Wikipedia

Clerk (legislature)

The clerk, chief clerk, secretary, or secretary general of a legislative chamber is the senior administrative officer responsible for ensuring that its business runs smoothly. This may encompass keeping custody of documents lain before the house, received, or produced; making records of proceedings; allocating office space; enrolling of members, and administering an oath of office. During the first sitting of a newly elected legislature, or when the current presiding officer steps down, they may act as the presiding officer in the election of a new presiding officer such as the speaker or president. The clerk in some cases has a ceremonial role. A clerk may also advise the speaker or members on parliamentary procedure, acting in American parlance as a "parliamentarian".

In the English speaking world, a parliamentary, legislative or congressional clerk is often used to refer to other officials who are involved with administrative operations within a legislature.

Appointment edit

In the Westminster system, the clerk is usually an apolitical civil servant, and typically attains the position through promotion and retains it until retirement. In the UK the Clerks of both houses are appointed by letters patent from the Sovereign.

In the United States, while clerks are usually nonpartisan, they are often elected by the assembly members at the beginning of each term. At the federal level, and typically at state level, the lower house has a "(chief) clerk" while the upper house has a "secretary".

Clerks of the House by legislature edit

Commonwealth edit

Legislature Clerk of sole or lower house Clerk of upper house Notes
  Parliament of Australia Clerk Clerk
  Parliament of Canada Clerk Clerk
—  Legislative Assembly of Alberta Clerk N/A Unicameral
—  Legislative Assembly of British Columbia Clerk N/A Unicameral
—  Legislative Assembly of Manitoba Clerk N/A Unicameral
—  Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Clerk N/A Unicameral
—  Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly Clerk N/A Unicameral
—  Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories Clerk N/A Unicameral
—  Nova Scotia House of Assembly Chief Clerk N/A Unicameral
—  Nunavut Legislative Assembly Clerk N/A Unicameral
—  Legislative Assembly of Ontario Clerk N/A Unicameral
—  Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island Clerk N/A Unicameral
—  National Assembly of Quebec Secretary General N/A Unicameral. The post of Secretary General was formerly called Greffier in French.[1]
—  Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan Clerk N/A Unicameral
—  Yukon Legislative Assembly Clerk N/A Unicameral
  Parliament of India Secretary General Secretary General
  Parliament of New Zealand Clerk N/A Unicameral. The Clerk of the upper house was called the Clerk of the Parliaments prior to abolition.[2]
  Parliament of the United Kingdom Clerk Clerk
—  Senedd (Wales) Chief Executive and Clerk N/A Unicameral
—  Tynwald (Isle of Man) Secretary Clerk Bicameral, however when the Houses are sitting together they become the Tynwald Court. The Clerk of Tynwald is ex-officio the Secretary of the House of Keys and the chief administrative officer for the entire Court.[3]

