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Carolina. General Aasewtoly. LeQisiative manual

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Carolina. General Assembly , Lecjislatlve manual

NOT TO BE REMOVED FROM

UNC LAW LIBRARY

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

of

NORTH CAROLINA

1983

LEGISLATIVE MANUAL

LEGISLATIVE SERVICES OFFICE

2129 STATE LEGISLATIVE BUILDING

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA 27611

PHONE: (919)733-7044

DECEMBER, 1982

CONTENTS

Page

LEGISLATIVE SERVICES COMMISSION STATUTE iv

INTRODUCTION 1

LEGISLATIVE PAY AND ALLOWANCES 3

Salary 3

General Expense Allowance H

In-Session Subsistence Allowance 4

In-Session Travel Allowance 5

Interim Travel and Subsistence Allowance 5

Payment for Attending Interim Standing Committee Meetings 7

Payroll Forms 8

The Legislative Retirement System 8

Health Insurance 9

USE OF OFFICES; KEYS 10

Office Keys 10

Use of Offices 10

SECSETAEIAL ASSISTANCE 11

Selection of House Clerks 11

Selection of Senate Clerks 12

Qualifications of Clerks 13

Pay of Clerks 13

Working Hours 13

Control and Direction of Clerks 14

General Policies Governing Clerks 15

Interim Clerical Services 16

MAIL SERVICE AND POSTAGE 17

Incoming Mail 17

Outgoing Mail 17

Postage 17

Returned Mail 19

Registered Mail and Certified Mail 19

Interim Mail 19

Interim Postage 19

TELEPHONE 20

Local Service 20

Long-Distance Service 20

Telephone Services During Interim Periods 24

Calls to State Offices in Raleigh From Legislator's

Home Area 24

STATIONERY 26

DICTATING EQUIPMENT 27

BILL DRAFTING 28

Legislative Services Office Drafting Division 28

Attorney General's Office 29

General Research Division 29

Other Bill-Drafting Sources 30

BILL PROCESSING 31

Preparation of Copies for Introduction 31

Introduction 32

Amendments 32

Conference Committee Reports 33

Enrollment and Ratification 33

Identification and Status of Introduced Bills 34

Computer Systems Between Sessions 34

DISTRIBUTION OF PRINTED BILLS 35

Desk Copies 35

Bills for Committee Use 35

Additional Copies for Individual Legislators 35

Copies to Private Citizens 36

Copies to State Agencies and Institutions 36

PROFESSIONAL STAFF SERVICES 37

Legislative Services Officer 37

Administrative Officer 37

Bill Drafting Division 37

Fiscal Research Division 37

General Research Division 38

Legislative Library 38

Institute of Government 39

Intern Program 39

Generdl Statutes of North Carolina Chapter 120 - The General Assembly

ARTICLE 7. Legislative Services Commission.

* 120-31. Legislative Services Commission organization. — (a) The Legislative Services Commission shall consist of the President pro tempore of the Senate, six Senators appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and six Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The President pro tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House shall serve until the selection and qualification of their respective successors as officers of the General Assembly. The initial appointive members shall be appointed after the date of ratification of this Article and each shall serve for the remainder of his elective term of office and until his successor is appointed or until he ceases to be a member of the General Assembly, whichever occurs first. A vacancy in one of the appointive positions shall be filled in the same manner that the vacated position was originally filled, and the person so appointed shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term of the person whom he succeeds. In the event the office of Speaker becomes vacated, the six Representatives shall elect one of themselves to perform the duties of the Speaker as required by this Article. In the event the office of President pro tempore becomes vacated, the six Senators shall elect one of themselves to perform the duties of President pro tempore as required by this Article. Members so elevated shall perform the duties required by this Article until a Speaker or a President pro tempore is duly elected by the appropriate house.

(b) The President pro tempore of the Senate shall be the chairman of the Commission in odd-numbered years and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall be chairman of the Commission in even-numbered years,

*****

[The Legislative Services Office has published a pamphlet containing the full text of the parts of G.S. Chapter 120 concerning the Legislative Services Commission and staff services provided through the Commission. The pamphlet is available through the Legislative Library in the State Legislative Building. ]

INTRODUCTION

This manual provides information to the members of the General Assembly on arrangements which the Legislative Services Commission has made for various legislative services. The manual was originally prepared for use during the 1973 General Assembly; it is completely revised each biennium, and is supplemented as necessary for the legislative sessions within the biennium. The basic statutory authorization for the Legislative Services Commission is set out on page iv of this Manual.

The Legislative Services Commission was established by statute in 1959 to provide a continuing structure through which decisions concerning legislative services may be made and implemented. The Commission consists of the President pro tempore of the Senate, six Senators appointed by him, the Speaker of the House, and six Representatives appointed by him. Opon the convening of each regular biennial legislative session, the newlv elected President pro tempore and Speaker may appoint new members to the Commission at any time. The Legislative Services Officer serves as chief staff officer for the Commission.

If you have criticisms or suggestions as to the plans and procedures set out in this manual, please communicate them to the President pro tempore. Room 2104, State Legislative Building, Phone: 9 19-733-6854; or to the Speaker, Room 2317, State Legislative Building, Phone: 9 19-733-34S1 ; or to the Legislative Services Officer, Room 2129, State Legislative Building, Phone: 919-733-7044, who will transmit them to the Commission.

