It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 22-3-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 22-3 entitled "Organization of General Assembly" is hereby amended to read as follows:

{DEL 22-3-2. Organization of senate -- Clerk. -- DEL} {ADD 22-3-2. Organization of senate -- Clerks. -- ADD} At the time specified in section 22-3-17, the senate shall be called to order by the lieutenant governor, or, in the lieutenant governor's absence, by the secretary of state. The roll of members as appears by the list of senators shall then be called by the clerk, and the list shall be corrected by the secretary of state as provided above. In the absence of the lieutenant governor, the senate shall then proceed to elect one of their members to preside. If twenty-five (25) of the members whose names appear upon the lists are present, but not otherwise, the senate shall then organize by electing a {ADD reading clerk and a recording ADD} clerk, and shall forthwith notify the house of representatives that it is duly organized and ready to proceed with the business of the session. The {DEL clerk DEL} {ADD clerks shall be employees of the legislative department under the jurisdiction and control of the senate, and ADD} shall hold office for two (2) years, and until {DEL his or her successor is DEL} {ADD their successors are ADD} elected and qualified. {ADD The unexpended balance of the appropriation for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1994, heretofore allocated to the office of the secretary of state to pay the wages and other benefits of his or her designee as secretary of the senate shall, within ten (10) days after the effective date of this act, be transferred to the joint committee on legislative services for the purpose of paying the wages and other benefits of the recording clerk. ADD}

SECTION 2. {ADD Notwithstanding the provisions of section 22-3-2 of the general laws, the senate may, at any time after the effective date of this section, elect a recording clerk for the years 1993-1994 who shall hold office until the senate next organizes pursuant to section 22-3-2 on the first Tuesday in January of 1995 and until his or her successor is elected and qualified. ADD}

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. Section 1 of this act shall take effect upon the senate's election of a recording clerk in accordance with Section 2 hereof.