IV
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. RES. 125
Providing for reform of the House of Representatives.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 10, 1993
Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota submitted the following resolution; which was
referred jointly to the Committees on Rules and House Administration
RESOLUTION
Providing for reform of the House of Representatives.
Resolved,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This resolution may be cited as the ‘‘House of Rep-
resentatives Reform Resolution of 1993’’.
SEC. 2. SELECTION OF SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRMEN IN THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Clause 6(a) of rule X of the Rules of the House of
Representatives is amended by inserting at the end the
following new subparagraph:
‘‘(3) As soon as practicable after the commencement
of each Congress, the chairman of each committee shall
appoint members of that committee to serve as chairmen
•HRES 125 IH
of its subcommittees. A vacancy in any subcommittee
chairmanship shall be filled in the manner in which the
original appointment was made.’’.
SEC. 3. REDUCTION IN COMMITTEE STAFFING.
The number of staff positions and the amount of
funding for such positions for each committee of the
House of Representatives in the One Hundred Sixth Con-
gress and each succeeding Congress may not exceed 50
percent of the number and amount for such committee in
the One Hundred Third Congress. The reductions re-
quired by the preceding sentence shall be carried out incre-
mentally, with approximately equal reductions to be imple-
mented for each of the 5 sessions of Congress beginning
with the first session of the One Hundred Fourth Con-
gress.
SEC. 4. REDUCTION IN CLERK HIRE STAFFING.
The number of clerk hire positions and the amount
of funding for such positions for each Member of the
House of Representatives in the One Hundred Sixth Con-
gress and each succeeding Congress may not exceed 50
percent of the number and amount for each Member in
the One Hundred Third Congress. The reductions re-
quired by the preceding sentence shall be carried out incre-
mentally, with approximately equal reductions to be imple-
mented for each of the 5 sessions of Congress beginning
•HRES 125 IH
with the first session of the One Hundred Fourth Con-
gress.
SEC. 5. ELIMINATION OF JOINT REFERRALS OF LEGISLA-
TION.
Clause 5(c) of rule X of the Rules of the House of
Representatives is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(c) In carrying out paragraphs (a) and (b) with re-
spect to any matter, the Speaker shall initially refer the
matter to one committee which he shall designate as the
committee of principal jurisdiction.’’.
SEC. 6. LIMITATION ON LENGTH OF SERVICE ON ANY COM-
MITTEE.
Clause 6 of rule X of the Rules of the House of Rep-
resentatives is amended by inserting at the end the follow-
ing:
‘‘(i)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of these
rules, no Member shall serve as a member of any commit-
tee for more than 8 years or as chairman of any committee
for more than 4 years.
‘‘(2) For purposes of paragraph (1)—
‘‘(A) any service performed as a member or
chairman of any committee for less than a full ses-
sion in any Congress shall be disregarded; and
•HRES 125 IH
‘‘(B) previous service on any committee before
the One Hundred Fourth Congress shall be dis-
regarded.’’.
SEC. 7. ELIMINATION OF SPECIAL-ORDER AND ONE-
MINUTE SPEECHES ON THE FLOOR OF THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Clause 2 of rule XIV of the Rules of the House of
Representatives is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new sentence: ‘‘The Speaker shall not recognize
any Member for the purpose of making a special-order or
one-minute speech.’’.
SEC. 8. ELIMINATION OF EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS.
Rule XXXIV of the Rules of the House of Represent-
atives is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘4. Extensions of remarks by Members may not be
inserted in the Congressional Record, except as they per-
tain to legislative matters before the House of Representa-
tives, its committees or subcommittees.’’.
SEC. 9. APPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN LAWS TO THE HOUSE.
(a) It is the policy of the House that the laws of the
United States set forth in subsection (b) should be amend-
ed to apply to the House of Representatives in the same
or similar manner as such laws apply to the Executive
Branch.
•HRES 125 IH
(b) Not later than September 15, 1993, the standing
committees of the House with subject matter jurisdiction
over the following laws of the United States shall report
to the House legislation to implement subsection (a):
(1) The National Labor Relations Act.
(2) The Occupational Safety Act and Health
Act of 1970.
(3) The Equal Pay Act of 1963.
(4) The Age Discrimination in Employment Act
of 1967.
(5) Section 552 of title 5, United States Code
(popularly known as the Freedom of Information
Act).
(6) Section 552a of title 5, United States Code
(popularly known as the Privacy Act of 1974).
(7) Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
(relating to equal employment opportunity).
Æ