III

Calendar No. 472

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. RES. 227

To improve the operations of the Senate.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JUNE 16 (legislative day, JUNE 7), 1994

Mr. FORD, from the Committee on Rules and Administration, reported the following original resolution; which was placed on the calendar

RESOLUTION

To improve the operations of the Senate.

1 Resolved,

2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE AND TABLE OF CONTENTS.

3 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This resolution may be cited as

4 the ‘‘Senate Procedures Reform Resolution of 1994’’.

5 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents is

6 as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents.

Sec. 2. Senate committee structure.

Sec. 3. Senate committee scheduling.

Sec. 4. Senate committee attendance.

Sec. 5. Report of unexpended funds.

Sec. 6. Effective date.
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1 SEC. 2. SENATE COMMITTEE STRUCTURE.

2 Paragraphs 2, 3, and 4 of rule XXV of the Standing

3 Rules of the Senate are amended to read as follows:

4 ‘‘2. Except as otherwise provided by paragraph 4 of

5 this rule, each of the following standing committees shall

6 consist of the number of Senators set forth in the follow7 ing table on the line on which the name of that committee

8 appears:

‘‘Committee: Members

‘‘Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry ......................................... 17

‘‘Appropriations ........................................................................... 28

‘‘Armed Services .......................................................................... 16

‘‘Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs ...................................... 14

‘‘Commerce, Science, and Transportation ................................... 16

‘‘Energy and Natural Resources ................................................. 17

‘‘Environment and Public Works ................................................ 13

‘‘Finance ...................................................................................... 19

‘‘Foreign Relations ...................................................................... 14

‘‘Governmental Affairs ................................................................. 16

‘‘Judiciary .................................................................................... 16

‘‘Labor and Human Resources .................................................... 14

9 ‘‘3. (a) Except as otherwise provided by paragraph

10 4 of this rule, each of the following committees shall con11 sist of the number of Senators (or Senate members, in

12 the case of a joint committee) set forth in the following

13 table on the line on which the name of that committee

14 appears:

‘‘Committee: Members

‘‘Aging .......................................................................................... 14

‘‘Budget ....................................................................................... 21

‘‘Joint Economic .......................................................................... 10

‘‘Rules and Administration .......................................................... 11

‘‘Small Business ........................................................................... 19

‘‘Veterans’ Affairs ........................................................................ 11

15 ‘‘(b) The following committees shall consist of the

16 number of Senators set forth in the following table:
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‘‘Committee: Members

‘‘Ethics ......................................................................................... 6

‘‘Indian Affairs ............................................................................ 14

‘‘Intelligence ................................................................................. 13

1 ‘‘4. (a)(1) Except as otherwise provided by this para2 graph—

3 ‘‘(A) each Senator may serve on only two com4 mittees listed in paragraph 2; and

5 ‘‘(B) each Senator may serve on only one com6 mittee listed in paragraph 3(a).

7 ‘‘(2) No Senator may serve on—

8 ‘‘(A) both the Committee on Appropriations

9 and the Committee on Finance; or

10 ‘‘(B) both the Committee on Armed Services

11 and the Committee on Foreign Relations.

12 ‘‘(b)(1) Each Senator may serve on not more than

13 two subcommittees of each committee (other than the

14 Committee on Appropriations) listed in paragraph 2 of

15 which he is a member.

16 ‘‘(2) Each Senator may serve on not more than one

17 subcommittee of a committee listed in paragraph 3(a) of

18 which he is a member.

19 ‘‘(3) Notwithstanding subparagraphs (1) and (2), a

20 Senator serving as chairman or ranking minority member

21 of a standing, select, or special committee of the Senate

22 or joint committee of the Congress may serve ex officio,
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1 without vote, as a member of any subcommittee of such

2 committee or joint committee.

3 ‘‘(4) No committee of the Senate may establish any

4 subunit of that committee other than a subcommittee, un5 less the Senate by resolution has given permission there6 for. For purposes of this subparagraph, any subunit of

7 a joint committee shall be treated as a subcommittee.

8 ‘‘(c) By agreement entered into by the majority lead9 er and the minority leader, the membership of one or more

10 standing committees may be increased temporarily from

11 time to time by such number or numbers as may be re12 quired to accord to the majority party a majority of the

13 membership of all standing committees. When any such

14 temporary increase is necessary to accord to the majority

15 party a majority of the membership of all standing com16 mittees, members of the majority party in such number

17 as may be required for that purpose may serve as mem18 bers of three standing committees listed in paragraph 2.

19 No such temporary increase in the membership of any

20 standing committee under this subparagraph shall be con21 tinued in effect after the need therefor has ended. No

22 standing committee may be increased in membership

23 under this subparagraph by more than two members in

24 excess of the number prescribed for that committee by

25 paragraph 2 or 3(a).
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1 ‘‘(d) A Senator may serve as a member of any joint

2 committee of the Congress the Senate members of which

3 are required by law to be appointed from a standing com4 mittee of the Senate of which the Senator is a member,

5 and service as a member of any such joint committee shall

6 not be taken into account for purposes of subparagraph

7 (a)(1).

