H. Res. 5
In the House of Representatives, U.S.,
January 6, 1999.
Resolved, That the Rules of the House of Representa-
tives of the One Hundred Fifth Congress, including applica-
ble provisions of law or concurrent resolution that constituted
rules of the House at the end of the One Hundred Fifth Con-
gress, are adopted as the Rules of the House of Representa-
tives of the One Hundred Sixth Congress, with amendments
to the standing rules, and with other orders, as follows:
SECTION 1. CHANGES IN STANDING RULES.
Amend the standing rules to read as follows:
RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
RULE I.
THE SPEAKER.
Approval of the Journal
1. The Speaker shall take the Chair on every legislative
day precisely at the hour to which the House last adjourned
and immediately call the House to order. Having examined
and approved the Journal of the last day’s proceedings, the
Speaker shall announce to the House his approval thereof.
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The Speaker’s approval of the Journal shall be deemed
agreed to unless a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commis-
sioner demands a vote thereon. If such a vote is decided in
the affirmative, it shall not be subject to a motion to recon-
sider. If such a vote is decided in the negative, then one mo-
tion that the Journal be read shall be privileged, shall be de-
cided without debate, and shall not be subject to a motion to
reconsider.
Preservation of order
2. The Speaker shall preserve order and decorum and,
in case of disturbance or disorderly conduct in the galleries
or in the lobby, may cause the same to be cleared.
Control of Capitol facilities
3. Except as otherwise provided by rule or law, the
Speaker shall have general control of the Hall of the House,
the corridors and passages in the part of the Capitol assigned
to the use of the House, and the disposal of unappropriated
rooms in that part of the Capitol.
Signature of documents
4. The Speaker shall sign all acts and joint resolutions
passed by the two Houses and all writs, warrants, and sub-
poenas of, or issued by order of, the House. The Speaker may
sign enrolled bills and joint resolutions whether or not the
House is in session.
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Questions of order
5. The Speaker shall decide all questions of order, sub-
ject to appeal by a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commis-
sioner. On such an appeal a Member, Delegate, or Resident
Commissioner may not speak more than once without permis-
sion of the House.
Form of a question
6. The Speaker shall rise to put a question but may
state it sitting. The Speaker shall put a question in this form:
‘‘Those in favor (of the question), say ‘Aye.’ ’’; and after the
affirmative voice is expressed, ‘‘Those opposed, say ‘No.’ ’’.
After a vote by voice under this clause, the Speaker may use
such voting procedures as may be invoked under rule XX.
Discretion to vote
7. The Speaker is not required to vote in ordinary legis-
lative proceedings, except when his vote would be decisive or
when the House is engaged in voting by ballot.
Speaker pro tempore
8. (a) The Speaker may appoint a Member to perform
the duties of the Chair. Except as specified in paragraph (b),
such an appointment may not extend beyond three legislative
days.
(b)(1) In the case of his illness, the Speaker may ap-
point a Member to perform the duties of the Chair for a pe-
riod not exceeding 10 days, subject to the approval of the
House. If the Speaker is absent and has omitted to make
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such an appointment, then the House shall elect a Speaker
pro tempore to act during the absence of the Speaker.
(2) With the approval of the House, the Speaker may
appoint a Member to act as Speaker pro tempore only to sign
enrolled bills and joint resolutions for a specified period of
time.
Term limit
9. A person may not serve as Speaker for more than
four consecutive Congresses (disregarding for this purpose
any service for less than a full session in any Congress).
Designation of travel
10. The Speaker may designate a Member, Delegate,
Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House to
travel on the business of the House within or without the
United States, whether the House is meeting, has recessed,
or has adjourned. Expenses for such travel may be paid from
applicable accounts of the House described in clause 1(i)(1)
of rule X on vouchers approved and signed solely by the
Speaker.
Committee appointment
11. The Speaker shall appoint all select, joint, and con-
ference committees ordered by the House. At any time after
an original appointment, the Speaker may remove Members,
Delegates, or the Resident Commissioner from, or appoint
additional Members, Delegates, or the Resident Commissioner
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to, a select or conference committee. In appointing Members,
Delegates, or the Resident Commissioner to conference com-
mittees, the Speaker shall appoint no less than a majority
who generally supported the House position as determined by
the Speaker, shall name those who are primarily responsible
for the legislation, and shall, to the fullest extent feasible, in-
clude the principal proponents of the major provisions of the
bill or resolution passed or adopted by the House.
Declaration of recess
12. To suspend the business of the House for a short
time when no question is pending before the House, the
Speaker may declare a recess subject to the call of the Chair.
Other responsibilities
13. The Speaker, in consultation with the Minority
Leader, shall develop through an appropriate entity of the
House a system for drug testing in the House. The system
may provide for the testing of a Member, Delegate, Resident
Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House, and other-
wise shall be comparable in scope to the system for drug test-
ing in the executive branch pursuant to Executive Order
12564 (Sept. 15, 1986). The expenses of the system may be
paid from applicable accounts of the House for official ex-
penses.
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RULE II.
OTHER OFFICERS AND OFFICIALS.
Elections
1. There shall be elected at the commencement of each
Congress, to continue in office until their successors are cho-
sen and qualified, a Clerk, a Sergeant-at-Arms, a Chief Ad-
ministrative Officer, and a Chaplain. Each of these officers
shall take an oath to support the Constitution of the United
States, and for the true and faithful exercise of the duties of
his office to the best of his knowledge and ability, and to
keep the secrets of the House. Each of these officers shall ap-
point all of the employees of his department provided for by
law. The Clerk, Sergeant-at-Arms, and Chief Administrative
Officer may be removed by the House or by the Speaker.
Clerk
2. (a) At the commencement of the first session of each
Congress, the Clerk shall call the Members, Delegates, and
Resident Commissioner to order and proceed to record their
presence by States in alphabetical order, either by call of the
roll or by use of the electronic voting system. Pending the
election of a Speaker or Speaker pro tempore, the Clerk shall
preserve order and decorum and decide all questions of order,
subject to appeal by a Member, Delegate, or Resident Com-
missioner.
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(b) At the commencement of every regular session of
Congress, the Clerk shall make and cause to be printed and
delivered to each Member, Delegate, and the Resident Com-
missioner a list of the reports that any officer or Department
is required to make to Congress, citing the law or resolution
in which the requirement may be contained and placing under
the name of each officer the list of reports he is required to
make.
(c) The Clerk shall—
(1) note all questions of order, with the decisions
thereon, the record of which shall be appended to the
Journal of each session;
(2) enter on the Journal the hour at which the
House adjourns;
(3) complete the printing and distribution of the
Journal to Members, Delegates, and the Resident Com-
missioner, together with an accurate and complete index,
as soon as possible after the close of a session; and
(4) send a printed copy of the Journal to the execu-
tive of and to each branch of the legislature of every
State as may be requested by such State officials.
(d) The Clerk shall attest and affix the seal of the
House to all writs, warrants, and subpoenas issued by order
of the House and certify the passage of all bills and joint res-
olutions.
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(e) The Clerk shall cause the calendars of the House to
be printed and distributed each legislative day.
(f) The Clerk shall—
(1) retain in the library at the Office of the Clerk
for the use of the Members, Delegates, Resident Com-
missioner, and officers of the House, and not to be with-
drawn therefrom, two copies of all the books and printed
documents deposited there; and
(2) deliver or mail to any Member, Delegate, or the
Resident Commissioner an extra copy, in binding of good
quality, of each document requested by that Member,
Delegate, or Resident Commissioner that has been print-
ed by order of either House of Congress in any Congress
in which the Member, Delegate, or Resident Commis-
sioner served.
(g) The Clerk shall provide for his temporary absence or
disability by designating an official in the Office of the Clerk
to sign all papers that may require the official signature of
the Clerk and to do all other official acts that the Clerk may
be required to do under the rules and practices of the House,
except such official acts as are provided for by statute. Offi-
cial acts done by the designated official shall be under the
name of the Clerk. The designation shall be in writing and
shall be laid before the House and entered on the Journal.
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(h) The Clerk may receive messages from the President
and from the Senate at any time when the House is not in
session.
(i)(1) The Clerk shall supervise the staff and manage
the office of a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner
who has died, resigned, or been expelled until a successor is
elected. The Clerk shall perform similar duties in the event
that a vacancy is declared by the House in any congressional
district because of the incapacity of the person representing
such district or other reason. Whenever the Clerk is acting
as a supervisory authority over such staff, he shall have au-
thority to terminate employees and, with the approval of the
Committee on House Administration, may appoint such staff
as is required to operate the office until a successor is elect-
ed.
(2) For 60 days following the death of a former Speaker,
the Clerk shall maintain on the House payroll, and shall su-
pervise in the same manner, staff appointed under House
Resolution 1238, Ninety-first Congress (as enacted into per-
manent law by chapter VIII of the Supplemental Appropria-
tions Act, 1971) (2 U.S.C. 31b–5).
(j) In addition to any other reports required by the
Speaker or the Committee on House Administration, the
Clerk shall report to the Committee on House Administration
not later than 45 days following the close of each semiannual
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period ending on June 30 or on December 31 on the financial
and operational status of each function under the jurisdiction
of the Clerk. Each report shall include financial statements
and a description or explanation of current operations, the
implementation of new policies and procedures, and future
plans for each function.
(k) The Clerk shall fully cooperate with the appropriate
offices and persons in the performance of reviews and audits
of financial records and administrative operations.
Sergeant-at-Arms
3. (a) The Sergeant-at-Arms shall attend the House dur-
ing its sittings and maintain order under the direction of the
Speaker or other presiding officer. The Sergeant-at-Arms
shall execute the commands of the House, and all processes
issued by authority thereof, directed to him by the Speaker.
(b) The symbol of the office of the Sergeant-at-Arms
shall be the mace, which shall be borne by him while enforc-
ing order on the floor.
(c) The Sergeant-at-Arms shall enforce strictly the rules
relating to the privileges of the Hall of the House and be re-
sponsible to the House for the official conduct of his employ-
ees.
(d) The Sergeant-at-Arms may not allow a person to
enter the room over the Hall of the House during its sittings;
and from 15 minutes before the hour of the meeting of the
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House each day until 10 minutes after adjournment, he shall
see that the floor is cleared of all persons except those privi-
leged to remain.
(e) In addition to any other reports required by the
Speaker or the Committee on House Administration, the Ser-
geant-at-Arms shall report to the Committee on House Ad-
ministration not later than 45 days following the close of
each semiannual period ending on June 30 or on December
31 on the financial and operational status of each function
under the jurisdiction of the Sergeant-at-Arms. Each report
shall include financial statements and a description or expla-
nation of current operations, the implementation of new poli-
cies and procedures, and future plans for each function.
(f) The Sergeant-at-Arms shall fully cooperate with the
appropriate offices and persons in the performance of reviews
and audits of financial records and administrative operations.
Chief Administrative Officer
4. (a) The Chief Administrative Officer shall have oper-
ational and financial responsibility for functions as assigned
by the Committee on House Administration and shall be sub-
ject to the policy direction and oversight of the Committee on
House Administration.
(b) In addition to any other reports required by the
Committee on House Administration, the Chief Administra-
tive Officer shall report to the Committee on House Adminis-
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tration not later than 45 days following the close of each
semiannual period ending on June 30 or December 31 on the
financial and operational status of each function under the
jurisdiction of the Chief Administrative Officer. Each report
shall include financial statements and a description or expla-
nation of current operations, the implementation of new poli-
cies and procedures, and future plans for each function.
(c) The Chief Administrative Officer shall fully cooperate
with the appropriate offices and persons in the performance
of reviews and audits of financial records and administrative
operations.
Chaplain
5. The Chaplain shall offer a prayer at the commence-
ment of each day’s sitting of the House.
Office of Inspector General
6. (a) There is established an Office of Inspector Gen-
eral.
(b) The Inspector General shall be appointed for a Con-
gress by the Speaker, the Majority Leader, and the Minority
Leader, acting jointly.
