H. Res. 5 
In the House of Representatives, U. S., 
January 3, 2017. 
Resolved, That the Rules of the House of Representa-
tives of the One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, including ap-
plicable provisions of law or concurrent resolution that con-
stituted rules of the House at the end of the One Hundred 
Fourteenth Congress, are adopted as the Rules of the House 
of Representatives of the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, 
with amendments to the standing rules as provided in section 
2, and with other orders as provided in sections 3, 4, and 5. 
SEC. 2. CHANGES TO THE STANDING RULES. 
(a) DECORUM.— 
(1) In clause 3 of rule II, add the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(g)(1) The Sergeant-at-Arms is authorized and di-
rected to impose a fine against a Member, Delegate, or 
the Resident Commissioner for the use of an electronic 
device for still photography or for audio or visual record-
ing or broadcasting in contravention of clause 5 of rule
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XVII and any applicable Speaker’s announced policy on 
electronic devices. 
‘‘(2) A fine imposed pursuant to this para-
graph shall be $500 for a first offense and $2,500 
for any subsequent offense. 
‘‘(3)(A) The Sergeant-at-Arms shall promptly 
notify the Member, Delegate, or the Resident Com-
missioner, the Speaker, the Chief Administrative 
Officer, and the Committee on Ethics of any such 
fine. 
‘‘(B) Such Member, Delegate, or Resident 
Commissioner may appeal the fine in writing 
to the Committee on Ethics not later than 30 
calendar days or five legislative days, whichever 
is later, after notification pursuant to subdivi-
sion (A). 
‘‘(C) Upon receipt of an appeal pursuant 
to subdivision (B), the Committee on Ethics 
shall have 30 calendar days or five legislative 
days, whichever is later, to either dismiss the 
fine or allow it to proceed. Upon a determina-
tion regarding the appeal or if no appeal has 
been filed at the expiration of the period speci-
fied in subdivision (B), the chair of the Com-
mittee on Ethics shall promptly notify the
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Member, Delegate, or the Resident Commis-
sioner, the Speaker and the Chief Administra-
tive Officer. The Speaker shall promptly lay 
such notification before the House. 
‘‘(4) The Sergeant-at-Arms and the Committee 
on Ethics are authorized to establish policies and 
procedures for the implementation of this para-
graph.’’. 
(2) In clause 4 of rule II, add the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(d)(1) Upon notification from the chair of the 
Committee on Ethics pursuant to clause 3(g)(3)(C), the 
Chief Administrative Officer shall deduct the amount of 
any fine levied under clause 3(g) from the net salary 
otherwise due the Member, Delegate, or the Resident 
Commissioner. 
‘‘(2) The Chief Administrative Officer is au-
thorized to establish policies and procedures for 
such salary deductions.’’. 
(3) Rule XVII is amended by redesignating clause 
9 as clause 10, and by inserting after clause 8 the fol-
lowing new clause:
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‘‘Legislative Proceedings 
‘‘9.(a) A Member, Delegate, the Resident Commissioner, 
officer, or employee of the House may not engage in dis-
orderly or disruptive conduct in the Chamber, including— 
‘‘(1) intentionally obstructing or impeding the pas-
sage of others in the Chamber; 
‘‘(2) the use of an exhibit to impede, disrupt, or dis-
turb the proceedings of the House; and 
‘‘(3) the denial of legislative instruments to others 
seeking to engage in legislative proceedings. 
‘‘(b) This clause establishes a standard of conduct within 
the meaning of clause 3(a)(2) of rule XI.’’. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION AND OVERSIGHT PLANS.— 
(1) Clause 2(d) of rule X is amended to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(d)(1) Not later than February 15 of the first ses-
sion of a Congress, each standing committee (other than 
the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on 
Ethics, and the Committee on Rules) shall, in a meeting 
that is open to the public, adopt its authorization and 
oversight plan for that Congress. Such plan shall be sub-
mitted simultaneously to the Committee on Oversight 
and Government Reform, the Committee on House Ad-
ministration, and the Committee on Appropriations. 
‘‘(2) Each such plan shall include, with respect 
to programs and agencies within the committee’s
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jurisdiction, and to the maximum extent prac-
ticable— 
‘‘(A) a list of such programs or agencies 
with lapsed authorizations that received fund-
ing in the prior fiscal year or, in the case of 
a program or agency with a permanent author-
ization, which has not been subject to a com-
prehensive review by the committee in the prior 
three Congresses; 
‘‘(B) a description of each such program 
or agency to be authorized in the current Con-
gress; 
‘‘(C) a description of each such program 
or agency to be authorized in the next Con-
gress, if applicable; 
‘‘(D) a description of any oversight to 
support the authorization of each such pro-
gram or agency in the current Congress; and 
‘‘(E) recommendations for changes to ex-
isting law for moving such programs or agen-
cies from mandatory funding to discretionary 
appropriations, where appropriate. 