North America edit

Legislature Clerk of sole or lower house Clerk of upper house Notes
  Inatsisartut Director N/A [4]
  Congress of the Union Secretary General Secretary General
  United States Congress Clerk Secretary Elected every two years.
— Alabama Legislature Clerk Secretary The deputy to the Clerk of the House is called the Chief Clerk.
—  Alaska Legislature Chief Clerk Secretary
—  Arizona State Legislature Chief Clerk Secretary
—  Arkansas General Assembly Chief Clerk Secretary The Chief Clerk is appointed by the Speaker and confirmed by the House by simple majority.
—  California State Legislature Chief Clerk Secretary Elected every two years.
—  Colorado General Assembly Chief Clerk Secretary
—  Connecticut General Assembly Clerk Clerk
—  Delaware General Assembly Chief Clerk Secretary
—  Council of the District of Columbia Secretary N/A Federal District. Unicameral.
—  Florida Legislature Clerk Secretary
—  Georgia General Assembly Clerk Secretary
—  Hawaii Legislature Chief Clerk Clerk
—  Idaho Legislature Chief Clerk Secretary
—  Illinois General Assembly Clerk Secretary
—  Iowa General Assembly Chief Clerk Secretary
—  Kansas Legislature Chief Clerk Secretary [citation needed]
—  Kentucky General Assembly Chief Clerk Chief Clerk
—  Louisiana Legislature Clerk Secretary
—  Maine Legislature Clerk Secretary
—  Maryland General Assembly Chief Clerk Secretary
—  Massachusetts General Court Clerk Clerk
—  Michigan Legislature Clerk Secretary
—  Minnesota Legislature Chief Clerk Secretary
—  Mississippi Legislature Clerk Secretary
—  Missouri General Assembly Chief Clerk Secretary
—  Montana Legislature Chief Clerk Secretary
—  Nebraska Legislature Clerk N/A Unicameral. The current sole house was the Senate before the House of Representatives was abolished in 1936.
—  Nevada Legislature Chief Clerk Secretary
—  New Hampshire General Court Clerk Clerk
—  New Jersey Legislature Clerk Secretary
—  New Mexico Legislature Chief Clerk Chief Clerk
—  New York Legislature Clerk Secretary
—  North Carolina General Assembly Clerk Clerk
—  North Dakota Legislative Assembly Chief Clerk Secretary
—  Ohio General Assembly Clerk Clerk
—  Oklahoma Legislature Chief Clerk Secretary
—  Oregon Legislative Assembly Chief Clerk Secretary
—  Pennsylvania General Assembly Chief Clerk Secretary-Parliamentarian The Secretary-Parliamentarian acts as both the chief administrative officer and parliamentarian of the Senate.[5] The Senate also has a Chief Clerk, who is the chief fiscal officer, and holds other miscellaneous administrative duties.[6]
—  Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico Clerk Secretary Unincorporated territory of the United States.
—  Rhode Island General Assembly Clerk Secretary
—  South Carolina General Assembly Clerk Clerk
—  South Dakota Legislature Chief Clerk Secretary
—  Tennessee General Assembly Chief Clerk Chief Clerk
—  Texas Legislature Chief Clerk Secretary
—  Utah State Legislature Chief Clerk Secretary
—  Vermont General Assembly Clerk Secretary
—  Virginia General Assembly Clerk Clerk
—  Washington State Legislature Chief Clerk Secretary
—  West Virginia Legislature Clerk Clerk The House Clerk is ex-officio the Keeper of the Rolls of the Legislature.[7]
—  Wisconsin State Legislature Chief Clerk Chief Clerk
—  Wyoming State Legislature Chief Clerk Chief Clerk

Europe edit

Legislature Clerk of sole or lower house Clerk of upper house Notes
  National Assembly of Belarus Director of the Secretariat Director of the Secretariat

Asia edit

Legislature Clerk of sole or lower house Clerk of upper house Notes
  National People's Congress Secretary General N/A Unicameral, however the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress is a permanent body of the Congress which often acts as the national legislature.
—  Legislative Council of Hong Kong Secretary General N/A Unicameral
—  Legislative Assembly of Macau Secretary General N/A Unicameral
  Knesset Secretary N/A Unicameral

Other officials edit

This is a non-exhaustive list of some types of clerks.

Name Notes
Calendar clerk Responsible for the planning and upkeep of the legislative calendar.
Clerk assistant Sometimes used as the title for the deputy of the Clerk of the House. The Second clerk assistant is sometimes the title used for their deputy.
Committee clerk Responsible for the administrative operations of a parliamentary committee. The most senior committee clerk is sometimes known as the Clerk of Committees.
Journal clerk Responsible for the upkeep of the house's journal. The most senior journal clerk is sometimes known as the Clerk of the Journals.
Reading clerk Usually responsible for the oral reading of bills, motions and amendments in the United States. The Reading Clerk in the House of Lords is responsible for reading letters patents and writs of summons of newly created peers, as well as commissions granting Royal Assent, as well as recording daily attendance.[8]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Secrétaire général". Assemblee Nationale du Quebec. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Parliament's People". New Zealand History. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Roles of Members & Officers". Tynwald. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  4. ^ "Bureau for Inatsisartut Organisationsdiagram" (PDF). Inatsisartut. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  5. ^ Rules of the Senate of Pennsylvania (2023-2024). Rule 6 Duties of the Secretary-Parliamentarian. 3 January 2023.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link) CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. ^ Rules of the Senate of Pennsylvania (2023-2024). Rule 7 Duties of the Chief Clerk of the Senate. 3 January 2023.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link) CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. ^ Joint Rules of the Senate and House of Delegates. Rule 18 Record of Enrolled Bills.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  8. ^ Erskine May’s treatise on the law, privileges, proceedings and usage of Parliament (25th ed.). Part 1, Paragraph 6.33. 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2024.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link) CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

External links edit


 

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