(c) Subject to the policy direction and oversight of the
Committee on House Administration, the Inspector General
shall only—
(1) conduct periodic audits of the financial and ad-
ministrative functions of the House and of joint entities;
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(2) inform the officers or other officials who are the
subject of an audit of the results of that audit and sug-
gesting appropriate curative actions;
(3) simultaneously notify the Speaker, the Majority
Leader, the Minority Leader, and the chairman and
ranking minority member of the Committee on House
Administration in the case of any financial irregularity
discovered in the course of carrying out responsibilities
under this clause;
(4) simultaneously submit to the Speaker, the Ma-
jority Leader, the Minority Leader, and the chairman
and ranking minority member of the Committee on
House Administration a report of each audit conducted
under this clause; and
(5) report to the Committee on Standards of Offi-
cial Conduct information involving possible violations by
a Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or
employee of the House of any rule of the House or of
any law applicable to the performance of official duties
or the discharge of official responsibilities that may re-
quire referral to the appropriate Federal or State au-
thorities under clause 3(a)(3) of rule XI.
Office of the Historian
7. There is established an Office of the Historian of the
House of Representatives. The Speaker shall appoint and set
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the annual rate of pay for employees of the Office of the His-
torian.
Office of General Counsel
8. There is established an Office of General Counsel for
the purpose of providing legal assistance and representation
to the House. Legal assistance and representation shall be
provided without regard to political affiliation. The Office of
General Counsel shall function pursuant to the direction of
the Speaker, who shall consult with a Bipartisan Legal Advi-
sory Group, which shall include the majority and minority
leaderships. The Speaker shall appoint and set the annual
rate of pay for employees of the Office of General Counsel.
RULE III.
THE MEMBERS, DELEGATES, AND RESIDENT COMMISSIONER
OF PUERTO RICO.
Voting
1. Every Member shall be present within the Hall of the
House during its sittings, unless excused or necessarily pre-
vented, and shall vote on each question put, unless he has a
direct personal or pecuniary interest in the event of such
question.
2. (a) A Member may not authorize any other person to
cast his vote or record his presence in the House or the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.
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(b) No other person may cast a Member’s vote or record
a Member’s presence in the House or the Committee of the
Whole House on the state of the Union.
Delegates and the Resident Commissioner
3. (a) Each Delegate and the Resident Commissioner
shall be elected to serve on standing committees in the same
manner as Members of the House and shall possess in such
committees the same powers and privileges as the other mem-
bers of the committee.
(b) The Delegates and the Resident Commissioner may
be appointed to any select committee and to any conference
committee.
RULE IV.
THE HALL OF THE HOUSE.
Use and admittance
1. The Hall of the House shall be used only for the legis-
lative business of the House and for caucus and conference
meetings of its Members, except when the House agrees to
take part in any ceremonies to be observed therein. The
Speaker may not entertain a motion for the suspension of
this clause.
2. (a) Only the following persons shall be admitted to
the Hall of the House or rooms leading thereto:
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(1) Members of Congress, Members-elect, and con-
testants in election cases during the pendency of their
cases on the floor.
(2) The Delegates and the Resident Commissioner.
(3) The President and Vice President of the United
States and their private secretaries.
(4) Justices of the Supreme Court.
(5) Elected officers and minority employees nomi-
nated as elected officers of the House.
(6) The Parliamentarian.
(7) Staff of committees when business from their
committee is under consideration.
(8) Not more than one person from the staff of a
Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner when that
Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner has an
amendment under consideration (subject to clause 5).
(9) The Architect of the Capitol.
(10) The Librarian of Congress and the assistant in
charge of the Law Library.
(11) The Secretary and Sergeant-at-Arms of the
Senate.
(12) Heads of departments.
(13) Foreign ministers.
(14) Governors of States.
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(15) Former Members, Delegates, and Resident
Commissioners; former Parliamentarians of the House;
and former elected officers and minority employees nom-
inated as elected officers of the House (subject to clause
4).
(16) One attorney to accompany a Member, Dele-
gate, or Resident Commissioner who is the respondent in
an investigation undertaken by the Committee on Stand-
ards of Official Conduct when a recommendation of that
committee is under consideration in the House.
(17) Such persons as have, by name, received the
thanks of Congress.
(b) The Speaker may not entertain a unanimous consent
request or a motion to suspend this clause.
3. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), all persons
not entitled to the privilege of the floor during the session
shall be excluded at all times from the Hall of the House and
the cloakrooms.
(b) Until 15 minutes of the hour of the meeting of the
House, persons employed in its service, accredited members
of the press entitled to admission to the press gallery, and
other persons on request of a Member, Delegate, or Resident
Commissioner by card or in writing, may be admitted to the
Hall of the House.
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4. (a) Former Members, Delegates, and Resident Com-
missioners; former Parliamentarians of the House; and
former elected officers and minority employees nominated as
elected officers of the House shall be entitled to the privilege
of admission to the Hall of the House and rooms leading
thereto only if—
(1) they do not have any direct personal or pecu-
niary interest in any legislative measure pending before
the House or reported by a committee; and
(2) they are not in the employ of, or do not rep-
resent, any party or organization for the purpose of in-
fluencing, directly or indirectly, the passage, defeat, or
amendment of any legislative measure pending before
the House, reported by a committee, or under consider-
ation in any of its committees or subcommittees.
(b) The Speaker shall promulgate such regulations as
may be necessary to implement this rule and to ensure its en-
forcement.
5. A person from the staff of a Member, Delegate, or
Resident Commissioner may be admitted to the Hall of the
House or rooms leading thereto under clause 2 only upon
prior notice to the Speaker. Such persons, and persons from
the staff of committees admitted under clause 2, may not en-
gage in efforts in the Hall of the House or rooms leading
thereto to influence Members with regard to the legislation
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being amended. Such persons shall remain at the desk and
are admitted only to advise the Member, Delegate, Resident
Commissioner, or committee responsible for their admission.
A person who violates this clause may be excluded during the
session from the Hall of the House and rooms leading thereto
by the Speaker.
Gallery
6. (a) The Speaker shall set aside a portion of the west
gallery for the use of the President, the members of the Cabi-
net, justices of the Supreme Court, foreign ministers and
suites, and the members of their respective families. The
Speaker shall set aside another portion of the same gallery
for the accommodation of persons to be admitted on the
cards of Members, Delegates, or the Resident Commissioner.
(b) The Speaker shall set aside the southerly half of the
east gallery for the use of the families of Members of Con-
gress. The Speaker shall control one bench. On the request
of a Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, or Senator,
the Speaker shall issue a card of admission to his family,
which may include their visitors. No other person shall be ad-
mitted to this section.
Prohibition on campaign contributions
7. A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer,
or employee of the House, or any other person entitled to ad-
mission to the Hall of the House or rooms leading thereto by
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this rule, may not knowingly distribute a political campaign
contribution in the Hall of the House or rooms leading there-
to.
RULE V.
BROADCASTING THE HOUSE.
1. The Speaker shall administer a system subject to his
direction and control for closed-circuit viewing of floor pro-
ceedings of the House in the offices of all Members, Dele-
gates, the Resident Commissioner, and committees and in
such other places in the Capitol and the House Office Build-
ings as he considers appropriate. Such system may include
other telecommunications functions as the Speaker considers
appropriate. Any such telecommunications shall be subject to
rules and regulations issued by the Speaker.
2. (a) The Speaker shall administer a system subject to
his direction and control for complete and unedited audio and
visual broadcasting and recording of the proceedings of the
House. The Speaker shall provide for the distribution of such
broadcasts and recordings to news media, for the storage of
audio and video recordings of the proceedings, and for the
closed-captioning of the proceedings for hearing-impaired per-
sons.
(b) All television and radio broadcasting stations, net-
works, services, and systems (including cable systems) that
are accredited to the House Radio and Television Cor-
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respondents’ Galleries, and all radio and television cor-
respondents who are so accredited, shall be provided access
to the live coverage of the House.
(c) Coverage made available under this clause, including
any recording thereof—
(1) may not be used for any political purpose;
(2) may not be used in any commercial advertise-
ment; and
(3) may not be broadcast with commercial sponsor-
ship except as part of a bona fide news program or pub-
lic affairs documentary program.
3. The Speaker may delegate any of his responsibilities
under this rule to such legislative entity as he considers ap-
propriate.
RULE VI.
OFFICIAL REPORTERS AND NEWS MEDIA GALLERIES.
Official reporters
1. Subject to the direction and control of the Speaker,
the Clerk shall appoint, and may remove for cause, the offi-
cial reporters of the House, including stenographers of com-
mittees, and shall supervise the execution of their duties.
News media galleries
2. A portion of the gallery over the Speaker’s chair as
may be necessary to accommodate representatives of the
press wishing to report debates and proceedings shall be set
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aside for their use. Reputable reporters and correspondents
shall be admitted thereto under such regulations as the
Speaker may prescribe from time to time. The Standing
Committee of Correspondents for the Press Gallery, and the
Executive Committee of Correspondents for the Periodical
Press Gallery, shall supervise such galleries, including the
designation of its employees, subject to the direction and con-
trol of the Speaker. The Speaker may assign one seat on the
floor to Associated Press reporters and one to United Press
International reporters, and may regulate their occupation.
The Speaker may admit to the floor, under such regulations
as he may prescribe, one additional representative of each
press association.
3. A portion of the gallery as may be necessary to ac-
commodate reporters of news to be disseminated by radio, tel-
evision, and similar means of transmission, wishing to report
debates and proceedings, shall be set aside for their use. Rep-
utable reporters and correspondents shall be admitted thereto
under such regulations as the Speaker may prescribe. The
Executive Committee of the Radio and Television Cor-
respondents’ Galleries shall supervise such gallery, including
the designation of its employees, subject to the direction and
control of the Speaker. The Speaker may admit to the floor,
under such regulations as he may prescribe, one representa-
tive of the National Broadcasting Company, one of the Co-
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lumbia Broadcasting System, and one of the American
Broadcasting Company.
RULE VII.
RECORDS OF THE HOUSE.
Archiving
1. (a) At the end of each Congress, the chairman of each
committee shall transfer to the Clerk any noncurrent records
of such committee, including the subcommittees thereof.
(b) At the end of each Congress, each officer of the
House elected under rule II shall transfer to the Clerk any
noncurrent records made or acquired in the course of the du-
ties of such officer.
2. The Clerk shall deliver the records transferred under
clause 1, together with any other noncurrent records of the
House, to the Archivist of the United States for preservation
at the National Archives and Records Administration.
Records so delivered are the permanent property of the
House and remain subject to this rule and any order of the
House.
Public availability
3. (a) The Clerk shall authorize the Archivist to make
records delivered under clause 2 available for public use, sub-
ject to paragraph (b), clause 4, and any order of the House.
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(b)(1) A record shall immediately be made available if it
was previously made available for public use by the House or
a committee or a subcommittee.
(2) An investigative record that contains personal data
relating to a specific living person (the disclosure of which
would be an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy), an
administrative record relating to personnel, or a record relat-
ing to a hearing that was closed under clause 2(g)(2) of rule
XI shall be made available if it has been in existence for 50
years.
(3) A record for which a time, schedule, or condition for
availability is specified by order of the House shall be made
available in accordance with that order. Except as otherwise
provided by order of the House, a record of a committee for
which a time, schedule, or condition for availability is speci-
fied by order of the committee (entered during the Congress
in which the record is made or acquired by the committee)
shall be made available in accordance with the order of the
committee.
(4) A record (other than a record referred to in subpara-
graph (1), (2), or (3)) shall be made available if it has been
in existence for 30 years.
4. (a) A record may not be made available for public use
under clause 3 if the Clerk determines that such availability
would be detrimental to the public interest or inconsistent
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with the rights and privileges of the House. The Clerk shall
notify in writing the chairman and ranking minority member
of the Committee on House Administration of any such deter-
mination.
(b) A determination of the Clerk under paragraph (a) is
subject to later orders of the House and, in the case of a
record of a committee, later orders of the committee.
5. (a) This rule does not supersede rule VIII or clause
9 of rule X and does not authorize the public disclosure of
any record if such disclosure is prohibited by law or executive
order of the President.
