Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to require Members to post on their official public websites information on official travel taken by the Member for which reimbursement was provided by a private source.

Bill: 114-hres-441
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Peters, Scott H. [D-CA-52]
Introduced: 2015-09-25
Policy area: Congress
Subjects: Government information and archives

House of Representatives

Legislative rules and procedure

Members of Congress

Transportation costs
Latest action: action_date: 2015-09-25
text: Referred to the House Committee on Rules.

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-09-25
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>Amends Rule XXV (Limitations on Earned Income and Outside Acceptance of Gifts) of the Rules of the House of Representatives to require a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner, following related notice from the Clerk of the House, to post on his or her official website:</p> <ul> <li>a brief description of travel taken by the individual or an employee;</li> <li> the names of those who took the travel;</li> <li> the entity that paid for it;</li> <li> the travel dates, places, and costs; and</li> <li> a hyperlink to the travel-related information made available for public inspection on the Clerk's website.</li> </ul>

tv_txt: IV 114th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 441 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 25, 2015 Mr. Peters submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules RESOLUTION Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to require Members to post on their official public websites information on official travel taken by the Member for which reimbursement was provided by a private source.

Whereas the public deserves access to information on travel taken by Members of the House of Representatives when reimbursement for the travel is provided by an outside source; Whereas accessible information on public websites will promote transparency between Congress and the public; and Whereas improving the public's ability to easily gather this information allows the public to better hold Members of Congress accountable: Now, therefore, be it

1. Requiring Members to post information on reimbursed official travel on Member websites (a) Requirement Clause 5(b) of rule XXV of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (6) At the time the Clerk of the House makes information described in paragraph (5) with respect to travel available for public inspection on the website of the Office of the Clerk, the Clerk shall notify the Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner who took the travel (or, in the case of travel taken by an employee, the Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner under whose direct supervision the employee works), who shall then post on the official public website of the Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner a brief description of the travel, including the names of the individuals who took the travel, the entity that paid for the travel, and the dates, places, and costs of the travel, together with a hyperlink to the information with respect to the travel that the Clerk made available for public inspection on the website of the Office of the Clerk. . (b) Regulations; Effective Date (1) Regulations Not later than 60 days after the date on which the House of Representatives agrees to this resolution, the Committee on House Administration of the House of Representatives shall issue regulations to carry out the amendment made by subsection (a). (2) Effective date The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to any travel taken on or after the date on which the Committee on House Administration issues the regulations required under paragraph (1).