There are established within the legislative department of government the following interim committees of the General Assembly as aids in the legislative process in this state:
(1) The Legislative Council, established pursuant to the provisions of § 10-3-301 et seq., shall consist of members of the General Assembly selected in the manner as is prescribed by law. The Legislative Council shall perform the functions and duties prescribed by law;
(2) The Legislative Joint Auditing Committee, established pursuant to § 10-3-401 et seq., shall consist of members of the General Assembly selected in the manner as is prescribed by law. The Legislative Joint Auditing Committee shall perform the functions and duties prescribed by law; and
(3)
(A) The following ten (10) subject matter interim committees of the House of Representatives, each to consist of the members who compose the respective standing committees of the House having comparable subject matter jurisdiction, plus such other nonvoting members as may be selected pursuant to the Rules of the House of Representatives, who shall be entitled to per diem and mileage for attending meetings of the committees:
(i) House Committee on Education — matters pertaining to public kindergarten, elementary, secondary, and adult education, vocational education, vocational-technical schools, vocational rehabilitation, higher education, private educational institutions, similar legislation, and resolutions germane to the subject matter of the House Committee on Education;
(ii) House Committee on Judiciary — matters pertaining to state and local courts, court clerks and stenographers and other employees of the courts, civil and criminal procedures, probate matters, civil and criminal laws, similar matters, and resolutions germane to the subject matter of the House Committee on Judiciary;
(iii) House Committee on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor — matters pertaining to public health, mental health, intellectual and other developmental disabilities, public welfare, human relations and resources, environmental affairs, water and air pollution, labor and labor relations, similar legislation, and resolutions germane to the subject matter of the House Committee on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor;
(iv) House Committee on Public Transportation — matters pertaining to roads and highways, city streets, county roads, highway safety, airports and air transportation, common and contract carriers, mass transit, similar legislation, and resolutions germane to the subject matter of the House Committee on Public Transportation;
(v) House Committee on Revenue and Taxation — matters pertaining to the levy, increase, reduction, collection, enforcement and administration of taxes and other revenue-producing measures, and resolutions germane to the subject matter of the House Committee on Revenue and Taxation;
(vi) House Committee on Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative and Military Affairs — matters pertaining to the aged and problems of aging; children and youth, military, veterans, legislative affairs, memorials, other matters whenever the subject matter is not germane to the subject matter of any other standing committee, and resolutions germane to the subject matter of the House Committee on Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative and Military Affairs;
(vii) House Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, and Economic Development — matters pertaining to agriculture, livestock, forestry, industrial development, natural resources, oil and gas, publicity and parks, levee and drainage, rivers and harbors, similar legislation, and resolutions germane to the subject matter of the House Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, and Economic Development;
(viii) House Committee on City, County, and Local Affairs — matters pertaining to city and municipal affairs, county affairs, local improvement districts, interlocal government cooperation, similar legislation, and resolutions germane to the subject matter of the House Committee on City, County, and Local Affairs;
(ix) House Committee on Insurance and Commerce — matters pertaining to banks and banking, savings and loan associations, stock, bonds, and other securities, securities dealers, insurance, public utilities, partnerships and corporations, home mortgage financing and housing, similar legislation, and resolutions germane to the subject matter of the House Committee on Insurance and Commerce; and
(x) House Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs — matters pertaining to state government and state agencies, except where the subject matter relates more appropriately to another committee, proposed amendments to the Constitution of the State of Arkansas or the federal government, election laws and procedures, federal and interstate relations, similar legislation, and resolutions germane to the subject matter of the House Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs.
(B) The following nine (9) subject matter interim committees of the Senate, each to consist of the members who compose the respective standing committees of the Senate having comparable subject matter jurisdiction, plus such other nonvoting members as may be selected pursuant to the Rules of the Senate, who shall be entitled to per diem and mileage for attending meetings of the committees:
(i) Senate Committee on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor — matters pertaining to public health, mental health, intellectual and other developmental disabilities, public welfare, human relations and resources, the aged and problems of the aging, environmental affairs, water and air pollution, labor and labor relations, and similar legislation;
(ii) Senate Committee on Revenue and Taxation — matters pertaining to the levy, increase, reduction, collection, enforcement and administration of taxes, and other revenue-producing measures;
(iii) Senate Committee on Education — matters pertaining to public kindergarten, elementary, secondary, and adult education, vocational education, vocational-technical schools, vocational rehabilitation, higher education, private educational institutions, and similar legislation;
(iv) Senate Committee on Judiciary — matters pertaining to state and local courts, court clerks and stenographers and other employees of the courts, civil and criminal procedures, probate matters, civil and criminal laws, and similar matters;
(v) Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, and Economic Development — matters pertaining to agriculture, livestock, forestry, industrial development, natural resources, oil and gas, publicity and parks, levees and drainage, rivers and harbors, and similar legislation;
(vi) Senate Committee on Insurance and Commerce — matters pertaining to banks and banking, savings and loan associations, stocks, bonds, and other securities, securities dealers, insurance, public utilities, partnerships and corporations, home mortgage financing and housing, and similar legislation;
(vii) Senate Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs — matters pertaining to state government and state agencies, except where the subject matter relates more appropriately to another committee, proposed amendments to the Constitution of the State of Arkansas or the federal government, election laws and procedures, federal and interstate relations, and similar legislation. The committee shall also have the responsibility of monitoring and making recommendations for periodic updating, modernizing, and revising the code of ethics for public officials;
(viii) Senate Committee on City, County, and Local Affairs — matters pertaining to city and municipal affairs, county affairs, local improvement districts, interlocal governmental cooperation, and similar legislation; and
(ix) Senate Committee on Public Transportation, Technology, and Legislative Affairs — matters pertaining to roads, highway safety, airports and air transportation, common carriers, mass transits, and similar legislation, and matters pertaining to science, technology, bio-technology, and similar legislation, and other matters whenever the subject matter is not germane to the subject matter of any other Class “A” or Class “B” Committee. The Senate Committee on Public Transportation, Technology, and Legislative Affairs shall serve as the supervisory committee over the preparation of the journal and the engrossing and enrolling of bills. The Senate Committee on Public Transportation, Technology, and Legislative Affairs shall have no jurisdiction of matters affecting the interpretation of the Rules of the Senate, but such jurisdiction shall be exercised by the Rules Committee of the Senate.
(C) Members of the ten (10) interim House committees and the nine (9) interim Senate committees established in this subsection may also serve as members of the Legislative Council or of the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee.
(D) Any member of the House who sponsors a proposal or resolution providing for a study which is referred to one (1) of the ten (10) House interim committees and any member of the Senate who sponsors a proposal or resolution providing for a study which is referred to one (1) of the nine (9) Senate interim committees may serve as an ex officio member of that committee during the conduct of the study resulting from his or her proposal or resolution.
(E) The respective House and Senate committees may meet separately or the House and Senate committees of comparable subject matter jurisdiction may meet jointly.