‘‘(3) Each such plan may include, with respect 
to the programs and agencies within the commit-
tee’s jurisdiction—
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‘‘(A) recommendations for the consolida-
tion or termination of such programs or agen-
cies that are duplicative, unnecessary, or incon-
sistent with the appropriate roles and respon-
sibilities of the Federal Government; 
‘‘(B) recommendations for changes to ex-
isting law related to Federal rules, regulations, 
statutes, and court decisions affecting such 
programs and agencies that are inconsistent 
with the authorities of the Congress under Ar-
ticle I of the Constitution; and 
‘‘(C) a description of such other oversight 
activities as the committee may consider nec-
essary. 
‘‘(4) In the development of such plan, the chair 
of each committee shall coordinate with other com-
mittees of jurisdiction to ensure that programs and 
agencies are subject to routine, comprehensive au-
thorization efforts. 
‘‘(5) Not later than March 31 in the first ses-
sion of a Congress, after consultation with the 
Speaker, the Majority Leader, and the Minority 
Leader, the Committee on Oversight and Govern-
ment Reform shall report to the House the author-
ization and oversight plans submitted by commit-
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tees together with any recommendations that it, or 
the House leadership group described above, may 
make to ensure the most effective coordination of 
authorization and oversight plans and otherwise to 
achieve the objectives of this clause.’’. 
(2) In clause 1(d)(2)(B) of rule XI, insert ‘‘author-
ization and’’ before ‘‘oversight’’. 
(3) In clause 1(d)(2)(C) of rule XI, insert ‘‘author-
ization and’’ before ‘‘oversight’’. 
(c) AMENDMENTS TO APPROPRIATION BILLS.—In clause 
2 of rule XXI, add the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(g) An amendment to a general appropriation bill 
shall not be in order if proposing a net increase in the 
level of budget authority in the bill.’’. 
(d) DUPLICATION OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS.—In clause 
3(c) of rule XIII, add the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(5) On a bill or joint resolution that estab-
lishes or reauthorizes a Federal program, a state-
ment indicating whether any such program is 
known to be duplicative of another such program, 
including at a minimum an explanation of whether 
any such program was included in a report to Con-
gress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111– 
139 or whether the most recent Catalog of Federal 
Domestic Assistance (published pursuant to section
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6104 of title 31, United States Code) identified 
other programs related to the program established 
or reauthorized by the measure.’’. 
(e) RECOGNITION OF MEMBERS.— 
(1) In clause 6 of rule I, strike ‘‘The Speaker shall 
rise to put a question but may state it sitting.’’. 
(2) In clause 6(d) of rule XIII, strike ‘‘rises’’ and 
insert ‘‘seeks recognition’’. 
(3) In clause 1(a) of rule XVII, strike ‘‘rise and’’. 
(4) In clause 2 of rule XVII, strike ‘‘rise at once’’ 
and insert ‘‘seek recognition’’. 
(5) In clause 5 of rule XVII, strike ‘‘walk out of or 
across’’ and insert ‘‘exit or cross’’. 
(6) In clause 1(a) of rule XX, strike ‘‘from their 
seats to’’ and insert ‘‘or otherwise indicate from their 
seats and’’. 
(f) CONVENING OUTSIDE THE HALL OF THE HOUSE.— 
In clause 12(d) of rule I, strike ‘‘whenever’’ and insert ‘‘if’’. 
(g) TEMPORARY
PRESIDING
AUTHORITY
CLARIFICA-
TION.—In clause 2(a) of rule II, insert ‘‘and in the absence 
of a Member acting as Speaker pro tempore pursuant to 
clause 8(b)(3)(A) of rule I,’’ after ‘‘tempore,’’. 
(h) CONTINUING LITIGATION AUTHORITIES.—In clause 
8 of rule II, add the following new paragraph:
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‘‘(c) The House, the Speaker, a committee or the 
chair of a committee authorized during a prior Congress 
to act in a litigation matter is authorized to act as the 
successor in interest to the House, the Speaker, such 
committee or the chair of such committee of a prior Con-
gress, respectively, with respect to such litigation matter, 
and to take such steps as may be appropriate to ensure 
continuation of such litigation matter.’’. 