Legislative Manual - December 1932

[For purposes of this manual, "session" means the period in which the General Assembly meets regularly upon day-to-day adjournment; it does not include the interim period between portions of the biennial session. ]

Legislative Manual - December 1932

LEGISLATIVE PAY AND ALLOWANCES

All Salary, General Expense Allowance, In-Session Expense Allowance and In-Session Travel Allowance amounts are effective with the convening of th*^ 1983 General Assembly on January 12, 1983.

Salary: The Speaker of the Hoase receives a salary of $13,860 per year. The Speaker pro tempore of the House, the President pro tempore of the Senate, and the minority leaders of the two houses each receive a salary of '^8,664 per year. All other members of the General Assembly receive an annual salary of $6,936. The salaries are payable monthly.

When the General Assembly is in session, the salary checks are placed in legislators' mailboxes in the Message Centers (Room 2 in the basement of the State Legislative Building or in Room 102 of the Legislative Office Building) not later than 10:00 a.m. on the last business day of each month. When the General Assembly is not in session, the salary checks are mailed on the last business day of each month to the legislator's home district mailing address (the address is printed on the check) .

Terms of newly elected legislators begin on January 1 of odd-numbered years, and salaries begin as of that same date.

State anci federal income taxes are deducted from the monthly salary checks. Payments to legislators cannot commence until the necessary State and federal withholding forms are completed (see "Payroll Forms: " on page 8 of this Manual).

General Expense Allowance: The Speaker receives a $345-

Legislative Manual - December 1982 3

per-month general expense allowance. The Speaker pro tempore. President pro tempore, and minority leaders each receives a ^230^ per-montn general expense allowance. Each other legislator receives a general expense allowance of $172.00 per month. This allowance is paid both during sessions and between sessions, without the legislators having to file any record of expenses.

The general expense allowance is paid at the same time and in the same manner as is the legislative salary (see "Salary:" on page 3 of this Manual) . The two payments - salary and general expense allowance - are combined in a single check each month.

There are no deductions from the general expense allowance.

In-Sessioa Subsistence Allowance; During the time that the General Assembly is actaally in session in Ealeigh, each legislator receives a subsistence allowance of $50.00 per day. This amount is paid for each calendar day of the session (seven days per week, or a total of $350.00 per week for each full week of the session) . It is not necessary that the legislator file a claim or submit any record of his expenses in order to receive this allowance during the session.

The subsistence allowance is paid by check placed in the legislator's mailbox in the Message Centers (Poom 2 in the basement of the State Legislative Building or in Room 102 of the Legislative Office Building) not later than 10:00 a.m. everv Friday, As the sessions usually convene on Wednesday, the first

** Legislative Manual - December 1982

subsistence check is not delivered until after the first full week of the session on Friday of the following week. This first check covers 10 days rather than seven and is therefore in the amount of $500.00, rather than the usual ?;350.00.

In-Session Travel Allowance; During sessions of the General Assembly, each legislator receives a weekly travel allowance amounting to 255Zf per mile for one round trip from his home to Raleigh and return. This allowance is paid each week regardless of the number of actual trips made. [ G. S- 120-3.1(2) sets the mileage rate for legislators at the same rate as for State employees generally; G. S. 138-6(1) sets the rate for State employees at 25j? per mile. ]

The travel allowance is paid each Friday and is included with the weekly in-session subsistence allowance (see "In-Session Subsistence Allowance:" on page U of this Manual).

Interim Travel and Subsistence Allowance: Between sessions many legislators serve on various special boards and commissions, and may receive compensation, subsistence, and travel allowance as prescribed in the statute or resolution establishing the board or commission (sonetioes at rates different from the usual legislative rates) . When a legislator is reimbursed from a special board or commission budget, he is sometimes reimbursed under the provisions of G.S. 138-5, which concerns State boards and commissions generally. As these claims are not paid from the General Assembly's budget, they are not processed through the Legislative Services Office. The board or

Legislative Manual - December 1982 5

commission clerk sends them directly to the Budget Office of the Department of Administration where they are handled under the provisions of the applicable statute, resolution, or administrative rule.

Between sessions a legislator may travel not as a member of a special board or commission but rather as a representative of the General Assembly, or its committees or commissions. Such travel may be to a meeting in Raleigh or in some other in-State city, or it may be to attend an out-of-state meeting. If the legislator expects to receive any subsistence or travel allowance for such travel, he must obtain the prior approval of the Legislative Services Commission. The chairman of a committee which wishes to meet in North Carolina may obtain the approval for the entire committee, and individual committee members need not then obtain individual approval for that meeting.

In the absence of this kind of group approval, or if a meeting is to be held out of the State, prior approval must be obtained by each legislator who wishes to attend. Requests for approval may be submitted through the Legislative Services Office. This office, acting pursuant to policies adopted by the Legislative Services Commission, will obtain the approval of the President pro tempore or Speaker and will execute Form GA-2 - Travel Authorization - which will then be delivered to the reguesting legislator. Or, if a legislator prefers, he may apply directly to the President pro tempore (Senators) or Speaker (House members) for approval, and those offices will transmit

6 Legislative Manual - December 1982

copies of Form GA- 2 to the requesting legislator. When the travel is performed, the legislator should deliver this form, together with the statement as to travel performed, parking receipts, toll receipts, common-carrier ticket receipts, taxicab charges, and personal automobile mileage to the Legislative Services Office. It is not necessary to file a statement as to hotels and meals, as a subsistence allowance of a flat $50.00 per day, regardless of actual expenses, is authorized by statute. Travel costs are reimbursed in full.

When the Legislative Services Office receives the necessary documents and information, it will prepare the necessary Budget nivision Claim Form - Form BD U03S, Request for Reimbursement for Travel and Other Expenses - and send it to the legislator for his signature. When the legislator signs and returns this form to the Legislative Services Office, reimbursement will follow shortly.