(b) The Committee on House Administration may pre-
scribe guidelines and regulations governing the applicability
and implementation of this rule.
(c) A committee may withdraw from the National Ar-
chives and Records Administration any record of the commit-
tee delivered to the Archivist under this rule. Such a with-
drawal shall be on a temporary basis and for official use of
the committee.
Definition of record
6. In this rule the term ‘‘record’’ means any official, per-
manent record of the House (other than a record of an indi-
vidual Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner),
including—
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(a) with respect to a committee, an official, perma-
nent record of the committee (including any record of a
legislative, oversight, or other activity of such committee
or a subcommittee thereof); and
(b) with respect to an officer of the House elected
under rule II, an official, permanent record made or ac-
quired in the course of the duties of such officer.
Withdrawal of papers
7. A memorial or other paper presented to the House
may not be withdrawn from its files without its leave. If with-
drawn certified copies thereof shall be left in the office of the
Clerk. When an act passes for the settlement of a claim, the
Clerk may transmit to the officer charged with the settlement
thereof the papers on file in his office relating to such claim.
The Clerk may lend temporarily to an officer or bureau of
the executive departments any papers on file in his office re-
lating to any matter pending before such officer or bureau,
taking proper receipt therefor.
RULE VIII.
RESPONSE TO SUBPOENAS.
1. When a Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner,
officer, or employee of the House is properly served with a
subpoena or other judicial order directing appearance as a
witness relating to the official functions of the House or for
the production or disclosure of any document relating to the
•HRES 5 EH
official functions of the House, such Member, Delegate, Resi-
dent Commissioner, officer, or employee shall comply, consist-
ently with the privileges and rights of the House, with the
subpoena or other judicial order as hereinafter provided, un-
less otherwise determined under this rule.
2. Upon receipt of a properly served subpoena or other
judicial order described in clause 1, a Member, Delegate,
Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House
shall promptly notify the Speaker of its receipt in writing.
Such notification shall promptly be laid before the House by
the Speaker. During a period of recess or adjournment of
longer than three days, notification to the House is not re-
quired until the reconvening of the House, when the notifica-
tion shall promptly be laid before the House by the Speaker.
3. Once notification has been laid before the House, the
Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or em-
ployee of the House shall determine whether the issuance of
the subpoena or other judicial order described in clause 1 is
a proper exercise of jurisdiction by the court, is material and
relevant, and is consistent with the privileges and rights of
the House. Such Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner,
officer, or employee shall notify the Speaker before seeking
judicial determination of these matters.
4. Upon determination whether a subpoena or other ju-
dicial order described in clause 1 is a proper exercise of juris-
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diction by the court, is material and relevant, and is consist-
ent with the privileges and rights of the House, the Member,
Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the
House shall immediately notify the Speaker of the determina-
tion in writing.
5. The Speaker shall inform the House of a determina-
tion whether a subpoena or other judicial order described in
clause 1 is a proper exercise of jurisdiction by the court, is
material and relevant, and is consistent with the privileges
and rights of the House. In so informing the House, the
Speaker shall generally describe the records or information
sought. During a period of recess or adjournment of longer
than three days, such notification is not required until the re-
convening of the House, when the notification shall promptly
be laid before the House by the Speaker.
6. (a) Except as specified in paragraph (b) or otherwise
ordered by the House, upon notification to the House that a
subpoena or other judicial order described in clause 1 is a
proper exercise of jurisdiction by the court, is material and
relevant, and is consistent with the privileges and rights of
the House, the Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner,
officer, or employee of the House shall comply with the sub-
poena or other judicial order by supplying certified copies.
(b) Under no circumstances may minutes or transcripts
of executive sessions, or evidence of witnesses in respect
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thereto, be disclosed or copied. During a period of recess or
adjournment of longer than three days, the Speaker may au-
thorize compliance or take such other action as he considers
appropriate under the circumstances. Upon the reconvening
of the House, all matters that transpired under this clause
shall promptly be laid before the House by the Speaker.
7. A copy of this rule shall be transmitted by the Clerk
to the court when a subpoena or other judicial order de-
scribed in clause 1 is issued and served on a Member, Dele-
gate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the
House.
8. Nothing in this rule shall be construed to deprive,
condition, or waive the constitutional or legal privileges or
rights applicable or available at any time to a Member, Dele-
gate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the
House, or of the House itself, or the right of such Member,
Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee, or of
the House itself, to assert such privileges or rights before a
court in the United States.
RULE IX.
QUESTIONS OF PRIVILEGE.
1. Questions of privilege shall be, first, those affecting
the rights of the House collectively, its safety, dignity, and
the integrity of its proceedings; and second, those affecting
the rights, reputation, and conduct of Members, Delegates, or
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the Resident Commissioner, individually, in their representa-
tive capacity only.
2. (a)(1) A resolution reported as a question of the privi-
leges of the House, or offered from the floor by the Majority
Leader or the Minority Leader as a question of the privileges
of the House, or offered as privileged under clause 1, section
7, article I of the Constitution, shall have precedence of all
other questions except motions to adjourn. A resolution of-
fered from the floor by a Member, Delegate, or Resident
Commissioner other than the Majority Leader or the Minority
Leader as a question of the privileges of the House shall have
precedence of all other questions except motions to adjourn
only at a time or place, designated by the Speaker, in the leg-
islative schedule within two legislative days after the day on
which the proponent announces to the House his intention to
offer the resolution and the form of the resolution. Oral an-
nouncement of the form of the resolution may be dispensed
with by unanimous consent.
(2) The time allotted for debate on a resolution offered
from the floor as a question of the privileges of the House
shall be equally divided between (A) the proponent of the res-
olution, and (B) the Majority Leader, the Minority Leader,
or a designee, as determined by the Speaker.
(b) A question of personal privilege shall have prece-
dence of all other questions except motions to adjourn.
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RULE X.
ORGANIZATION OF COMMITTEES.
Committees and their legislative jurisdictions
1. There shall be in the House the following standing
committees, each of which shall have the jurisdiction and re-
lated functions assigned by this clause and clauses 2, 3, and
4. All bills, resolutions, and other matters relating to subjects
within the jurisdiction of the standing committees listed in
this clause shall be referred to those committees, in accord-
ance with clause 2 of rule XII, as follows:
(a) Committee on Agriculture.
(1) Adulteration of seeds, insect pests, and
protection of birds and animals in forest reserves.
(2) Agriculture generally.
(3) Agricultural and industrial chemistry.
(4) Agricultural colleges and experiment sta-
tions.
(5) Agricultural economics and research.
(6) Agricultural education extension services.
(7) Agricultural production and marketing and
stabilization of prices of agricultural products, and
commodities (not including distribution outside of
the United States).
(8) Animal industry and diseases of animals.
(9) Commodity exchanges.
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(10) Crop insurance and soil conservation.
(11) Dairy industry.
(12) Entomology and plant quarantine.
(13) Extension of farm credit and farm secu-
rity.
(14) Inspection of livestock, poultry, meat
products, and seafood and seafood products.
(15) Forestry in general and forest reserves
other than those created from the public domain.
(16) Human nutrition and home economics.
(17) Plant industry, soils, and agricultural en-
gineering.
(18) Rural electrification.
(19) Rural development.
(20) Water conservation related to activities of
the Department of Agriculture.
(b) Committee on Appropriations.
(1) Appropriation of the revenue for the sup-
port of the Government.
(2) Rescissions of appropriations contained in
appropriation Acts.
(3) Transfers of unexpended balances.
(4) Bills and joint resolutions reported by
other committees that provide new entitlement au-
thority as defined in section 3(9) of the Congres-
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sional Budget Act of 1974 and referred to the com-
mittee under clause 4(a)(2).
(c) Committee on Armed Services.
(1) Ammunition depots; forts; arsenals; and
Army, Navy, and Air Force reservations and estab-
lishments.
(2) Common defense generally.
(3) Conservation, development, and use of
naval petroleum and oil shale reserves.
(4) The Department of Defense generally, in-
cluding the Departments of the Army, Navy, and
Air Force, generally.
(5) Interoceanic canals generally, including
measures relating to the maintenance, operation,
and administration of interoceanic canals.
(6) Merchant Marine Academy and State Mari-
time Academies.
(7) Military applications of nuclear energy.
(8) Tactical intelligence and intelligence-related
activities of the Department of Defense.
(9) National security aspects of merchant ma-
rine, including financial assistance for the construc-
tion and operation of vessels, maintenance of the
U.S. shipbuilding and ship repair industrial base,
cabotage, cargo preference, and merchant marine
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officers and seamen as these matters relate to the
national security.
(10) Pay, promotion, retirement, and other
benefits and privileges of members of the armed
forces.
(11) Scientific research and development in
support of the armed services.
(12) Selective service.
(13) Size and composition of the Army, Navy,
Marine Corps, and Air Force.
(14) Soldiers’ and sailors’ homes.
(15) Strategic and critical materials necessary
for the common defense.
(d) Committee on Banking and Financial
Services.
(1) Banks and banking, including deposit in-
surance and Federal monetary policy.
(2) Bank capital markets activities generally.
(3) Depository institutions securities activities
generally, including activities of any affiliates (ex-
cept for functional regulation under applicable secu-
rities laws not involving safety and soundness).
(4) Economic stabilization, defense production,
renegotiation, and control of the price of commod-
ities, rents, and services.
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(5) Financial aid to commerce and industry
(other than transportation).
(6) International finance.
(7) International financial and monetary orga-
nizations.
(8) Money and credit, including currency and
this issuance of notes and redemption thereof; gold
and silver, including the coinage thereof; valuation
and revaluation of the dollar.
(9) Public and private housing.
(10) Urban development.
(e) Committee on the Budget.
(1) Concurrent resolutions on the budget (as
defined in section 3(4) of the Congressional Budget
Act of 1974), other matters required to be referred
to the committee under titles III and IV of that
Act, and other measures setting forth appropriate
levels of budget totals for the United States Govern-
ment.
(2) Budget process generally.
(3) Establishment, extension, and enforcement
of special controls over the Federal budget, includ-
ing the budgetary treatment of off-budget Federal
agencies and measures providing exemption from
reduction under any order issued under part C of
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the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Con-
trol Act of 1985.
(f) Committee on Commerce.
(1) Biomedical research and development.
(2) Consumer affairs and consumer protection.
(3) Health and health facilities (except health
care supported by payroll deductions).
(4) Interstate energy compacts.
(5) Interstate and foreign commerce generally.
(6) Exploration, production, storage, supply,
marketing, pricing, and regulation of energy re-
sources, including all fossil fuels, solar energy, and
other unconventional or renewable energy resources.
(7) Conservation of energy resources.
(8) Energy information generally.
(9) The generation and marketing of power
(except by federally chartered or Federal regional
power marketing authorities); reliability and inter-
state transmission of, and ratemaking for, all
power; and siting of generation facilities (except the
installation of interconnections between Government
waterpower projects).
(10) General management of the Department
of Energy and management and all functions of the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
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(11) National energy policy generally.
(12) Public health and quarantine.
(13) Regulation of the domestic nuclear energy
industry, including regulation of research and devel-
opment reactors and nuclear regulatory research.
(14) Regulation of interstate and foreign com-
munications.
(15) Securities and exchanges.
(16) Travel and tourism.
The committee shall have the same jurisdiction with re-
spect to regulation of nuclear facilities and of use of nu-
clear energy as it has with respect to regulation of non-
nuclear facilities and of use of nonnuclear energy.
(g) Committee on Education and the
Workforce.
(1) Child labor.
(2) Gallaudet University and Howard Univer-
sity and Hospital.
(3) Convict labor and the entry of goods made
by convicts into interstate commerce.
(4) Food programs for children in schools.
(5) Labor standards and statistics.
(6) Education or labor generally.
(7) Mediation and arbitration of labor disputes.
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(8) Regulation or prevention of importation of
foreign laborers under contract.
(9) Workers’ compensation.
(10) Vocational rehabilitation.
(11) Wages and hours of labor.
