Committee members reviewed a proposed modification to Senate Rule 2-8 that would permit the Senate president to request changes to committee membership or chairmanship during the interim with Management Council approval.

A former presiding officer who spoke to the committee said the existing Rule 2-8 prevents any change to committee membership or chairmanship unless the full Senate acts, and that restriction can impede necessary interim adjustments for reasons such as illness, death, or threats to member safety. Under the draft, the president could bring a request to the five elected members of Management Council — the president, vice president, majority floor leader, minority floor leader and the fifth elected member — and receive approval if two-thirds of that five-member group (effectively four members) consented.

The speaker said the mechanism would be limited to interim changes and would not replace the body's authority during the session, when any change still must go to the full Senate. He framed the proposal as a tool to address practical needs that arise during extended interim committee work and to protect member safety in extraordinary circumstances.

The committee heard that the proposal was designed to preserve minority protections by allowing supermajority thresholds and that the president could seek unanimous approval if warranted. No formal action or vote was recorded at the meeting; the item was presented for discussion and consideration.