E^IlSat for Miendin^ Interim Standing Committee Meetings: Legislators receive no additional salary for attending interim committee meetings. Members of a committee who attend an officially scheduled committee or subcommittee meeting are entitled to receive $50.00 per day subsistence allowance, plus 25{Z' per mile for miles actually traveled.

The committee clerk submits to the Legislative Services Office a list of members attending scheduled committee or subcommittee meetings, plus a statement of the mileage traveled. The Legislative Services Office combines all of the entries for

Legislative Manual - December 1982 7

each legislator and issues the appropriate checks. It is not necessary that the legislator file a detailed expense account, as he will be paid a flat subsistence allowance of $50,00 per day, regardless of actual expenses.

Payroll Forms; Before any salary payments can be made, the legislator must execute certain payroll forms. Immediately after the general election in November the Legislative Services Office sends each member a document which combines Federal Internal Revenue Service Form W-4 (Employee's Withholding Exemption Certificate) ; North Carolina Department of Revenue Form NC-4 (Employee's Withholding Exemption Certificate) . The member should fill out each of the forms and sign each (a total of three signatures being required on the single-sheet document) .

New members cannot be paid until these forms have been executed and returned to the Legislative Services Office. If the forms are not received from incumbent members who are returning for another term, payment will be made on the basis of forms filed for the preceding term.

Once these forms have been executed and filed in the Legislative Services Office, payments of salary, general expense allowance, in-session subsistence allowance, and in-session travel allowance will be made automatically without further action by the legislator.

The Legislative Retirement System; The Legislative Retirement System was repealed in 1974, subject to some retirement rights that were vested as of the end of the 1973

8 Legislative Manual - December 1982

biennial session. No payroll deductions for retirement are no« being made. Legislators who served prior to 1973 but whose rights were not vested may obtain a return of their contributions to the retirement system by applying in writing to the Director of the North Carolina Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System, Department of State Treasurer, Albemarle Building, Raleigh, North Carolina 27611. No special form of request is required.

Health Insurance: An optional Health Insurance program is available to legislators. Application for enrollment may be made to the Legislative Service's Office.

Legislative Manual - December 1982

USE OF OFFICES; KEYS

Office Keys; Legislators obtain office keys from the Security Office. If the legislator desires a key for his secretary, he should send her to the Security Office, Room 1, State Legislative Building, to sign for her key. The secretary should return her key to the Security Office at the end of the session. A legislator who is not re-elected for the next term should return his own key prior to January "r next following the general election in November.

Each key to an office in the State Legislative Building will unlock the extreme right-hand door at the front of that building. Each key to an office in the Legislative Office Building will unlock the fire door (the extreme left-hand doo.c) of that building's Lane Street entrance. Thus a member may have access to his office at any day and hour.

Dse of Offices; The legislative office is for the use of the legislator and staff persons authorized by him.

In order to avoid unpleasant incidents and to improve the building security, when the legislative buildings are closed, building security personnel are instructed to evict from the legislators' offices anyone (except for the legislator and his regular clerk) who does not have written authorization from the legislator to use the office after hours. Keys will be taken from unauthorized persons and returned to the legislator by security personnel.

"•O Legislative Manual - December 1982

SECRETiRIAL ASSISTANCE

Each committee chairman is entitled to a committee clerk, and each individual legislator is entitled to a private secretary. This clerk or secretary is situated in the committee chairman's suite or in the legislator's office. (In the interest of brevity, both clerks and secretaries are sometimes referred to as "clerks" in this manual, and the feminine pronoun is used,)

Selection of House Clerks: Employment of House Clerks is handled by the House Supervisor of Clerks under the supervision of the House Principal Clerk. Each committee chairman may choose his own clerk, and each individual Representative may choose his private secretary. Clerks and secretaries are subject to discharge at any time by the Representative whom they serve. If the Representative desires, he may employ the clerk and simply notify the House Supervisor of Clerks who will request the Legislative Services Officer to enter the employee on the payroll. Or, the Representative may notify the House Supervisor of Clerks as to whom he desires to have as clerk, and the Legislative Services Officer will employ that person if she is available. Or, the Representative may request the House Supervisor of Clerks to employ a qualified person as clerk, and the House Supervisor of Clerks will employ and assign the best qualified person available. Clerks generally are employed as of the opening day of the session; clerks to maior standing committees may be allowed to begin work at an earlier date, if prior approval is granted by the Services Commission

Legislative Manual - December 1982 11

chairmen.

Two Representatives may agree to share a clerk; if they agree upon the desired person, these Representatives have available the same alternatives as do chairmen and individual Representatives, Otherwise, the House Supevisor of Clerks will employ and assign the best qualified person available. Where two Representatives agree to share a clerk, they may then employ a Joint Research Assistant or Administrative Aide at the same pay rate which a clerk receives.