(12) Welfare of miners.
(13) Work incentive programs.
(h) Committee on Government Reform.
(1) Federal civil service, including intergovern-
mental personnel; and the status of officers and em-
ployees of the United States, including their com-
pensation, classification, and retirement.
(2) Municipal affairs of the District of Colum-
bia in general (other than appropriations).
(3) Federal paperwork reduction.
(4) Government management and accounting
measures generally.
(5) Holidays and celebrations.
(6) Overall economy, efficiency, and manage-
ment of government operations and activities, in-
cluding Federal procurement.
(7) National archives.
(8) Population and demography generally, in-
cluding the Census.
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(9) Postal service generally, including transpor-
tation of the mails.
(10) Public information and records.
(11) Relationship of the Federal Government
to the States and municipalities generally.
(12) Reorganizations in the executive branch of
the Government.
(i) Committee on House Administration.
(1) Appropriations from accounts for commit-
tee salaries and expenses (except for the Committee
on Appropriations); House Information Resources;
and allowance and expenses of Members, Delegates,
the Resident Commissioner, officers, and adminis-
trative offices of the House.
(2) Auditing and settling of all accounts de-
scribed in subparagraph (1).
(3) Employment of persons by the House, in-
cluding staff for Members, Delegates, the Resident
Commissioner, and committees; and reporters of de-
bates, subject to rule VI.
(4) Except as provided in paragraph (q)(11),
the Library of Congress, including management
thereof; the House Library; statuary and pictures;
acceptance or purchase of works of art for the Cap-
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itol; the Botanic Garden; and purchase of books and
manuscripts.
(5) The Smithsonian Institution and the incor-
poration of similar institutions (except as provided
in paragraph (q)(11)).
(6) Expenditure of accounts described in sub-
paragraph (1).
(7) Franking Commission.
(8) Printing and correction of the Congres-
sional Record.
(9) Accounts of the House generally.
(10) Assignment of office space for Members,
Delegates, the Resident Commissioner, and commit-
tees.
(11) Disposition of useless executive papers.
(12) Election of the President, Vice President,
Members, Senators, Delegates, or the Resident
Commissioner; corrupt practices; contested elec-
tions; credentials and qualifications; and Federal
elections generally.
(13) Services to the House, including the
House Restaurant, parking facilities, and adminis-
tration of the House Office Buildings and of the
House wing of the Capitol.
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(14) Travel of Members, Delegates, and the
Resident Commissioner.
(15) Raising, reporting, and use of campaign
contributions for candidates for office of Represent-
ative, of Delegate, and of Resident Commissioner.
(16) Compensation, retirement, and other ben-
efits of the Members, Delegates, the Resident Com-
missioner, officers, and employees of Congress.
(j) Committee on International Relations.
(1) Relations of the United States with foreign
nations generally.
(2) Acquisition of land and buildings for em-
bassies and legations in foreign countries.
(3) Establishment of boundary lines between
the United States and foreign nations.
(4) Export controls, including nonproliferation
of nuclear technology and nuclear hardware.
(5) Foreign loans.
(6) International commodity agreements (other
than those involving sugar), including all agree-
ments for cooperation in the export of nuclear tech-
nology and nuclear hardware.
(7) International conferences and congresses.
(8) International education.
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(9) Intervention abroad and declarations of
war.
(10) Diplomatic service.
(11) Measures to foster commercial intercourse
with foreign nations and to safeguard American
business interests abroad.
(12) International economic policy.
(13) Neutrality.
(14) Protection of American citizens abroad
and expatriation.
(15) The American National Red Cross.
(16) Trading with the enemy.
(17) United Nations organizations.
(k) Committee on the Judiciary.
(1) The judiciary and judicial proceedings, civil
and criminal.
(2) Administrative practice and procedure.
(3) Apportionment of Representatives.
(4) Bankruptcy, mutiny, espionage, and coun-
terfeiting.
(5) Civil liberties.
(6) Constitutional amendments.
(7) Federal courts and judges, and local courts
in the Territories and possessions.
(8) Immigration and naturalization.
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(9) Interstate compacts generally.
(10) Claims against the United States.
(11) Meetings of Congress; attendance of
Members, Delegates, and the Resident Commis-
sioner; and their acceptance of incompatible offices.
(12) National penitentiaries.
(13) Patents, the Patent and Trademark Of-
fice, copyrights, and trademarks.
(14) Presidential succession.
(15) Protection of trade and commerce against
unlawful restraints and monopolies.
(16) Revision and codification of the Statutes
of the United States.
(17) State and territorial boundary lines.
(18) Subversive activities affecting the internal
security of the United States.
(l) Committee on Resources.
(1) Fisheries and wildlife, including research,
restoration, refuges, and conservation.
(2) Forest reserves and national parks created
from the public domain.
(3) Forfeiture of land grants and alien owner-
ship, including alien ownership of mineral lands.
(4) Geological Survey.
(5) International fishing agreements.
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(6) Interstate compacts relating to apportion-
ment of waters for irrigation purposes.
(7) Irrigation and reclamation, including water
supply for reclamation projects and easements of
public lands for irrigation projects; and acquisition
of private lands when necessary to complete irriga-
tion projects.
(8) Native Americans generally, including the
care and allotment of Native American lands and
general and special measures relating to claims that
are paid out of Native American funds.
(9) Insular possessions of the United States
generally (except those affecting the revenue and
appropriations).
(10) Military parks and battlefields, national
cemeteries administered by the Secretary of the In-
terior, parks within the District of Columbia, and
the erection of monuments to the memory of indi-
viduals.
(11) Mineral land laws and claims and entries
thereunder.
(12) Mineral resources of public lands.
(13) Mining interests generally.
(14) Mining schools and experimental stations.
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(15) Marine affairs, including coastal zone
management (except for measures relating to oil
and other pollution of navigable waters).
(16) Oceanography.
(17) Petroleum conservation on public lands
and conservation of the radium supply in the
United States.
(18) Preservation of prehistoric ruins and ob-
jects of interest on the public domain.
(19) Public lands generally, including entry,
easements, and grazing thereon.
(20) Relations of the United States with Na-
tive Americans and Native American tribes.
(21) Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline (except rate-
making).
(m) Committee on Rules.
(1) Rules and joint rules (other than those re-
lating to the Code of Official Conduct) and the
order of business of the House.
(2) Recesses and final adjournments of Con-
gress.
(n) Committee on Science.
(1) All energy research, development, and dem-
onstration, and projects therefor, and all federally
owned or operated nonmilitary energy laboratories.
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(2) Astronautical research and development,
including resources, personnel, equipment, and fa-
cilities.
(3) Civil aviation research and development.
(4) Environmental research and development.
(5) Marine research.
(6) Commercial application of energy tech-
nology.
(7) National Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology, standardization of weights and measures,
and the metric system.
(8) National Aeronautics and Space Adminis-
tration.
(9) National Space Council.
(10) National Science Foundation.
(11) National Weather Service.
(12) Outer space, including exploration and
control thereof.
(13) Science scholarships.
(14) Scientific research, development, and
demonstration, and projects therefor.
(o) Committee on Small Business.
(1) Assistance to and protection of small busi-
ness, including financial aid, regulatory flexibility,
and paperwork reduction.
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(2) Participation of small-business enterprises
in Federal procurement and Government contracts.
(p) Committee on Standards of Official
Conduct.
The Code of Official Conduct.
(q) Committee on Transportation and In-
frastructure.
(1) Coast Guard, including lifesaving service,
lighthouses, lightships, ocean derelicts, and the
Coast Guard Academy.
(2) Federal management of emergencies and
natural disasters.
(3) Flood control and improvement of rivers
and harbors.
(4) Inland waterways.
(5) Inspection of merchant marine vessels,
lights and signals, lifesaving equipment, and fire
protection on such vessels.
(6) Navigation and laws relating thereto, in-
cluding pilotage.
(7) Registering and licensing of vessels and
small boats.
(8) Rules and international arrangements to
prevent collisions at sea.
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(9) The Capitol Building and the Senate and
House Office Buildings.
(10) Construction or maintenance of roads and
post roads (other than appropriations therefor).
(11) Construction or reconstruction, mainte-
nance, and care of buildings and grounds of the Bo-
tanic Garden, the Library of Congress, and the
Smithsonian Institution.
(12) Merchant marine (except for national se-
curity aspects thereof).
(13) Purchase of sites and construction of post
offices, customhouses, Federal courthouses, and
Government buildings within the District of Colum-
bia.
(14) Oil and other pollution of navigable wa-
ters, including inland, coastal, and ocean waters.
(15) Marine affairs, including coastal zone
management, as they relate to oil and other pollu-
tion of navigable waters.
(16) Public buildings and occupied or improved
grounds of the United States generally.
(17) Public works for the benefit of navigation,
including bridges and dams (other than inter-
national bridges and dams).
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(18) Related transportation regulatory agen-
cies.
(19) Roads and the safety thereof.
(20) Transportation, including civil aviation,
railroads, water transportation, transportation safe-
ty (except automobile safety), transportation infra-
structure, transportation labor, and railroad retire-
ment and unemployment (except revenue measures
related thereto).
(21) Water power.
(r) Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
(1) Veterans’ measures generally.
(2) Cemeteries of the United States in which
veterans of any war or conflict are or may be bur-
ied, whether in the United States or abroad (except
cemeteries administered by the Secretary of the In-
terior).
(3) Compensation, vocational rehabilitation,
and education of veterans.
(4) Life insurance issued by the Government
on account of service in the Armed Forces.
(5) Pensions of all the wars of the United
States, general and special.
(6) Readjustment of servicemen to civil life.
(7) Soldiers’ and sailors’ civil relief.
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(8) Veterans’ hospitals, medical care, and
treatment of veterans.
(s) Committee on Ways and Means.
(1) Customs, collection districts, and ports of
entry and delivery.
(2) Reciprocal trade agreements.
(3) Revenue measures generally.
(4) Revenue measures relating to insular pos-
sessions.
(5) Bonded debt of the United States, subject
to the last sentence of clause 4(f).
(6) Deposit of public monies.
(7) Transportation of dutiable goods.
(8) Tax exempt foundations and charitable
trusts.
(9) National social security (except health care
and facilities programs that are supported from
general revenues as opposed to payroll deductions
and except work incentive programs).
General oversight responsibilities
2. (a) The various standing committees shall have gen-
eral oversight responsibilities as provided in paragraph (b) in
order to assist the House in—
(1) its analysis, appraisal, and evaluation of—
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(A) the application, administration, execution,
and effectiveness of Federal laws; and
(B) conditions and circumstances that may in-
dicate the necessity or desirability of enacting new
or additional legislation; and
(2) its formulation, consideration, and enactment of
changes in Federal laws, and of such additional legisla-
tion as may be necessary or appropriate.
(b)(1) In order to determine whether laws and programs
addressing subjects within the jurisdiction of a committee are
being implemented and carried out in accordance with the in-
tent of Congress and whether they should be continued, cur-
tailed, or eliminated, each standing committee (other than the
Committee on Appropriations) shall review and study on a
continuing basis—
(A) the application, administration, execution, and
effectiveness of laws and programs addressing subjects
within its jurisdiction;
(B) the organization and operation of Federal agen-
cies and entities having responsibilities for the adminis-
tration and execution of laws and programs addressing
subjects within its jurisdiction;
(C) any conditions or circumstances that may indi-
cate the necessity or desirability of enacting new or addi-
tional legislation addressing subjects within its jurisdic-
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tion (whether or not a bill or resolution has been intro-
duced with respect thereto); and
(D) future research and forecasting on subjects
within its jurisdiction.
(2) Each committee to which subparagraph (1) applies
having more than 20 members shall establish an oversight
subcommittee, or require its subcommittees to conduct over-
sight in their respective jurisdictions, to assist in carrying out
its responsibilities under this clause. The establishment of an
oversight subcommittee does not limit the responsibility of a
subcommittee with legislative jurisdiction in carrying out its
oversight responsibilities.
(c) Each standing committee shall review and study on
a continuing basis the impact or probable impact of tax poli-
cies affecting subjects within its jurisdiction as described in
clauses 1 and 3.
