ar7(1)(1)
The appointment and removal of employees of the speaker, speaker pro tempore, majority and minority leaders, assistant majority and minority leaders, chairpersons, other members, chief clerk, and sergeant at arms shall be made by the employee's appointing authority.
ar7(2)
(2) Unless otherwise specifically provided, all assembly employees shall be paid in accordance with the compensation and classification plan adopted by the joint committee on legislative organization or the committee on assembly organization.
ar7(3)
(3) An employee may not be paid for any period of absence unless absent with leave granted by the employee's appointing authority. Every employee shall perform the duties assigned by the employee's appointing authority and shall be available at such hours as the employee's appointing authority directs.
ar7(4)
(4) The committee on assembly organization shall determine the number of assembly employees and the type of duties and responsibilities assigned to each employee.
Chapter 2:
COMMITTEES OF THE ASSEMBLY
ar8
Assembly Rule 8. Committee of the whole. By motion, the assembly may at any time resolve itself into a committee of the whole for the consideration of any matter. The assembly rules and Jefferson's manual govern the committee's proceedings except as follows:
ar8(1)
(1) A roll call vote is not in order except on the question of the committee arising.
ar8(2)
(2) A motion to end debate is not in order.
ar8(3)
(3) A member may speak more than twice on the same question and may, with recognition from the chairperson, direct questions to other members or witnesses.
ar8(4)
(4) The presiding officer retains the chair or appoints someone else to preside until the committee elects its chairperson.
ar8(5)
(5) Persons other than members may be invited to speak or report.
ar8(6)
(6) At the conclusion of its proceedings, the committee shall rise and report its recommendations to the assembly.
ar8(7)
(7) The committee may not recess or postpone to a future time a subject before it for consideration.
ar9
Assembly Rule 9. Standing committees. ar9(1)(1)
As early as possible in each legislative biennium, the following standing committees of the assembly shall be appointed by the speaker:
ar9(1)(a)
(a) Aging and long-term care, committee on.
ar9(1)(am)
(am) Agriculture, committee on.
ar9(1)(b)
(b) Campaigns and elections, committee on.
ar9(1)(bm)
(bm) Children and families, committee on.
ar9(1)(c)
(c) Colleges and universities, committee on.
ar9(1)(cm)
(cm) Constitution and ethics, committee on.
ar9(1)(d)
(d) Consumer protection, committee on.
ar9(1)(dm)
(dm) Corrections, committee on.
ar9(1)(e)
(e) Criminal justice, committee on.
ar9(1)(em)
(em) Education, committee on.
ar9(1)(f)
(f) Energy and utilities, committee on.
ar9(1)(fm)
(fm) Environment and forestry, committee on.
ar9(1)(g)
(g) Family law, committee on.
ar9(1)(gm)
(gm) Financial institutions, committee on.
ar9(1)(h)
(h) Government operations and state licensing, committee on.
ar9(1)(hm)
(hm) Health, committee on.
ar9(1)(i)
(i) Housing and real estate, committee on.
ar9(1)(im)
(im) Insurance, committee on.
ar9(1)(j)
(j) International trade and commerce, committee on.
ar9(1)(jm)
(jm) Jobs, economy, and mining, committee on.
ar9(1)(k)
(k) Judiciary, committee on.
ar9(1)(km)
(km) Labor, committee on.
ar9(1)(m)
(m) Natural resources and sporting heritage, committee on.
ar9(1)(mm)
(mm) Public safety and homeland security, committee on.
ar9(1)(n)
(n) Rural affairs, committee on.
ar9(1)(nm)
(nm) Small business development, committee on.
ar9(1)(p)
(p) State affairs, committee on.
ar9(1)(pm)
(pm) State and federal relations, committee on.
ar9(1)(q)
(q) State and local finances, committee on.
ar9(1)(qm)
(qm) Tourism, committee on.
ar9(1)(r)
(r) Transportation, committee on.
ar9(1)(rm)
(rm) Urban and local affairs, committee on.
ar9(1)(s)
(s) Urban education, committee on.
ar9(1)(sm)
(sm) Veterans, committee on.
ar9(1)(t)
(t) Ways and means, committee on.
ar9(1)(tm)
(tm) Workforce development, committee on.
ar9(2)
(2) Unless otherwise designated:
ar9(2)(a)
(a) The speaker shall determine the total number of members on each committee, unless specified by joint rule or assembly rule, and the allocation of the number between members of the majority and minority party.
ar9(2)(b)
(b) The speaker shall make all committee appointments of members of the majority party.
ar9(2)(bm)
(bm) The first-named person of each standing committee is the chairperson and the second-named person is the vice chairperson.
ar9(2)(c)
(c) The speaker shall make all committee appointments of members of the minority party as nominated by the minority leader, except that the speaker may appoint any member of the minority party as chairperson of a committee.
