IV
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. RES. 190
Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to reform the House,
and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 9, 1993
Mr. ALLARD (for himself, Mr. BARRETT of Nebraska, Mr. SANTORUM, Mr.
HOBSON, Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. EWING, Mr. CUNNINGHAM,
Mr. ZELIFF, Mr. BOEHNER, Mr. DOOLITTLE, Mr. ZIMMER, and Mr.
RAMSTAD) submitted the following resolution; which was referred jointly
to the Committees on Rules and House Administration
RESOLUTION
Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to
reform the House, and for other purposes.
Resolved,
SECTION 1. TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT COMMITTEE STAFF RE-
DUCTION.
(a) Clause 5 of rule XI of the Rules of the House
of Representatives is amended by redesignating para-
graphs (a) through (f) as paragraphs (b) through (g), re-
spectively, and by inserting at the beginning the following
new paragraph:
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‘‘(a)(1) It shall not be in order in the House to con-
sider any primary expense resolution for the second ses-
sion of this Congress until the Committee on House Ad-
ministration has reported, and the House has adopted, a
resolution establishing an overall ceiling for House com-
mittee staff personnel for that year, and any such resolu-
tion shall be privileged.
‘‘(2) In developing any primary expense resolution,
the Committee on House Administration shall specify in
the resolution the number of staff positions authorized by
the resolution. The committee shall verify in the report
accompanying any such primary expense resolution that
the number of staff positions authorized by such resolution
is in conformity with the overall ceiling on such positions
established by the House.
‘‘(3) In no event shall the total number of additional
staff positions authorized by all such primary expense res-
olutions, taken together with the number of staff positions
authorized by clause 6 of this rule (providing for profes-
sional and clerical staff), exceed the ceiling established by
the House for that year.
‘‘(4) In allocating staff positions pursuant to the
overall ceiling established by the House, the committee
shall take into account the past and anticipated legislative
and oversight activities of each committee.
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‘‘(5) In any supplemental expense resolution, and in
any amendment thereto, the committee shall specify the
number of additional staff positions, if any, authorized by
such resolution, and shall indicate in the report accom-
panying any such resolution whether the additional staff
positions are in conformity with or exceed the overall ceil-
ing established by the House.
‘‘(6) For the purposes of the second session of this
Congress, the overall ceiling for committee staff in a reso-
lution reported by the committee pursuant to subpara-
graph (1), or contained in any amendment thereto, shall
not exceed 75 percent of the total committee staff person-
nel employed at the end of the One Hundred Second
Congress.’’.
(b) The Committee on House Administration shall
have the authority to prescribe regulations to carry out
the amendment made by subsection (a).
SEC. 2. EQUITABLE PARTY RATIOS IN COMMITTEES.
(a) Clause 6(a) of rule X of the Rules of the House
of Representatives is amended by adding at the end the
following new subparagraph:
‘‘(3) Except for the Committee on Standards of Offi-
cial Conduct and the bipartisan Subcommittee on Admin-
istrative Oversight of the Committee on House Adminis-
tration, the membership of each committee and each sub-
•HRES 190 IH
committee thereof shall reflect the ratio of the majority
to minority party Members of the House at the beginning
of the Congress.’’.
(b) Clause 6(f) of rule X of the Rules of the House
of Representatives is amended by inserting after the first
sentence the following new sentence: ‘‘The membership of
each such select committee (and of any subcommittee
thereof) and of each such conference committee shall re-
flect the ratio of the majority to minority party Members
of the House at the time of its appointment.’’.
(c) Clause 6 of rule XI of the Rules of the House
of Representatives is amended by adding at the end the
following new paragraph:
‘‘(j) The ratio of the majority staff to minority staff
of each committee shall be the same as the ratio of major-
ity party members to minority party members on that
committee.’’.
SEC. 3. ELIMINATION OF PROXY VOTING IN COMMITTEES.
Clause 2(f) of rule XI of the Rules of the House of
Representatives is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(f) No vote by any member of any committee or sub-
committee with respect to any measure or matter may be
cast by proxy.’’.
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SEC. 4. MULTIPLE REFERRAL OF LEGISLATION.
Clause 5(c) of rule X of the Rules of the House of
Representatives is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(c) In carrying out paragraphs (a) and (b) with re-
spect to any matter, the Speaker shall initially refer the
matter to one committee which he shall designate as the
committee of principal jurisdiction; but he may also refer
the matter to one or more additional committees for con-
sideration in sequence (subject to appropriate time limita-
tions), either on its initial referral or after the matter has
been reported by the committee of principal jurisdiction;
or refer portions of the matter to one or more additional
committees (reflecting different subjects and jurisdic-
tions) for the exclusive consideration of such portion or
portions.’’.