(d)(1) Not later than February 15 of the first session
of a Congress, each standing committee shall, in a meeting
that is open to the public and with a quorum present, adopt
its oversight plan for that Congress. Such plan shall be sub-
mitted simultaneously to the Committee on Government Re-
form and to the Committee on House Administration. In de-
veloping its plan each committee shall, to the maximum ex-
tent feasible—
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(A) consult with other committees that have juris-
diction over the same or related laws, programs, or agen-
cies within its jurisdiction with the objective of ensuring
maximum coordination and cooperation among commit-
tees when conducting reviews of such laws, programs, or
agencies and include in its plan an explanation of steps
that have been or will be taken to ensure such coordina-
tion and cooperation;
(B) give priority consideration to including in its
plan the review of those laws, programs, or agencies op-
erating under permanent budget authority or permanent
statutory authority; and
(C) have a view toward ensuring that all significant
laws, programs, or agencies within its jurisdiction are
subject to review every 10 years.
(2) Not later than March 31 in the first session of a
Congress, after consultation with the Speaker, the Majority
Leader, and the Minority Leader, the Committee on Govern-
ment Reform shall report to the House the oversight plans
submitted by committees together with any recommendations
that it, or the House leadership group described above, may
make to ensure the most effective coordination of oversight
plans and otherwise to achieve the objectives of this clause.
(e) The Speaker, with the approval of the House, may
appoint special ad hoc oversight committees for the purpose
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of reviewing specific matters within the jurisdiction of two or
more standing committees.
Special oversight functions
3. (a) The Committee on Appropriations shall conduct
such studies and examinations of the organization and oper-
ation of executive departments and other executive agencies
(including an agency the majority of the stock of which is
owned by the United States) as it considers necessary to as-
sist it in the determination of matters within its jurisdiction.
(b) The Committee on the Budget shall study on a con-
tinuing basis the effect on budget outlays of relevant existing
and proposed legislation and report the results of such stud-
ies to the House on a recurring basis.
(c) The Committee on Commerce shall review and study
on a continuing basis laws, programs, and Government activi-
ties relating to nuclear and other energy and nonmilitary nu-
clear energy research and development including the disposal
of nuclear waste.
(d) The Committee on Education and the Workforce
shall review, study, and coordinate on a continuing basis
laws, programs, and Government activities relating to domes-
tic educational programs and institutions and programs of
student assistance within the jurisdiction of other commit-
tees.
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(e) The Committee on Government Reform shall review
and study on a continuing basis the operation of Government
activities at all levels with a view to determining their econ-
omy and efficiency.
(f) The Committee on International Relations shall re-
view and study on a continuing basis laws, programs, and
Government activities relating to customs administration, in-
telligence activities relating to foreign policy, international fi-
nancial and monetary organizations, and international fishing
agreements.
(g) The Committee on Armed Services shall review and
study on a continuing basis laws, programs, and Government
activities relating to international arms control and disar-
mament and the education of military dependents in schools.
(h) The Committee on Resources shall review and study
on a continuing basis laws, programs, and Government activi-
ties relating to Native Americans.
(i) The Committee on Rules shall review and study on
a continuing basis the congressional budget process, and the
committee shall report its findings and recommendations to
the House from time to time.
(j) The Committee on Science shall review and study on
a continuing basis laws, programs, and Government activities
relating to nonmilitary research and development.
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(k) The Committee on Small Business shall study and
investigate on a continuing basis the problems of all types of
small business.
Additional functions of committees
4. (a)(1)(A) The Committee on Appropriations shall,
within 30 days after the transmittal of the Budget to Con-
gress each year, hold hearings on the Budget as a whole with
particular reference to—
(i) the basic recommendations and budgetary poli-
cies of the President in the presentation of the Budget;
and
(ii) the fiscal, financial, and economic assumptions
used as bases in arriving at total estimated expenditures
and receipts.
(B) In holding hearings under subdivision (A), the com-
mittee shall receive testimony from the Secretary of the
Treasury, the Director of the Office of Management and
Budget, the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers,
and such other persons as the committee may desire.
(C) A hearing under subdivision (A), or any part there-
of, shall be held in open session, except when the committee,
in open session and with a quorum present, determines by
record vote that the testimony to be taken at that hearing on
that day may be related to a matter of national security. The
committee may by the same procedure close one subsequent
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day of hearing. A transcript of all such hearings shall be
printed and a copy thereof furnished to each Member, Dele-
gate, and the Resident Commissioner.
(D) A hearing under subdivision (A), or any part there-
of, may be held before a joint meeting of the committee and
the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate in accordance
with such procedures as the two committees jointly may de-
termine.
(2) Pursuant to section 401(b)(2) of the Congressional
Budget Act of 1974, when a committee reports a bill or joint
resolution that provides new entitlement authority as defined
in section 3(9) of that Act, and enactment of the bill or joint
resolution, as reported, would cause a breach of the commit-
tee’s pertinent allocation of new budget authority under sec-
tion 302(a) of that Act, the bill or joint resolution may be
referred to the Committee on Appropriations with instruc-
tions to report it with recommendations (which may include
an amendment limiting the total amount of new entitlement
authority provided in the bill or joint resolution). If the Com-
mittee on Appropriations fails to report a bill or joint resolu-
tion so referred within 15 calendar days (not counting any
day on which the House is not in session), the committee
automatically shall be discharged from consideration of the
bill or joint resolution, and the bill or joint resolution shall
be placed on the appropriate calendar.
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(3) In addition, the Committee on Appropriations shall
study on a continuing basis those provisions of law that (on
the first day of the first fiscal year for which the congres-
sional budget process is effective) provide spending authority
or permanent budget authority and shall report to the House
from time to time its recommendations for terminating or
modifying such provisions.
(4) In the manner provided by section 302 of the Con-
gressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee on Appropria-
tions (after consulting with the Committee on Appropriations
of the Senate) shall subdivide any allocations made to it in
the joint explanatory statement accompanying the conference
report on such concurrent resolution, and promptly report the
subdivisions to the House as soon as practicable after a con-
current resolution on the budget for a fiscal year is agreed
to.
(b) The Committee on the Budget shall—
(1) review on a continuing basis the conduct by the
Congressional Budget Office of its functions and duties;
(2) hold hearings and receive testimony from Mem-
bers, Senators, Delegates, the Resident Commissioner,
and such appropriate representatives of Federal depart-
ments and agencies, the general public, and national or-
ganizations as it considers desirable in developing con-
current resolutions on the budget for each fiscal year;
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(3) make all reports required of it by the Congres-
sional Budget Act of 1974;
(4) study on a continuing basis those provisions of
law that exempt Federal agencies or any of their activi-
ties or outlays from inclusion in the Budget of the
United States Government, and report to the House
from time to time its recommendations for terminating
or modifying such provisions;
(5) study on a continuing basis proposals designed
to improve and facilitate the congressional budget proc-
ess, and report to the House from time to time the re-
sults of such studies, together with its recommendations;
and
(6) request and evaluate continuing studies of tax
expenditures, devise methods of coordinating tax expend-
itures, policies, and programs with direct budget outlays,
and report the results of such studies to the House on
a recurring basis.
(c)(1) The Committee on Government Reform shall—
(A) receive and examine reports of the Comptroller
General of the United States and submit to the House
such recommendations as it considers necessary or desir-
able in connection with the subject matter of the reports;
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(B) evaluate the effects of laws enacted to reorga-
nize the legislative and executive branches of the Govern-
ment; and
(C) study intergovernmental relationships between
the United States and the States and municipalities and
between the United States and international organiza-
tions of which the United States is a member.
(2) In addition to its duties under subparagraph (1), the
Committee on Government Reform may at any time conduct
investigations of any matter without regard to clause 1, 2, 3,
or this clause conferring jurisdiction over the matter to an-
other standing committee. The findings and recommendations
of the committee in such an investigation shall be made avail-
able to any other standing committee having jurisdiction over
the matter involved and shall be included in the report of any
such other committee when required by clause 3(c)(4) of rule
XIII.
(d)(1) The Committee on House Administration shall—
(A) examine all bills, amendments, and joint resolu-
tions after passage by the House and, in cooperation
with the Senate, examine all bills and joint resolutions
that have passed both Houses to see that they are cor-
rectly enrolled and forthwith present those bills and joint
resolutions that originated in the House to the President
in person after their signature by the Speaker and the
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President of the Senate, and report to the House the
fact and date of their presentment;
(B) provide policy direction for, and oversight of,
the Clerk, Sergeant-at-Arms, Chief Administrative Offi-
cer, and Inspector General;
(C) have the function of accepting on behalf of the
House a gift, except as otherwise provided by law, if the
gift does not involve a duty, burden, or condition, or is
not made dependent on some future performance by the
House; and
(D) promulgate regulations to carry out subdivision
(C).
(2) An employing office of the House may enter into a
settlement of a complaint under the Congressional Account-
ability Act of 1995 that provides for the payment of funds
only after receiving the joint approval of the chairman and
ranking minority member of the Committee on House Admin-
istration concerning the amount of such payment.
(e)(1) Each standing committee shall, in its consider-
ation of all public bills and public joint resolutions within its
jurisdiction, ensure that appropriations for continuing pro-
grams and activities of the Federal Government and the gov-
ernment of the District of Columbia will be made annually to
the maximum extent feasible and consistent with the nature,
requirement, and objective of the programs and activities in-
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volved. In this subparagraph programs and activities of the
Federal Government and the government of the District of
Columbia includes programs and activities of any department,
agency, establishment, wholly owned Government corporation,
or instrumentality of the Federal Government or of the gov-
ernment of the District of Columbia.
(2) Each standing committee shall review from time to
time each continuing program within its jurisdiction for
which appropriations are not made annually to ascertain
whether the program should be modified to provide for an-
nual appropriations.
Budget Act responsibilities
(f)(1) Each standing committee shall submit to the Com-
mittee on the Budget not later than six weeks after the Presi-
dent submits his budget, or at such time as the Committee
on the Budget may request—
(A) its views and estimates with respect to all mat-
ters to be set forth in the concurrent resolution on the
budget for the ensuing fiscal year that are within its ju-
risdiction or functions; and
(B) an estimate of the total amounts of new budget
authority, and budget outlays resulting therefrom, to be
provided or authorized in all bills and resolutions within
its jurisdiction that it intends to be effective during that
fiscal year.
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(2) The views and estimates submitted by the Committee
on Ways and Means under subparagraph (1) shall include a
specific recommendation, made after holding public hearings,
as to the appropriate level of the public debt that should be
set forth in the concurrent resolution on the budget and serve
as the basis for an increase or decrease in the statutory limit
on such debt under the procedures provided by rule XXIII.
Election and membership of standing committees
5. (a)(1) The standing committees specified in clause 1
shall be elected by the House within seven calendar days after
the commencement of each Congress, from nominations sub-
mitted by the respective party caucus or conference. A resolu-
tion proposing to change the composition of a standing com-
mittee shall be privileged if offered by direction of the party
caucus or conference concerned.
(2)(A) The Committee on the Budget shall be composed
of members as follows:
(i) Members, Delegates, or the Resident Commis-
sioner who are members of other standing committees,
including five who are members of the Committee on Ap-
propriations and five who are members of the Committee
on Ways and Means;
(ii) one Member from the elected leadership of the
majority party; and
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(iii) one Member from the elected leadership of the
minority party.
(B) Except as permitted by subdivision (C), a member
of the Committee on the Budget other than one from the
elected leadership of a party may not serve on the committee
during more than four Congresses in a period of six succes-
sive Congresses (disregarding for this purpose any service for
less than a full session in a Congress).
(C) A member of the Committee on the Budget who
served as either the chairman or the ranking minority mem-
ber of the committee in the immediately previous Congress
and who did not serve in that respective capacity in an earlier
Congress may serve as either the chairman or the ranking
minority member of the committee during one additional
Congress.
(3)(A) The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct
shall be composed of 10 members, five from the majority
party and five from the minority party.