ar9(2)(cd)
(cd) If an assembly member of an assembly committee or a joint committee is unable to serve, the speaker may select a temporary replacement for a member of the majority party who is unable to serve from among those members of the same party and may select a temporary replacement for a member of the minority party, upon recommendation of the minority leader, who is unable to serve from among those members of the same party. The replacement takes effect when the member who is a temporary replacement answers the roll call of the assembly committee or joint committee and terminates upon the adjournment of the assembly committee or joint committee meeting or the return of the member who was unable to serve, whichever occurs first.
ar9(2)(cm)
(cm) Unless the member is the chairperson, the first-nominated minority member of each standing committee who is first nominated by the minority leader is the ranking minority member of that committee unless the speaker and minority leader agree that the first-nominated member is the vice chairperson of the committee.
ar9(3)
(3) There shall also be a committee on assembly organization consisting of the speaker, majority leader, assistant majority leader, speaker pro tempore, majority caucus chairperson, minority leader, assistant minority leader, and minority caucus chairperson.
ar9(4)
(4) There shall also be an assembly committee on finance consisting of the assembly members of the joint committee on finance. The assembly cochairperson of the joint committee is the chairperson of the assembly committee.
ar9(5)
(5) There shall also be an assembly committee on audit consisting of the assembly members of the joint legislative audit committee. The assembly cochairperson of the joint committee is the chairperson of the assembly committee. Proposals may be referred to, and reported by, the joint committee in the same manner as other standing committees.
ar9(6)
(6) There shall also be an assembly committee for review of administrative rules consisting of the assembly members of the joint committee for review of administrative rules. The assembly cochairperson of the joint committee is the chairperson of the assembly committee. Proposals may be referred to, and reported by, the joint committee in the same manner as other standing committees.
ar9(7)
(7) There shall also be an assembly committee on employment relations consisting of the assembly members of the joint committee on employment relations. The assembly cochairperson of the joint committee is the chairperson of the assembly committee. Proposals may be referred to, and reported by, the joint committee in the same manner as other standing committees.
ar9(8)
(8) In addition to the committees of which the speaker is a regular member, the speaker is a nonvoting member of any other standing committee, but is not be counted in determining a quorum thereof.
ar9(9)
(9) The schedule of committee room assignments and meeting days shall follow the schedule of the previous session unless changed by order of the speaker.
ar10
Assembly Rule 10. Special committees. ar10(1)(1)
A special committee may be created only as provided in this rule.
ar10(1m)
(1m) A special committee may be created by the speaker by written order or may be created by resolution. Any such committee ceases to exist:
ar10(1m)(a)
(a) When its final report has been made to the assembly;
ar10(1m)(b)
(b) When the objective for which the committee was established has been accomplished; or
ar10(1m)(c)
(c) When the termination date established by the action creating the committee arrives.
ar10(2)
(2) The speaker may create a temporary special committee by written order.
ar10(3)
(3) A special committee or temporary special committee may not be created by written order unless an additional legislative employee will not be hired to staff the special committee.
ar11
Assembly Rule 11. Committee procedures. Insofar as applicable, the rules of the assembly apply to the procedures of standing committees and special committees.
ar11(1)
(1) A majority of a committee constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business.
ar11(2)
(2) Committee chairpersons may appoint subcommittees to consider specified subjects and report to the parent committee. Committee chairpersons may appoint subcommittee chairpersons, who may be members of any political party.
ar11(3)
(3) A committee shall meet upon the call of its chairperson within the times and places assigned by the speaker. If anticipated public attendance so warrants, arrangements may be made through the sergeant at arms to hold a committee meeting in quarters larger than the regularly assigned committee room.
ar11(3m)
(3m) A member who is connected to a committee meeting by means of a 2-way, audiovisual transmission is considered present for all purposes and to the same extent as a member who is attending the meeting in person.
ar11(4)
(4) Except as provided in sub. (5) (a), all committee votes shall be taken in the presence of the committee. A member may not be recorded as voting unless the member is present at the committee session when the vote is taken. This subsection shall not apply to the committee on assembly organization when the committee is voting by ballot.
ar11(5)(a)(a)
A vote shall be held open after the adjournment of the committee session to permit an absent member to vote until 5:00 p.m. on the day on which the committee session is adjourned or 30 minutes after the adjournment, whichever is earlier. The absent member shall cast his or her vote in the committee room where the meeting is held.
ar11(5)(b)
(b) If an absent member makes a timely request, a committee report may indicate how the member would have voted had he or she been present.
ar11(6)
(6) Members of a committee shall vote in the order in which named to the committee.
ar11(7)
(7) In the temporary absence of the chairperson and the vice chairperson, committee members succeed to the chair in the order in which named to the committee.
ar11(8)
(8) Before a proposal is reported to the assembly, a committee may reconsider any action taken on the proposal.
ar11(9)
(9) The chairperson shall determine when proposals or other business are scheduled for public hearing or, subject to rule 17d, executive action, and, subject to rule 17m, when committee actions are reported to the assembly.
