Except as otherwise expressly provided, the compensation due to officers and employees subject to this chapter shall be certified by the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, respectively, to the Comptroller, who shall issue a warrant in accordance therewith.

(a) Any salary increase provided for state employees who are listed in the classified and unclassified service of the State of Alabama as defined in Section 36-26-10, whether provided for by legislative action, by action of the State Personnel Board, or by rules of the State Personnel Department, shall apply with equal force to all legislative personnel, officers, and employees, including, but not limited to, Legislative Reference Service personnel. Legislative personnel as herein referred to, who are employed on a full-time basis and such part-time employees with two or more years of continuous service, shall be entitled to the same number of annual increases as those provided for employees in the classified and unclassified service, and shall further be entitled to exceptional step raises as provided for by law or rules of the State Personnel Department and merit system when approved by the appointing authority.

(b) The Director of the State Personnel Department shall revise the schedules of rates set forth in the pay plan for all employees covered under this section to reflect any increases provided for herein and shall certify the same to the State Comptroller, who shall issue warrants in accordance therewith.

(c) For purposes of pay and employment benefits, rights, and privileges, all personnel employed pursuant to this chapter, other than those persons employed on a temporary or part-time basis, shall be treated as other employees of the state.

(a) The subordinate officers of the Senate consist of the Secretary of the Senate and an Assistant Secretary of the Senate. The Secretary of the Senate shall be a full-time employee, elected as provided by law, and compensated as provided in this chapter.

(b) The Secretary of the Senate, after serving in that capacity for nine successive years, shall attain continuing service status and may be removed only for cause by a vote of a majority of the members elected to the Senate after 10 days' notice of the intention to vote thereon together with a written notice of the cause for such removal. The service herein provided shall begin on the date of the original election to such office, whether such original election occurred prior to May 1, 1973, or otherwise. The Secretary of the Senate, after attaining continuing service status, shall not participate in political activities such as are prohibited by the Merit System Act in Section 36-26-38.

(c) The Assistant Secretary of the Senate shall serve only while the Legislature is in session. The Assistant Secretary of the Senate shall be elected by a majority vote of the Senate.

(d) Nothing herein shall prohibit the Assistant Secretary of the Senate from being employed as a legislative employee when the Legislature is not in session, but in no event shall he or she be paid or receive compensation for more than one employment at any one time.

(e) The Secretary of the Senate may appoint an administrative assistant. The administrative assistant to the Secretary shall serve at the pleasure of the Secretary and shall be paid from funds appropriated to the Legislature an amount fixed by the Secretary in accordance with that of comparable positions established under the State Merit System pay plan.

(f) The Secretary of the Senate may employ a chief clerk who shall be a full-time employee. The chief clerk shall serve at the pleasure of the Secretary of the Senate and shall be paid from funds appropriated to the Legislature an amount fixed by the Secretary in accordance with that of comparable positions established under the State Merit System pay plan.

The President of the Senate shall administer the oaths required to the subordinate officers of the Senate.

(a) The Secretary of the Senate shall receive an annual salary of such amount as has heretofore or as may hereafter be fixed by law, payable as the salaries of other state officers or employees are paid.

(b) The compensation of the Assistant Secretary of the Senate shall be fixed by the Secretary of the Senate.

(a) The Secretary of the Senate shall not retain any of the fees charged for the sale of copies of bills introduced in the Legislature. All such fees shall be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the General Fund and shall be used to cover the expenses of the Legislature.

(b) The Secretary of the Senate shall disclose his or her personal income in the same manner and under the same statutes as apply to all other members of the legislative branch of government.

In addition to the duties otherwise imposed upon or required of the Secretary of the Senate, he or she shall have all of the following duties:

(1) To at all times constitute an information bureau for the members of the Senate and the general public insofar as it is possible to obtain the information required.

(2) To make for the Senate a list, by caption or title, of all bills introduced and all bills reported by the several standing committees.

(3) To make available to each member of the Senate a copy of each act passed which is printed in pamphlet form.

(4) To furnish the Legislative Reference Service, for indexing purposes, a copy of each bill enrolled.

(a) The elected members of the Legislative Council of the Senate of the State of Alabama shall regulate, with the advice of the Secretary of the Senate, the employees of the Senate, except pages, and fix the exact number and compensation of employees who may be employed by the Senate in each category of employment and the exact amount of each legislative employee classification compensation. Following their employment by the elected members of the Legislative Council of the Senate of the State of Alabama, all Senate employees shall be under the control and supervision of the Secretary of the Senate.

(b) The elected members of the Legislative Council of the Senate of the State of Alabama may delegate such powers and duties as herein conferred upon it to the Secretary of the Senate.

