader, to the relative number of members of the two major political parties in the Senate. The majority leader shall appoint the majority party membership and the minority leader shall appoint the minority party membership of each reconfigured committee. The majority leader may also change the schedule of committee meetings described in Senate Rule 22 (a)(1) as necessary.
(B) When this Joint Rule 44 ceases to be in effect, the majority leader and minority leader of the Senate shall restore the configuration of the committees of reference in accordance with the requirements of Senate Rule 21 (a) and the committees of reference shall meet in accordance with the schedule of committee meetings described in Senate Rule 22 (a)(1).
(2) (A) Notwithstanding any committees of reference that are constituted for a regular session of the General Assembly pursuant to House Rule 25, the Speaker may reconfigure one or more of the committees of reference, maintaining the representation on each committee in proportion, as nearly as practicable, as determined by the Speaker, to the relative number of members of the two major political parties in the House. The Speaker shall appoint the majority party membership and the minority leader shall appoint the minority party membership of each reconfigured committee. Notwithstanding the provisions of House Rule 25 (c), so long as this Joint Rule 44 remains in effect, the Speaker and the minority leader are not required to ensure that each member of the House is appointed to at least one committee. The Speaker may also change the schedule of committee meetings described in House Rule 25 (j)(1)(A) as necessary.
(B) When this Joint Rule 44 ceases to be in effect, the Speaker and minority leader of the House shall restore the configuration of the committees of reference in accordance with the requirements of House Rules 3 (b)(8) and 25 (a), (c), (g), and (h) and the committees of reference shall meet in accordance with the schedule of committee meetings described in House Rule 25 (j)(1)(A).
(3) Repealed, Senate Joint Resolution 21-001, January 14, 2021.
(f) (1) When this Joint Rule 44 is in effect, the Speaker and the President, for their respective chambers, may reassign to another committee of reference any bills that were previously assigned to a committee of reference but not reported out of committee when this Joint Rule 44 took effect.
(2) When this Joint Rule 44 ceases to be in effect, the Speaker and the President, for their respective chambers, may reassign to another committee of reference any bills that were previously assigned to a committee of reference but not reported out of committee while this Joint Rule 44 was in effect.
(g) Notwithstanding the provisions of Joint Rule 23 (d) regarding counting legislative days of a regular session as consecutive days, if the general assembly temporarily adjourns pursuant to subsection (b) of this Joint Rule 44 for more than three consecutive calendar days, the days during the temporary adjournment are not counted toward the maximum of one hundred twenty calendar days imposed by article V, section 7 of the Colorado Constitution. When the General Assembly reconvenes in regular session following a temporary adjournment, the counting of calendar days as provided in Joint Rule 23 (d) resumes with the next legislative day following the legislative day on which the General Assembly temporarily adjourned.
(h) (1) In addition to all of the powers, duties, and responsibilities set forth in Senate Rule 13 and in any other Senate rule, the secretary of the Senate shall have additional powers and authority, as the secretary deems necessary, in a declared disaster emergency to implement, subject to the approval of the President, new or streamlined methods of operations and may suspend, subject to the approval of the President, requirements set forth in the Rules of the Senate and the Joint Rules in order to preserve the resources of the Senate and function effectively during the disaster emergency.
(2) In addition to all of the powers, duties, and responsibilities set forth in House Rule 43 and in any other House rule, the chief clerk of the House of Representatives shall have additional powers and authority, as the chief clerk deems necessary, in a declared disaster emergency to implement, subject to the approval of the Speaker, new or streamlined methods of operations and may suspend, subject to the approval of the Speaker, requirements set forth in the Rules of the House of Representatives and the Joint Rules in order to preserve the resources of the House of Representatives and function effectively during the disaster emergency.
(i) If necessary to comply with the requirements of section 2-7-203 (2)(a), Colorado Revised Statutes, while the General Assembly is temporarily adjourned pursuant to subsection (b) of this Joint Rule 44, the joint committees of reference may meet to conduct agency oversight hearings as described in section 2-7-203 (2), Colorado Revised Statutes. Notwithstanding the provisions of Senate Rule 22B and House Rule 25A, the executive committee may adopt a policy authorizing members of the joint committees of reference to participate remotely in, and authorizing remote testimony for purposes of, said agency oversight hearings.