(i) CLARIFYING
STAFF
ACCESS
TO
THE
HOUSE 
FLOOR.—In clause 5 of rule IV, strike ‘‘shall remain at the 
desk and’’. 
(j) MEMBER RECORDS.—In clause 6 of rule VII— 
(1) redesignate paragraphs (a) and (b) as subpara-
graphs (1) and (2); 
(2) designate the existing sentence as paragraph 
(a); 
(3) in paragraph (a) (as so designated), insert ‘‘as 
described in paragraph (b)’’ after ‘‘Resident Commis-
sioner’’; and 
(4) add at the end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(b) Records created, generated, or received by the 
congressional office of a Member, Delegate, or the Resi-
dent Commissioner in the performance of official duties 
are exclusively the personal property of the individual 
Member, Delegate, or the Resident Commissioner and
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such Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner has 
control over such records.’’. 
(k) RESPONSE TO SUBPOENAS.—Amend rule VIII to 
read as follows— 
‘‘RULE VIII 
‘‘RESPONSE TO SUBPOENAS 
‘‘1.(a) When a Member, Delegate, Resident Commis-
sioner, officer, or employee of the House is properly served 
with a judicial subpoena or order, such Member, Delegate, 
Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee shall comply, 
consistently with the privileges and rights of the House, with 
the judicial subpoena or order as hereinafter provided, unless 
otherwise determined under this rule. 
‘‘(b) For purposes of this rule, ‘judicial subpoena or 
order’ means a judicial subpoena or judicial order direct-
ing appearance as a witness relating to the official func-
tions of the House or for the production or disclosure of 
any document relating to the official functions of the 
House. 
‘‘2.(a) Upon receipt of a properly served judicial sub-
poena or order, a Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, 
officer, or employee of the House shall promptly notify the 
Speaker in writing of its receipt together with either: 
‘‘(1) a determination as to whether the 
issuance of the judicial subpoena or order is a prop-
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er exercise of jurisdiction by the court and is con-
sistent with the privileges and rights of the House; 
or 
‘‘(2) a statement that such Member, Delegate, 
Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the 
House intends to make a determination with respect 
to the matters described in subparagraph (1). 
‘‘(b) The notification required by paragraph (a) 
shall promptly be laid before the House by the Speaker. 
‘‘3.(a) Except as specified in paragraph (b) or otherwise 
ordered by the House, upon notification to the House that a 
judicial subpoena or order is a proper exercise of jurisdiction 
by the court 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 judi-
cial subpoena or order by supplying copies. 
‘‘(b) Under no circumstances may minutes or tran-
scripts of executive sessions, or evidence of witnesses in 
respect thereto, be disclosed or copied. During a period 
of recess or adjournment of longer than three days, the 
Speaker may authorize compliance or take such other 
action as the Speaker 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.
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‘‘4. 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.’’. 
(l) 
REQUIREMENTS
FOR
SUBCOMMITTEES.—Amend 
clause 5(d)(2) of rule X to read as follows: 
‘‘(2)(A) A committee that maintains a sub-
committee on oversight may have not more than six 
subcommittees. 
‘‘(B) The Committee on Appropriations 
may have not more than 13 subcommittees. 
‘‘(C) The Committee on Armed Services 
may have not more than seven subcommittees. 
‘‘(D) The Committee on Foreign Affairs 
may have not more than seven subcommittees. 
‘‘(E) The Committee on Oversight and 
Government Reform may have not more than 
seven subcommittees. 
‘‘(F) The Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure may have not more than six 
subcommittees.’’.
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(m) COMMITTEE HEARINGS.—In clause 2(g)(2)(D) of 
rule XI, insert ‘‘, the Committee on Homeland Security’’ 
after ‘‘Armed Services’’. 
(n) REFERRALS TO THE COURT OF CLAIMS.— 
(1) In clause 1(a)(1) of rule XIII— 
(A) insert ‘‘or’’ before ‘‘releasing’’; and 
(B) strike ‘‘, or referring a claim to the Court 
of Claims’’; and 
(2) In clause 3 of rule XVIII— 
(A) insert ‘‘or’’ before ‘‘releasing’’; and 
(B) strike ‘‘, or referring a claim to the Court 
of Claims’’. 
