Secretary of the Senate: Legislative and Administrative Duties
Released: 2013-02-12T00:00:00

History of the Secretary of the Senate

The first Secretary of the Senate, Samuel Allyne Otis, was elected on April 8, 1789, two days after the Senate first achieved a quorum. The Secretary of the Senate was initially responsible for keeping the minutes and records of the Senate, transmitting messages to the House of Representatives, and purchasing supplies.

Today, the Secretary of the Senate's jurisdiction has been expanded beyond the original duties. These additional responsibilities include supervision of the clerks, curators, official recorders of debates, and the parliamentarian; the disbursement of payroll; the education of the Senate pages; and the maintenance of public records. The Secretary also serves as the chief financial officer of the Senate and is the custodian of the Senate seal.

In the event that the Secretary dies, resigns, or is disabled, the Assistant Secretary of the Senate acts as Secretary until a new Secretary is elected or the disability has ended. Acting jointly, only the majority and minority leaders and the President pro tempore can certify that the Secretary is unable to perform her duties.

Origins of Duties and Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the Secretary of the Senate have developed over time through several sources. These sources include statutes, Senate rules and orders, and custom and precedent. Statutes, rules and orders, and other materials may be found in

the United States Code , which is the codification, by subject matter, of the general and permanent laws of the United States; the United States Statutes at Large , which is the collection of all laws and resolutions enacted during each session of Congress; the Senate Manual , which contains the texts of the (1) Standing Rules of the Senate, (2) standing orders of the senate, (3) rules for the Regulation of the Senate Wing of the United States Capitol, and (4) excerpts from laws applicable to the Senate; and through custom and precedent.

Many of the duties of the Secretary of the Senate are defined by the Senate Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. As a consequence of its jurisdiction over Senate administrative matters, the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration oversees operations of the Secretary of the Senate.

Areas of Responsibility

The Secretary of the Senate's duties and responsibilities can be divided into three broad categories: financial, administrative, and legislative.

Financial Responsibilities

The Secretary is the chief financial officer of the Senate. As such, the Secretary is responsible for funds appropriated to the Senate and for managing and supervising the disbursing office, which among its financial duties handles the Senate payroll and related personnel matters. The Secretary also conducts audits of Senate financial activities. Details on expenditures of funds appropriated to the Senate are published semi-annually by the Secretary in the Senate document, Report of the Secretary of the Senate.

Administrative Responsibilities

The Secretary of the Senate is responsible for a number of services within the Senate. These responsibilities include

the Senate Stationery Room; the Senate Library; the Conservation and Preservation Office; the Office of Public Records; the Senate Historical Office; the Office of Senate Curator; the Office of Senate Security; the Office of Interparliamentary Services; the Office of Printing and Document Services; the Disbursing Office; the Senate Page Program; and the Senate Gift Shop (including Gift Shop Revolving Fund).

Other duties of the Secretary of the Senate include maintenance of the Senate public website; supervision of Senate staff displaced by the death or resignation of a Senator; and supervision of the Senate legal counsel.

Legislative Responsibilities

The Secretary of the Senate manages functions that support the legislative process in the Senate, such as signing legislation after Senate passage. The Secretary also supervises the following staff (listed with their roll in the Senate legislative process):

Bill Clerk (records the Senate's official activities and status of legislation); Enrolling Clerk (prepares Senate-passed legislation before it is sent to the President); Executive Clerk (records Senate actions during executive sessions, produces the Executive Calendar, and processes nominations and treaty resolutions received from the President); Journal Clerk (records the Senate's daily legislative proceedings and prepares a history of legislation for the Senate Journal ); Legislative Clerk (reads aloud bills and amendments, the Senate Journal , messages to the Senate; calls the roll and prepares the daily Calendar of Business); Official Reporters of Debates (prepare verbatim reports of Senate floor proceedings for the Congressional Record ); and Parliamentarian (advises Senators and staff on Senate precedents and rules, precedents, and statutes related to Senate proceedings).

In addition, the Secretary of the Senate manages the following offices:

Daily Digest (preparing the resume of each day's activities of the Senate for the Congressional Record , including committee hearings and meetings, and floor actions); Captioning Services Office (provides captions of Senate proceedings for the hearing-impaired); Continuity of Operations Program (supports the Senate's ability to conduct business and access data at an offsite location, in conjunction with the Senate Sergeant at Arms).

Appendix. Secretary of the Senate

Since 1789, 32 men and women have been elected Secretary of the Senate. Table A-1 lists those individuals, the Congress, when their terms began, and when their terms concluded.