Joint rules committee
(a)
There is hereby created the Joint Rules Committee which shall be comprised of the combined membership of the Assembly Committee on Rules and the Senate Committee on Rules as specified in this article and two other Members of the Senate, one to be elected by the party having the largest number of Members in the Senate and one to be elected by the party having the second largest number of Members. The committee herein created has a continuing existence and may meet and act during sessions of the Legislature or any recess thereof and in the interim periods between sessions. The committee shall have all the powers and authority provided in Section 11 of Article IV of the Constitution of California, this title, and in the joint rules of the Legislature. Any action of the committee shall require an affirmative vote of not less than a majority of the Senate members and a majority of the Assembly members of the committee, except that any action which involves or anticipates the expenditure or allocation of funds shall require an affirmative vote of at least two thirds of the Senate members and two thirds of the Assembly members. Any reference in any code or statute to the Joint Committee on Legislative Organization shall be deemed a reference to the Joint Rules Committee.
(b)
Notwithstanding any other provision of law or rule, neither the Chairman nor any member or agent of the Joint Rules Committee shall have the power to perform any action on behalf of the committee, including but not limited to the making of contracts, the payment of claims, the allocation of office space, or the hiring or dismissal of staff, without the express authorization of two thirds of the membership of the committee. Such authorization shall apply only to the matter or matters under immediate consideration.