IV 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 314 
Establishing a Joint Select Committee on Earmark Reform. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 11, 2008 
Mr. HENSARLING (for himself and Mr. CAMPBELL of California) submitted 
the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Rules 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Establishing a Joint Select Committee on Earmark Reform. 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), 
SECTION 1. JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE ON EARMARK RE-
FORM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT AND COMPOSITION.—There is 
hereby established a Joint Select Committee on Earmark 
Reform. The joint select committee shall be composed of 
16 members as follows: 
(1) 8 Members of the House of Representatives, 
4 appointed from the majority party by the Speaker 
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of the House and 4 from the minority party by the 
minority leader; and 
(2) 8 Members of the Senate, 4 appointed from 
the majority party by the majority leader of the Sen-
ate and 4 from the minority party by the minority 
leader. 
A vacancy in the joint select committee shall not affect 
the power of the remaining members to execute the func-
tions of the joint select committee, and shall be filled in 
the same manner as the original selection. 
(b) STUDY AND REPORT.— 
(1) STUDY.—The joint select committee shall 
make a full study of the practices of the House, Sen-
ate, and executive branch regarding earmarks in au-
thorizing, appropriation, tax, and tariff measures. 
As part of the study, the joint select committee shall 
consider the efficacy of— 
(A) the disclosure requirements of clause 9 
of rule XXI and clause 17 of rule XXIII of the 
Rules of the House of Representatives, House 
Resolution 491, and rule XLIV of the Standing 
Rules of the Senate, and the definitions con-
tained therein; 
(B) requiring full transparency in the proc-
ess, with earmarks listed in bills at the outset 
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of the legislative process and continuing 
throughout consideration; 
(C) requiring that earmarks not be placed 
in any bill after initial committee consideration; 
(D) requiring that Members be permitted 
to offer amendments to remove earmarks at 
subcommittee, full committee, floor consider-
ation, and during conference committee meet-
ings; 
(E) requiring that bill sponsors and major-
ity and minority managers certify the validity of 
earmarks contained in their bills; 
(F) recommending changes to earmark re-
quests made by the executive branch through 
the annual budget submitted to Congress pur-
suant to section 1105 of title 31, United States 
Code; 
(G) requiring that House and Senate 
amendments meet earmark disclosure require-
ments, including amendments adopted pursuant 
to a special order of business; and 
(H) establishing new categories for ear-
marks, including— 
(i) projects with National scope; 
(ii) military projects; and 
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(iii) local or provincial projects, in-
cluding the level of matching funds re-
quired for such project. 
(2) REPORT.— 
(A) The joint select committee shall submit 
to the House and the Senate a report of its 
findings and recommendations not later than 6 
months after adoption of this concurrent resolu-
tion. 
(B) No recommendation shall be made by 
the joint select committee except upon the ma-
jority vote of the members from each House, re-
spectively. 
(C) Notwithstanding any other provision of 
this resolution, any recommendation with re-
spect to the rules and procedures of one House 
that only affects matters related solely to that 
House may only be made and voted on by mem-
bers of the joint select committee from that 
House and, upon its adoption by a majority of 
such members, shall be considered to have been 
adopted by the full committee as a rec-
ommendation of the joint select committee. 
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In conducting the study under paragraph (1), the 
joint select committee shall hold not fewer than 5 
public hearings. 
(c) RESOURCES AND DISSOLUTION.— 
(1) The joint select committee may utilize the 
resources of the House and Senate. 
(2) The joint select committee shall cease to 
exist 30 days after the submission of the report de-
scribed in subsection (a)(2). 
(d) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section, the 
term ‘‘earmark’’ shall include congressional earmarks, 
congressionally directed spending items, limited tax bene-
fits, or limited tariff benefits as those terms are used in 
clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Rep-
resentatives and rule XLIV of the Standing Rules of the 
Senate. Nothing in this subsection shall confine the study 
of the joint select committee or otherwise limit its rec-
ommendations. 
SEC. 2. MORATORIUM ON EARMARKS IN THE HOUSE. 
In the House, for the remainder of the 110th Con-
gress, it shall not be in order to consider a bill, joint reso-
lution, or conference report containing a congressional 
earmark, limited tax benefit, or limited tariff benefit (as 
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such terms are used in clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules 
of the House of Representatives). 
Æ 
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