Contempt Act

Bill: 113-hr-4447
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Farenthold, Blake [R-TX-27]
Introduced: 2014-04-10
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Congressional oversight

Congressional-executive branch relations

Federal officials

Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Latest action: action_date: 2014-04-10
text: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Summaries:
action_date: 2014-04-10
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>Contempt Act - Prohibits the head of a federal agency from paying any agency officer or employee during a pay period in which such officer or employee is in a period of contempt of Congress. Defines &quot;period of contempt of Congress&quot; as: (1) the period which begins on the date on which a resolution holding such officer or employee in contempt is adopted by the House of Representatives or Senate and ends on the date on which such resolution is revoked; or (2) the period which begins on the date on which a statement of contempt (i.e., statement of fact that an officer or employee has failed to appear, testify, produce information, or answer pertinent questions when summoned by Congress or a committee of Congress) is filed in the House of Representatives or Senate and ends on the date such statement is withdrawn. </p>

tv_txt: I 113th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 4447 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 10, 2014 Mr. Farenthold (for himself, Mr. DesJarlais , and Mr. Lankford ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform A BILL To direct the employing authority of any officer or employee of the Federal Government who is in contempt of Congress to not pay compensation to the officer or employee while the officer or employee remains in contempt, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Contempt Act . 2. No payment of compensation for Federal employees in contempt of Congress (a) No Payment Permitted If an officer or employee of the Federal Government is in a period of contempt of Congress during any pay period, the head of the employing authority of the employee shall not pay the compensation otherwise required to be paid to the officer or employee for such pay period. (b) Definitions In this Act— (1) the term officer has the meaning given such term in section 2104 of title 5, United States Code; and (2) the term employee has the meaning given such term in section 2105 of title 5, United States Code. 3. Period of contempt of Congress described (a) Period Described For purposes of this Act, a period of contempt of Congress is, with respect to an officer or employee of the Federal Government, any of the following: (1) The period which begins on the date on which a resolution holding the officer or employee in contempt is adopted by the House of Representatives or Senate and ends on the date on which a resolution revoking such contempt is adopted by the House or Senate (as the case may be). (2) The period which begins on the date on which a statement of contempt described in subsection (b) is filed in the House of Representatives or Senate with respect to the officer or employee and which ends on the date on which a statement withdrawing such statement of contempt is filed with the House or Senate (as the case may be). (b) Statement of Contempt Described In this Act, a statement of contempt is, with respect to an individual, a statement of fact which has been filed with the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives under section 104 of the Revised Statutes ( 2 U.S.C. 194 ) that the individual has failed to appear, testify, produce information, or answer pertinent questions when summoned by Congress or a committee of Congress.