§ 47-20-33 — Amendment of a nonfiscal retirement bill

(a) A nonfiscal retirement bill may be introduced at any time during the first 20 days of any regular session of the General Assembly. After its introduction into the General Assembly, a nonfiscal retirement bill may not be amended in any manner to cause the bill to become a retirement bill having a fiscal impact. Any amendment to such a bill shall be submitted to the state auditor by the chairman of the committee, if a committee amendment, or by the presiding officer of the Senate or House if the amendment was made by the Senate or House. If the state auditor certifies in writing that the amendment does not cause the bill to become a retirement bill having a fiscal impact, the bill, as amended, may continue in the legislative process as any other bill. If the state auditor will not issue such a certification for the amendment, the bill's progress in the legislative process will end, and the bill shall not be considered further by either the House or the Senate, and, if passed by the General Assembly, the bill shall not become law and shall stand repealed in its entirety on the first day of July immediately following its enactment. (b) An amendment to a nonfiscal retirement bill which is prohibited by subsection (a) of this Code section may be withdrawn by the committee which made the amendment, if a committee amendment, or by the Senate, if that body made the amendment, or by the House, if that body made the amendment. If the amendment is withdrawn, the bill may continue in the legislative process as any other bill, unless it is subsequently amended, and, in that event, this Code section shall apply to the subsequent amendment. (c) A nonfiscal retirement bill which is not amended during the legislative process may be considered as any other bill.