Chapter 17-D: Permanent Standing Committees of the General Court

The house of representatives and the senate are authorized to designate permanent standing committees in such number as they may determine necessary. When created and designated by rule of the house and senate, such permanent standing committees shall exist, both during and between sessions, until the general court is dissolved; and they shall be empowered to exercise all lawful functions and authority of both standing and interim committees including, but not limited to, those powers provided by this chapter.

Each permanent standing committee of the house and senate shall meet at such times as they shall determine, and are authorized to adopt such rules of procedure as they deem advisable.

Each permanent standing committee of the house and senate is authorized to invite public officials and employees and private individuals to appear before it for the purpose of submitting information to it. Each such committee shall be authorized to maintain a continuous review of the work of the state agencies concerned with its subject area and the performance of the functions of government within each such subject area, and for this purpose, to request reports, from time to time in such form as the committee shall designate, concerning the operation of any state agency and presenting any proposals or recommendations such agency may have with regard to existing laws or proposed legislation in its subject area.

Each permanent standing committee of the house and senate shall prepare a report or reports of its findings and submit it to the speaker of the house and president of the senate prior to the time at which the session of the legislature by which the committee was established is dissolved.