Senate Committee Rules in the 115th Congress: Key Provisions
Released: 2017-12-06T00:00:00

Introduction

Senate Rule XXVI establishes specific requirements for Senate committee procedures. In addition, each Senate committee is required to adopt rules, which may "not be inconsistent with the Rules of the Senate." Senate committees also operate according to additional established practices that are not necessarily reflected in their adopted rules.

Committee Rules and Practices

The requirement that each committee must adopt its own set of rules dates to the 1970 Legislative Reorganization Act (P.L. 91-510). That law built on the 1946 Legislative Reorganization Act (P.L. 79-601), which set out some requirements to which most Senate committees must adhere. Under the provisions of the 1970 law (now incorporated into Senate Rule XXVI, paragraph 2), Senate committees must adopt their rules and generally have them printed in the Congressional Record not later than March 1 of the first year of a Congress. Typically, the Senate also publishes a compilation of the rules of all the committees each Congress, and some individual committees also publish their rules as committee prints.

Committee rules govern actions taken in committee proceedings only, and they are enforced in relation thereto by the committee's members in a similar way that rules enforcement occurs on the Senate floor. There is generally no means by which the Senate can enforce committee rules at a later point on the floor. So long as the committee met the requirement of Senate Rule XXVI that a physical majority be present for reporting a measure or matter, no point of order lies against the measure or matter on the floor on the grounds that the committee earlier acted in violation of other procedural requirements.

Beyond the requirements of Senate rules and a committee's own formal rules, many committees have traditions or practices they follow that can affect their procedures. (One committee, for example, does not allow Senators to offer second-degree amendments during committee markups, though this restriction is not contained in either the Senate or the committee's rules.) An accounting of any such informal practices that committees might observe is not provided below.

This report first provides a brief overview of Senate rules as they pertain to committees. The report then provides four tables that summarize each committee's rules in regard to meeting day, hearing and meeting notice requirements, and scheduling of witnesses ( Table 1 ); hearing quorum, business quorum, and amendment filing requirements ( Table 2 ); proxy voting, polling, and nominations ( Table 3 ); and investigations and subpoenas ( Table 4 ). Table 4 also identifies selected unique provisions some committees have included in their rules.

The tables, however, represent only a portion of each committee's rules. Provisions of the rules that are substantially similar to or essentially restatements of the Senate's standing rules are not included.

Senate Standing Rules Affecting Committees

Although there is some latitude for committees to set their own rules, the standing rules of the Senate set out specific requirements that each committee must follow. The provisions listed below are taken from Rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate. (Some committees reiterate these rules in their own rules, but even for those committees that do not, these restrictions apply.) This is not an exhaustive explanation of Senate rules and their impact on committees. Rather, this summary is intended to provide a background against which to understand each committee's individual rules that govern key committee activities.

Rules. Each committee must adopt rules; those rules must generally be published in the Congressional Record not later than March 1 of the first year of each Congress. If a committee adopts an amendment to its rules later in the Congress, that change becomes effective only when it is published in the Record (Rule XXVI, paragraph 2). Meetings. Committees and subcommittees are authorized to meet and hold hearings when the Senate is in session and when it has recessed or adjourned. A committee may not meet on any day (1) after the Senate has been in session for two hours, or (2) after 2 p.m. when the Senate is in session. Each committee must designate a regular day on which to meet weekly, biweekly, or monthly. (This requirement does not apply to the Appropriations Committee.) A committee is to announce the date, place, and subject of each hearing at least one week in advance, though any committee may waive this requirement for "good cause" (Rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a); Rule XXVI, paragraph 3). Special meeting. Three members of a committee may make a written request to the chair to call a special meeting. The chair then has three calendar days in which to schedule the meeting, which is to take place within the next seven calendar days. If the chair fails to do so, a majority of the committee members can file a written motion to hold the meeting at a certain date and hour (Rule XXVI, paragraph 3). Open meetings. Unless closed for reasons specified in Senate rules (such as a need to protect national security information), committee and subcommittee meetings, including hearings, are open to the public. When a committee or subcommittee schedules or cancels a meeting, it is required to provide that information—including the time, place, and purpose of the meeting—for inclusion in the Senate's computerized schedule information system. Any hearing that is open to the public may also be open to radio and television broadcasting at the committee's discretion. Committees and subcommittees may adopt rules to govern how the media may broadcast the event. A vote by the committee in open session is required to close a meeting (Rule XXVI, paragraph 5(b)). Quorums. Committees may set a quorum for doing business so long as it is not less than one-third of the membership. A majority of a committee must be physically present when the committee votes to order the reporting of any measure, matter, or recommendation. Agreeing to a motion to order a measure or matter reported requires the support of a majority of the members who are present. Proxies cannot be used to constitute a quorum (Rule XXVI paragraph 7(a)(1)). Meeting r ecord . All committees must make public a video, transcript, or audio recording of each open hearing of the committee within 21 days of the hearing. These shall be made available to the public "through the Internet" (Rule XXVI, paragraph 5(2)(A)). Proxy voting. A committee may adopt rules permitting proxy voting. A committee may not permit a proxy vote to be cast unless the absent Senator has been notified about the question to be decided and has requested that his or her vote be cast by proxy. A committee may prohibit the use of proxy votes on votes to report. However, even if a committee allows proxies to be cast on a motion to report, proxies cannot make the difference in ordering a measure reported, though they can prevent it (Rule XXVI, paragraph 7(a)(3)). Investigations and subpoenas. Each standing committee (and its subcommittees) is empowered to investigate matters within its jurisdiction and issue subpoenas for persons and papers (Rule XXVI, paragraph 1). Witnesses selected by the minority. During hearings on any measure or matter, the minority shall be allowed to select witnesses to testify on at least one day when the chair receives such a request from a majority of the minority party members. This provision does not apply to the Appropriations Committee (Rule XXVI, paragraph 4(d)). Reporting. A Senate committee may report original bills and resolutions in addition to those that have been referred to it. As stated above in the quorum requirement, a majority of the committee must be physically present for a measure or matter to be reported, and a majority of those present is required to order a measure or matter favorably reported. A Senate committee is not required to issue a written report to accompany a measure or matter it reports. If the committee does write such a report, Senate rules specify a series of required elements that must be included in the report (Rule XXVI, paragraph 7(a)(3); Rule XXVI, paragraph 10(c)).

