Part I.    GENERAL PROVISIONS

Chapter 3

ORGANS OF THE SEJM

Article 9

The organs of the Sejm shall be as follows:

1) the Marshal of the Sejm;

2) the Presidium of the Sejm;

3) the Council of Seniors;

4) Sejm committees.

Article 10

1. The Marshal of the Sejm shall:

1) safeguard the rights and dignity of the Sejm;

2) represent the Sejm;

3) summon the sittings of the Sejm;

4) preside over the debates of the Sejm;

5) ensure the operation and punctuality of the work of Sejm and its organs;

6) supervise the work of the Presidium of the Sejm and preside during its debates;

7) summon the Council of Seniors and preside during its debates;

8) after seeking the opinion of the Presidium of the Sejm, initiate the consideration of bills, draft resolutions and motions referred to the Sejm by State organs;

8a) initiate proceedings with documents submitted in matters related to Poland’s membership in the European Union;

9) fulfil tasks concerning relations with the Senate;

10) fulfil tasks concerning relations between the Sejm and the parliaments of other countries;

10a) fulfil tasks concerning relations between the Sejm and the institutions and other bodies of the European Union;

11) present periodic appraisals of the discharge by organs of State administration of their duties to the Sejm and its organs and Deputies; deliver relevant suggestions to the Prime Minister, to presidiums of Sejm committees and to the Deputies;

12) provide the Deputies with necessary assistance in their work, including ensuring the discharge by organs of government administration, organs of local government and other organizational units, of their duties to Deputies, as specified in the Act on the Exercise of the Mandate of a Deputy or Senator;

13) ensure order and decorum within the entire precincts of the Sejm and issue appropriate instructions for the maintenance of order, including those concerning the use of the Parliament Guard, if necessary;

14) promulgate, by means of an order, the Statutes of the Chancellery of the Sejm;

15) adopt, in consultation with the Rules and Deputies' Affairs Committee and the Presidium of the Sejm, the draft budget of the Chancellery of the Sejm and supervise its implementation;

16) after seeking the opinion of the Rules and Deputies' Affairs Committee, appoint and recall the Chief of the Chancellery of the Sejm;

17) after seeking the opinion of the Chief of the Chancellery of the Sejm, appoint and recall the Deputy Chiefs of the Chancellery of the Sejm;

18) undertake other activities resulting from the Standing Orders of the Sejm.

2. The Marshal of the Sejm shall also perform other duties provided for by the Constitution and statutes.

3. The Marshal of the Sejm may, within limits specified by him, be substituted by Vice-Marshals of the Sejm.

Article 11

The Presidium of the Sejm shall consist of the Marshal and Vice-Marshals of the Sejm.

Article 12

1. The Presidium of the Sejm shall:

1) after seeking the opinion of the Council of Seniors, establish a plan of work for the Sejm;

2) determine, at least 3 months in advance, the so called sitting weeks;

3) after seeking the opinion of the Rules and Deputies' Affairs Committee, issue interpretations of the Standing Orders of the Sejm;

4) express its opinion on matters referred to it by the Marshal of the Sejm;

5) organize co-operation between Sejm committees and coordinate their activities;

6) formulate the principles of organizing scholarly consultation for the benefit of the Sejm and its organs, of appointing consultants to the Sejm and utilization of the opinions and reports of experts;

7) undertake other activities resulting from the Standing Orders of the Sejm.

Article 13

1. The orders of the day and times of sittings of the Presidium of the Sejm shall be set by the Marshal of the Sejm.

2. The Chief of the Chancellery of the Sejm shall participate in the sittings of the Presidium of the Sejm in an advisory capacity. The Marshal of the Sejm may also invite other persons to take part in the sittings of the Presidium of the Sejm.

3. Minutes, to be signed by the Marshal of the Sejm, shall be made of the proceedings of the Presidium of the Sejm. Such minutes shall constitute the sole official record of the proceedings of a sitting of the Presidium of the Sejm.

