The Legislative Services Commission is given broad authority over legislative staff, records, property, services, publications, building names/locations, budget use, and insurance, and it may obtain criminal history checks for certain General Assembly personnel.
The Legislative Services Commission is authorized to: (1)Determine the number, titles, classification, functions, compensation, and other conditions of employment of the joint legislative service employees of the General Assembly, including but not limited to the following departments: a.Legislative Services Officer and personnel. b.Electronic document writing system. c.Proofreaders. d.Legislative printing. e.Enrolling clerk and personnel. f.Library. g.Research and bill drafting. h.Printed bills. i.Disbursing and supply. j.Repealed by Session Laws 2021-180, s. 27.2(a), effective July 1, 2021.Temporary employees of the General Assembly are exempt from the provisions of G.S. 135-3(8)c., as to compensation earned in that status. (2)Determine the classification and compensation of employees of the respective houses other than staff elected officers; however, the hiring of employees of each house and their duties shall be prescribed by the rules and administrative regulations of the respective house; (2a)Obtain a criminal history record check of a prospective employee, volunteer, or contractor of the General Assembly. The criminal history record check shall be conducted by the State Bureau of Investigation as provided in G.S. 143B-972. The criminal history report shall be provided to the Legislative Services Officer and is not a public record under Chapter 132 of the General Statutes. (3)Acquire and dispose of furnishings, furniture, equipment, and supplies required by the General Assembly, its agencies and commissions and maintain custody of same between sessions. It shall be a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person(s) to remove any state-owned furniture, fixtures, or equipment from the State Legislative Building for any purpose whatsoever, except as approved by the Legislative Services Commission; (4)Contract for services required for the operation of the General Assembly, its agencies, and commissions; however, any departure from established operating procedures, requiring a substantial expenditure of funds, shall be approved by appropriate resolution of the General Assembly; (5) a.Provide for engrossing and enrolling of bills, b.Appoint an enrolling clerk to act under its supervision in the enrollment and ratification of acts; (6) a.Provide for the duplication and limited distribution of copies of ratified laws and joint resolutions of the General Assembly and forward such copies to the persons authorized to receive same, b.Maintain such records of legislative activities and publish such documents as it may deem appropriate for the operation of the General Assembly; (7) a.Provide for the indexing and printing of the session laws of each regular, extra or special session of the General Assembly and provide for the printing of the journal of each house of the General Assembly, b.Provide and supply to the Secretary of State such bound volumes of the journals and session laws and of these publications in electronic format as may be required by the Secretary of State to be distributed under the provisions of G.S. 147-45, 147-46.1 and 147-48. (8)Repealed by Session Laws 1985 (Regular Session, 1986), c. 1014, s. 40(c). (9)To establish a bill drafting division to draft bills at the request of members or committees of the General Assembly. (10)To select the locations for buildings occupied by the General Assembly, and to name any building occupied by the General Assembly. (11)To specify the operating and capital uses within the General Assembly budget of funds appropriated to the General Assembly which remain available for expenditure after the end of the biennial fiscal period, and to revert funds under G.S. 143C-1-2. (12)Provide insurance to provide excess indemnity for any occurrence which results in a claim against any member of the General Assembly, as provided in G.S. 143-300.2 through G.S. 143-300.6. That insurance may not provide for any indemnity to be payable for any claim not covered by the above cited statutes, nor for any criminal act by a member, nor for any act committed by a member or former member prior to the inception of insurance. (13)Provide insurance to provide excess indemnity for any occurrence that results in a claim against any employee, officer, or committee, subcommittee, or commission member in the legislative branch other than a member of the General Assembly, as provided in G.S. 143-300.2 through G.S. 143-300.6. That insurance may not provide for any indemnity to be payable for any claim not covered by the above cited statutes, nor for any criminal act, nor for any act committed prior to the inception of insurance. History: History.1969, c. 1184, s. 2; 1971, c. 685, s. 2; c. 1200, s. 8; 1977, c. 802, s. 50.60; 1981 (Reg. Sess., 1982), c. 1191, s. 67; 1983 (Reg. Sess., 1984), c. 1034, s. 182; 1985, c. 479, s. 176(a), (b); 1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 1014, s. 40(c); 1993, c. 539, s. 912; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c); 2001-424, s. 32.21A(a); 2001-513, s. 16(c); 2006-203, s. 59; 2007-78, s. 1; 2013-360, s. 36.13; 2020-29, s. 11; 2021-180, s. 27.2(a).