Section 29-6-2

Composition.

The Legislative Council shall consist of the President and President Pro Tempore of the Senate, six members of the Senate elected by the Senate, the Speaker and Speaker Pro Tempore of the House of Representatives, six members of the House of Representatives elected by the House of Representatives, the chairs of the Senate's standing committees on finance and taxation and on the judiciary and the chairs of the standing committees on ways and means and on the judiciary of the House. If the Speaker of the House, Speaker Pro Tempore, or President Pro Tempore is also the chair of one of these standing committees, then the vice-chair of the committee shall serve on the council in the place of the chair.

In addition, the majority and minority leaders of the Senate and the majority and minority leaders of the House shall be members of the Legislative Council. The majority and minority leaders of the House and the majority and minority leaders of the Senate may designate a member of their house to serve on the Legislative Council in their place for a one-year term. The designation shall be in writing to the Chair of the Legislative Council and the Speaker of the House, in the case of the majority or minority leader of the House, or the Lieutenant Governor, in the case of the majority or minority leader of the Senate.

The President and President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker and Speaker Pro Tempore of the House of Representatives and any chair of a standing committee who, under this section and Section 29-6-2.1, is a member of the Legislative Council by virtue of holding such chair, may designate a member of his or her house to serve in his or her place on the Legislative Council for a one-year term. The designation shall be in writing to the Chair of the Legislative Council, and the Lieutenant Governor as to Senate members or the Speaker of the House of Representative as to House members.

Additionally, any current House member who has served at least 24 years and is not appointed to any standing committee during the quadrennium shall also be a member of the Legislative Council for that quadrennium, and, in such an event, one additional member of the Senate shall serve on the Legislative Council for that same quadrennium, who shall be appointed by the Senate Committee on Assignments or the successor of this committee.

The House and Senate members shall be elected at the 1975 Regular Session of the Legislature, and at the regular session held every four years thereafter. Members of the Legislative Council, whether elected or holding membership by virtue of office, position, tenure, or chairmanship, may serve on the Legislative Council during the term in which elected, appointed, or qualified and, if reelected to the same house without a break in service to that house, during the succeeding legislative term until a successor on the Legislative Council is elected or qualified as provided by law. The Legislative Council may make temporary appointments to fill vacancies in its membership.

(Acts 1945, No. 152, p. 190, §4; Acts 1967, Ex. Sess., No. 239, p. 320; Act 99-428, p. 777, §1; Act 2003-193, 1st Sp. Sess., p. 512, §1.)