Senate pages shall be selected or appointed as provided by resolution of the Senate.

In the selection of the employees of the Legislature, there shall be no discrimination on account of sex, race, creed, or color.

(a) The subordinate officers of the House of Representatives consist of the Clerk of the House of Representatives and an Assistant Clerk of the House of Representatives. The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall be a full-time employee, elected as provided by law, and compensated as provided in this chapter.

(b) The Clerk of the House of Representatives, after serving in that capacity for nine successive years, shall attain continuing service status and may be removed only for cause by a vote of a majority of the members elected to the House of Representatives after 10 days' notice of the intention to vote thereon together with a written notice of the cause for such removal. The service herein provided shall begin on the date of the original election to such office, whether such original election occurred prior to May 20, 1996, or otherwise. The Clerk of the House of Representatives, after attaining continuing service status, shall not participate in political activities such as are prohibited by the Merit System Act in Section 36-26-38.

(c) The Assistant Clerk of the House of Representatives shall serve only while the Legislature is in session. The Assistant Clerk of the House of Representatives shall be appointed by the Clerk of the House of Representatives with the approval of the Speaker of the House.

(d) Nothing herein shall prohibit the Assistant Clerk of the House of Representatives from being employed as a legislative employee when the Legislature is not in session, but in no event shall he or she be paid or receive compensation for more than one employment at any one time.

(e) The Clerk of the House of Representatives may appoint an administrative assistant. The administrative assistant to the Clerk shall serve at the pleasure of the Clerk and shall be paid from funds appropriated to the Legislature an amount fixed by the Clerk in accordance with that of comparable positions established under the State Merit System pay plan.

(f) The Clerk of the House of Representatives may employ a chief clerk who shall be a full-time employee. The chief clerk shall serve at the pleasure of the Clerk of the House of Representatives and shall be paid from funds appropriated to the Legislature an amount fixed by the Clerk of the House of Representatives in accordance with that of comparable positions established under the State Merit System pay plan.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall administer the oaths required to the subordinate officers of the House of Representatives.

(a) The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall receive an annual salary of such amount as has heretofore or as may hereafter be fixed by law, payable as the salaries of other state officers or employees are paid.

(b) The compensation of the Assistant Clerk of the House of Representatives shall be fixed by the Clerk of the House of Representatives.

(a) The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall not retain any of the fees charged for the sale of copies of bills introduced in the Legislature. All such fees shall be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the General Fund and shall be used to cover the expenses of the Legislature.

(b) The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall disclose his or her personal income in the same manner and under the same statutes as apply to all other members of the legislative branch of government.

In addition to the duties otherwise imposed upon or required of the Clerk of the House of Representatives, he or she shall have all of the following duties:

(1) To at all times constitute an information bureau for the members of the House of Representatives and the general public insofar as it is possible to obtain the information required.

(2) To make for the House of Representatives a list, by caption or title, of all bills introduced and all bills reported by the several standing committees.

(3) To make available to each member of the House of Representatives a copy of each act passed which is printed in pamphlet form.

(4) To furnish the Legislative Reference Service, for indexing purposes, a copy of each bill enrolled.

(a) The members of the Legislative Council of the House of Representatives shall regulate, with the advice of the Clerk of the House of Representatives, the employees of the House of Representatives, except pages, and fix the exact number and compensation of employees who may be employed by the House of Representatives in each category of employment and the exact amount of each legislative employee classification compensation. Following their employment by the members of the Legislative Council of the House of Representatives, all employees of the House of Representatives shall be under the control and supervision of the Clerk of the House of Representatives.

(b) The members of the Legislative Council of the House of Representatives may delegate such powers and duties as herein conferred upon it to the Clerk of the House of Representatives.

House pages shall be appointed by the Clerk of the House of Representatives.

(a) Security personnel employed by the House of Representatives and the Senate shall be responsible for the security of the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth floors of the Alabama State House, such other areas within the Alabama State House as are used by the Legislature, and such other areas in accordance with Section 29-1-19.

(b) The security officers employed under this chapter shall have the powers of peace officers in this state and may exercise those powers only in the areas designated in subsection (a).

Every department, agency, and bureau of the State of Alabama shall assist in any manner requested by the Legislature in assuring the security of the areas of the Alabama State House designated in subsection (a).

(a) Within the authority delegated by the elected members of the Legislative Council from the Senate and the members of the Legislative Council from the House of Representatives to the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, respectively, the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives shall furnish to each joint committee for which staff assistance is not provided in the act creating the joint committee, the staff assistance reasonably necessary to enable the committee to perform its assigned function.

(b) Staff furnished pursuant to this section shall be compensated as other legislative staff at rates approved by the elected members of the Legislative Council of the Senate and members of the Legislative Council of the House of Representatives.

