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Section 1. There shall be the following standing committees which shall serve and shall continue throughout the year: To consist of thirty-seven Senators: Finance To consist of twenty-five Senators: Rules To consist of twenty-three Senators: Judiciary To consist of nineteen Senators: Banks Transportation Education Higher Education Insurance To consist of seventeen Senators: Health To consist of sixteen Senators: Codes Labor To consist of thirteen Senators: Crime Victims, Crime and Correction Environmental Conservation Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs To consist of eleven Senators: Aging Civil Service and Pensions Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business Energy and Telecommunications Agriculture Consumer Protection Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Racing, Gaming and Wagering To consist of nine Senators: Elections Housing, Construction and Community Development Infrastructure and Capital Investment Investigations and Government Operations Local Government To consist of six Senators: Children and Families Cities Corporations, Authorities and Commissions Ethics Social Services Alcoholism and Drug Abuse a. The Republican Conference Leader, the Democratic Conference Leader and the Independent Democratic Conference Leader and their Deputies shall be nonvoting ex-officio members of all standing committees of the Senate of which they are not actual members. As far as practicable, Senators shall be appointed to no more than seven standing committees. b. Term limits for chairs and ranking members. No chair or ranking member of a committee shall serve in such capacity longer than eight consecutive years. c. Conference membership of committees. The membership of all committees, unless otherwise provided by the act or resolution creating them, shall be composed, as nearly as may be, of Majority Coalition and Democratic Conference members in the same proportion as the number of Majority Coalition and Democratic Conference members in the Senate bears to the total membership of the Senate. For purposes of committee composition, in the event that the proportion of Majority Coalition members would result in a fractional amount, the number of Majority Coalition members shall be rounded up to the next whole number. Furthermore, the total number of Independent Democratic Conference members appointed to all committees shall be in the same proportion, as nearly as may be, as the number of Independence Democratic Conference members in the Senate bears to the total membership of the Senate. Further, in the case of an excused absence of any committee member on either the Finance or the Rules Committee, the Conference Leaders may designate an alternate member of the conference for meetings of standing committees provided written notice is provided and accepted by the Majority Coalition Leaders at least one hour prior to the commencement of such committee meeting. d. The provisions of the opening paragraph of this section and paragraph c of this section relative to the proportional membership on committees as well as the specific number of members to comprise each committee may be amended by resolution adopted by a majority of members elected.