KRS 6.248: Authorization of joint primary and cosponsorship of similar bills in opposite

chambers -- Petition -- Approval -- Withdrawal -- Forms.

(1) If a bill is introduced in the Senate or the House of Representatives, and a

substantially similar bill is introdu ced in the opposite chamber, the primary

sponsors of each of the bills may jointly petition the Committee on Committees in

each chamber to authorize joint primary and cosponsorship by members of both

chambers of one or both bills.

(2) The petition shall be approved if jointly agreed to by both the Committee on

Committees in the Senate and the Committee on Committees in the House of

Representatives. The approval shall become effective upon receipt by the Senate

and House clerks of a properly completed form as provided in subsection (6) of this

section and subsequent report to both chambers of the authorized joint primary and

cosponsorship of a bill or bills.

(3) Upon the petition approval becoming effective, the primary sponsors and existing

cosponsors from b oth chambers shall be listed in the Legislative Record as joint

primary and cosponsors of one or both bills as follows:

(a) The primary Senate sponsor shall be listed as first sponsor of a Senate bill and

the primary House sponsor shall be listed as first sponsor of a House bill. The

primary sponsor from the opposite chamber shall be listed immediately after

the first sponsor.

(b) Cosponsors from both chambers shall be listed after the primary sponsors,

with Senate cosponsors listed first on Senate bills and House cosponsors listed

first on House bills. Cosponsors from the opposite chamber shall be listed

immediately after cosponsors from the chamber of origin.

(4) Any member wishing to cosponsor a bill of the opposite chamber for which a

petition approval h as become effective pursuant to this section may be allowed to

cosponsor upon motion made and adopted in the chamber of that member.

(5) Any sponsor or cosponsor of a bill, pursuant to this section, may withdraw

sponsorship or cosponsorship upon motion mad e and adopted in the chamber of

which the sponsor or cosponsor is a member.

(6) The staff of the Legislative Research Commission shall develop a form by which

primary sponsors pursuant to subsection (1) of this section may jointly petition the

Senate and House Committees on Committees and by which the Senate and House

Committees on Committees may, by signatures of their chairs, indicate written

approval.