Senate Committees: Categories and Rules for Committee Assignments

February 2, 2000 – December 19, 2014 98-183

Senate Rule XXV and party conference rules address committee assignments. Senate Rule XXV, paragraphs 2 and 3 establish categories of committees, popularly referred to as “A,” “B,” and “C,” that condition assignment rules.

Senate Rule XXV and party conference rules address committee assignments. Senate Rule XXV, paragraphs 2 and 3 establish categories of committees, popularly referred to as "A," "B," and "C," that condition assignment rules.

A COMMITTEES

B COMMITTEES

C COMMITTEES

Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry

Appropriations

Armed Services

Banking, Housing and
Urban Affairs

Commerce, Science and Transportation

Energy and Natural Resources

Environment and Public Works

Finance

Foreign Relations

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

Judiciary

Select Intelligence

Budget

Rules and Administration

Small Business and Entrepreneurship

Veterans' Affairs

Special Aging

Joint Economic Committee

Select Ethics

Indian Affairs

Joint Taxation

(Joint Library and Joint Printing are not listed, but are treated as C committees for assignment purposes)

Number of Assignments: Senate Rule XXV, paragraph 4, places restrictions on committee membership based on these categories.

  • Each Senator shall serve on two committees, and no more than two, in Class A.
  • Each Senator may serve on one committee, but no more than one, in Class B.
  • Each Senator may serve on one or more committees in Class C.

Limitations on Assignments:

  • Super "A" or "Big Four" Committees : Democratic Members are prohibited from serving on more than one among the Committees on Appropriations, Armed Services, and Finance pursuant to party rules. Republican Members are prohibited from serving on more than one among the Committees on Appropriations, Armed Services, Finance, and Foreign Relations pursuant to party rules.
  • Republican Members from the same state are prohibited from serving on the same committee by Republican Conference rule. Democrats adhere to the same prohibition, but by tradition.
  • Intelligence Committee membership should include two Members each from the Committees on Appropriations, Armed Services, Judiciary, and Foreign Relations.
  • Chair and ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee shall serve as ex-officio non-voting members of the Intelligence Committee.

Exceptions to the rule restrictions, which are not uncommon, are called waivers or grandfathers and are recommended by the pertinent party conference and then officially authorized through Senate approval of a resolution affecting one or more Senators.

Limitations on Chairmanships: Republican Conference rules address limitations on committee leadership positions for Republicans whether or not they are in the majority. Democratic Conference rules may also address these limitations; however, their rules are not publicly available.

  • A chair/ranking Member of an "A" committee may not serve as chair or ranking Member of any other committee, except the chair/ranking Member of the Finance Committee may chair the Joint Committee on Taxation.
  • A chair/ranking Member of an "A" committee may not serve as chair/ranking Member of any subcommittees. Appropriations subcommittee chairmanships are exempt.
  • A chair/ranking Member of a "non-A" committee may not serve as chair/ranking Member of any other committee, except the chair/ranking Member of the Rules and Administration Committee may chair the Joint Printing or Joint Library Committee.
  • A chair/ranking Member of a "non-A" committee, excluding the Ethics Committee, may not serve as chair/ranking Member of more than one subcommittee. Appropriations subcommittee chairmanships are not exempt.
  • The chair/vice chair of the Ethics Committee may serve on no more than two standing subcommittees.
  • A Senator may not serve as chair/ranking Member of more than two subcommittees. Democrats interpret this as a "two gavel rule," one full committee chair/ranking Member and one subcommittee, or two subcommittees.
  • A Senator shall not serve more than six years as chair of any standing committee, effective January 1997, plus six years as ranking Member of a committee. Once a Senator served six years chairing a committee, the term would be over. However, if a Senator served six years as a ranking minority Member, the Senator could serve as chair if the party controls the chamber.

Limitations on Chair and Party Leader Assignments:

  • A chair or party leader may not select an "A" committee on their third round committee selection.
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South Carolina considers its energy future through state Senate committee

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Dominion Energy South Carolina President Keller Kissam, left , and Duke Energy’s utility operations in South Carolina President Mike Callahan, speak before testifying before a South Carolina Senate committee planning to write a comprehensive energy bill in 2025 in Columbia, S.C., on Thursday, Aug. 22 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

South Carolina Senate President Thomas Alexander, R-Walhalla, left; Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, center; and Sen. Nikki Setlzer, D- West Columbia, right, speak before a South Carolina Senate committee planning to write a comprehensive energy bill in 2025 in Columbia, S.C., on Thursday, Aug. 22 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

Santee Cooper CEO Jimmy Staton, left, Dominion Energy South Carolina President Keller Kissam, center, and Duke Energy’s utility operations in South Carolina President Mike Callahan, right, are sworn in before testifying before a South Carolina Senate committee planning to write a comprehensive energy bill in 2025. in Columbia, S.C., on Thursday, Aug. 22 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

Santee Cooper CEO Jimmy Staton, left, Dominion Energy South Carolina President Keller Kissam, center, and Duke Energy’s utility operations in South Carolina President Mike Callahan, right, wait to testify before a South Carolina Senate committee planning to write a comprehensive energy bill in 2025 in Columbia, S.C., on Thursday, Aug. 22 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

Duke Energy’s utility operations in South Carolina President Mike Callahan waits to testify before a South Carolina Senate committee planning to write a comprehensive energy bill in 2025 in Columbia, S.C., on Thursday, Aug. 22 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina Senate on Thursday started its homework assignment of coming up with a comprehensive bill to guide energy policy in a rapidly growing state and amid a quickly changing power- generation world.