4. The Presidium of the Sejm shall adopt resolutions by majority vote. In the event of parity of votes, the Marshal of the Sejm shall have a casting vote.

Article 14

There shall be a Council of Seniors, an organ ensuring co-operation between clubs in relation to matters connected with the activity and operation of the Sejm.

Article 15

1. The Council of Seniors shall consist of the Marshal and Vice-Marshals of the Sejm, the chairpersons of clubs or their deputies, or the representatives of alliances, referred to in Article 8, para. 5, and parliamentary clubs, if they represent at least 15 Deputies, as well as the representatives of parliamentary groups which on the day of the beginning of the term of office of the Sejm represented a separate list of candidates.

2. The Chief of the Chancellery of the Sejm shall participate in sittings of the Council of Seniors in an advisory capacity.

3. The Marshal of the Sejm may, on his own initiative or at the request of members of the Council of Seniors, invite other persons to a sitting of the Council.

Article 16

1. The Council of Seniors shall, in particular, express its opinion on:

1) draft plans for the work of the Sejm;

2) drafts of orders of the day for particular sittings of the Sejm and their times;

3) motions concerning the procedure for debate on individual items in orders of the day for a sitting of the Sejm;

4) motions concerning the election by the Sejm of its organs;

5) the tasks and discharge thereof by the Chancellery of the Sejm;

6) other matters referred to it by the Marshal or the Presidium of the Sejm.

2. The Marshal of the Sejm shall summon the Council of Seniors on his own initiative, or on the initiative of the Presidium of the Sejm, or at the request of a club having representation in the Council of Seniors or by a group of at least 15 Deputies.

3. A record of decisions taken at a sitting of the Council of Seniors shall be drawn up.

Article 17

1. Sejm committees are organs established for:

1) the consideration and preparation of matters under deliberation by the Sejm;

2) expression of their opinions on matters referred for their consideration by the Sejm, the Marshal of the Sejm or the Presidium of the Sejm.

2. The committees of the Sejm shall be supervisory organs of the Sejm, within the scope specified by the Constitution and statutes.

Article 18

1. The following standing committees shall be established:

1) Administration and Internal Affairs;

2) Special Services;

3) State Control

3a) European Union Affairs;

4) Education, Science and Youth;

5) Deputies’ Ethics;

6) repealed;

7) Public Finances;

8) Economic;

9) Infrastructure;

10) Physical Education and Sport;

11 Culture and Media;

12) Liaison with Poles Abroad;

13) National and Ethnic Minorities;

14) National Defence;

15) Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry;

16) Constitutional Accountability;

17) Social Policy and Family Affairs;

18) Rules and Deputies' Affairs;

19) Agriculture and Rural Development;

20) Local Government and Regional Policy;

21) State Treasury;

22) Foreign Affairs;

23) Justice and Human Rights;

24) Legislative;

25) Health.

2. The subject matter of activity of the committees referred to in para. 1, shall be specified in an appendix to the Standing Orders of the Sejm.

3. The Marshal of the Sejm shall, after seeking the opinion of the Presidium of the Sejm, distribute budgetary funds amongst the Sejm committees, taking into account the subject matter of activity of the committees, as referred to in para. 2.

Article 19

1. The Sejm may establish and dissolve special committees; upon the creation of any such committee, the Sejm shall define its aims, principles and procedures of operation.

2. The provisions of para. 1 shall also apply to committees established pursuant to Article 111 of the Constitution.

Article 20

1. The Sejm, on the motion of the Presidium of the Sejm in consultation with the Council of Seniors, shall determine, by means of resolution, the membership of committees.

2. The first meeting of a committee shall be summoned and presided over by the Marshal of the Sejm; at such meeting, the committee shall elect from amongst its members a presidium composed of a chairperson and his deputy.

3. A committee shall appoint and dismiss the members of its presidium by a majority vote in open voting.