Selection of Senate Clerks: Employment of Senate Clerks is handled by the Senate Supervisor of Clerks under the supervision of the Legislative Services Officer- Each committee chairman may choose his own clerk, and each individual Senator may choose his private secretary. Clerks and secretaries are subject to discharge at any time by the Senator whom they serve. If the Senator desires, he may employ the clerk and simply notify the Legislative Services Officer who will enter the employee on the payroll. Or, the Senator may notify the Legislative Services Office as to whom he desires to have as clerk, and the Legislative Services Officer will employ that person if she is available. Or, the Senator may request the Legislative Services Officer to employ a qualified person as clerk, and the Services Officer will employ and assign the best qualified person available. Clerks generally are employed as of the openinq day of the session; clerks to major standing committees may be allowed to begin work at an earlier date, if prior approval is

12 Legislative Manual - December 1982

granted by the Services Commission Chairmen,

Two Senators may agree to share a clerk; if they agree upon the desired person, these Senators have available the same alternatives as do chairmen and individual Senators. Otherwise, the Legislative Services Officer will employ and assign the best qualified person available. Where two Senators agree to share a clerk, they may then employ a Joint Research Assistant or Administrative Aide at the same pay rate which a clerk receives.

Qualifications of Clerks; When a clerk is hired by or at the request of a legislator, that legislator vouches for the employee's competence, and she will not be tested by the Legislative Services Office. When a clerk is hired and assigned by the appropriate Supervisor of Clerks, the employee's competence will be checked by that supervisor.

Pay of Clerks: Employees of the General Assembly are paid according to classifications and schedules adopted by the Legislative Services Commission. Each clerk, no matter how she is hired, will be classified by the Legislative Services Office and paid according to the appropriate schedule.

Working Hours; The normal working day for clerks is from 9;00 a.m. to 5;00 p.m. daily. Because the General Assembly does not usually observe holidays, employees are expected to work on those days also.

Each legislator is responsible for seeing that his clerk works the proper number of hours. Each legislator may adjust his clerk's work schedule to meet his own special needs. He should

Legislative Manual - December 1982 13

realize that if he grants special privileges to his clerk, others who are not granted such privileges will complain, and a maior morale problem will result. If a legislator allows his clerk to coiae in late on Monday, or leave early on Friday, for example, he should not call on other clerks or the Legislative Services Office for assistance in her absence. Onexcused absences or absences by reason of illness should be reported to the Legislative Services Office so that proper adjustments of pay can be made.

Control and Direction of Clerks: Each legislator has exclusive control and direction of his clerk. No clerk will be assigned any work or duty by any person without the approval of the legislator for whom she works.

The House and Senate Supervisors of Clerks assist in the hiring, assigning and training of clerks. These supervisors are available to advise clerks as to proper procedures and techniques for handling legislative business.

If a clerk is absent, the legislator concerned may notify the appropriate supervisor and substitute services will be provided. A clerk who knows in advance that she will be absent during scheduled hours should notify the appropriate Supervisor of Clerks in advance. Whenever substitute service is made necessary by the absence of a clerk, the Legislative Services Office is instructed to deduct an appropriate amount from the absentee's salary. Dnder State rules, temporary employees have no sick leave. Any substantial deviation from these general

^'^ Legislative Manual - December 1982

rales is subject to approval by the President pro tempore of the Senate or the Speaker of the House.

General Policies Governing Clerks: In order to minimize morale problems among the clerks and other temporary employees of the General Assembly, the Legislative Services Commission requests that all legislators enforce certain general rules. These rules are discussed with clerks in each house at the beginning of the session by the Supervisor of Clerks, and the Supervisor is directed to call violations to the attention of the clerk concerned; this function is designed to assist, and not to interfere with, the legislator's control over his own clerk.

The general rules follow:

a. Working hours are from <):00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, with one hour off for lunch. This schedule is subject to variation by the individual legislator, but the total time devoted to legislative service by the employee must be not less than the minimum hours included in this regular schedule.

b. One of the primary duties of a clerk is to act as receptionist for the legislator served. Clerks should stay in their own offices except when moving about in performing their duties.

c. Except at the express direction of the legislator served, clerks should not occupy balconv seats in the legislative chambers during the daily sessions.

Legislative Manual - December 1982 15

d. With the approval of the legislators concerned, clerks may assist each other at times when the workload of one is great, and the workload of another is slight. As there is no longer any secretarial pool to come to the aid of an overburdened clerk, this willingness to assist is encouraged, but only with the approval of all legislators concerned. From time to time the Supervisor of Clerks will seek a legislator's permission to channel work from another source to that legislator's clerk.

Interim Clerical Services: Standing committees meeting during interim periods may utilize the services of their individual clerks on a part-time basis. Each clerk will be situated in the chairman's office. She will be paid a full day for each day on which she attends a committee or subcommittee meeting plus one =vdditional day for preparation and minute- keeping. Thus, if a clerk attends a one-day meeting on Friday, she will be paid for two days; if she attends a two-day meeting, she will be paid for three days.

16 Legislative Manual - December 1982

MAIL SERVICE AND POSTAGE

The Lagislative Message Center is located in Room 2 in the basement of the State Legislative Building and Room 102 in the Legislative Office Building. The service window in the Center is manned from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily.

Incoming Mail; The Message Centers are eguipp*>d with post office type mailboxes, one of which is assigned to each legislator. Incoming mail is not delivered to individual offices but is placed in the legislator's box. Each legislator will receive from the Legislative Services Office a card listing the number of his box-

Outgoing Mail: Outgoing mail may be deposited in the Message Centers or in collection centers maintained in Room 2125 on the second floor and in Room 2225 on the second floor of the State Legislative Building.

Legislators may have printed materials placed in other legislators' mail boxes only if each piece of the material is designated as coming from a legislator.

