(1) Commencing on and after June 5, 2013, interim committees may not be requested by a legislative member by bill or resolution. No later than a day certain of a regular legislative session as established in the joint rules of the senate and house of representatives, a legislative member may submit a request in writing to the legislative council created in section 2-3-301 (1) regarding an issue that he or she wishes to study during the next interim between sessions. At minimum, the request must specify:

(a) The scope of the policy issues to be studied;

(b) The number of meetings that would be necessary to study the issues;

(c) The suggested number and composition of legislative members on the interim committee;

(d) Whether other nonlegislative members should have a role in the interim committee;

(e) Whether a task force would be necessary to assist the interim committee in studying the scope of issues and, if so, the members and composition of such a task force; and

(f)

(I) An estimate of the maximum number of bills the interim committee will need in order to address the issues studied by the interim committee.

(II) Any interim committee bills are exempt from the five-bill limitation specified in rule 24 of the joint rules of the senate and the house of representatives.

(2) No later than a day certain of a regular legislative session as established in the joint rules of the senate and house of representatives, the director of research of the legislative council shall determine the number of interim committee meetings that may be held within the legislative budget and shall provide that information to the executive committee of the legislative council.

(3) (a) No later than a day certain of a regular legislative session as established in the joint rules of the senate and house of representatives, the legislative council shall meet to review and prioritize requests made by legislative members pursuant to subsection (1) of this section. Such review and prioritization must take into account the information provided by the director of research of the legislative council as specified in subsection (2) of this section. The legislative council shall also determine if any of the prioritized interim committees may create a task force. If a task force is approved, such task force shall include no more than two legislative members, one from the majority party and one from the minority party of the interim committee. Legislative members on a task force are only entitled to receive necessary travel costs and are not entitled to per diem pursuant to section 2-2-307. For purposes of carrying out the task force's duties, the legislative council may accept and expend money, gifts, grants, donations, services, and in-kind donations from any public or private entity for any direct or indirect costs associated with the duties of the task force; except that the legislative council may not accept money, gifts, grants, donations, services, or in-kind donations if acceptance is subject to conditions that are inconsistent with state law or requires a predetermined conclusion or result from the task force. The legislative council shall request that the entity offering the money, gift, grant, donation, services, or in-kind donation submit a letter prior to the offer specifying the amount of money, gift, grant, or donation offered, or the estimated value of the services or in-kind donation offered, the period for which the money, gift, grant, donation, services, or in-kind donation is available, and the specific purposes for which the money, gift, grant, donation, services, or in-kind donation is to be used.

(b) The president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the minority and majority leaders of both houses shall appoint the legislative members to any prioritized interim committees or approved task forces.

(c) After the general assembly has adjourned, if an issue is brought to the attention of the executive committee of the legislative council and the executive committee determines that the issue is the result of changed circumstances or new circumstances and is appropriate material for an interim committee that is meeting during that interim between legislative sessions, the executive committee of the legislative council may add the interim committee by adopting a resolution. The resolution must include the items specified in the legislative member's written request for an interim study.