The Special Committee on South Carolina’s Energy Future plans several meetings through October. On Thursday, the committee heard from the leaders of the state’s three major utilities. Future meetings will bring in regular ratepayers, environmentalists, business leaders and experts on the latest technology to make electricity,

The Senate took this task upon itself. They put the brakes a massive 80-plus page energy overhaul bill that passed the House in March in less than six weeks, and the bill died at the end of the session.

Many senators said the process earlier this year was rushed . They remembered the last time they trusted an overhaul bill backed by utilities.

State-owned Santee Cooper and private South Carolina Electric & Gas used those rules passed 15 years ago to put ratepayers on the hook for billions of dollars spent on two new nuclear reactors that never generated a watt of power before construction was abandoned because of rising costs.

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But those dire memories are being mixed with dire predictions of a state running out of power.

Unusually cold weather on Christmas Eve 2022 along with problems at a generating facility nearly led to rolling blackouts in South Carolina. Demand from advanced manufacturing and data centers is rising. If electric cars grow in popularity, more power is needed. And a state that added 1.3 million people since 2000 has a lot more air conditioners, washing machines and charges for devices, the utility leaders said.

Senators stopped Duke Energy’s president in South Carolina, Mike Callahan, in middle of his presentation after he told them his utility’s most recent predictions for growth in electricity usage over the rest of this decade were eight times more than they were just two years ago.

“Growth is here, and much more is coming. We need clear energy policy to plan for that growth,” Callahan said,

The utility leaders told senators their companies need to know what kind of sources of power — natural gas, solar, nuclear, wind or others — the state wants to emphasize. They would like to have a stable rules from regulators on how they operate.

“A quick no is a lot better to us than a long-term maybe,” Santee Cooper CEO Jimmy Staton said.

Another complicating factor are federal rules that may require utilities to shut down power plants that use coal before there are replacements with different sources online, Staton said.

Others aren’t so sure the state needs a rapid increase in power generation. Environmentalists have suggested the 2022 problems that led to blackouts were made worse because power plants were nowhere near capacity and better cooperation in the grid would allow electricity to get to where its needed easier.

Those less bullish on the overhaul also are urging the state not to lock in on one source of power over another because technology could leave South Carolina with too much power generation in inefficient ways.

There will likely be plenty of discussion of data centers that use a lot of electricity without the number of jobs, property taxes or other benefits a manufacturer provides.

Staton estimated about 70% of Santee Cooper’s increased demand is from data centers.

“We clearly need them. I don’t want to go back in time,” committee chairman Republican Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey said. “What I’m trying to get at is a better understanding, a better handle on how much of the projected growth is based on data centers or on everything else.”

Massey has been hard on Dominion Energy, which bought South Carolina Electric & Gas after the abandoned nuclear project at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station. But Dominion Energy South Carolina President Keller Kissam said it is important that all options, including a new nuclear plant, remain on the table.

“Everybody thinks if we build anything that we’re going to absolutely repeat what we did with V.C. Summer” Kissam said. “Well, I promise you, that ain’t gonna happen. OK? I’ll pack up and leave.”

Massey said he appreciated Kissam’s candor and felt he was a straight shooter, but there are a lot of other people involved in the failed project who lied and hid problems.

“I can’t put that behind me. And I don’t think a lot of people can put that behind them,” Massey said.

Massey’s goal is to have a bill ready by the time the 2025 session starts in January.

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Senate Bill S9899

Prohibits certain restrictions on motor vehicle sales

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senate committee assignment rules

Robert G. Ortt

(R, C, IP) 62nd Senate District

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

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Aug 28, 2024 referred to rules

2023-S9899 (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-s9899 (active) - summary.

Prohibits certain restrictions on motor vehicle sales or use.

2023-S9899 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

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2023-S9899 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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H.R. 1425 – No WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty Without Senate Approval Act

H.r. 1425 - no who pandemic preparedness treaty without senate approval act, hearing information, amendment deadline.

Wednesday, September 4, 2024 - 5:00 pm View Announcement »

Rules Committee Print 118-44   PDF

Showing the text of H.R. 1425, as ordered reported by the Committee on Foreign Affairs

(as introduced)

Report from the Committee on Foreign Affairs to accompany H.R. 1425

COMMENTS

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  3. Senate Committees: Categories and Rules for Committee Assignments

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  24. South Carolina considers its energy future through state Senate committee

    COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina Senate on Thursday started its homework assignment of coming up with a comprehensive bill to guide energy policy in a rapidly growing state and amid a quickly changing power- generation world. The Special Committee on South Carolina's Energy Future plans several meetings through October.

  25. NY State Senate Bill 2023-S9895

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  26. South Carolina considers its energy future through state Senate committee

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  27. NY State Senate Bill 2023-S9899

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  29. H.R. 1425

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