(a) For purposes of this rule, 'interim committee' includes:
(1) A committee, subcommittee, ad hoc committee, advisory committee, commission, or task force that is created by bill or by executive committee resolution as authorized in section 2-3-303.3 (3) (c), Colorado Revised Statutes; and
(2) An interim study committee requested and established pursuant to section 2-3-303.3, Colorado Revised Statutes, that operates only during the interim and that is funded within existing appropriations made to the legislative agencies.
(b) Repealed February 5, 2014, House Joint Resolution 14-1004.
(c) A bill or executive committee resolution creating an interim committee, or a request for an interim study committee, at a minimum, shall specify the scope of the policy issues to be studied; the number of meetings that would be necessary; the suggested number and composition of legislative members; the suggested appointing authority for each member; whether non-legislative members should have a role in the interim committee and, if so, the members and composition of such a task force; and whether the requestor anticipates that the interim committee will need to travel outside the Denver metropolitan area.
(c.5) The schedule for requesting interim study committees and approving interim committees is as follows:
(1) Members must submit written requests for interim study committees to the Legislative Council, pursuant to section 2-3-303.3 (1), Colorado Revised Statutes, no later than the 94th day of the legislative session.
(2) No later than the 100th day of the legislative session, the director of research of the Legislative Council must determine the number of interim committee meetings that may be held within the legislative budget and must provide that information to the Executive Committee.
(3) No later than the 108th day of the Legislative Session, the Legislative Council must review, prioritize, and approve written requests for interim study committees pursuant to section 2-3-303.3 (1), Colorado Revised Statutes, and review any bills referred to the Legislative Council.
(d) The following applies to interim committees:
(1) (A) When the request to create an interim committee originates in the House of Representatives, by June 1, the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint the chair of the interim committee and the President of the Senate shall appoint the vice-chair. When the request to create an interim committee originates in the Senate, by June 1, the President of the Senate shall appoint the chair of the interim committee and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint the vice-chair;
(B) If the Executive Committee creates in interim committee during the interim pursuant to section 2-3-303.3 (3) (c), Colorado Revised Statutes, then the Executive Committee shall specify the appointing authority for the chair and vice-chair of the interim committee.
(2) If the number of interim committee meetings has not otherwise been set, then the number of interim committee meetings may not exceed six unless the interim committee obtains prior approval from the Executive Committee;
(2.5) The appointing authority for each interim committee shall appoint legislative and non-legislative members to the interim committee no later than June 1.
(2.6) The executive committee shall specify in a letter to the chair of each interim committee:
(A) The last day for a single meeting at which the interim committee may approve bills requested by interim committee members for drafting by the Office of Legislative Legal Services;
(B) That interim committee members must submit drafting information at the meeting at which the interim committee approves such requested bills or, if drafting information is not available at the meeting, to the Office of Legislative Legal Services within three calendar days after the meeting;
(C) That, upon notification to the chair and interim committee by the research director of the Legislative Council and the director of the Office of Legislative Legal Services, a bill request is deemed withdrawn and will not be drafted if the drafting information is not made available in accordance with subparagraph (B) of this paragraph (2.6);
(D) The last date by which interim committee members must finalize bill drafts or that bill drafts will be deemed finalized for distribution to the interim committee and release to the Legislative Council Staff for purposes of preparing fiscal notes on proposed bill drafts;
(E) The last date for a meeting at which the interim committee will consider and take final action on bill drafts.
(2.7) Each interim committee shall adhere to the following procedures for and limitations on making bill requests:
(A) Bills must be requested during a single interim committee meeting set for requesting legislation and must be approved by a majority of the legislative committee members. The Office of Legislative Legal Services will only draft bills that are requested and approved in accordance with this subparagraph (A);
(A.5) An interim committee may not request the Office of Legislative Legal Services to draft more than twice the number of bills the interim committee is authorized to recommend to the Legislative Council, as specified in Joint Rule 24 (b)(I)(D), or as otherwise set for the interim committee by the Legislative Council or the Executive Committee of the Legislative Council pursuant to section 2-3-303.3, Colorado Revised Statutes, or by the bill or provision of the Colorado Revised Statutes that created the interim committee;
(B) Only legislative members of the interim committee may request and vote to approve bills and amendments;
(C) When a bill draft is finalized pursuant to subparagraph (D) of paragraph (2.6) of this subsection (d), the Legislative Council Staff is authorized to share the finalized bill draft with affected state agencies for fiscal note preparation purposes; and
(D) When a bill draft is finalized pursuant to subparagraph (D) of paragraph (2.6) of this subsection (d), neither the interim committee member who requested the approved bill request nor any other interim committee member may modify the finalized bill draft, and interim committee members must present any proposed changes to the finalized bill draft as an amendment to the finalized bill draft at the interim committee meeting at which the finalized bill draft is considered.
(3) Expenses for interim committee travel shall be approved by the Executive Committee prior to any travel;
(4) Expenses and per diem must be paid to legislative members of interim committees. Expenses and a per diem may not be paid to non-legislative members;
(5) Notwithstanding any rule of the House of Representatives or any rule of the Senate to the contrary, the minority leader of each house shall appoint the minority party members of that house;
(6) If any interim committee includes non-legislative members, there must be a majority vote of the legislative members to recommend any legislation unless otherwise specified in statute or Executive Committee resolution or in the written request as approved by the Legislative Council;
(7) Legislators may participate electronically in interim committee meetings to the extent authorized by the Executive Committee and subject to any policies that the Executive Committee develops pursuant to section 2-3-303 (2)(h), Colorado Revised Statutes;
(8) The interim committee shall report its findings and recommendations to the Legislative Council by the date specified in Joint Rule 24 (b) (1) (D) and shall be subject to the limitations on bills contained in such joint rule; except that an interim committee shall only be required to report to the Legislative Council when it recommends the adoption of any legislative measure.
(e) During the interim, the Executive Committee shall approve the use of any additional staff resources requested by an interim committee.
(f) Repealed February 5, 2014, House Joint Resolution 14-1004.
(g) Repealed February 5, 2014, House Joint Resolution 14-1004.