SEC. 5. QUORUM REQUIREMENT FOR MARK-UPS.
(a) Clause 2(h)(2) of rule XI of the Rules of the
House of Representatives is amended by striking ‘‘one-
third’’ and inserting ‘‘one-half’’.
(b) Clause 2(l)(2)(A) of rule XI of the Rules of the
House of Representatives is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘present,’’ and all that follows
through the period at the end and inserting
‘‘present.’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new
sentence: ‘‘Upon the request of any member of the
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committee, the chair shall order a rollcall vote on a
motion to report any bill or resolution of a public
character.’’.
SEC. 6. LIMITATION ON LENGTH OF SERVICE ON ANY COM-
MITTEE.
Clause 6 of rule X of the Rules of the House of Rep-
resentatives is amended by inserting at the end the follow-
ing new paragraph:
‘‘(i)(1) No Member shall serve as chairman of any
committee for more than 3 Congresses.
‘‘(2) For purposes of paragraph (1)—
‘‘(A) any service performed as chairman of any
committee for less than a full session in any Con-
gress shall be disregarded; and
‘‘(B) previous service on any committee before
the One Hundred Fourth Congress shall be dis-
regarded.’’.
SEC. 7. OPEN COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
The first sentence of clause 2(g)(1) of rule XI of the
Rules of the House of Representatives is amended—
(1) by inserting ‘‘, with at least two-thirds of
the members voting in the affirmative,’’ after ‘‘roll-
call vote’’; and
(2) by inserting ‘‘because disclosure of matters
to be considered involves the national security, per-
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sonnel information, or a criminal investigation’’ after
‘‘closed to the public’’.
SEC. 8. REQUIREMENT THAT BILLS AND CONFERENCE RE-
PORTS BE AVAILABLE BEFORE VOTES ON
FINAL PASSAGE.
The last sentence of clause 4(b) of rule XI of the
Rules of the House of Representatives is further amended
by inserting before the period at the end the following:
‘‘; nor shall it waive the applicability of clause 2(l)(6) (re-
specting the three-day layover rule) or clause 2 of rule
XVIII (respecting the printing of conference reports and
statements and their availability) unless so determined by
the Committee on Rules by a vote of at least two-thirds
of its members voting’’.
SEC. 9. STRENGTHENING OF GERMANENESS REQUIRE-
MENT.
The last sentence of clause 4(b) of rule XI of the
Rules of the House of Representatives is further amended
by inserting before the period at the end the following:
‘‘; nor shall it waive the applicability of clause 7 of rule
XVI (respecting germane amendments) unless so deter-
mined by the Committee on Rules by a vote of at least
two-thirds of its members voting’’.
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SEC. 
13. 
PERIODIC 
REAUTHORIZATION 
OF 
CONGRES-
SIONAL AGENCIES.
(a) Not later than the end of the first session of the
One Hundred Third Congress, the appropriate committees
of the House shall report legislation requiring periodic re-
authorization of the entities listed in subsection (b) over
which they have jurisdiction. The period for reauthoriza-
tion may not in any case exceed 5 years.
(b) The following entities are subject to periodic reau-
thorization under this section: Architect of the Capitol,
United States Botanical Garden, Congressional Budget
Office, Government Printing Office, General Accounting
Office, Library of Congress, Copyright Royalty Tribunal,
and Office of Technology Assessment.
SEC. 14. TOLL-FREE TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR PUBLIC IN-
QUIRES RELATING TO BILL STATUS.
The Committee on House Administration shall take
such action as may be necessary to establish a toll-free
(800) telephone number to provide public access to infor-
mation on the substance and present status of each bill
and resolution that is before the House of Representatives.
SEC. 15. COMPUTER ACCESS FOR PUBLIC INQUIRES RELAT-
ING TO BILL STATUS.
The Committee on House Administration shall take
such action as may be necessary to establish a computer
accessible data base to provide public access to informa-
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tion on the substance and present status of each bill and
resolution that is before the House of Representatives.
The data base shall be (1) supported solely by fees charged
for the access provided, and (2) made available to the pub-
lic at cost, on a fee-for-service basis, with all revenues
dedicated to the establishment, maintenance, and oper-
ation of the data base.
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