Postage: Postage on outgoing offical mail is paid from General Assembly funds. A postage meter is used. The sum appropriated by the General Assembly for postage is not sufficient to allow every member of the General Assembly to mail periodic newsletters and similar material to large numbers of his constituents. Accordingly, the Legislative Services Office has been directed not to process through the postage meter mass mailings from any legislator. A maximum of 50 letters per day is

Legislative Manual - December 1982 17

authorized as a general rale, but this should not be used to avoid the prohibition of mass mailings. If a special situation arises which a legislator feels justifies a mass mailing, he should apply to the President pro tempore or to the Speaker; the Legislative Services Officer, at the direction of either of these officers, will instruct the Message Centers to send the mailing through the postage meter.

Personal mail of both the legislator and his clerk or secretary should be stamped. Stamps may be purchased at the service window at the Message Centers.

When an unstamped envelope bearing a legislator's name is deposited in one of the collection locations for outgoing mail, the legislator thereby certifies that the envelope contains official legislative business.

Because of the problems that have arisen in connection with the Message Center operation in the past, envelopes which do not identify the sender will not be processed through the postage meter. As the Message Center cannot identify the source of such mail, it will be placed in a box on the table in the Message Centers lobby to be identified and picked up by the sender. After an envelope has been in the box for one week, the Legislative Services Officer will open the envelope, identify the sender, and return the letter to him. The Legislative Services Commission recognizes that this procedure is not entirely satisfactory, but no more satisfactory alternative appears at this time. [The procedure is designed to remedy past problems

18 Legislative Manual - December 1982

such as the following: Some unstamped personal mail, apparently not originating from the Legislative Building has been improperly deposited in the outgoing mail collection locations. Some mail in Senate or House envelopes without individual member identification was inadvertently metered and dispatched by the Message Center, and when part of this mail was returned as undeliverable it had to be opened in order to determine its source. Some legislators have donated a supply of legislative envelopes to local charitable groups, and their undeliverable mail has been returned to the Legislative Message Center. 1

Returned Hail: A substantial number of letters are returned to the Message Centers by the United States Post Office, frequently marked "Addressee Unknown," or with some similar notation. This mail will be returned to the sender by placing it in his box.

Registered Mail and Certified Mail: By arrangement with the O.S, Post Office, the Message Centers pick up registered and certified mail. A notice of such mail is placed in the legislator's box and delivery is made at the service window.

Interim Mail: Between sessions, first-class mail is forwarded to legislators* home addresses. Other mail is placed in the individual legislator's office to be picked up by the legislator whenever he/she happens to be in Raleigh.

Interim Postage: Legislators are expected to use their $172. 00-per-month general expense allowance to pay postage for any individual mailings during an interim period. Clerks for

Legislative Manual - December 1982 19

interim legislative committees who prepare mailings from Raleigh will transmit the material to the Message Centers where it will be processed through a postage meter paid for by the General Assembly. No stamps will be issued, except for some special committee or commission work.

20 Legislative Manual - December 1982

TELEPHONE

Each legislator has a private telephone on his desk in his legislative office. This telephone may be reached by dialing an individual nomber. In addition, during the session Southern Bell maintains a telephone switchboard center in the State Legislative Building just off the House side of the second-floor rotunda next to the chapel. The telephone number of this center is (919) 733-4111. The center is operated during normal business hours. Incoming calls to the center number reach a switchboard which will ring the legislator's office and will take and deliver messages if the office telephone does not answer. Calls to the legislator's individual private number do not go through the telephone center switchboard.

Telephone rooms have been established in the State Legislative Building in Rooms 1122 and 122U and the Legislative Office Building in Room 642 for the exclusive use of legislators- There are two telephones in each room which can be used for toll- free local calls.

Local Service; The charges for local service to the individual legislator's office telephone are paid by the General Assembly. This service is provided on a continuing basis throughout the biennial session. [See Telephone Service During Interim Periods page 23. ]

1:253 Distance Service; Each legislator's office telephone is connected to the State Telephone Network (STN) . Long distance rates for calls made over this network are about

Legislative Manual - December 1982 21

U0% of the regular commercial rate for the average in-State long distance call. The STN rate is the same for calls to all points in North Carolina, regardless of the distance from Raleigh. Thus, it is possible to give each legislator the identical long distance allowance and thereby to assure that each has available the same long distance time at the expense of the General Assembly.

The long distance allowance for each legislator for the 1983 biennial session has been set at $50.00 per month. The monthly long distance allowance is cumulative to the end of the session; the allowance applies only while the General Assembly is in session and does not apply during the interim periods. Any part not used during one month is carried over as a credit to the next month of the same session held within a calendar year. Allowances not used are not transferable to another legislator* s account, and are not transferable from one portion of the biennial session to the next. The Legislative Services Officer has been directed not to make such transfers, and the Legislative Services Commission request that legislators not apply for such transfers.

Long-distance bills are paid in the first instance by the General Services Division of the Department of Administration. The Legislative Services Office then reimburses the General Services Division and sends to each legislator a monthly statement showing calls made on his phone and the charges made against his allowance. If the legislator does not exceed

22 Legislative Manual - December 1982

his allowance for the session, the account is closed at the end of the year's session, and the legislator owes nothing. If the charges exceed the allowance, the Services Office bills the legislator for the excess.

In using the State Telephone Network, certain important points should be kept in mind:

1. STN billing is different from ordinary commerical WATS line billing. All calls on STN are billed to the calling phone. If a legislator allows his office phone to be used for any long distance calls except on his legislative business, the legislator's allowance for business purposes is reduced accordingly. The idea that this is a WATS line, and that it makes no difference how may calls are made over it, is erroneous.

2. A legislator may make long distance calls from his hotel room or other location and may charge the calls to his office phone, but the charges for such calls will be made by the telephone company at the regular commercial rate and not at the reduced STN rate.

