IV

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. RES. 419

Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to provide for certain

changes in the bipartisan administrative oversight of House functions.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 5, 1994

Mr. MICHEL (for himself, Mr. GINGRICH, Mr. THOMAS of California, Mr.

ROBERTS, Mr. LIVINGSTON, Mr. BARRETT of Nebraska, Mr. BOEHNER,

and Ms. DUNN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred

jointly to the Committees on Rules and House Administration

RESOLUTION

Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to

provide for certain changes in the bipartisan administrative oversight of House functions.

1 Resolved,

2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

3 This resolution may be cited as the ‘‘House Adminis4 tration Reform Resolution of 1994’’.

5 SEC. 2. TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS TO THE DIRECTOR OF

6 NON-LEGISLATIVE AND FINANCIAL SERV7 ICES.

8 (a) Not later than the thirtieth day beginning after

9 the date of adoption of this resolution, the following func-
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1 tions and entities shall be transferred to the Director of

2 Non-Legislative and Financial Services: Office of Em3 ployee Assistance, Finance Office, pay and mileage of

4 Members, House Information Systems, Office Furnish5 ings, Office Supply Service, Office Systems Management,

6 Placement Office, Special Services Office, Telecommuni7 cations, Barber Shop, Beauty Shop, House Restaurant

8 System, Office of Photography, House Postal Operations,

9 Child Care Center, Printing Services, Recording Studio,

10 and Records and Registration.

11 (b) Not later than the sixtieth day beginning after

12 the date of adoption of this resolution, the following func13 tions and entities shall be transferred to the Director of

14 Non-Legislative and Financial Services: House Parking

15 Facilities, Publication Distribution Services, and House

16 Document Room.

17 SEC. 3. HOUSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS.

18 Upon transfer of House Information Systems to the

19 Director of Non-Legislative and Financial Services, House

20 Information Systems shall be responsible for video tele21 conferencing, INTERNET access, and related technology

22 services in the House.

23 SEC. 4. MAJORITY AND MINORITY PRINTERS.

24 The Committee on House Administration shall, not

25 later than the thirtieth day beginning after the date of
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1 adoption of this resolution, provide for implementation of

2 the recommendations contained in the report of the mem3 bers of the House Task Force on Printing dated January

4 22, 1992 (regarding review of the majority and minority

5 print facilities), except that these operations shall be used

6 only for official purposes and shall be eliminated as soon

7 as practicable or as otherwise directed by the Subcommit8 tee on Administrative Oversight of the Committee on

9 House Administration. Not later than the thirtieth day be10 ginning after the earlier of:

11 (1) the date of compliance with the foregoing

12 provision, or

13 (2) the thirtieth day after the date of adoption

14 of this resolution, the Offices of the Majority and

15 Minority Printers shall be transferred by the Sub16 committee on Administrative Oversight to the Direc17 tor of Non-Legislative and Financial Services, to be

18 operated as structured on the date of transfer until

19 further notice by the subcommittee.

20 The subcommittee shall direct that these operations be

21 eliminated no later than January 22, 1997.

22 SEC. 5. OPERATION OF THE CLOAKROOMS.

23 Upon adoption of this resolution, responsibility for

24 operation of the Democratic and Republican cloakrooms
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1 shall be transferred to the Speaker and the Republican

2 leader, respectively.

3 SEC. 6. AMENDMENTS TO RULE VI RELATING TO THE RE4 SPONSIBILITIES OF THE DIRECTOR.

5 In House Rule VI, clause 1, strike paragraph (c) and

6 insert in lieu thereof the following new paragraph:

7 ‘‘(c) The Director shall have operational and financial

8 responsibility for functions assigned by resolution of the

9 House, or by the Subcommittee on Administrative Over10 sight. The Director shall report to the subcommittee on

11 all matters, and shall be responsible for simultaneous bi12 partisan notification of the Members of the subcommittee

13 on all matters. The Director may also notify, or respond

14 to inquiries from, the Speaker, the majority leader, and

15 the minority leader on any matter.’’.

16 In House Rule VI, clause 1(d), strike paragraph (d)

17 and insert in lieu thereof the following new paragraph:

18 ‘‘(d) The Director shall develop employment stand19 ards that provide that all employment decisions for func20 tions under the Director’s supervision be made in accord21 ance with the duties commensurate with pay provision of

22 clause 8 of rule XLIII, and with the nondiscrimination

23 provisions of clause 9 of rule XLIII and rule LI, without

24 regard to political affiliation, and solely on the basis of

25 fitness to perform the duties involved. The Director shall
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1 review and study, on a continuing basis, the application

2 and implementation of such standards and shall imme3 diately report any violation, or potential violation, to the

4 Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight.’’.

5 SEC. 7. AMENDMENT TO RULE VI RELATING TO EMPLOY6 MENT DECISIONS BY THE DIRECTOR.

7 In House Rule VI, clause 1, add the following new

8 paragraph:

9 ‘‘(f) Employment decisions and other administrative

10 decisions made by the Director shall be final unless other11 wise directed by a majority of the members of the Sub12 committee on Administrative Oversight. The Speaker, the

13 majority leader, and the minority leader shall be informed

14 by the chairman of the subcommittee of any such action

15 by the subcommittee and the explanation or rationale

16 therefore no later than seven days after the date of such

17 action.’’.