(o) CONTENTS
OF
COMMITTEE
REPORTS
SHOWING 
CHANGES TO EXISTING LAW.—Clause 3(e)(1) of rule XIII is 
amended by striking ‘‘accompanying document—’’ and all 
that follows and inserting ‘‘accompanying document (showing 
by appropriate typographical devices the omissions and inser-
tions proposed)— 
‘‘(A) the entire text of each section of a 
statute that is proposed to be repealed; and 
‘‘(B) a comparative print of each amend-
ment to the entire text of a section of a statute 
that the bill or joint resolution proposes to 
make.’’.
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(p) AUTHORITY TO POSTPONE RECORD VOTES ON CER-
TAIN MOTIONS.—In clause 8(a)(2) of rule XX— 
(1) Redesignate subdivisions (E) through (H) as 
subdivisions (G) through (J), respectively; 
(2) Insert after subdivision (D) the following new 
subdivisions: 
‘‘(E) The question of adopting a motion to 
recommit. 
‘‘(F) The question of adopting a motion to 
concur in a Senate amendment, with or with-
out amendment.’’; and 
(3) In subdivision (G) (as redesignated), strike 
‘‘subdivision (A), (B), (C), or (D)’’ and insert ‘‘subdivi-
sions (A) through (F)’’. 
(q) CONFORMING GUIDELINES FOR FIVE-MINUTE VOT-
ING.—In clause 9 of rule XX— 
(1) In paragraph (a), insert ‘‘or’’ after the semi-
colon; and 
(2) Strike paragraphs (b) and (c) and insert the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(b) if in the discretion of the Speaker Members 
would be afforded an adequate opportunity to vote— 
‘‘(1) on any question arising after a report 
from the Committee of the Whole without debate or 
intervening motion; or
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‘‘(2) on the question of adoption of a motion 
to recommit (or ordering the previous question 
thereon) arising without intervening motion or de-
bate other than debate on the motion.’’. 
(r) ELECTRONIC AVAILABILITY.—In clause 3 of rule 
XXIX, strike ‘‘in electronic form at a location designated by 
the Committee on House Administration’’ and insert ‘‘at an 
electronic document repository operated by the Clerk’’. 
(s) COMPARATIVE PRINTS FOR BILLS OR JOINT RESO-
LUTIONS CONSIDERED ON FLOOR.—Effective December 31, 
2017, in rule XXI, add at the end the following new clause: 
‘‘12.(a)(1) Before a bill or joint resolution proposing to 
repeal or amend a statute or part thereof may be considered, 
there shall be made available on a publicly available website 
of the House an easily searchable electronic comparative print 
that shows how the bill or joint resolution proposes to change 
current law, showing (to the greatest extent practicable) by 
appropriate typographical devices the omissions and inser-
tions proposed. 
‘‘(2) Before an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute may be considered if the amendment pro-
poses to repeal or amend a statute or part thereof, 
there shall be made available on a publicly available 
website of the House an easily searchable electronic 
comparative print that shows (to the greatest extent
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practicable) how the amendment proposes to change 
current law, showing by appropriate typographical 
devices the omissions and insertions proposed. 
‘‘(b) If a committee reports a bill or joint resolu-
tion, before the bill or joint resolution may be considered 
with text different from the text reported, there shall be 
made available on a publicly available website of the 
House a document that shows, by appropriate typo-
graphical devices, the differences between the text of the 
bill or joint resolution as proposed to be considered and 
the text of the bill or joint resolution as reported.’’. 
(t) APPOINTMENT OF CHAIR.—Clause 1 of rule XVIII is 
amended by inserting ‘‘, Delegate, or the Resident Commis-
sioner’’ after ‘‘Member’’. 
SEC. 3. SEPARATE ORDERS. 
(a) HOLMAN RULE.—During the first session of the One 
Hundred Fifteenth Congress, any reference in clause 2 of 
rule XXI to a provision or amendment that retrenches ex-
penditures by a reduction of amounts of money covered by 
the bill shall be construed as applying to any provision or 
amendment (offered after the bill has been read for amend-
ment) that retrenches expenditures by— 
(1) the reduction of amounts of money in the bill; 
(2) the reduction of the number and salary of the 
officers of the United States; or
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(3) the reduction of the compensation of any person 
paid out of the Treasury of the United States. 
(b) STAFF DEPOSITION AUTHORITY.— 
(1) During the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, 
the chair of a standing committee (other than the Com-
mittee on House Administration or the Committee on 
Rules), and the chair of the Permanent Select Com-
mittee on Intelligence, upon consultation with the rank-
ing minority member of such committee, may order the 
taking of depositions, including pursuant to subpoena, 
by a member or counsel of such committee. 
