(a) All appointments of public officers which are subject to confirmation by the senate shall be received, considered and acted upon in the manner provided by rules of the senate. Appointments shall be confirmed by the senate only by an affirmative vote of a majority of the senate.

(b) If a majority of the senate votes on the question of confirmation of an appointment to an office and the appointment is not confirmed, the office shall become vacant at that time.

(c) An appointing authority may withdraw an appointment from consideration by the senate at any time before confirmation if:

(1) The appointing authority withdrawing the appointment is the same person, or a body having the same members, as the appointing authority that made the appointment; or

(2) the person or body withdrawing the appointment is a successor to the appointing authority that made the appointment and the appointment was made to fill a vacancy occurring after the person or body was elected to succeed the appointing authority.

(d) If a majority of the senate votes on the question of confirmation of an appointment to an office and the appointment is not confirmed, the appointing authority which made the appointment shall not subsequently appoint to the same office the person who failed to be confirmed.

(e) If an appointment to a public office is subject to confirmation by the senate, any appointment to fill a vacancy in an unexpired term of that office shall also be subject to confirmation by the senate.

(f) As used in this section “majority of the senate” means a majority of all members of the senate then elected (or appointed) and qualified.