(B) Except as permitted by subdivision (C), a member
of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct may not
serve on the committee during more than three Congresses in
a period of five successive Congresses (disregarding for this
purpose any service for less than a full session in a Con-
gress).
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(C) A member of the Committee on Standards of Official
Conduct may serve on the committee during a fourth Con-
gress in a period of five successive Congresses only as either
the chairman or the ranking minority member of the commit-
tee.
(4)(A) At the beginning of a Congress, the Speaker or
his designee and the Minority Leader or his designee each
shall name 10 Members, Delegates, or the Resident Commis-
sioner from his respective party who are not members of the
Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to be available
to serve on investigative subcommittees of that committee
during that Congress. The lists of Members, Delegates, or the
Resident Commissioner so named shall be announced to the
House.
(B) Whenever the chairman and the ranking minority
member of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct
jointly determine that Members, Delegates, or the Resident
Commissioner named under subdivision (A) should be as-
signed to serve on an investigative subcommittee of that com-
mittee, each of them shall select an equal number of such
Members, Delegates, or Resident Commissioner from his re-
spective party to serve on that subcommittee.
(b)(1) Membership on a standing committee during the
course of a Congress shall be contingent on continuing mem-
bership in the party caucus or conference that nominated the
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Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner concerned for
election to such committee. Should a Member, Delegate, or
Resident Commissioner cease to be a member of a particular
party caucus or conference, that Member, Delegate, or Resi-
dent Commissioner shall automatically cease to be a member
of each standing committee to which he was elected on the
basis of nomination by that caucus or conference. The chair-
man of the relevant party caucus or conference shall notify
the Speaker whenever a Member, Delegate, or Resident Com-
missioner ceases to be a member of that caucus or con-
ference. The Speaker shall notify the chairman of each af-
fected committee that the election of such Member, Delegate,
or Resident Commissioner to the committee is automatically
vacated under this subparagraph.
(2)(A) Except as specified in subdivision (B), a Member,
Delegate, or Resident Commissioner may not serve simulta-
neously as a member of more than two standing committees
or more than four subcommittees of the standing committees.
(B)(i) Ex officio service by a chairman or ranking mi-
nority member of a committee on each of its subcommittees
under a committee rule does not count against the limitation
on subcommittee service.
(ii) Service on an investigative subcommittee of the Com-
mittee on Standards of Official Conduct under paragraph
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(a)(4) does not count against the limitation on subcommittee
service.
(iii) Any other exception to the limitations in subdivision
(A) must be approved by the House on the recommendation
of the relevant party caucus or conference.
(C) In this subparagraph the term ″subcommittee″ in-
cludes a panel (other than a special oversight panel of the
Committee on Armed Services), task force, special sub-
committee, or other subunit of a standing committee that is
established for a cumulative period longer than six months in
a Congress.
(c)(1) One of the members of each standing committee
shall be elected by the House, on the nomination of the ma-
jority party caucus or conference, as chairman thereof. In the
temporary absence of the chairman, the member next in rank
(and so on, as often as the case shall happen) shall act as
chairman. Rank shall be determined by the order members
are named in resolutions electing them to the committee. In
the case of a permanent vacancy in the elected chairmanship
of a committee, the House shall elect another chairman.
(2) A member of a standing committee may not serve as
chairman of the same standing committee, or of the same
subcommittee of a standing committee, during more than
three consecutive Congresses (disregarding for this purpose
any service for less than a full session in a Congress).
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(d)(1) Except as permitted by subparagraph (2), a com-
mittee may have not more than five subcommittees.
(2) A committee that maintains a subcommittee on over-
sight may have not more than six subcommittees. The Com-
mittee on Appropriations may have not more than 13 sub-
committees. The Committee on Government Reform may
have not more than seven subcommittees.
(e) The House shall fill a vacancy on a standing commit-
tee by election on the nomination of the respective party cau-
cus or conference.
Expense resolutions
6. (a) Whenever a committee, commission, or other en-
tity (other than the Committee on Appropriations) is granted
authorization for the payment of its expenses (including staff
salaries) for a Congress, such authorization initially shall be
procured by one primary expense resolution reported by the
Committee on House Administration. A primary expense res-
olution may include a reserve fund for unanticipated expenses
of committees. An amount from such a reserve fund may be
allocated to a committee only by the approval of the Commit-
tee on House Administration. A primary expense resolution
reported to the House may not be considered in the House
unless a printed report thereon was available on the previous
calendar day. For the information of the House, such report
shall—
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(1) state the total amount of the funds to be pro-
vided to the committee, commission, or other entity
under the primary expense resolution for all anticipated
activities and programs of the committee, commission, or
other entity; and
(2) to the extent practicable, contain such general
statements regarding the estimated foreseeable expendi-
tures for the respective anticipated activities and pro-
grams of the committee, commission, or other entity as
may be appropriate to provide the House with basic esti-
mates of the expenditures contemplated by the primary
expense resolution.
(b) After the date of adoption by the House of a primary
expense resolution for a committee, commission, or other en-
tity for a Congress, authorization for the payment of addi-
tional expenses (including staff salaries) in that Congress
may be procured by one or more supplemental expense reso-
lutions reported by the Committee on House Administration,
as necessary. A supplemental expense resolution reported to
the House may not be considered in the House unless a
printed report thereon was available on the previous calendar
day. For the information of the House, such report shall—
(1) state the total amount of additional funds to be
provided to the committee, commission, or other entity
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under the supplemental expense resolution and the pur-
poses for which those additional funds are available; and
(2) state the reasons for the failure to procure the
additional funds for the committee, commission, or other
entity by means of the primary expense resolution.
(c) The preceding provisions of this clause do not apply
to—
(1) a resolution providing for the payment from
committee salary and expense accounts of the House of
sums necessary to pay compensation for staff services
performed for, or to pay other expenses of, a committee,
commission, or other entity at any time after the begin-
ning of an odd-numbered year and before the date of
adoption by the House of the primary expense resolution
described in paragraph (a) for that year; or
(2) a resolution providing each of the standing com-
mittees in a Congress additional office equipment, air-
mail and special-delivery postage stamps, supplies, staff
personnel, or any other specific item for the operation of
the standing committees, and containing an authoriza-
tion for the payment from committee salary and expense
accounts of the House of the expenses of any of the fore-
going items provided by that resolution, subject to and
until enactment of the provisions of the resolution as
permanent law.
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(d) From the funds made available for the appointment
of committee staff by a primary or additional expense resolu-
tion, the chairman of each committee shall ensure that suffi-
cient staff is made available to each subcommittee to carry
out its responsibilities under the rules of the committee and
that the minority party is treated fairly in the appointment
of such staff.
(e) Funds authorized for a committee under this clause
and clauses 7 and 8 are for expenses incurred in the activities
of the committee.
Interim funding
7. (a) For the period beginning at noon on January 3
and ending at midnight on March 31 in each odd-numbered
year, such sums as may be necessary shall be paid out of the
committee salary and expense accounts of the House for con-
tinuance of necessary investigations and studies by—
(1) each standing and select committee established
by these rules; and
(2) except as specified in paragraph (b), each select
committee established by resolution.
(b) In the case of the first session of a Congress,
amounts shall be made available under this paragraph for a
select committee established by resolution in the preceding
Congress only if—
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(1) a resolution proposing to reestablish such select
committee is introduced in the present Congress; and
(2) the House has not adopted a resolution of the
preceding Congress providing for termination of funding
for investigations and studies by such select committee.
(c) Each committee described in paragraph (a) shall be
entitled for each month during the period specified in para-
graph (a) to 9 percent (or such lesser percentage as may be
determined by the Committee on House Administration) of
the total annualized amount made available under expense
resolutions for such committee in the preceding session of
Congress.
(d) Payments under this paragraph shall be made on
vouchers authorized by the committee involved, signed by the
chairman of the committee, except as provided in paragraph
(e), and approved by the Committee on House Administra-
tion.
(e) Notwithstanding any provision of law, rule of the
House, or other authority, from noon on January 3 of the
first session of a Congress until the election by the House of
the committee concerned in that Congress, payments under
this paragraph shall be made on vouchers signed by—
(1) the member of the committee who served as
chairman of the committee at the expiration of the pre-
ceding Congress; or
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(2) if the chairman is not a Member, Delegate, or
Resident Commissioner in the present Congress, then
the ranking member of the committee as it was con-
stituted at the expiration of the preceding Congress who
is a member of the majority party in the present Con-
gress.
(f)(1) The authority of a committee to incur expenses
under this paragraph shall expire upon adoption by the
House of a primary expense resolution for the committee.
(2) Amounts made available under this paragraph shall
be expended in accordance with regulations prescribed by the
Committee on House Administration.
(3) This clause shall be effective only insofar as it is not
inconsistent with a resolution reported by the Committee on
House Administration and adopted by the House after the
adoption of these rules.
Travel
8. (a) Local currencies owned by the United States shall
be made available to the committee and its employees en-
gaged in carrying out their official duties outside the United
States or its territories or possessions. Appropriated funds,
including those authorized under this clause and clauses 6
and 8, may not be expended for the purpose of defraying ex-
penses of members of a committee or its employees in a coun-
try where local currencies are available for this purpose.
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(b) The following conditions shall apply with respect to
travel outside the United States or its territories or posses-
sions:
(1) A member or employee of a committee may not
receive or expend local currencies for subsistence in a
country for a day at a rate in excess of the maximum
per diem set forth in applicable Federal law.
(2) A member or employee shall be reimbursed for
his expenses for a day at the lesser of—
(A) the per diem set forth in applicable Fed-
eral law; or
(B) the actual, unreimbursed expenses (other
than for transportation) he incurred during that
day.
(3) Each member or employee of a committee shall
make to the chairman of the committee an itemized re-
port showing the dates each country was visited, the
amount of per diem furnished, the cost of transportation
furnished, and funds expended for any other official pur-
pose and shall summarize in these categories the total
foreign currencies or appropriated funds expended. Each
report shall be filed with the chairman of the committee
not later than 60 days following the completion of travel
for use in complying with reporting requirements in ap-
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plicable Federal law and shall be open for public inspec-
tion.
(c)(1) In carrying out the activities of a committee out-
side the United States in a country where local currencies are
unavailable, a member or employee of a committee may not
receive reimbursement for expenses (other than for transpor-
tation) in excess of the maximum per diem set forth in appli-
cable Federal law.
(2) A member or employee shall be reimbursed for his
expenses for a day, at the lesser of—
(A) the per diem set forth in applicable Federal law;
or
(B) the actual unreimbursed expenses (other than
for transportation) he incurred during that day.
(3) A member or employee of a committee may not re-
ceive reimbursement for the cost of any transportation in
connection with travel outside the United States unless the
member or employee actually paid for the transportation.
(d) The restrictions respecting travel outside the United
States set forth in paragraph (c) also shall apply to travel
outside the United States by a Member, Delegate, Resident
Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House authorized
under any standing rule.
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Committee staffs
9. (a)(1) Subject to subparagraph (2) and paragraph (f),
each standing committee may appoint, by majority vote, not
more than 30 professional staff members to be compensated
from the funds provided for the appointment of committee
staff by primary and additional expense resolutions. Each
professional staff member appointed under this subparagraph
shall be assigned to the chairman and the ranking minority
member of the committee, as the committee considers advis-
able.
(2) Subject to paragraph (f) whenever a majority of the
minority party members of a standing committee (other than
the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct or the Per-
manent Select Committee on Intelligence) so request, not
more than 10 persons (or one-third of the total professional
committee staff appointed under this clause, whichever is
fewer) may be selected, by majority vote of the minority party
members, for appointment by the committee as professional
staff members under subparagraph (1). The committee shall
appoint persons so selected whose character and qualifica-
tions are acceptable to a majority of the committee. If the
committee determines that the character and qualifications of
a person so selected are unacceptable, a majority of the mi-
nority party members may select another person for appoint-
ment by the committee to the professional staff until such ap-
pointment is made. Each professional staff member appointed
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under this subparagraph shall be assigned to such committee
business as the minority party members of the committee
consider advisable.