(2) Depositions taken under the authority pre-
scribed in this subsection shall be subject to regulations 
issued by the chair of the Committee on Rules and print-
ed in the Congressional Record. 
(3) At least one member of the committee shall be 
present at each deposition taken under the authority 
prescribed in this subsection, unless— 
(A) the witness to be deposed agrees in writing 
to waive this requirement; or 
(B) the committee authorizes the taking of a 
specified deposition without the presence of a mem-
ber during a specified period, provided that the 
House is not in session on the day of the deposition.
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(c) INDEPENDENT PAYMENT ADVISORY BOARD.—Sec-
tion 1899A(d) of the Social Security Act shall not apply in 
the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress. 
(d) PROVIDING FOR TRANSPARENCY WITH RESPECT TO 
MEMORIALS SUBMITTED PURSUANT TO ARTICLE V OF THE 
CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.—With respect to 
any memorial presented under clause 3 of rule XII pur-
porting to be an application of the legislature of a State call-
ing for a convention for proposing amendments to the Con-
stitution of the United States pursuant to Article V, or a re-
scission of any such prior application— 
(1) the chair of the Committee on the Judiciary 
shall, in the case of such a memorial presented in the 
One Hundred Fourteenth Congress or the One Hundred 
Fifteenth Congress, and may, in the case of such a me-
morial presented prior to the One Hundred Fourteenth 
Congress, designate any such memorial for public avail-
ability by the Clerk; and 
(2) the Clerk shall make such memorials as are des-
ignated pursuant to paragraph (1) publicly available in 
electronic form, organized by State of origin and year of 
receipt, and shall indicate whether the memorial was 
designated as an application or a rescission. 
(e) SPENDING REDUCTION AMENDMENTS
IN APPRO-
PRIATIONS BILLS.—
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(1) During the reading of a general appropriation 
bill for amendment in the Committee of the Whole 
House on the state of the Union, it shall be in order to 
consider en bloc amendments proposing only to transfer 
appropriations from an object or objects in the bill to a 
spending reduction account. When considered en bloc 
under this paragraph, such amendments may amend 
portions of the bill not yet read for amendment (fol-
lowing disposition of any points of order against such 
portions) and are not subject to a demand for division 
of the question in the House or in the Committee of the 
Whole. 
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (1), it shall 
not be in order to consider an amendment to a spending 
reduction account in the House or in the Committee of 
the Whole House on the state of the Union. 
(3) A point of order under clause 2(b) of rule XXI 
shall not apply to a spending reduction account. 
(4) A general appropriation bill may not be consid-
ered in the Committee of the Whole House on the state 
of the Union unless it includes a spending reduction ac-
count as the last section of the bill. An order to report 
a general appropriation bill to the House shall constitute 
authority for the chair of the Committee on Appropria-
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tions to add such a section to the bill or modify the fig-
ure contained therein. 
(5) For purposes of this subsection, the term 
‘‘spending reduction account’’ means an account in a 
general appropriation bill that bears that caption and 
contains only— 
(A) a recitation of the amount by which an ap-
plicable allocation of new budget authority under 
section 302(b) of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1974 exceeds the amount of new budget authority 
proposed by the bill; or 
(B) if no such allocation is in effect, ‘‘$0’’. 
(f) POINT OF ORDER AGAINST MOTION TO RISE AND 
REPORT.— 
(1) During the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, 
except as provided in paragraph (3), a motion that the 
Committee of the Whole rise and report a bill to the 
House shall not be in order if the bill, as amended, ex-
ceeds an applicable allocation of new budget authority 
under section 302(b) of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1974, as estimated by the Committee on the Budget. 
(2) If a point of order under paragraph (1) is sus-
tained, the Chair shall put the question: ‘‘Shall the Com-
mittee of the Whole rise and report the bill to the House 
with such amendments as may have been adopted not-
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withstanding that the bill exceeds its allocation of new 
budget authority under section 302(b) of the Congres-
sional Budget Act of 1974?’’. Such question shall be de-
batable for 10 minutes equally divided and controlled by 
a proponent of the question and an opponent but shall 
be decided without intervening motion. 
(3) Paragraph (1) shall not apply— 
(A) to a motion offered under clause 2(d) of 
rule XXI; or 
(B) after disposition of a question under para-
graph (2) on a given bill. 
