Sections 1 to 3 [Professional Technical Contracts] implement changes to the process the house of representatives, senate, and the LCC follow when engaging in professional or technical consulting contracts.  These changes parallel changes enacted in 2013 for the executive branch agencies.  The sections:

• clarify that no professional or technical contracts may be awarded if there are legislative staff available to provide the service;
• increase the threshold for requiring public notice of the availability of a contract from the current level of $5,000 to $25,000;
• delete the requirement that the legislature participate in the Department of Administration program related to awards to small business; and
• require legislative offices to report contracts to the Legislative Reference Library on an annual basis rather than monthly.

 Section 4 [LCC Chair] provides for the LCC chair to rotate between the speaker of the house of representative and the president of the senate on a biennial basis, rather than the current annual basis.  This section is effective January 1, 2017.  As a result of this change, the chair will rotate as follows in upcoming years:

• CY 2015:  House
• CY 2016:  Senate
• CY 2017-2018:  House
• CY 2019-2020:  Senate

Section 5 [Legacy Web Site] requires agencies to submit annual legacy fund project reports to the LCC electronically.  This section is effective August 1, 2015.

Sections 6 to 8 [Retirement Provisions] clarify that part-time legislative staff participate in the State Retirement System and that temporary, session-only staff do not participate in the State Retirement System.  These sections are effective retroactively to March 28, 2013.

Section 9 [Effective Date] sets effective dates for sections 4 and 6 to 8 as noted above.  Sections 1 to 3 and 5 are effective August 1, 2015.