3. The reduced STN rate is possible because the Department of Administration leases only as many long distance lines as are necessary to give reasonably adeguate service at peak hours without having a great many idle lines during periods of minimal use. Ose by the permanent agencies of State Government follows a predictable and relatively even pattern. Legislative

Legislative Manual - December 1982 23

use patterns are more variable and less predictable. Normal peak hours of the existing STN pattern occur between 9:00 and 11:30 a.m. and between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. If temporary inconvenience caused by peak period overload of the STN develops, legislators can cooperate in reducing the problem by placing their calls, when possible, outside these peak hours. Telephone Services During Interim Periods; The telephone in an individual legislator's private office remains connected while the General Assembly is not in session. The charge for local services is paid by the General Assembly. Long Distance calls made by the legislator from his office telephone during these interim periods will be billed by the Legislative Services Office to the individual members at the reduced STN rate.

Calls to State Offices in Eal^iah from legislator's home area: Each legislator is issued a State Telephone Network (STN) card which allows him the advantage of the low STN long distance rates when calling State offices in Raleigh during normal business hours. In order to use this service, the legislator must follow the instructions printed on the STN card and dial one of the seven digit numbers printed on the back of the card. The legislator should not dial the regular long distance operator; attempts to use the STN card through regular commercial long distance procedures will fail. There are a few areas of the State in which the STN card service is not yet available, but the

21 Legislative Manual - December 1982

service is being constantly expanded and it will soon be available in the few legislators' home areas not currently served.

Legislative Manual - December 1982 25

STATIONERY

Each legislator will be provided with up to 4,000 sheets of stationery and U,000 envelopes at State expense. This allotment is for the full two-year term. If a legislator requires more than the allotment, the Legislative Services Office will order additional stationery and will bill the legislator for the excess. The 4,000 sheets of stationery may be any combination of bond and onionskin letterheads requested by the legislator.

When new legislators arrive at the beginning of the session they are provided with 500 sheets of bond letterheads bearing the Senate or House designation and the legislator's name, district, and home address. Envelopes showing Senate or House designation and the legislator's name are also provided.

As soon as committee appointments have been completed, each legislator should have his clerk prepare and bring to the Disbursing Office a sample of his letterhead showing Senate or House designation, legislator' s district and home address, and committee assignments. The Disbursing Office will then order 1,000 bond letterheads and envelopes. Further orders for stationery will be placed upon request of the legislator. Bequests may be made directly to the Disbursing Clerk in Boom 5 of the State Legislative Building.

26 Legislative Manual - December 1982

DICTATING EQaiPHENT

Every legislator who desires it will be provided with dictating equipment. In the interests of economy, all machines will be of the same kind. If a legislator insists upon having dictating equipment of the same type as he has in his office at home, he must provide the equipment for himself.

Dictating equipment is costly. If a legislator requires such equipment only occasionally, he can contribute to the saving of money by not requesting individual equipment. Several dictators and transcribers are available on a check-out basis from the Building Services Office in Room 109 on the first floor of the Legislative Office Building.

Regular dictating equipment should not be removed from the legislative buildings. A few portable machines are available in the Building Services Office; these machines may be checked out and may be taken from the building as the convenience of the legislator requires. Portable machines must be returned to the Building Services Office within two weeks of check-out. If there is no waiting list, they may be re-checked for successive two- week periods.

Legislative Manual - December 1982 27

BILL DRAFTING The Drafting Divisions of the Attorney General's Office (G.S. 114-9) and the Legislative Services Office (G.S. 120-32(9)) are the two official bill-drafting agencies for the General Assembly. In legislative sessions before 1978, the Attorney General's Office was the primary bill-drafting source with the resources to be able to respond to the large volume of varied bill-drafting reguests from members of the General Assembly, and also from other State officials and departments of the Executive and Judicial Branches. Before 1978, the Legislative Services Office, by authority of G.S. 120-32(1) g., provided some bill- drafting assistance through its General Research Division, but it had only a modest drafting capacity. In 1977, by the enactment of G.S. 120-32(9), the General Assembly authorized the establishment of a Bill Drafting Division of the Legislative Services Office to draft bills for members and committees of the General Assembly. Members of the General Assembly now have the option of directing their drafting requests to either of the two official bill-drafting sources.

Legislative Services Office Bill Drafting Division; The Bill-Drafting Division of the Legislative Services Office is located in Foom 100 on the first floor of the Legislative Office Building. The Division is staffed by a Director [Gerry F. Cohen], six staff attorneys, and two permanent secretarial employees. Legislators may present their bill-drafting reguests to this office in person or by telephone (733-6660) . If the

28 Legislative Manual - December 1962

legislator knows which staff attorney he wishes to talk with, he may call for that attorney. Otherwise, the secretary will refer the legislator to the drafter who specializes in the field affected by the requested draft. Hhen all staff attorneys are temporarily occupied, the secretary will take the request and transmit it to the appropriate drafter as promptly as possible. Drafting reguests and bills drafted are confidential within the Bill Drafting Division Office until the sponsoring legislator releases them.

Attorney General's Drafting Division: A legislator who has a bill to be drafted may present his request to the Attorney General's Drafting Office (Ms. Ann Reed Dunn, Special Deputy Attorney General and Charles Murray, Revisor of Statutes; Jefferson Standard Building; 10 E. Jones Street; Phone: 733- 5960). A member of the Attorney General's staff will discuss the matter with the legislator, and a bill will be drafted.