(4) If a question under paragraph (2) is decided in 
the negative, no further amendment shall be in order ex-
cept— 
(A) one proper amendment, which shall be de-
batable for 10 minutes equally divided and con-
trolled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not 
be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject 
to a demand for division of the question in the 
House or in the Committee of the Whole; and 
(B) pro forma amendments, if offered by the 
chair or ranking minority member of the Committee 
on Appropriations or their designees, for the pur-
pose of debate. 
(g) LIMITATION ON ADVANCE APPROPRIATIONS.—
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(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), any gen-
eral appropriation bill or bill or joint resolution con-
tinuing appropriations, or amendment thereto or con-
ference report thereon, may not provide an advance ap-
propriation. 
(2) An advance appropriation may be provided for 
programs, projects, activities, or accounts identified in a 
list submitted for printing in the Congressional Record 
by the chair of the Committee on the Budget (when 
elected) under the heading— 
(A) ‘‘Accounts Identified for Advance Appro-
priations’’ in an aggregate amount not to exceed 
$28,852,000,000 in new budget authority; and 
(B) ‘‘Veterans Accounts Identified for Advance 
Appropriations’’ in an aggregate amount not to ex-
ceed $66,385,032,000 in new budget authority. 
(3) DEFINITION.—The term ‘‘advance appropria-
tion’’ means any new discretionary budget authority pro-
vided in a general appropriation bill or bill or joint reso-
lution continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2017, or 
any amendment thereto or conference report thereon, 
that first becomes available for the fiscal year following 
fiscal year 2017. 
(h) POINT
OF ORDER AGAINST INCREASING DIRECT 
SPENDING.—
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(1) CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE ANALYSIS OF 
PROPOSALS.—The Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office shall, to the extent practicable, prepare an esti-
mate of whether a bill or joint resolution reported by a 
committee (other than the Committee on Appropria-
tions), or amendment thereto or conference report there-
on, would cause, relative to current law, a net increase 
in direct spending in excess of $5,000,000,000 in any of 
the 4 consecutive 10-fiscal year periods beginning with 
the first fiscal year that is 10 fiscal years after the cur-
rent fiscal year. 
(2) POINT OF ORDER.—It shall not be in order to 
consider any bill or joint resolution reported by a com-
mittee, or amendment thereto or conference report there-
on, that would cause a net increase in direct spending 
in excess of $5,000,000,000 in any of the 4 consecutive 
10-fiscal year periods described in paragraph (1). 
(3) DETERMINATIONS
OF
BUDGET
LEVELS.—For 
purposes of this subsection, the levels of net increases in 
direct spending shall be determined on the basis of esti-
mates provided by the chair of the Committee on the 
Budget. 
(4) LIMITATION.—This subsection shall not apply 
to any bill or joint resolution, or amendment thereto or 
conference report thereon—
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(A) repealing the Patient Protection and Af-
fordable Care Act and title I and subtitle B of title 
II of the Health Care and Education Affordability 
Reconciliation Act of 2010; 
(B) reforming the Patient Protection and Af-
fordable Care Act and the Health Care and Edu-
cation Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010; or 
(C) for which the chair of the Committee on 
the Budget has made an adjustment to the alloca-
tions, levels, or limits contained in the most recently 
adopted concurrent resolution on the budget. 
(i) DISCLOSURE OF DIRECTED RULE MAKINGS.— 
(1) The report of a committee on a bill or joint res-
olution shall include a list of directed rule makings re-
quired by the measure or a statement that the propo-
sition contains no directed rule makings. 
(2) For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘‘di-
rected rule making’’ means a specific rule making within 
the meaning of section 551 of title 5, United States 
Code, specifically directed to be completed by a provision 
in the measure, but does not include a grant of discre-
tionary rule making authority. 
(j) EXERCISE FACILITIES
FOR FORMER MEMBERS.— 
During the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress—
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(1) The House of Representatives may not provide 
access to any exercise facility which is made available ex-
clusively to Members and former Members, officers and 
former officers of the House of Representatives, and 
their spouses to any former Member, former officer, or 
spouse who is a lobbyist registered under the Lobbying 
Disclosure Act of 1995 or any successor statute or agent 
of a foreign principal as defined in clause 5 of rule XXV. 
For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘‘Member’’ in-
cludes a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the Con-
gress. 
(2) The Committee on House Administration shall 
promulgate regulations to carry out this subsection. 
(k) NUMBERING OF BILLS.—In the One Hundred Fif-
teenth Congress, the first 10 numbers for bills (H.R. 1 
through H.R. 10) shall be reserved for assignment by the 
Speaker and the second 10 numbers for bills (H.R. 11 
through H.R. 20) shall be reserved for assignment by the Mi-
nority Leader. 