(b)(1) The professional staff members of each standing
committee—
(A) may not engage in any work other than com-
mittee business during congressional working hours; and
(B) may not be assigned a duty other than one per-
taining to committee business.
(2) Subparagraph (1) does not apply to staff designated
by a committee as ‘‘associate’’ or ‘‘shared’’ staff who are not
paid exclusively by the committee, provided that the chairman
certifies that the compensation paid by the committee for any
such staff is commensurate with the work performed for the
committee in accordance with clause 8 of rule XXIV.
(3) The use of any ‘‘associate’’ or ‘‘shared’’ staff by a
committee shall be subject to the review of, and to any terms,
conditions, or limitations established by, the Committee on
House Administration in connection with the reporting of any
primary or additional expense resolution.
(4) This paragraph does not apply to the Committee on
Appropriations.
(c) Each employee on the professional or investigative
staff of a standing committee shall be entitled to pay at a
single gross per annum rate, to be fixed by the chairman and
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that does not exceed the maximum rate of pay as in effect
from time to time under applicable provisions of law.
(d) Subject to appropriations hereby authorized, the
Committee on Appropriations may appoint by majority vote
such staff as it determines to be necessary (in addition to the
clerk of the committee and assistants for the minority). The
staff appointed under this paragraph, other than minority as-
sistants, shall possess such qualifications as the committee
may prescribe.
(e) A committee may not appoint to its staff an expert
or other personnel detailed or assigned from a department or
agency of the Government except with the written permission
of the Committee on House Administration.
(f) If a request for the appointment of a minority profes-
sional staff member under paragraph (a) is made when no
vacancy exists for such an appointment, the committee never-
theless may appoint under paragraph (a) a person selected by
the minority and acceptable to the committee. A person so
appointed shall serve as an additional member of the profes-
sional staff of the committee until such a vacancy occurs
(other than a vacancy in the position of head of the profes-
sional staff, by whatever title designated), at which time that
person is considered as appointed to that vacancy. Such a
person shall be paid from the applicable accounts of the
House described in clause 1(i)(1) of rule X. If such a vacancy
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occurs on the professional staff when seven or more persons
have been so appointed who are eligible to fill that vacancy,
a majority of the minority party members shall designate
which of those persons shall fill the vacancy.
(g) Each staff member appointed pursuant to a request
by minority party members under paragraph (a), and each
staff member appointed to assist minority members of a com-
mittee pursuant to an expense resolution described in para-
graph (a) of clause 6, shall be accorded equitable treatment
with respect to the fixing of the rate of pay, the assignment
of work facilities, and the accessibility of committee records.
(h) Paragraph (a) may not be construed to authorize the
appointment of additional professional staff members of a
committee pursuant to a request under paragraph (a) by the
minority party members of that committee if 10 or more pro-
fessional staff members provided for in paragraph (a)(1) who
are satisfactory to a majority of the minority party members
are otherwise assigned to assist the minority party members.
(i) Notwithstanding paragraph (a)(2), a committee may
employ nonpartisan staff, in lieu of or in addition to commit-
tee staff designated exclusively for the majority or minority
party, by an affirmative vote of a majority of the members
of the majority party and of a majority of the members of
the minority party.
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Select and joint committees
10. (a) Membership on a select or joint committee ap-
pointed by the Speaker under clause 11 of rule I during the
course of a Congress shall be contingent on continuing mem-
bership in the party caucus or conference of which the Mem-
ber, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner concerned was a
member at the time of appointment. Should a Member, Dele-
gate, or Resident Commissioner cease to be a member of that
caucus or conference, that Member, Delegate, or Resident
Commissioner shall automatically cease to be a member of
any select or joint committee to which he is assigned. The
chairman of the relevant party caucus or conference shall no-
tify the Speaker whenever a Member, Delegate, or Resident
Commissioner ceases to be a member of a party caucus or
conference. The Speaker shall notify the chairman of each af-
fected select or joint committee that the appointment of such
Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner to the select or
joint committee is automatically vacated under this para-
graph.
(b) Each select or joint committee, other than a con-
ference committee, shall comply with clause 2(a) of rule XI
unless specifically exempted by law.
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
11. (a)(1) There is established a Permanent Select Com-
mittee on Intelligence (hereafter in this clause referred to as
the ‘‘select committee’’). The select committee shall be com-
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posed of not more than 16 Members, Delegates, or the Resi-
dent Commissioner, of whom not more than nine may be
from the same party. The select committee shall include at
least one Member, Delegate, or the Resident Commissioner
from each of the following committees:
(A) the Committee on Appropriations;
(B) the Committee on Armed Services;
(C) the Committee on International Relations; and
(D) the Committee on the Judiciary.
(2) The Speaker and the Minority Leader shall be ex
officio members of the select committee but shall have no vote
in the select committee and may not be counted for purposes
of determining a quorum thereof.
(3) The Speaker and Minority Leader each may des-
ignate a member of his leadership staff to assist him in his
capacity as ex officio member, with the same access to com-
mittee meetings, hearings, briefings, and materials as employ-
ees of the select committee and subject to the same security
clearance and confidentiality requirements as employees of
the select committee under this clause.
(4)(A) Except as permitted by subdivision (B), a Mem-
ber, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner, other than the
Speaker or the Minority Leader, may not serve as a member
of the select committee during more than four Congresses in
a period of six successive Congresses (disregarding for this
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purpose any service for less than a full session in a Con-
gress).
(B) A member of the select committee who served as ei-
ther the chairman or the ranking minority member of the se-
lect committee in the immediately previous Congress and who
did not serve in that respective capacity in an earlier Con-
gress may serve as either the chairman or the ranking minor-
ity member of the select committee during one additional
Congress.
(b)(1) There shall be referred to the select committee
proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and
other matters relating to the following:
(A) The Central Intelligence Agency, the Director
of Central Intelligence, and the National Foreign Intel-
ligence Program as defined in section 3(6) of the Na-
tional Security Act of 1947.
(B) Intelligence and intelligence-related activities of
all other departments and agencies of the Government,
including the tactical intelligence and intelligence-related
activities of the Department of Defense.
(C) The organization or reorganization of a depart-
ment or agency of the Government to the extent that the
organization or reorganization relates to a function or
activity involving intelligence or intelligence-related ac-
tivities.
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(D) Authorizations for appropriations, both direct
and indirect, for the following:
(i) The Central Intelligence Agency, the Direc-
tor of Central Intelligence, and the National For-
eign Intelligence Program as defined in section 3(6)
of the National Security Act of 1947.
(ii) Intelligence and intelligence-related activi-
ties of all other departments and agencies of the
Government, including the tactical intelligence and
intelligence-related activities of the Department of
Defense.
(iii) A department, agency, subdivision, or pro-
gram that is a successor to an agency or program
named or referred to in (i) or (ii).
(2) Proposed legislation initially reported by the select
committee (other than provisions solely involving matters
specified in subparagraph (1)(A) or subparagraph (1)(D)(i))
containing any matter otherwise within the jurisdiction of a
standing committee shall be referred by the Speaker to that
standing committee. Proposed legislation initially reported by
another committee that contains matter within the jurisdic-
tion of the select committee shall be referred by the Speaker
to the select committee if requested by the chairman of the
select committee.
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(3) Nothing in this clause shall be construed as prohibit-
ing or otherwise restricting the authority of any other com-
mittee to study and review an intelligence or intelligence-re-
lated activity to the extent that such activity directly affects
a matter otherwise within the jurisdiction of that committee.
(4) Nothing in this clause shall be construed as amend-
ing, limiting, or otherwise changing the authority of a stand-
ing committee to obtain full and prompt access to the product
of the intelligence and intelligence-related activities of a de-
partment or agency of the Government relevant to a matter
otherwise within the jurisdiction of that committee.
(c)(1) For purposes of accountability to the House, the
select committee shall make regular and periodic reports to
the House on the nature and extent of the intelligence and
intelligence-related activities of the various departments and
agencies of the United States. The select committee shall
promptly call to the attention of the House, or to any other
appropriate committee, a matter requiring the attention of
the House or another committee. In making such report, the
select committee shall proceed in a manner consistent with
paragraph (g) to protect national security.
(2) The select committee shall obtain annual reports
from the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, the Sec-
retary of Defense, the Secretary of State, and the Director
of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Such reports shall re-
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view the intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the
agency or department concerned and the intelligence and in-
telligence-related activities of foreign countries directed at the
United States or its interests. An unclassified version of each
report may be made available to the public at the discretion
of the select committee. Nothing herein shall be construed as
requiring the public disclosure in such reports of the names
of persons engaged in intelligence or intelligence-related ac-
tivities for the United States or the divulging of intelligence
methods employed or the sources of information on which the
reports are based or the amount of funds authorized to be
appropriated for intelligence and intelligence-related activi-
ties.
(3) Within six weeks after the President submits a budg-
et under section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, or
at such time as the Committee on the Budget may request,
the select committee shall submit to the Committee on the
Budget the views and estimates described in section 301(d)
of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 regarding matters
within the jurisdiction of the select committee.
(d)(1) Except as specified in subparagraph (2), clauses
6(a), (b), and (c) and 8(a), (b), and (c) of this rule, and
clauses 1, 2, and 4 of rule XI shall apply to the select com-
mittee to the extent not inconsistent with this clause.
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(2) Notwithstanding the requirements of the first sen-
tence of clause 2(g)(2) of rule XI, in the presence of the
number of members required under the rules of the select
committee for the purpose of taking testimony or receiving
evidence, the select committee may vote to close a hearing
whenever a majority of those present determines that the tes-
timony or evidence would endanger the national security.
(e) An employee of the select committee, or a person en-
gaged by contract or otherwise to perform services for or at
the request of the select committee, may not be given access
to any classified information by the select committee unless
such employee or person has—
(1) agreed in writing and under oath to be bound
by the Rules of the House, including the jurisdiction of
the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct and of
the select committee concerning the security of classified
information during and after the period of his employ-
ment or contractual agreement with the select commit-
tee; and
(2) received an appropriate security clearance, as
determined by the select committee in consultation with
the Director of Central Intelligence, that is commensu-
rate with the sensitivity of the classified information to
which such employee or person will be given access by
the select committee.
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(f) The select committee shall formulate and carry out
such rules and procedures as it considers necessary to pre-
vent the disclosure, without the consent of each person con-
cerned, of information in the possession of the select commit-
tee that unduly infringes on the privacy or that violates the
constitutional rights of such person. Nothing herein shall be
construed to prevent the select committee from publicly dis-
closing classified information in a case in which it determines
that national interest in the disclosure of classified informa-
tion clearly outweighs any infringement on the privacy of a
person.
(g)(1) The select committee may disclose publicly any in-
formation in its possession after a determination by the select
committee that the public interest would be served by such
disclosure. With respect to the disclosure of information for
which this paragraph requires action by the select
committee—
(A) the select committee shall meet to vote on the
matter within five days after a member of the select
committee requests a vote; and
(B) a member of the select committee may not
make such a disclosure before a vote by the select com-
mittee on the matter, or after a vote by the select com-
mittee on the matter except in accordance with this
paragraph.
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(2)(A) In a case in which the select committee votes to
disclose publicly any information that has been classified
under established security procedures, that has been submit-
ted to it by the executive branch, and that the executive
branch requests be kept secret, the select committee shall no-
tify the President of such vote.
(B) The select committee may disclose publicly such in-
formation after the expiration of a five-day period following
the day on which notice of the vote to disclose is transmitted
to the President unless, before the expiration of the five-day
period, the President, personally in writing, notifies the select
committee that he objects to the disclosure of such informa-
tion, provides his reasons therefor, and certifies that the
threat to the national interest of the United States posed by
the disclosure is of such gravity that it outweighs any public
interest in the disclosure.
(C) If the President, personally in writing, notifies the
select committee of his objections to the disclosure of infor-
mation as provided in subdivision (B), the select committee
may, by majority vote, refer the question of the disclosure of
such information, with a recommendation thereon, to the
House. The select committee may not publicly disclose such
information without leave of the House.
