Legislative Budget Commission.

(1) There is created the Legislative Budget Commission, which is the joint Legislative Budget Commission created in s. 19, Art. III of the State Constitution, composed of seven members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate and seven members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Each member shall serve at the pleasure of the officer who appointed the member. A vacancy on the commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. From November of each odd-numbered year through October of each even-numbered year, the chairperson of the commission shall be appointed by the President of the Senate and the vice chairperson of the commission shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. From November of each even-numbered year through October of each odd-numbered year, the chairperson of the commission shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the vice chairperson of the commission shall be appointed by the President of the Senate. The terms of members shall be for 2 years and shall run from the organization of one Legislature to the organization of the next Legislature.

(2) The Legislative Budget Commission shall be governed by joint rules of the Senate and the House of Representatives which shall remain in effect until repealed or amended by concurrent resolution.

(3) The commission shall convene at the call of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives at least quarterly. A majority of the commission members of each house plus one additional member from either house constitutes a quorum. Action by the commission requires a majority vote of the members present of each house.

(4) The commission may conduct its meetings through teleconferences or other similar means.

(5) The commission shall be staffed by legislative staff members, as assigned by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(6) The commission has the power and duty to:

(a) Review and approve or disapprove budget amendments recommended by the Governor or the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court as provided in chapter 216.

(b) Develop the long-range financial outlook described in s. 19, Art. III of the State Constitution.

(c) Exercise all other powers and perform any other duties prescribed by the Legislature.

(7) The commission shall review proposed budget amendments associated with information technology that involve more than one agency, that have an outcome that impacts another agency, or that exceed $500,000 in total cost over a 1-year period.

(8) The commission may convene to transfer or appropriate unappropriated surplus funds to the Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund created under s. 252.3711.