To establish a uniform appointment process and term of service for the Architect of the Capitol, the Comptroller General, and the Librarian of Congress, to prohibit the annual amount of payment of compensation to such officers to exceed the annual salary of a Member of Congress, and for other purposes.

Summary: Legislative Branch Officer Appointment Act of 2005 - Establishes a uniform appointment process and term of service for the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), the Comptroller General, and the Librarian of Congress. Prohibits the annual compensation paid to such officers from exceeding the annual salary of a Member of Congress.

Reduces the term of service of the Comptroller General from 15 to 10 years.

Repeals federal law regarding the Comptroller General's retirement annuity.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Legislative Branch Officer 
Appointment Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL.

    (a) Appointment and Term of Service.--
            (1) Appointment.--The Architect of the Capitol shall be 
        appointed jointly by the Speaker of the House of 
        Representatives, the Majority Leader of the Senate, and the 
        Minority Leaders of the House of Representatives and Senate.
            (2) Term of service.--The Architect of the Capitol shall be 
        appointed for a term of 10 years, and may be reappointed for 
        additional terms.
            (3) Conforming amendment.--Section 319 of the Legislative 
        Branch Appropriations Act, 1990 (2 U.S.C. 1801) is repealed.
            (4) Effective date.--This subsection shall apply with 
        respect to appointments made on or after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act.
    (b) Limit on Total Annual Amount of Compensation.--
            (1) Limit.--Section 1(1) of Public Law 96-146 (2 U.S.C. 
        1802) is amended to read as follows:
            ``(1) the compensation of the Architect of the Capitol 
        shall be at an annual rate which is equal to the higher of the 
        annual salary for the Sergeant at Arms of the House of 
        Representatives or the annual salary for the Sergeant at Arms 
        of the Senate, and the total amount of compensation paid to the 
        Architect of the Capitol in any year, including salary and any 
        other payments (but excluding the value of any retirement, 
        health, or other benefits), may not exceed the annual rate of 
        pay for a Member of Congress for the year, and''.
            (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) 
        shall apply with respect to compensation paid for any period 
        beginning on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. COMPTROLLER GENERAL.

    (a) Appointment and Term of Service.--
            (1) Appointment.--Section 703(a) of title 31, United States 
        Code, is amended to read as follows:
    ``(a) The Comptroller General shall be appointed jointly by the 
Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Majority Leader of the 
Senate, and the Minority Leaders of the House of Representatives and 
Senate.''.
            (2) Term of service.--Section 703(b) of such title is 
        amended by striking ``15 years'' and inserting ``10 years''.
            (3) Effective date.--The amendments made by this subsection 
        shall apply with respect to appointments made, and to 
        individuals first appointed, on or after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act.
    (b) Limit on Total Annual Amount of Compensation.--
            (1) Limit.--Section 703(f) of such title is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``(f) The annual rate'' and 
                inserting ``(f)(1) The annual rate'';
                    (B) by striking ``(1)'' and ``(2)'' and inserting 
                ``(A)'' and ``(B)''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
            ``(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the total 
        amount of compensation paid to the Comptroller General in any 
        year, including salary and any other payments (but excluding 
        the value of any retirement, health, or other benefits), may 
        not exceed the annual rate of pay for a Member of Congress for 
        the year.''.
            (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) 
        shall apply with respect to compensation paid for any period 
        beginning on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (c) Equalization of Retirement Annuity.--
            (1) In general.--Section 772 of title 31, United States 
        Code, is repealed.
            (2) Conforming amendments.--Title 31, United States Code, 
        is amended as follows:
                    (A) In section 735(a), by striking ``772, 775(a) 
                and (d)'' and inserting ``or 775(b)''.
                    (B) In the second sentence of section 773(a), by 
                striking ``or if an election is made'' and all that 
                follows and inserting a period.
                    (C) In section 774(b)(2), by striking ``or while 
                receiving an annuity under section 772 of this title''.
                    (D) In section 775--
                            (i) by striking subsections (a) and (b) and 
                        redesignating subsections (c) through (f) as 
                        subsections (a) through (d);
                            (ii) in subsection (a) (as so 
                        redesignated)--
                                    (I) by striking ``sections 772 and 
                                773'' and inserting ``section 773'', 
                                and
                                    (II) by striking ``subsection (d)'' 
                                and inserting ``subsection (b)'';
                            (iii) in subsection (c) (as so 
                        redesignated), by striking ``subsection (c) or 
                        (d)'' and inserting ``subsection (a) or (b)''; 
                        and
                            (iv) in subsection (d) (as so 
                        redesignated)--
                                    (I) by striking ``sections 772 and 
                                773'' and inserting ``section 773'', 
                                and
                                    (II) by striking ``subsection (d)'' 
                                and inserting ``subsection (b)''.
                    (E) In section 776(d)(1), by striking ``section 
                775(d)'' and inserting ``section 775(b)''.
                    (F) In section 777(b), by striking the first 
                sentence.
            (3) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections for 
        subchapter V of chapter 7 of subtitle I of title 31, United 
        States Code, is amended by striking the item relating to 
        section 772.

SEC. 4. LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS.

    (a) Appointment and Term of Service.--
            (1) Appointment; rules and regulations.--The Librarian of 
        Congress shall be appointed jointly by the Speaker of the House 
        of Representatives, the Majority Leader of the Senate, and the 
        Minority Leaders of the House of Representatives and Senate. 
        The Librarian shall make rules and regulations for the 
        government of the Library of Congress.
            (2) Term of service.--The Librarian of Congress shall be 
        appointed for a term of 10 years, and may be reappointed for 
        additional terms.
            (3) Conforming amendment.--The first paragraph under the 
        heading ``Library of Congress'' in the first section of the Act 
        entitled ``An Act making appropriations for the legislative, 
        executive, and judicial expenses of the Government for fiscal 
        year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight, 
        and for other purposes'', approved February 19, 1897 (29 Stat. 
        546; 2 U.S.C. 136), is repealed.
            (4) Effective date.--This subsection and the amendments 
        made by this subsection shall apply with respect to 
        appointments made on or after the date of the enactment of this 
        Act.
    (b) Limit on Total Annual Amount of Compensation.--
            (1) Limit.--Section 904 of the Supplemental Appropriations 
        Act, 1983 (2 U.S.C. 136a-2) is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph 
                (1);
                    (B) by striking the period at the end of paragraph 
                (2) and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
            ``(3) the total amount of compensation paid to the 
        Librarian of Congress in any year, including salary and any 
        other payments (but excluding the value of any retirement, 
        health, or other benefits), may not exceed the annual rate of 
        pay for a Member of Congress for the year.''.
            (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) 
        shall apply with respect to compensation paid for any period 
        beginning on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.