Montana § 5-5-215 - Duties Of Interim Committees

§ 5-5-215. Duties Of Interim Committees

Duties of interim committees. (1) Each interim committee shall: (a) review administrative rules within its jurisdiction; (b) subject to 5-5-217 (3), conduct interim studies as assigned; (c) monitor the operation of assigned executive branch agencies with specific attention to the following: (i) identification of issues likely to require future legislative attention; (ii) opportunities to improve existing law through the analysis of problems experienced with the application of the law by an agency; and (iii) experiences of the state's citizens with the operation of an agency that may be amenable to improvement through legislative action; (d) review, if requested by any member of the interim committee, the statutorily established advisory councils and required reports of assigned agencies to make recommendations to the next legislature on retention or elimination of any advisory council or required reports pursuant to 5-11-210 ; (e) review proposed legislation of assigned agencies or entities as provided in the joint legislative rules; (f) accumulate, compile, analyze, and furnish information bearing upon its assignment and relevant to existing or prospective legislation as it determines, on its own initiative, to be pertinent to the adequate completion of its work; and (g) review proposed statewide initiatives as defined in 13-27-110 within the interim committee's subject area and vote to either support or not support the placement of the text of the proposed statewide initiative on the ballot in accordance with 13-27-228 . (2) Each interim committee shall prepare bills and resolutions that, in its opinion, the welfare of the state may require for presentation to the next regular session of the legislature. An interim committee may by vote request five bill drafts on a partisan basis and an unlimited number of bill drafts on a bipartisan basis. (3) The legislative services division shall keep accurate records of the activities and proceedings of each interim committee. (4) As used in this section: (a) "bipartisan basis" means a vote in which members from more than one party vote to request a bill draft; and (b) "partisan basis" means a vote in which members from only the majority party vote to request a bill draft.