During legislative sessions, the Attorney General will maintain a drafting office in the Jefferson Standard Building, the small brick building located on the corner of Jones and Wilmington Streets across from the front of the State Legislative Building. Some bills are drafted in the Jefferson Standard Building office, whereas others are sent back to the Justice Building for handling by the staff there, but the legislator may direct all his reguests to the staff in the Jefferson Standard Building.

General Research Division: The General Research

Legislative Manual - December 1982 29

Division of the Legislative Services Office provirles staffing support (broad range of research, drafting and redrafting of amendments and committee substitutes, and coordination of production and printing) to selected standing committees on a regular basis and, where requested, to conference committees. The Division also provides a significant amount of initial drafting of bills where the subject matter concerns legislative procedure or internal legislative operations (creation of interim legislative study commissions and committees, modification of House or Senate rules, etc.). Drafting requests in these areas may be presented to the Director of Research (Terrence D. Sullivan; Room 545, Legislative Office Building; Phone: 733- 2578) .

Other Bill-Drafting Sources; Normally, a legislator should use the services of the Attorney General's Office or the Legislative Services Office for bill drafting. There is, however, no requirement that all bills be drafted by those offices. The legislator may do his own drafting, or he may turn to any other competent source.

30 Legislative Manual - December 1982

BILL PROCESSING

Preparation of Copies for Introduction; The drafter provides the legislator with one or more copies of the finished bill draft. Sometimes, these copies are not yet in the foraat required for introduction- In 1969, a computerized bill processing and printing system was installed and copies from computer-produced printouts are now delivered to the legislator for use as introduced copies.

If a staff member for the Attorney General or the Legislative Services Office drafts the bill, after approval of the draft by the legislator, the drafter will forward a copy to the Computer Input Center (Room 104 on the first floor of the Legislative Office Building) for handling by the Legislative Text Storage/Bill Processing System. If the bill is drafted by anyone other than these staff members, the legislator must send the copy to the Computer Center.

The bill is input into computer storage and proofread, and a corrected print is obtained. Forty copies of the print are reproduced in the Printing Room (Room 107 on the first floor of the Legislative Office Building). The copies bear a large "D" in the upper right-hand corner to denote that the bill is a draft copy. An official bill jacket is prepared and affixed to one of the copies. All of these copies are placed in an envelope and delivered to the sponsoring legislator through the office of the Principal Clerk of the appropriate house; or on request, the Computer Center will deliver bills directly to the sponsor. At

Legislative Manual - December 1982 31

this point, the text of the bill is still confidential, insofar as the legislative staff is concerned. Only the operator who input the hill can retrieve it from computer storage at this point, and computer operators, proofreaders, and printers are constantly cautioned and checked to make certain that the sponsor's confidence is not violated.

Introduction: Under the Senate and House rules, a bill is introduced by filing it with the Principal Clerk's Office. On the next legislative day the bill receives its first reading on the floor of the house of introduction. The bill is given a number and is normally referred to a committee. The bill number, date of introduction, and committee reference are input into computer storage and a new print, with a large figure "1" in the upper right-hand corner of the first page is produced. A copy of this print is placed in the bill notebook of every legislator, and additional copies are available from the Printed Bills Office in Room 2022 of the State Legislative Building,

Amendments: As bills are amended in the house of origin, new engrossed prints are produced and distributed, so that each legislator has the latest text of the bill before him at each stage of its consideration. Subseguent prints bear the figure "2", "3", etc., in the upper right-hand corner of the first page for easy distinction from earlier prints.

If a bill passes the house of origin, all amendments are routinely engrossed in a new print before the bill is sent to the other house. If the bill is amended in the second house, the

32 Legislative Manual - December 1982

amendments are not engrossed, as the bill must be returned to the house of origin for approval, not of the basic text, but solely of the amendments adopted by the second house.

If the house of origin concurs in the amendnents, the bill is sent to the enrolling office.

Conference Committee Reports: If the house of origin fails to concur in the amendments approved by the other house, a conference committee is usually appointed to try to resolve the differences. This committee reports back to both houses a recommended text covering the points of disagreement. Each house acts on the report without amendment. If the report is adopted in both houses, the bill is sent to the enrolling office. If the conferees fail to agree, new conferees may be appointed and the conference process is reported. However, if either house refuses to adopt the report of its conferees, no new conferees may be appointed.

Enrollment and Ratification: The Legislative Services Officer or his designee serves as Enrolling Clerk to the General Assembly. Bills for enrollment are sent to the Assistant Enrolling Clerk who checks the text for accuracy and then turns the copy over to the Computer Center. The Computer Center obtains a clean print of the final text. This print, called the enrolled bill, is submitted to the two presiding officers tor their signatures (this is the act of ratification) , and the signed copy is filed permanently in the Secretary of State's office.

Legislative Manual - December 1982 33

Ideptification and Status of Introduced Bills; Members of the General Assembly and staff, and the public, have easy access to complete information on the identification, status, and legislative history of all current legislation being considered by the General Assembly, Any interested person may get information on the status of current legislation from the Bill Status (Video) System by calling, writing, or visiting the Bill Status Desk in the Legislative Library (Phone: 919/733-7779; Boom 2226 of the State Legislative Building) .

Computer Systems Between Sessions: The legislative computer systems are not in full operation in the interim periods between parts of the biennial session or between biennial sessions. Final printouts of all stored data on the Bill Status (video) System are available for interim inspection in the Legislative Library. Limited use is made of some parts of the Text Storage/Bill Processing system during interim periods, but most interim drafts of bills must be processed without use of computer storage.

