Article 6B.

Legislative Research Commission.

§ 120‑30.10.  Creation; appointment of members; members ex officio.

(a) There is hereby created a Legislative Research Commission to consist of five Senators to be appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate and five Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House. The President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House, or their designees, shall be ex officio members of the Legislative Research Commission. Provided, that when the President of the Senate has been elected by the Senate from its own membership, then the President of the Senate shall make the appointments of the Senate members of the Legislative Research Commission, shall serve ex officio as a member of the Commission and shall perform the duties otherwise vested in the President pro tempore by G.S. 120‑30.13 and 120‑30.14.

(b) The President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House may appoint additional members of the General Assembly to work with the regular members of the Research Commission on study committees. The terms of the additional study committee members shall be limited by the same provisions as apply to regular commission members, and they may be further limited by the appointing authorities.

(c) The President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House may appoint persons who are not members of the General Assembly to advisory subcommittees. The terms of advisory subcommittee members shall be limited by the same provisions as apply to regular Commission members, and they may be further limited by the appointing authorities. (1965, c. 1045, s. 1; 1975, c. 692, s. 1; 2012‑194, s. 66.7(a).)

 

§ 120‑30.11.  Time of appointments; terms of office.

Appointments to the Legislative Research Commission shall be made not earlier than the close of each regular session of the General Assembly held in the odd‑numbered year nor later than 15 days subsequent to the close. The term of office shall begin on the day of appointment, and shall end on January 15 of the next odd‑numbered year. No moneys appropriated to the Legislative Research Commission may be expended for meetings of the Commission, its committees or subcommittees held after January 15 of the next odd‑numbered year and before the appointment of the next Legislative Research Commission. (1965, c. 1045, s. 2; 1975, c. 692, s. 2; 1977, c. 915, s. 4; 1981, c. 688, s. 19; 1983, c. 63, s. 1; 1983 (Reg. Sess., 1984), c. 1034, s. 178; 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 900, s. 16.)

 

§ 120‑30.12.  Vacancies.

Vacancies in the appointive membership of the Legislative Research Commission occurring during a term shall be filled for the unexpired term by appointment by the officer who made the original appointment. Vacancies in the ex officio membership shall be filled for the unexpired term by election by the remaining members of the Commission. Every vacancy shall be filled by a member of the same house as that of the person causing the vacancy.

If for any reason the office of President pro tempore of the Senate becomes vacant, the five Senate members of the Legislative Research Commission shall elect one of their own number to perform and exercise the duties imposed and powers granted pursuant to this Article, and such Senator so elected shall serve until the Senate shall elect a President pro tempore. If for any reason the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives becomes vacant, the five members of the House of Representatives of the Legislative Research Commission shall elect one of their own number to perform and exercise the duties imposed and powers granted pursuant to this Article, and such member of the House of Representatives so elected shall serve until the House of Representatives shall elect a Speaker. (1965, c. 1045, s. 3; 1969, c. 1037.)

 

§ 120‑30.13.  Cochairmen; rules of procedure; quorum.

The President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House, or their designees, shall serve as cochairmen of the Legislative Research Commission. The Commission shall adopt rules of procedure governing its meetings. Eight members, including ex officio members, shall constitute a quorum of the Commission. (1965, c. 1045, s. 4; 2012‑194, s. 66.7(b).)

 

§ 120‑30.14.  Meetings.

The first meeting of the Legislative Research Commission shall be held at the call of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate in the State Legislative Building or in another building designated by the Legislative Services Commission. Thereafter the Commission shall meet at the call of the chairmen. Every member of the preceding General Assembly has the right to attend all sessions of the Commission, and to present his views at the meeting on any subject under consideration. (1965, c. 1045, s. 5; 1981, c. 772, s. 1.)

 

§ 120‑30.15.  Repealed by Session Laws 1969, c. 1184, s. 8.

 

§ 120‑30.16.  Cooperation with Commission.

The Legislative Research Commission may call upon any department, agency, institution, or officer of the State or of any political subdivision thereof for such facilities and data as may be available, and these departments, agencies, institutions, and officers shall cooperate with the Commission and its committees to the fullest possible extent. (1965, c. 1045, s. 7.)

 

§ 120‑30.17.  Powers and duties.

The Legislative Research Commission has the following powers and duties:

(1) Pursuant to the direction of the General Assembly or either house thereof, or of the chairmen, to make or cause to be made such studies of and investigations into governmental agencies and institutions and matters of public policy as will aid the General Assembly in performing its duties in the most efficient and effective manner.

(2) To report to the General Assembly the results of the studies  made. The reports may be accompanied by the recommendations of the Commission and bills suggested to effectuate the recommendations.

(3), (4) Repealed by Session Laws 1969, c. 1184, s. 8.

(5), (6) Repealed by Session Laws 1981, c. 688, s. 2.

(7) To obtain information and data from all State officers, agents, agencies and departments, while in discharge of its duty, pursuant to the provisions of G.S. 120‑19 as if it were a committee of the General Assembly.

(8) To call witnesses and compel testimony relevant to any matter properly before the Commission or any of its committees. The  provisions of G.S. 120‑19.1 through G.S. 120‑19.4 shall apply to the proceedings of the Commission and its committees as if each were a joint committee of the General Assembly. In addition to the other signatures required for the issuance of a subpoena under this subsection, the subpoena shall also be signed by the members of the Commission or of its committee who vote for the issuance of the subpoena.

(9) For studies authorized to be made by the Legislative Research Commission, to request another State agency, board, commission or committee to conduct the study if the Legislative Research Commission determines that the other body is a more appropriate vehicle with which to conduct the study. If the other body agrees, and no legislation specifically provides otherwise, that body shall conduct the study as if the original authorization had assigned the study to that body and shall report to the General Assembly at the same time other studies to be conducted by the Legislative Research Commission are to be reported. The other agency shall conduct the transferred study within the funds already assigned to it. (1965, c. 1045, s. 8; 1969, c. 1184, s. 8; 1977, c. 915, s. 3; 1981, c. 688, s. 2; 1983, c. 905, s. 7; 1985, c. 790, s. 7.)

 

§ 120‑30.18.  Facilities; compensation of members; payments from appropriations.

The facilities of the State Legislative Building, and any other State office building used by the General Assembly, shall be available to the Commission for its work. Members of the General Assembly serving on the Legislative Research Commission or its study committees shall be reimbursed for travel and subsistence expenses at the rates set out in G.S. 120‑3.1. Advisory subcommittee members shall be reimbursed and compensated at the rates set out in G.S. 138‑5 (public members) and G.S. 138‑6 (State officials or employees). All expenses of the Commission shall be paid from funds appropriated for the Commission. (1965, c. 1045, s. 9; 1975, c. 692, s. 3; 1981, c. 772, s. 2.)

 

§§ 120‑30.19 through 120‑30.23.  Reserved for future codification purposes.