18 SEC. 8. AMENDMENT TO RULE VI RELATING TO POLICY

19 RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE DIRECTOR.

20 In House Rule VI, clause 1, add the following new

21 paragraph:

22 ‘‘(g) Policy recommendations made by the Director

23 pertaining to the operation of the functions assigned to

24 the Director shall become effective no later than the thirti25 eth day after the receipt of notification by the Subcommit-
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1 tee on Administrative Oversight unless otherwise directed

2 by majority vote of the subcommittee.’’.

3 SEC. 9. AMENDMENT TO RULE VI RELATING TO SEMI4 ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE DIRECTOR.

5 In House Rule VI, clause 1, add the following new

6 paragraph:

7 ‘‘(h) In addition to any other reports required by the

8 Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight, the Director

9 shall, commencing with the semiannual period beginning

10 on January 1, 1994, and ending on June 30, 1994, and

11 for each semiannual period thereafter, report not later

12 than thirty days following the close of the semiannual pe13 riod to the subcommittee on the financial and operational

14 status of each function assigned to the Director. Such re15 ports shall include financial statements, a description or

16 explanation of current operations and the implementation

17 of policies adopted by the subcommittee or by the Director

18 under subparagraph (g), and future goals or plans for

19 each function.’’.

20 SEC. 10. AMENDMENTS TO RULE X RELATING TO THE RE21 SPONSIBILITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON

22 HOUSE ADMINISTRATION.

23 In House Rule X, clause 4(d)(3), strike: ‘‘providing

24 for transfers of functions and entities with respect to the

25 Clerk, Sergeant-at-Arms, Doorkeeper, and,’’ and insert in
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1 lieu thereof the following: ‘‘recommending to the Sub2 committee on Administrative Oversight additional trans3 fers of functions and entities to the.’’.

4 In House Rule X, clause 4(d), strike subparagraph

5 (4) in its entirety.

6 SEC. 11. REGULATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE ON HOUSE

7 ADMINISTRATION.

8 (a) The Committee on House Administration shall es9 tablish a process for bipartisan involvement by members

10 of the Committee in the formulation, promulgation, and

11 review of implementation of regulations of the Committee,

12 and for making available to the public any exceptions to

13 the regulations of the Committee which may be granted

14 thereafter.

15 (b) The Committee on House Administration shall,

16 prior to adjournment sine die of the current Congress,

17 conduct a comprehensive, bipartisan review of the regula18 tions of the Committee and eliminate, to the extent pos19 sible, ambiguities and obsolete provisions therein.

20 SEC. 12. AMENDMENTS TO RULE X RELATING TO ROTAT21 ING CHAIRMEN OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON

22 ADMINISTRATIVE OVERSIGHT.

23 In House Rule X, clause 3(j)(1), strike ‘‘by the chair24 man of the Committee on House Administration.’’ and in25 sert in lieu thereof the following: ‘‘alternately in each suc-
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1 ceeding year by the Chairman or the ranking minority

2 party member of the Committee on House Administration

3 beginning in the year after the year in which this rule is

4 adopted.’’.

5 SEC. 13. AMENDMENTS TO RULE X RELATING TO THE RE6 SPONSIBILITIES OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON

7 ADMINISTRATIVE OVERSIGHT.

8 In House Rule X, clause 3(j), strike subparagraph

9 (3) and insert in lieu thereof the following new subpara10 graphs:

11 ‘‘(3) The subcommittee shall review and study,

12 on a continuing basis, the application, administra13 tion, execution, and effectiveness of policies within

14 its jurisdiction to determine whether such policies

15 and the programs thereunder are being implemented

16 and carried out in accordance with the intent of the

17 subcommittee.

18 ‘‘(4) Any matter pertaining to the functions

19 and entities within the jurisdiction of the Sub20 committee on Administrative Oversight shall be re21 ferred only to that subcommittee for consideration,

22 subsequent referral for policy direction, or final dis23 position. In no case may any matter pertaining to

24 the functions and entities within the jurisdiction of

25 the subcommittee be acted upon by the full commit-
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1 tee, or referred to any other subcommittee, without

2 the affirmative concurrence of a majority of the

3 members of the subcommittee.

4 ‘‘(5) The Subcommittee on Administrative

5 Oversight shall provide for transfers of functions

6 and entities to the Director of Non-legislative and

7 Financial Services as may be necessary for the im8 provement of non-legislative and financial services in

9 the House. Upon failure of the subcommittee, by

10 reason of a tie vote, to adopt such a motion to trans11 fer the Speaker, the majority leader and the minor12 ity leader acting jointly may direct the transfer.

13 ‘‘(6) Except in the case of a proposal to report

14 to the House, any action taken by the Subcommittee

15 on Administrative Oversight with regard to any mat16 ter pertaining to the functions and entities within

17 the jurisdiction of the subcommittee shall be deemed

18 to be taken on behalf of the full committee.

19 ‘‘(7) The regular meeting date of the Sub20 committee on Administrative Oversight shall be the

21 first Thursday on which the House is in session in

22 each calendar quarter unless otherwise agreed to by

23 a majority of the members of the subcommittee.

24 ‘‘(8) The Speaker, the majority leader, the mi25 nority leader, and the chairman and ranking minor-
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1 ity party member of the Committee on House Ad2 ministration shall be informed by the chairman of

3 the subcommittee of any matter that, by reason of

4 a tie vote, cannot be resolved by the subcommittee.

5 Such notification shall occur no later than seven

6 days after the date of the tie vote.’’.

7 SEC. 14. SENSE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

8 It is the sense of the House of Representatives that

9 the changes in public law necessary to delineate the au10 thorities affected by this resolution should be enacted as

11 soon as possible.

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