3'* Legislative Manual - December 1982

DISTRIBUTION OF PRINTEO BILLS

Desk Copies: As soon as a bill is introduced, a printing is ordered and is available the next morninq. Copies of every new bill are collected each morning for each legislator by the Bill Distribution Center in Room 105 on the first floor of the Legislative Office Building. Each Rouse secretary must pick up the copies for her legislator and place the bills in the legislator's Chamber notebooks. The Senate Sergeant-at-arms will deliver bills to each Senator's office and a daily bill notebook should be prepared by the secretary. If a House member desires an office file, he should notify the Bill Distribution Center in Room 105 of tJiR Legislative Building and the Bill Distribution Center will prepare for that member two sets of bills daily; the House member's secretary will maintain the bill books in both the chamber and the legislator's office.

Bills for Committee Dse: A committee chairman may obtain such copies of bills as his committee needs by sending his clerk to the Printed Bills Room (Room 2022) . To avoid last- minute congestion, clerks are urged to obtain committee copies of bills on the day follwowing reference to committee, and should hold them for later committee use.

Additiona 1 Copies for Individual Legislators: A legislator may obtain up to 50 additional copies of any bill for distribution to his constituents. If he reguires a greater number, they will be provided to him and he will be billed for their actual cost.

Legislative Manual - December 1982 35

£o£i^§ t2 Private Citizens; Any person may obtain one free copy of any current bill by requesting it at the Printed Bills Room. Additional copies may be obtained at a cost of 50 per page.

The Printed Bills Room will mail one free copy of any bill to any citizen who request it.

Copies to State Agencies and Institutions: Any state office, agency or institution will be supplied with three free copies of any bill in which the office has a particular interest. The Legislative Services Officer has been instructed not to provide complete sets of all bills — several thousand per session -- to State offices. State offices that require more than three copies of any bill may obtain then at cost.

36 Legislative Manual - December 1982

PROFESSIONAL STAFF SERVICES

[A more complete directory of legislative staff is included in another publication prepared by the Legislative Services Officer; copies of the Legislative Building Phone Directory are available through the Legislative Library. 1

The Legislative Services Officer (George P. Hall, Jr., Acting Legislative Services Officer, Room 2129, State Legislative Building; phone: 733-7044) is responsible for supervision of all the Divisions and is available generally for consultation and assistance concerning overall legislative staff policy matters and other administrative matters.

The Administrative Officer (George R. Hall, Jr. ; Room 2129, State Legislative Building; phone: 733-7044) is available on matters concerning payroll, budget, production, building maintenance, custodial services, security, and the affairs of the General Assembly generally regarded as business and personnel matters.

The staff of the Bill Drafting Division of the Legislative Services Office is available to individual legislators through the Director of Legislative Drafting (Gerry F. Cohen, Room 100, Legislative Office Building; phone: 733- 6660) . [Further information of drafting, including the Attorney General's Drafting Office, is found on pages 28 and 29 of this manual. ]

The staff of the Fiscal Research Division of the Legislative Services Office is available to individual

Legislative Manual - December 1982 37

legislators or to non-fiscal committees, subject to limitations of available personnel, for fiscal research and information through the Director of Fiscal Research (Tea Covington; Room 619 in the Legislative Office Building; phone: 733-4910). The Fiscal Research staff regularly assists the Appropriations comnittees and their chairmen, and it provides some support to the Finance Committees and their chairmen.

Professional services from the General Research Division of the Legislative Services Office (research and bill-drafting) are available to committees that do not have regularly assigned staff or to individual legislators, subject to limitations of available personnel, through the Director of Research (Terrence D. Sullivan; Room 515, Legislative Office Building; phone 733- 2578) . Some of the standing committees will have a member of the General Research Division professional staff on a regular assignment basis, operating under the direction of the committee chairman. The Legislative Library (Mrs. Vivian Halperen, Librarian; Room 500 of the Legislative Office Building; phone 733-9390; and room 2226 State Legislative Building; phone 733- 7778) is part of the General Research Division and library staff can provide assistance on bill identification and research questions. (The Legislative Library is also the depository for records from the Senate and House electronic voting systems (as directed by Senate and House Rules) , for filings under Legislative Ethics law requirements (G. S. 120-95), and for lobbying records (G.S. 120-47.2),

38 Legislative Manual - December 1982

The Legislative Library has two component loc?\tions — one in each of the legislative buildings for the convenience of legislators. The main component is in the Legislative Office Building and is designed as the principal legal and general research unit. The auxiliary component remains in the State Legislative Building and will contain North Carolina Statutes and Journals which might be needed immediately during the legislative sessions or for committee meetings held in the State Legislative

Building.

The Institute of Government, which is part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, provides services to the General Assembly on a contract basis. The Daily Bulletin, which digests every bill and records the history of the progress of bills, is prepared and distributed by the Institute. Several members of the Institute's staff, in areas such as motor vehicles or local government, provide regular or periodic services to legislative committees and to individual legislators.

With the approval of the Legislative Services Commission, the Legislative Services Officer is authorized to contract for and assign part-time professional assistance from the University or other sources.

A Legislative Intern Program is operated for the General Assembly (during long odd-year sessions only) by the North Carolina State University Department of Politics. The Intern Program is under the direction and control of the Legislative Intern Program Council (Lt. Governor, Speaker, and Chairman of

Legislative Manual - December 1982 39

the North Carolina State Department of Politics - G.S. 120-56). The program provides staff assistance at the subprofessional level to select committee chairmenr legislative leaders, and individual legislators, and the interns receive political science and related instruction from North Carolina State University.

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