(l) INCLUSION OF CITATIONS FOR PROPOSED REPEALS 
AND AMENDMENTS.—To the maximum extent practicable 
and consistent with established drafting conventions, an in-
struction in a bill or joint resolution proposing to repeal or 
amend any law or part thereof not contained in a codified 
title of the United States Code shall include, in parentheses
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immediately following the designation of the matter proposed 
to be repealed or amended, the applicable United States Code 
citation (which may be a note in the United States Code), or, 
if no such citation is available, an appropriate alternative ci-
tation to the applicable law or part. 
(m) BROADENING AVAILABILITY OF LEGISLATIVE DOC-
UMENTS IN MACHINE-READABLE FORMATS.—The Committee 
on House Administration, the Clerk, and other officers and 
officials of the House shall continue efforts to broaden the 
availability of legislative documents in machine readable for-
mats in the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress in furtherance 
of the institutional priority of improving public availability 
and use of legislative information produced by the House and 
its committees. 
(n) CONGRESSIONAL MEMBER ORGANIZATION TRANS-
PARENCY REFORM.— 
(1) 
PAYMENT
OF
SALARIES
AND
EXPENSES 
THROUGH ACCOUNT OF ORGANIZATION.—A Member of 
the House of Representatives and an eligible Congres-
sional Member Organization may enter into an agree-
ment under which— 
(A) an employee of the Member’s office may 
carry out official and representational duties of the 
Member by assignment to the Organization; and
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(B) to the extent that the employee carries out 
such duties under the agreement, the Member shall 
transfer the portion of the Members’ Representation 
Allowance of the Member which would otherwise be 
used for the salary and related expenses of the em-
ployee to a dedicated account in the House of Rep-
resentatives which is administered by the Organiza-
tion, in accordance with the regulations promul-
gated by the Committee on House Administration 
under paragraph (2). 
(2) REGULATIONS.—The Committee on House Ad-
ministration (hereafter referred to in this subsection as 
the ‘‘Committee’’) shall promulgate regulations as fol-
lows: 
(A) USE OF MRA.—Pursuant to the authority 
of section 101(d) of the House of Representatives 
Administrative Reform Technical Corrections Act (2 
U.S.C. 5341(d)), the Committee shall prescribe reg-
ulations to provide that an eligible Congressional 
Member Organization may use the amounts trans-
ferred to the Organization’s dedicated account 
under paragraph (1)(B) for the same purposes for 
which a Member of the House of Representatives 
may use the Members’ Representational Allowance, 
except that the Organization may not use such
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amounts for franked mail, official travel, or leases 
of space or vehicles. 
(B) MAINTENANCE OF LIMITATIONS ON NUM-
BER OF SHARED EMPLOYEES.—Pursuant to the au-
thority of section 104(d) of the House of Represent-
atives Administrative Reform Technical Corrections 
Act (2 U.S.C. 5321(d)), the Committee shall pre-
scribe regulations to provide that an employee of 
the office of a Member of the House of Representa-
tives who is covered by an agreement entered into 
under paragraph (1) between the Member and an 
eligible Congressional Member Organization shall be 
considered a shared employee of the Member’s of-
fice and the Organization for purposes of such sec-
tion, and shall include in such regulations appro-
priate accounting standards to ensure that a Mem-
ber of the House of Representatives who enters into 
an agreement with such an Organization under 
paragraph (1) does not employ more employees 
than the Member is authorized to employ under 
such section. 
(C) PARTICIPATION IN STUDENT LOAN REPAY-
MENT PROGRAM.—Pursuant to the authority of sec-
tion 105(b) of the Legislative Branch Appropria-
tions Act, 2003 (2 U.S.C. 4536(b)), relating to the
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student loan repayment program for employees of 
the House, the Committee shall promulgate regula-
tions to provide that, in the case of an employee 
who is covered by an agreement entered into under 
paragraph (1) between a Member of the House of 
Representatives and an eligible Congressional Mem-
ber Organization and who participates in such pro-
gram while carrying out duties under the agree-
ment— 
(i) any funds made available for making 
payments under the program with respect to 
the employee shall be transferred to the Orga-
nization’s dedicated account under paragraph 
(1)(B); and 
(ii) the Organization shall use the funds 
to repay a student loan taken out by the em-
ployee, under the same terms and conditions 
which would apply under the program if the 
Organization were the employing office of the 
employee. 
(D) ACCESS TO HOUSE SERVICES.—The Com-
mittee shall prescribe regulations to ensure that an 
eligible Congressional Member Organization has ap-
propriate access to services of the House.