8 ‘‘(e)(1) No Senator shall serve at any time as chair9 man of more than one standing, select, or special commit10 tee of the Senate or joint committee of the Congress, ex11 cept that a Senator may serve as chairman of any joint

12 committee of the Congress having jurisdiction with respect

13 to a subject matter which is directly related to the jurisdic14 tion of a standing committee of which he is chairman.

15 ‘‘(2) A Senator who is serving as the chairman of

16 a committee listed in paragraph 2 may serve at any time

17 as the chairman of only one subcommittee of all commit18 tees listed in paragraph 2 of which he is a member and

19 may serve at any time as the chairman of only one sub20 committee of each committee listed in paragraph 3(a) of

21 which he is a member. A Senator who is serving as the

22 chairman of a committee listed in paragraph 3(a) may not

23 serve as the chairman of any subcommittee of that com24 mittee, and may serve at any time as the chairman of only

25 one subcommittee of each committee listed in paragraph
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1 2 of which he is a member. Any other Senator may serve

2 as the chairman of only one subcommittee of each commit3 tee listed in paragraph 2 or 3(a) of which he is a member.

4 ‘‘(f) The provisions of this paragraph may only be

5 waived by the Senate by a resolution designating the Sen6 ator or Senators receiving the waiver and adopted by an

7 affirmative yea-and-nay vote of the Senators duly chosen

8 and sworn. The resolution shall be offered by the majority

9 leader with the approval of the minority leader. The reso10 lution shall be privileged and no amendment thereto shall

11 be in order. Debate on the resolution shall be limited to

12 one hour, equally divided.’’.

13 SEC. 3. SENATE COMMITTEE SCHEDULING.

14 Paragraph 3 of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of

15 the Senate is amended to read as follows:

16 ‘‘3. (a) Each standing committee (except the Commit17 tee on Appropriations) shall fix regular weekly, biweekly,

18 or monthly meeting days for the transaction of business

19 before the committee and additional meetings may be

20 called by the chairman as the chairman may deem nec21 essary.

22 ‘‘(b)(1) The provisions of this subparagraph apply to

23 the committees’ meetings (including meetings to conduct

24 hearings) of committees listed in paragraphs 2 and 3(a)

25 of rule XXV held on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.
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1 ‘‘(2) On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, only those com2 mittees listed in paragraph 2 of rule XXV (except the

3 Committee on Appropriations) shall meet for the trans4 action of business before the committee.

5 ‘‘(3) On Thursdays, only those committees listed in

6 paragraph 3(a) of rule XXV (except the Committee on the

7 Budget) shall meet for the transaction of business before

8 the committee.

9 ‘‘(4) Subcommittees of a full committee referred to

10 in division (2) or (3) may only meet on a day that the

11 full committee may meet. Subcommittees may not meet

12 when the full committee is meeting.

13 ‘‘(5) No committee referred to in division (2) or (3)

14 or any subcommittee thereof may meet, without special

15 leave, on a day on which such committee or subcommittee

16 is not authorized to meet unless consent therefore has

17 been obtained from the majority leader and the minority

18 leader (or in the event of the absence of either of such

19 leader, from the designee of the leaders). The majority

20 leader or the designee of the majority leader shall an21 nounce to the Senate whenever consent has been given

22 under this division and shall state the time and place of

23 such meeting. The right to make such announcement of

24 consent shall have the same priority as the filing of a clo25 ture motion.
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1 ‘‘(c) If at least three members of any standing com2 mittee (except the Committee on Appropriations) desire

3 that a special meeting of the committee be called by the

4 chairman and subject to the provisions of subparagraph

5 (b), those members may file in the offices of the committee

6 their written request to the chairman for that special

7 meeting. Immediately upon the filing of the request, the

8 clerk of the committee shall notify the chairman of the

9 filing of the request. If, within three calendar days after

10 the filing of the request, the chairman does not call the

11 requested special meeting, to be held within seven calendar

12 days after the filing of the request, a majority of the mem13 bers of the committee may file in the offices of the commit14 tee their written notice that a special meeting of the com15 mittee will be held, specifying the date and hour of that

16 special meeting. The committee shall meet on that date

17 and hour. Immediately upon the filing of the notice, the

18 clerk of the committee shall notify all members of the com19 mittee that such special meeting will be held and inform

20 them of its date and hour. If the chairman of any such

21 committee is not present at any regular, additional, or spe22 cial meeting of the committee, the ranking member of the

23 majority party on the committee who is present shall pre24 side at that meeting.’’.
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1 SEC. 4. SENATE COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE.

2 Rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate is

3 amended by adding at the end thereof the following:

4 ‘‘(14) The chairman of each committee of the

5 Senate shall maintain a record of committee attend6 ance and voting records that shall be available to the

7 public.’’.

8 SEC. 5. REPORT OF UNEXPENDED FUNDS.

9 Not later than January 31, 1995, and by that date

10 each year thereafter, the Secretary of the Senate shall cer11 tify and publish in the Congressional Record a list identi12 fying each member of the Senate who has used less than

13 the amount allocated to the personal office of the member

14 during the preceding fiscal year and the amount of such

15 unused allocation.

16 SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.

17 This resolution and the amendments made by this

18 resolution shall take effect on January 3, 1995.
Calendar No. 472

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. RES. 227

RESOLUTION

To improve the operations of the Senate.

JUNE 16 (legislative day, JUNE 7), 1994

Placed on the calendar