IV 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 344 

Directing the Speaker of the House of Representatives to direct, for the 

purpose of interpreting Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance 

with respect to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, that 

the definition of ‘‘congressional staff’’ employed by an ‘‘official office’’ 

shall include all committee staff, all joint committee staff, and all staff 

employed by leadership offices of the House of Representatives. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013 

Mr. GOHMERT submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on House Administration 

RESOLUTION 

Directing the Speaker of the House of Representatives to 

direct, for the purpose of interpreting Office of Personnel 

Management (OPM) guidance with respect to the Patient 

Protection and Affordable Care Act, that the definition 

of ‘‘congressional staff’’ employed by an ‘‘official office’’ 

shall include all committee staff, all joint committee 

staff, and all staff employed by leadership offices of 

the House of Representatives. 

Whereas on March 23, 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111–148), was signed into 

law; 

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•HRES 344 IH 

Whereas there is a requirement in the Act that ‘‘Members of 

Congress’’ and ‘‘congressional staff’’ who wish to purchase health insurance through their employer purchase 

health plans ‘‘offered through an Exchange established 

under’’ the Act starting in 2014; 

Whereas the Act defines congressional staff as ‘‘all full-time 

and part-time employees employed by the official office of 

a Member of Congress, whether in Washington, DC or 

outside of Washington, DC’’; 

Whereas ‘‘official office’’ is not defined under current statutory or regulatory laws; 

Whereas according to the Office of Personnel Management 

(OPM), ‘‘[b]ecause there is not an existing statutory or 

regulatory definition of official office,’’ OPM defers to the 

‘‘employing office of the Member of Congress’’ to determine ‘‘whether an employed individual meets the statutory definition’’ of congressional staff for purposes of the 

Act; 

Whereas currently ‘‘congressional employee’’, as defined in 

accordance with section 8901 of title 5, United States 

Code (the statute determining eligibility for enrollment in 

the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHBP) Program), includes each Member’s respective personal staffs, 

staffs of House and Senate leadership offices, other committee staff, and administrative office staff; 

Whereas the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act does 

not amend section 8901 of title 5, United States Code, 

and therefore does not change the current definition of 

‘‘congressional employee’’; and 

Whereas because the committee staff, joint committee staff, 

and staff employed by leadership offices do not meet the 

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•HRES 344 IH 

definition of congressional employee under the Act, they 

are excluded from the requirement: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Speaker of the House of Rep2 resentatives shall direct, for the purpose of interpreting 

3 Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance with re4 spect to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 

5 that the definition of ‘‘congressional staff’’ employed by 

6 an ‘‘official office’’ shall include all committee staff, all 

7 joint committee staff, and all staff employed by leadership 

8 offices of the House of Representatives. 

Æ 

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