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(E) OTHER
REGULATIONS.—The Committee 
shall promulgate such other regulations as may be 
appropriate to carry out this subsection. 
(3) ELIGIBLE CONGRESSIONAL MEMBER ORGANIZA-
TION DEFINED.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘eligible 
Congressional Member Organization’’ means, with re-
spect to the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, an orga-
nization meeting each of the following requirements: 
(A) The organization is registered as a Con-
gressional Member Organization with the Com-
mittee on House Administration. 
(B) The organization designates a single Mem-
ber of the House of Representatives to be respon-
sible for the administration of the organization, in-
cluding the administration of the account adminis-
tered under paragraph (1)(B), and includes the 
identification of such Member with the statement of 
organization that the organization files and main-
tains with the Committee on House Administration. 
(C) At least 3 employees of the House are as-
signed to work for the organization. 
(D) During the One Hundred Fourteenth Con-
gress, at least 30 Members of the House of Rep-
resentatives used a portion of the Members’ Rep-
resentational Allowance of the Member for the sal-
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ary and related expenses of an employee who was 
a shared employee of the Member’s office and the 
organization. 
(E) The organization files a statement with the 
Committee on House Administration and the Chief 
Administrative Officer of the House of Representa-
tives certifying that it will administer an account in 
accordance with paragraph (1)(B). 
(o) SOCIAL SECURITY SOLVENCY.— 
(1) POINT OF ORDER.—During the One Hundred 
Fifteenth Congress, it shall not be in order to consider 
a bill or joint resolution, or an amendment thereto or 
conference report thereon, that reduces the actuarial bal-
ance by at least .01 percent of the present value of fu-
ture taxable payroll of the Federal Old-Age and Sur-
vivors Insurance Trust Fund established under section 
201(a) of the Social Security Act for the 75-year period 
utilized in the most recent annual report of the Board 
of Trustees provided pursuant to section 201(c)(2) of 
the Social Security Act. 
(2) EXCEPTION.—Paragraph (1) shall not apply to 
a measure that would improve the actuarial balance of 
the combined balance in the Federal Old-Age and Sur-
vivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability 
Insurance Trust Fund for the 75-year period utilized in
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the most recent annual report of the Board of Trustees 
provided pursuant to section 201(c)(2) of the Social Se-
curity Act. 
(p) SUBCOMMITTEES.—Notwithstanding clause 5(d) of 
rule X, during the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress the 
Committee on Agriculture may have not more than six sub-
committees. 
(q) TREATMENT
OF
CONVEYANCES
OF
FEDERAL 
LAND.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In the One Hundred Fifteenth 
Congress, for all purposes in the House, a provision in 
a bill or joint resolution, or in an amendment thereto or 
a conference report thereon, requiring or authorizing a 
conveyance of Federal land to a State, local government, 
or tribal entity shall not be considered as providing new 
budget authority, decreasing revenues, increasing man-
datory spending, or increasing outlays. 
(2) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
(A) The term ‘‘conveyance’’ means any meth-
od, including sale, donation, or exchange, by which 
all or any portion of the right, title, and interest of 
the United States in and to Federal land is trans-
ferred to another entity. 
(B) The term ‘‘Federal land’’ means any land 
owned by the United States, including the surface
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estate, the subsurface estate, or any improvements 
thereon. 
(C) The term ‘‘State’’ means any of the several 
States, the District of Columbia, or a territory (in-
cluding a possession) of the United States. 
SEC. 4. COMMITTEES, COMMISSIONS, AND HOUSE OFFICES. 
(a) HOUSE DEMOCRACY PARTNERSHIP.—House Resolu-
tion 24, One Hundred Tenth Congress, shall apply in the 
One Hundred Fifteenth Congress in the same manner as 
such resolution applied in the One Hundred Tenth Congress 
except that the commission concerned shall be known as the 
House Democracy Partnership. 
(b) TOM LANTOS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION.—Sec-
tions 1 through 7 of House Resolution 1451, One Hundred 
Tenth Congress, shall apply in the One Hundred Fifteenth 
Congress in the same manner as such provisions applied in 
the One Hundred Tenth Congress, except that— 
(1) the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission 
may, in addition to collaborating closely with other pro-
fessional staff members of the Committee on Foreign Af-
fairs, collaborate closely with professional staff members 
of other relevant committees; and 
(2) the resources of the Committee on Foreign Af-
fairs which the Commission may use shall include all re-