(c) For purposes of this section, staff assistance includes, but is not limited to, secretaries, consultants, and technical or professional persons.

In addition to any and all other employees authorized by this chapter, the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate may employ word processing employees, operators, programmers, maintenance technicians, specialists, supervisors, and managers for such personnel as the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate deem necessary.

Actions under this article requiring the approval of the elected members of the Legislative Council from the Senate and the members of the Legislative Council from the House of Representatives may be taken only if approved by both a majority vote of the elected members of the Legislative Council from the Senate and a majority vote of the members of the Legislative Council from the House of Representatives.

(a) Any Alabama state trooper who retires, and who has not reached the age of 65, may be employed or reemployed as a guard, marshal, or doorkeeper for either house of the Legislature without regard to the laws of the State Merit System or to the State Employees' Retirement System.

(b) The retirement benefits of such a retired employee which have accrued prior to employment as a guard, marshal, or doorkeeper for the Legislature shall not be suspended or decreased because of the subsequent employment in any such capacity with the Legislature.

The Office of the Lieutenant Governor shall be separate and distinct from the Legislature, any state agency, entity, or official. The Lieutenant Governor may appoint, without regard to the State Merit System law, such personnel as may be necessary to carry out the duties and functions of the office. The compensation of personnel so employed shall be fixed by the Lieutenant Governor in accordance with that of comparable positions established under the State Merit System pay plan. The Lieutenant Governor may prescribe the duties and responsibilities of the personnel of the office. All personnel appointed pursuant to this section shall serve at the pleasure of the Lieutenant Governor making the appointment.

Compensation of personnel employed pursuant to this section shall be payable as the salaries of other state employees are paid. The compensation of those personnel shall be paid from funds appropriated to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. The compensation, expense allowances, or other emoluments due those personnel shall be certified by the Lieutenant Governor to the Comptroller who shall issue a warrant therefor from funds appropriated to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.

Business travel by the Lieutenant Governor and by the personnel of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor shall be approved by the Lieutenant Governor and shall be paid from funds appropriated to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. The Lieutenant Governor shall have authority to purchase, lease, or contract for equipment, supplies, and services for use by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and pay for the equipment, supplies, and services from funds appropriated to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. For purposes of purchasing, leasing, or contracting for equipment, supplies, or services, the Office of Lieutenant Governor shall be deemed a part of the Legislative Department.

(a) It is lawful and permissible for any public employee who has retired under the Employees' Retirement System or the Judicial Retirement Fund to be employed with the House of Representatives, the Senate, the Department of the Examiners of Public Accounts, the Legislative Fiscal Office, or the Legislative Reference Service if the person so employed is physically and mentally capable of performing the required work in the opinion of the employing authority, is not employed in a permanent full-time capacity, does not replace a full-time employee, and does not receive compensation and expenses, other than reimbursement of normally reimbursable employee expenses, in excess of the base allowed under federal Social Security for a person age 67, as set from year to year, for any legislative session in a calendar year.

(b) A retiree employed under this section shall continue to receive all retirement benefits which the retiree would normally receive if he or she were not so employed, subject to the limitations of this section.

(c) The responsibility for compliance with this section is placed upon the employing authority and each retiree employed under this section shall certify to the employer any information required for compliance with this section.

(d) Nothing in this section or any other provision of law shall prevent a person age 65 or over who has retired under the Employees' Retirement System or the Judicial Retirement Fund from performing services for the House of Representatives, the Senate, the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts, the Legislative Fiscal Office, or the Legislative Reference Service as an independent contractor without regard to the limitations in subsection (a).

The Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall be separate and distinct from the Legislature, any state agency, entity, or official. The Speaker of the House of Representatives may appoint, without regard to the State Merit System law, such personnel as may be necessary to carry out the duties and functions of the office. The compensation of personnel so employed shall be fixed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives in accordance with that of comparable positions established under the State Merit System pay plan. The Speaker of the House of Representatives may prescribe the duties and responsibilities of the personnel of the office. All personnel appointed pursuant to this section shall serve at the pleasure of the Speaker of the House of Representatives making the appointment.

Compensation of personnel employed pursuant to this section shall be payable as the salaries of other state employees are paid. The compensation of those personnel shall be paid from funds appropriated to the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The compensation, expense allowances, or other emoluments due those personnel shall be certified by the Speaker of the House of Representatives to the Comptroller who shall issue a warrant therefor from funds appropriated to the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Business travel by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and by the personnel of the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall be approved by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and shall be paid from funds appropriated to the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall have authority to purchase, lease, or contract for equipment, supplies, and services for use by the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and pay for the equipment, supplies, and services from funds appropriated to the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.