I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5845 

To prohibit Members of the House of Representatives from using their congressional offices for personal overnight accommodations and to amend 

the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a deduction for living 

expenses incurred by Members of the House of Representatives, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 16, 2018 

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi (for himself, Ms. FUDGE, Mr. MCEACHIN, Mr. 

CLYBURN, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mrs. BEATTY, Mrs. DEMINGS, Ms. 

KELLY of Illinois, Ms. ADAMS, Ms. BASS, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Mr. HASTINGS, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of 

Texas, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. EVANS, 

Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. LEE, Mr. CLAY, Ms. 

WILSON of Florida, and Mr. AL GREEN of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, 

and in addition to the Committees on Rules, and Ethics, for a period to 

be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 

concerned 

A BILL 

To prohibit Members of the House of Representatives from 

using their congressional offices for personal overnight 

accommodations and to amend the Internal Revenue 

Code of 1986 to allow a deduction for living expenses 

incurred by Members of the House of Representatives, 

and for other purposes. 


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•HR 5845 IH

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘No Couches for Con5 gress Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PROHIBITING MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REP7 RESENTATIVES FROM USING OFFICES FOR 

8 PERSONAL OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATIONS; 

9 REQUIRING ETHICS COMMITTEE TO RE10 SPOND TO COMPLAINTS FILED BY MEMBERS. 

11 (a) PROHIBITING MEMBERS FROM USING OFFICES

12 FOR PERSONAL OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATIONS.—Rule 

13 XXIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives is 

14 amended— 

15 (1) by redesignating clause 18 as clause 19; 

16 and 

17 (2) by inserting after clause 17 the following 

18 new clause: 

19 ‘‘18. A Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner 

20 may not use the Member’s, Delegate’s, or Resident Com21 missioner’s office for personal overnight accommodations, 

22 and may not use official resources of the House, including 

23 employees of the House, to support the use of such office 

24 for such purpose.’’. 


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•HR 5845 IH

1 (b) REQUIRING HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE TO RE2 SPOND TO COMPLAINTS FILED BY MEMBERS.—Clause 

3 3(b)(2) of rule XI of the Rules of the House of Represent4 atives is amended by striking the period at the end of the 

5 first sentence in the matter following subdivision (C) and 

6 inserting the following: ‘‘, and, in the case of a complaint 

7 from a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner, 

8 shall promptly transmit to such Member, Delegate, or 

9 Resident Commissioner a written response containing an 

10 explanation for the delay in disposing of the complaint and 

11 the results of any investigation of the complaint.’’. 

12 (c) EXERCISE OF RULEMAKING POWERS.—The pro13 visions of this section are enacted— 

14 (1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of 

15 the House of Representatives, and as such they shall 

16 be considered as part of the rules of the House, and 

17 such rules shall supersede other rules only to the ex18 tent that they are inconsistent therewith; and 

19 (2) with full recognition of the constitutional 

20 right of the House of Representatives to change 

21 such rules (so far as relating to the House) at any 

22 time, in the same manner, and to the same extent 

23 as in the case of any other rule of the House. 


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•HR 5845 IH

1 SEC. 3. REINSTATING LIMITED DEDUCTION FOR LIVING EX2 PENSES INCURRED BY MEMBERS OF THE 

3 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The second sentence of section 

5 162(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended 

6 by inserting after ‘‘for income tax purposes’’ the following: 

7 ‘‘in any amount in the case of a Senator or in excess of 

8 $3,000 in the case of a Member of the House of Rep9 resentatives or a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to 

10 the Congress’’. 

11 (b) INFLATION ADJUSTMENT.—Section 162 of such 

12 Code is amended by redesignating subsection (s) as sub13 section (t) and by inserting after subsection (r) the fol14 lowing new subsection: 

15 ‘‘(s) INFLATION ADJUSTMENT.—In the case of a tax16 able year beginning after 2018, the $3,000 amount in sub17 section (a) shall be increased by an amount equal to— 

18 ‘‘(1) such dollar amount, multiplied by 

19 ‘‘(2) the cost-of-living adjustment determined 

20 under section 1(f)(3) for the calendar year in which 

21 the taxable year begins, determined by substituting 

22 ‘calendar year 1954’ for ‘calendar year 2016’ in sub23 paragraph (A)(ii) thereof. 

24 If any amount as adjusted under paragraph (1) is not a 

25 multiple of $50, such amount shall be rounded to the next 

26 lowest multiple of $50.’’. 


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•HR 5845 IH

1 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 

2 this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after 

3 December 31, 2018. 

Æ 


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