(D) Whenever the select committee votes to refer the
question of disclosure of any information to the House under
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subdivision (C), the chairman shall, not later than the first
day on which the House is in session following the day on
which the vote occurs, report the matter to the House for its
consideration.
(E) If the chairman of the select committee does not
offer in the House a motion to consider in closed session a
matter reported under subdivision (D) within four calendar
days on which the House is in session after the recommenda-
tion described in subdivision (C) is reported, then such a mo-
tion shall be privileged when offered by a Member, Delegate,
or Resident Commissioner. In either case such a motion shall
be decided without debate or intervening motion except one
that the House adjourn.
(F) Upon adoption by the House of a motion to resolve
into closed session as described in subdivision (E), the Speak-
er may declare a recess subject to the call of the Chair. At
the expiration of the recess, the pending question, in closed
session, shall be, ‘‘Shall the House approve the recommenda-
tion of the select committee?’’.
(G) Debate on the question described in subdivision (F)
shall be limited to two hours equally divided and controlled
by the chairman and ranking minority member of the select
committee. After such debate the previous question shall be
considered as ordered on the question of approving the rec-
ommendation without intervening motion except one motion
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that the House adjourn. The House shall vote on the ques-
tion in open session but without divulging the information
with respect to which the vote is taken. If the recommenda-
tion of the select committee is not approved, then the ques-
tion is considered as recommitted to the select committee for
further recommendation.
(3)(A) Information in the possession of the select com-
mittee relating to the lawful intelligence or intelligence-relat-
ed activities of a department or agency of the United States
that has been classified under established security procedures,
and that the select committee has determined should not be
disclosed under subparagraph (1) or (2), may not be made
available to any person by a Member, Delegate, Resident
Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House except as
provided in subdivision (B).
(B) The select committee shall, under such regulations
as it may prescribe, make information described in subdivi-
sion (A) available to a committee or a Member, Delegate, or
Resident Commissioner, and permit a Member, Delegate, or
Resident Commissioner to attend a hearing of the select com-
mittee that is closed to the public. Whenever the select com-
mittee makes such information available, it shall keep a writ-
ten record showing, in the case of particular information,
which committee or which Member, Delegate, or Resident
Commissioner received the information. A Member, Delegate,
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or Resident Commissioner who, and a committee that, re-
ceives information under this subdivision may not disclose the
information except in a closed session of the House.
(4) The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct
shall investigate any unauthorized disclosure of intelligence or
intelligence-related information by a Member, Delegate, Resi-
dent Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House in vio-
lation of subparagraph (3) and report to the House concern-
ing any allegation that it finds to be substantiated.
(5) Upon the request of a person who is subject to an
investigation described in subparagraph (4), the Committee
on Standards of Official Conduct shall release to such person
at the conclusion of its investigation a summary of its inves-
tigation, together with its findings. If, at the conclusion of its
investigation, the Committee on Standards of Official Con-
duct determines that there has been a significant breach of
confidentiality or unauthorized disclosure by a Member, Dele-
gate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the
House, it shall report its findings to the House and rec-
ommend appropriate action. Recommendations may include
censure, removal from committee membership, or expulsion
from the House, in the case of a Member, or removal from
office or employment or punishment for contempt, in the case
of an officer or employee.
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(h) The select committee may permit a personal rep-
resentative of the President, designated by the President to
serve as a liaison to the select committee, to attend any
closed meeting of the select committee.
(i) Subject to the Rules of the House, funds may not be
appropriated for a fiscal year, with the exception of a bill or
joint resolution continuing appropriations, or an amendment
thereto, or a conference report thereon, to, or for use of, a
department or agency of the United States to carry out any
of the following activities, unless the funds shall previously
have been authorized by a bill or joint resolution passed by
the House during the same or preceding fiscal year to carry
out such activity for such fiscal year:
(1) The activities of the Central Intelligence Agency
and the Director of Central Intelligence.
(2) The activities of the Defense Intelligence Agen-
cy.
(3) The activities of the National Security Agency.
(4) The intelligence and intelligence-related activi-
ties of other agencies and subdivisions of the Depart-
ment of Defense.
(5) The intelligence and intelligence-related activi-
ties of the Department of State.
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(6) The intelligence and intelligence-related activi-
ties of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, including all
activities of the Intelligence Division.
(j)(1) In this clause the term ‘‘intelligence and intel-
ligence-related activities’’ includes—
(A) the collection, analysis, production, dissemina-
tion, or use of information that relates to a foreign coun-
try, or a government, political group, party, military
force, movement, or other association in a foreign coun-
try, and that relates to the defense, foreign policy, na-
tional security, or related policies of the United States
and other activity in support of the collection, analysis,
production, dissemination, or use of such information;
(B) activities taken to counter similar activities di-
rected against the United States;
(C) covert or clandestine activities affecting the re-
lations of the United States with a foreign government,
political group, party, military force, movement, or other
association;
(D) the collection, analysis, production, dissemina-
tion, or use of information about activities of persons
within the United States, its territories and possessions,
or nationals of the United States abroad whose political
and related activities pose, or may be considered by a de-
partment, agency, bureau, office, division, instrumental-
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ity, or employee of the United States to pose, a threat
to the internal security of the United States; and
(E) covert or clandestine activities directed against
persons described in subdivision (D).
(2) In this clause the term ‘‘department or agency’’ in-
cludes any organization, committee, council, establishment, or
office within the Federal Government.
(3) For purposes of this clause, reference to a depart-
ment, agency, bureau, or subdivision shall include a reference
to any successor department, agency, bureau, or subdivision
to the extent that a successor engages in intelligence or intel-
ligence-related activities now conducted by the department,
agency, bureau, or subdivision referred to in this clause.
(k) Clause 12(a) of rule XXII does not apply to meet-
ings of a conference committee respecting legislation (or any
part thereof) reported by the Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence.
RULE XI.
PROCEDURES OF COMMITTEES AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
In general
1. (a)(1)(A) Except as provided in subdivision (B), the
Rules of the House are the rules of its committees and sub-
committees so far as applicable.
(B) A motion to recess from day to day, and a motion
to dispense with the first reading (in full) of a bill or resolu-
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tion, if printed copies are available, each shall be privileged
in committees and subcommittees and shall be decided with-
out debate.
(2) Each subcommittee is a part of its committee and
is subject to the authority and direction of that committee
and to its rules, so far as applicable.
(b)(1) Each committee may conduct at any time such in-
vestigations and studies as it considers necessary or appro-
priate in the exercise of its responsibilities under rule X. Sub-
ject to the adoption of expense resolutions as required by
clause 6 of rule X, each committee may incur expenses, in-
cluding travel expenses, in connection with such investiga-
tions and studies.
(2) A proposed investigative or oversight report shall be
considered as read in committee if it has been available to the
members for at least 24 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sun-
days, or legal holidays except when the House is in session
on such a day).
(3) A report of an investigation or study conducted
jointly by more than one committee may be filed jointly, pro-
vided that each of the committees complies independently
with all requirements for approval and filing of the report.
(4) After an adjournment sine die of the last regular ses-
sion of a Congress, an investigative or oversight report may
be filed with the Clerk at any time, provided that a member
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who gives timely notice of intention to file supplemental, mi-
nority, or additional views shall be entitled to not less than
seven calendar days in which to submit such views for inclu-
sion in the report.
(c) Each committee may have printed and bound such
testimony and other data as may be presented at hearings
held by the committee or its subcommittees. All costs of sten-
ographic services and transcripts in connection with a meet-
ing or hearing of a committee shall be paid from the applica-
ble accounts of the House described in clause 1(i)(1) of rule
X.
(d)(1) Each committee shall submit to the House not
later than January 2 of each odd-numbered year a report on
the activities of that committee under this rule and rule X
during the Congress ending at noon on January 3 of such
year.
(2) Such report shall include separate sections summa-
rizing the legislative and oversight activities of that commit-
tee during that Congress.
(3) The oversight section of such report shall include a
summary of the oversight plans submitted by the committee
under clause 2(d) of rule X, a summary of the actions taken
and recommendations made with respect to each such plan,
a summary of any additional oversight activities undertaken
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by that committee, and any recommendations made or ac-
tions taken thereon.
(4) After an adjournment sine die of the last regular ses-
sion of a Congress, the chairman of a committee may file an
activities report under subparagraph (1) with the Clerk at
any time and without approval of the committee, provided
that—
(A) a copy of the report has been available to each
member of the committee for at least seven calendar
days; and
(B) the report includes any supplemental, minority,
or additional views submitted by a member of the com-
mittee.
Adoption of written rules
2. (a)(1) Each standing committee shall adopt written
rules governing its procedure. Such rules—
(A) shall be adopted in a meeting that is open to
the public unless the committee, in open session and
with a quorum present, determines by record vote that
all or part of the meeting on that day shall be closed to
the public;
(B) may not be inconsistent with the Rules of the
House or with those provisions of law having the force
and effect of Rules of the House; and
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ing of a committee or subcommittee (other than the Commit-
tee on Standards of Official Conduct or its subcommittees)
unless the House by majority vote authorizes a particular
committee or subcommittee, for purposes of a particular se-
ries of hearings on a particular article of legislation or on a
particular subject of investigation, to close its hearings to
Members, Delegates, and the Resident Commissioner by the
same procedures specified in this subparagraph for closing
hearings to the public.
(D) The committee or subcommittee may vote by the
same procedure described in this subparagraph to close one
subsequent day of hearing, except that the Committee on Ap-
propriations, the Committee on Armed Services, and the Per-
manent Select Committee on Intelligence, and the subcommit-
tees thereof, may vote by the same procedure to close up to
five additional, consecutive days of hearings.
(3) The chairman of each committee (other than the
Committee on Rules) shall make public announcement of the
date, place, and subject matter of a committee hearing at
least one week before the commencement of the hearing. If
the chairman of the committee, with the concurrence of the
ranking minority member, determines that there is good
cause to begin a hearing sooner, or if the committee so deter-
mines by majority vote in the presence of the number of
members required under the rules of the committee for the
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In either case the committee shall afford such person an op-
portunity voluntarily to appear as a witness, and receive and
dispose of requests from such person to subpoena additional
witnesses.
(6) Except as provided in subparagraph (5), the chair-
man shall receive and the committee shall dispose of requests
to subpoena additional witnesses.
(7) Evidence or testimony taken in executive session,
and proceedings conducted in executive session, may be re-
leased or used in public sessions only when authorized by the
committee, a majority being present.
(8) In the discretion of the committee, witnesses may
submit brief and pertinent sworn statements in writing for
inclusion in the record. The committee is the sole judge of
the pertinence of testimony and evidence adduced at its hear-
ing.
(9) A witness may obtain a transcript copy of his testi-
mony given at a public session or, if given at an executive
session, when authorized by the committee.
Supplemental, minority, or additional views
(l) If at the time of approval of a measure or matter by
a committee (other than the Committee on Rules) a member
of the committee gives notice of intention to file supple-
mental, minority, or additional views for inclusion in the re-
port to the House thereon, that member shall be entitled to
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ceeding relating to the member’s official conduct. Whenever
a member of the committee is ineligible to act as a member
of the committee under the preceding sentence, the Speaker
shall designate a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commis-
sioner from the same political party as the ineligible member
to act in any proceeding of the committee relating to that
conduct.
(5) A member of the committee may disqualify himself
from participating in an investigation of the conduct of a
Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or em-
ployee of the House upon the submission in writing and
under oath of an affidavit of disqualification stating that the
member cannot render an impartial and unbiased decision in
the case in which the member seeks to be disqualified. If the
committee approves and accepts such affidavit of disqualifica-
tion, the chairman shall so notify the Speaker and request
the Speaker to designate a Member, Delegate, or Resident
Commissioner from the same political party as the disqualify-
ing member to act in any proceeding of the committee relat-
ing to that case.
(6) Information or testimony received, or the contents of
a complaint or the fact of its filing, may not be publicly dis-
closed by any committee or staff member unless specifically
authorized in each instance by a vote of the full committee.