120-99. Creation; composition.

(a) The Legislative Ethics Committee is created and shall consist of 12 members, six Senators appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and six members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House. The President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall appoint three members from a list of nominees submitted by the majority leader of the Senate and three members from a list of nominees submitted by the minority leader of the Senate. The Speaker of the House shall appoint three members from a list of nominees submitted by the majority leader of the House and three members from a list of nominees submitted by the minority leader of the House. The nominating majority or minority leader shall submit to the person making the appointment a list of twice the number of vacancies on the Committee that are to be filled from that leader's nominees.

(b) The President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House as the appointing officers shall each designate a cochair of the Legislative Ethics Committee from the respective officer's appointees to serve as cochair for the current General Assembly, and until the cochair's successor is designated. The cochair appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall preside over the Legislative Ethics Committee during the odd-numbered year, and the cochair appointed by the Speaker of the House shall preside in the even-numbered year. A cochair may preside at anytime during the absence of the presiding cochair or upon the presiding cochair's designation. In the event a cochair is unable to act as cochair on a specific matter before the Legislative Ethics Committee, and so indicates in writing to the appointing officer and the Legislative Ethics Committee, the respective officer shall designate from that officer's appointees a member to serve as cochair for that specific matter.

(c) Repealed by Session Laws 2006-201, s. 8, effective January 1, 2007.

(d) The appointments of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House shall ensure that the composition of the Legislative Ethics Committee is bipartisan in equal numbers.