§ 120-32.02. Legislative commissions' and committees' employees and consultants.
§120‑32.02. Legislative commissions' and committees' employees andconsultants.
(a) In the constructionof a statute creating, continuing, or modifying a commission or committee whosefunds are appropriated or transferred to the General Assembly or to theLegislative Services Commission for disbursement, unless that constructionwould be inconsistent with the manifest intent of the General Assembly orrepugnant to the context of the statute, the creation, continuation, ormodification of the commission or committee shall not be construed as a grantof authority to the commission or committee to hire its own employees or tocontract for consultant or other services.
(b) Notwithstanding anyother provision of law, a commission or committee whose funds are appropriatedor transferred to the General Assembly or to the Legislative ServicesCommission for disbursement and which has the power to contract for consultantsor hire employees, or both, may contract for consultants, or hire employees, orboth, only upon the prior approval of the Legislative Services Commission. Acontract for employment or consultant services by such a commission orcommittee is void and unenforceable unless approved by the Legislative ServicesCommission prior to the contract being entered into.
(c) This section shallnot apply to contracts of employment or for consultant services for standing orselect committees of either house of the General Assembly, or subcommitteesthereof, which shall be entered into by either the Speaker of the House or thePresident Pro Tempore of the Senate, as appropriate, and governed by theprovisions of G.S. 120‑35. (1987 (Reg. Sess., 1988), c.1100, s. 9.1.)