IA
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. J. RES. 48
To provide for the establishment of a Joint Committee on Intelligence.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 5, 1993
Mr. SOLOMON introduced the following joint resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Rules
JOINT RESOLUTION
To provide for the establishment of a Joint Committee on
Intelligence.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives
of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT.
There shall be established, at the beginning of the
first Congress beginning after the date of the enactment
of this joint resolution, a Joint Committee on Intelligence
(hereafter in this resolution referred to as the ‘‘joint com-
mittee’’).
SEC. 2. MEMBERSHIP.
(a) APPOINTMENT.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The joint committee shall be
composed of seven Members of the Senate and seven
Members of the House of Representatives to be ap-
pointed as follows:
(A) Four members of the Senate from the
majority party and three Members of the Sen-
ate from the minority party shall be appointed
by the President pro tempore of the Senate, in-
cluding at least one but not more than two
members from each of the following committees:
the Committee on Armed Services and the
Committee on Foreign Relations.
(B) Four members of the House of Rep-
resentatives from the majority party and three
Members of the House of Representatives from
the minority party shall be appointed by the
Speaker of the House, including at least one
but not more than two members from each of
the following committees: the Committee on
Armed Services and the Committee on Foreign
Affairs.
(2) EX OFFICIO MEMBERS.—The majority lead-
er and minority leader of the House of Representa-
tives and the majority leader and minority leader of
the Senate shall be ex officio members of the joint
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committee, but shall have no vote in the joint com-
mittee and shall not be counted for purposes of de-
termining a quorum.
(b) LENGTH OF SERVICE ON JOINT COMMITTEE.—
(1) GENERAL
RULE.—Members of the joint
committee shall be appointed to six year terms.
(2) EXCEPTIONS.—(A) Of the members of the
joint committee initially appointed, two Members
from the Senate, one from each party, and two
Members of the House of Representatives, one from
each party, shall be appointed to a term of two
years.
(B) Of the members of the joint committee ini-
tially appointed, two Members from the Senate, one
from each party, and two Members of the House of
Representatives, one from each party, shall be ap-
pointed to a term of four years.
(3) LIMITATIONS ON CONTINUOUS SERVICE.—
(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the
maximum period of continuous service for a Member
of Congress on the joint committee shall be six
years.
(B)(i) A member who begins service on the
joint committee as a replacement for a member who
has more than three years remaining in his term
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may serve continuously only for the remainder of
such term.
(ii) A member who begins service on the joint
committee as a replacement for a member who has
less than three years remaining in his term may
serve continuously for the remainder of such term
plus one subsequent six year term.
(iii) A member appointed to a term described in
paragraph (2) may serve continuously only for the
remainder of such term.
(c) VACANCIES.—Vacancies in the membership of the
joint committee shall not affect the power of the remaining
members to execute the functions of the joint committee,
and shall be filled in the same manner as in the case of
the original appointment, for terms as provided in sub-
section (b).
(d) CHAIRMAN
AND VICE CHAIRMAN.—The joint
committee shall have a chairman and a vice chairman. The
vice chairman shall act in the place and stead of the chair-
man in the absence of the chairman. The chairmanship
and the vice chairmanship of the joint committee shall al-
ternate between the Senate and the House of Representa-
tives with each session of a Congress. The chairman dur-
ing each odd-numbered year shall be selected by the Mem-
bers of the House of Representatives on the joint commit-
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tee from among their number and the chairman during
each even-numbered year shall be selected by the Members
of the Senate on the joint committee from among their
number. The vice chairman during each session of a Con-
gress shall be chosen in the same manner from that House
of Congress other than the House of Congress of which
the chairman is a Member.
(e) QUORUM.—Eight members of the joint committee
shall constitute a quorum for reporting any recommenda-
tion.
SEC. 3. DUTIES.
(a) JURISDICTION.—The joint committee shall exer-
cise exclusive legislative jurisdiction with respect to—
(1) any intelligence or counterintelligence activ-
ity conducted by any intelligence-gathering agency or
department of the Federal Government; and
(2) authorizations for appropriations, both di-
rect and indirect, for—
(A) the Central Intelligence Agency and
Director of Central Intelligence;
(B) the Defense Intelligence Agency;
(C) the National Security Agency; and
(D) the intelligence, counterintelligence,
and intelligence-related activities of other agen-
cies and departments of the Federal Govern-
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ment, including the Department of Defense, the
Department of State, and the Federal Bureau
of Investigation.
(b) OVERSIGHT OF INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES.—The
joint committee shall review and study on a continuing
basis any intelligence or counterintelligence activity con-
ducted by any agency or department of the Federal Gov-
ernment.
SEC. 4. POWERS.
(a) GENERAL POWERS.—The joint committee, or any
duly authorized subcommittee thereof, is authorized to sit
and act at such places and times during the sessions, re-
cesses, and adjourned periods of the Congress, to require
by subpoena the attendance of such witnesses and the pro-
duction of such books, papers, and documents, to admin-
ister such oaths and affirmations, to take such testimony,
to procure such printing and binding, and to make such
expenditures, as it considers advisable.
(b) SUBPOENAS.—Subpoenas may be issued over the
signature of the chairman of the joint committee or of any
member designated by the chairman or by the joint com-
mittee to the extent the chairman or such member is au-
thorized by a majority of the joint committee to issue such
subpoenas, and may be served by any person designated
by such chairman or member.
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shall disclose such information without proper authoriza-
tion, except in a closed session of the House of Represent-
atives or the Senate.
SEC. 7. EXPENSES.
The expenses of the joint committee shall be paid
one-half from the contingent fund of the House of Rep-
resentatives and one-half from the contingent fund of the
Senate, from funds appropriated for the joint committee,
upon vouchers approved by the chairman of the joint com-
mittee.
SEC. 8. REFERENCES TO INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEES.
Any reference in law to the Select Committee on In-
telligence of the Senate or to the Permanent Select Com-
mittee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives
shall, after the establishment of the joint committee, be
considered to be a reference to the joint committee.
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