Selected Committee Rules in the 115th Congress13

Meeting Day, Notice Requirements, Witness Selection

Table 1 summarizes each's committee's rules in three areas: meeting day(s), notice requirements for meetings and hearings, and witness selection provisions.

Many committees repeat or otherwise incorporate the provisions of Senate Rule XXVI, paragraph 4(a), which, as noted above, requires a week's notice of any hearing (except for the Appropriations and Budget committees) "unless the committee determines that there is good cause to begin such hearing at an earlier date." Provisions in committee rules are identified and explained in this column only to the extent that they provide additional hearing notice requirements, specifically provide the "good cause" authority to certain members (e.g., chair or ranking minority member), or apply the one week notice to meetings other than hearings (such as markups). Similarly, as noted in the report, Senate Rule XXVI, paragraph 4(d) (sometimes referred to as the "minority witness rule"), provides for the calling of additional witnesses in some circumstances (except for the Appropriations Committee). Some committees restate this rule in their own rules. Only committee rule provisions that go further in specifically addressing the selection of witnesses or a right to testify are identified in this column.

Business and Hearing Quorums; Filing of Amendments

Table 2 focuses on each's committee's rules on hearing quorums, business quorums, and requirements to file amendments prior to a committee markup.

In regard to a business quorum, committees generally consider "conduct of business" to include actions (such as debating and voting on amendments) that allow the committee to proceed on measures up to the point of reporting. Some committees require that a member of the minority party be present for the conduct of business; such provisions are noted below.

As noted earlier, Senate Rule XXVI, paragraph 7(a), requires a majority of the committee to be physically present (and a majority of those present to agree) to report out a measure or matter; this is often referred to as a "reporting quorum." The rule allows Senate committees to set lower quorum requirements, though not less than a third of membership for other business besides hearings. Some committees restate the Senate requirement in their own committee rules, but even those committees that do not are bound by the reporting quorum requirement. Table 2 does not identify committee rules that simply restate the reporting quorum requirement unless the committee has added additional requirements to its provisions (e.g., that a reporting quorum must include a member of each party).

Though no Senate rules govern the practice, several committees require, in their committee rules, that Senators file with the committee any first-degree amendments they may offer during a committee markup before the committee meets. Such a provision allows the chair and ranking member of the committee to see what kinds of issues may come up at the markup and may also allow them to negotiate agreements with amendment sponsors before the formal markup session begins. Some committees distribute such filed amendments in advance of the markup to allow committee members a chance to examine them. It also provides an opportunity to Senators to draft second-degree amendments to possible first-degree amendments before the markup begins.

Proxy Voting, Committee Polling, Nominations

Table 3 summarizes each's committee's rules on proxy voting, committee polling, and nominations.

Since Senate rules require a majority of a committee to be physically present for a vote to report a measure or matter, a committee vote to report an item of business may not rely on the votes cast on behalf of absent Senators (that is, votes by proxy). Some committees effectively restate this requirement in their committee rules by either stating that proxies do not count toward reporting or referencing the proxy provisions of Senate Rule XXVI. However, committees may still allow (or preclude) proxy votes on a motion to report (as well as on other questions so long as members are informed of the issue and request a proxy vote). Table 3 identifies committees that explicitly allow or disallow proxy votes on a motion to report (even though such votes cannot, under Senate rules, count toward the presence of a "reporting quorum" or make the difference in successfully reporting a measure or matter).

"Polling" is a method of assessing the position of the committee on a matter without the committee physically coming together. As such, it cannot be used to report out measures or matters, because Senate rules require a physical majority to be present to report a measure or matter. Polling may be used, however, by committees that allow it for internal housekeeping matters before the committee, such as questions concerning staffing or how the committee ought to proceed on a measure or matter.

Senate Rule XXVI does not contain provisions specific to committee consideration of presidential nominations. Some committees, however, set out timetables in their rules for action or have other provisions specific to action on nominations. Some committees also provide in their rules that nominees must provide certain information to the committee. Such provisions are not detailed in this table except to the extent that the committee establishes a timetable for action that is connected to such submissions. This column of the table also identifies any committee provisions on whether nominees testify under oath.

Investigations, Subpoenas,21 and Selected Miscellaneous Provisions

Table 4 describes selected key committee rules in relation to investigations and subpoenas. Note that some Senate committees do not have specific rules providing processes for committee investigations, and many also do not set out procedures for issuing subpoenas. The lack of any investigation or subpoena provisions does not mean the committees cannot conduct investigations or issue subpoenas; rather, the process for doing so is not specified in the committee's written rules.

Some committees have provisions that are generally not included in other committee rules. Selected notable examples (that do not fit into other categories in other tables) are summarized in the last column of Table 4 .