Page:Spanish Constitution.djvu/17

Constitució Espanyola  arrest and may be arrested only in the event of flagrante delicto. They may be neither indicted nor tried without prior authorization of their respective House.


 * 3. In criminal proceedings brought against Members of Congress and Senators, the competent court shall be the Criminal Section of the Supreme Court.


 * 4. Members of Congress and Senators shall receive a salary to be determined by the respective House.

Section 72


 * 1. The Houses lay down their own Standing Orders, adopt their budgets autonomously and, by common agreement, regulate the Personnel Statute of the Cortes Generales. The Standing Orders and their reform shall be subject to a final vote over the whole text, which shall require the overall majority.


 * 2. The Houses elect their respective Speakers and the other members of their Bureaus. Joint sittings shall be presided over by the Speaker of the Congress and shall be governed by the Standing Orders of the Cortes Generales approved by the overall majority of members of each House.


 * 3. The Speakers of the Houses shall exercise on their behalf all administrative powers and disciplinary functions within its premises.

Section 73


 * 1. The Houses shall meet annually for two ordinary periods of sessions: the first from September to December, and the second from February to June.


 * 2. The Houses may meet in extraordinary sessions at the request of the Government, of the Permanent Deputation or of the overall majority of members of either of the two Houses. Extraordinary sessions must be convened with a specific agenda and shall be adjourned once this has been dealt with.

Section 74


 * 1. The Houses shall meet in joint session in order to exercise the non legislative powers expressly conferred upon the Cortes Generales by Part II.


 * 2. The decisions of the Cortes Generales specified in sections 94(1), 145(2) and 158(2) shall be taken by a majority vote of each of the Houses. In the first case, the procedure shall be initiated by the Congress, and in the remaining two by the Senate. In any case, if an agreement is not reached between the Senate and the Congress, an attempt to reach agreement shall be made by a Mixed Committee consisting of an equal number of Members of Congress and Senators. The Committee shall submit a text which shall be voted on by both Houses. If this is not approved in the established manner, the Congress shall decide by overall majority.

Section 75


 * 1. The Houses shall convene in Plenary sittings and in Committees.


 * 2. The Houses may delegate to Standing Legislative Committees the approval of Government or non-governmental bills. However, the Plenary sitting may at any time demand that any Government or non-governmental bill that has been so delegated be debated and voted upon by the Plenary itself.


 * 3. Excluded from the provisions of the foregoing paragraph are constitutional reform, international affairs, organic and basic acts and the Budget.

Section 76


 * 1. The Congress and the Senate and, when appropriate, both Houses jointly, may appoint enquiryinquiry [sic] committees on any matter of public interest. Their conclusions shall not be binding on the Courts, nor shall they affect judicial decisions, but the results of investigations may be referred to the Public Prosecutor for the exercise of appropriate action whenever necessary.


 * 2. It shall be compulsory to appear when summoned by the Houses. The law shall regulate penalties to be imposed for failure to comply with this obligation.

Section 77


 * 1. The Houses may receive individual and collective petitions, always in writing; direct submission by citizens' demonstrations is prohibited.

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