[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 125 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 125

         Providing for reform of the House of Representatives.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 10, 1993

Mr. Peterson of Minnesota submitted the following resolution; which was 
  referred jointly to the Committees on Rules and House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
         Providing for reform of the House of Representatives.

    Resolved, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This resolution may be cited as the ``House of Representatives 
Reform Resolution of 1993''.

SEC. 2. SELECTION OF SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRMEN IN THE HOUSE OF 
              REPRESENTATIVES.

    Clause 6(a) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives 
is amended by inserting at the end the following new subparagraph:
    ``(3) As soon as practicable after the commencement of each 
Congress, the chairman of each committee shall appoint members of that 
committee to serve as chairmen of its subcommittees. A vacancy in any 
subcommittee chairmanship shall be filled in the manner in which the 
original appointment was made.''.

SEC. 3. REDUCTION IN COMMITTEE STAFFING.

    The number of staff positions and the amount of funding for such 
positions for each committee of the House of Representatives in the One 
Hundred Sixth Congress and each succeeding Congress may not exceed 50 
percent of the number and amount for such committee in the One Hundred 
Third Congress. The reductions required by the preceding sentence shall 
be carried out incrementally, with approximately equal reductions to be 
implemented for each of the 5 sessions of Congress beginning with the 
first session of the One Hundred Fourth Congress.

SEC. 4. REDUCTION IN CLERK HIRE STAFFING.

    The number of clerk hire positions and the amount of funding for 
such positions for each Member of the House of Representatives in the 
One Hundred Sixth Congress and each succeeding Congress may not exceed 
50 percent of the number and amount for each Member in the One Hundred 
Third Congress. The reductions required by the preceding sentence shall 
be carried out incrementally, with approximately equal reductions to be 
implemented for each of the 5 sessions of Congress beginning with the 
first session of the One Hundred Fourth Congress.

SEC. 5. ELIMINATION OF JOINT REFERRALS 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 respect to any 
matter, the Speaker shall initially refer the matter to one committee 
which he shall designate as the committee of principal jurisdiction.''.

SEC. 6. LIMITATION ON LENGTH OF SERVICE ON ANY COMMITTEE.

    Clause 6 of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives is 
amended by inserting at the end the following:
    ``(i)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of these rules, no 
Member shall serve as a member of any committee for more than 8 years 
or as chairman of any committee for more than 4 years.
    ``(2) For purposes of paragraph (1)--
            ``(A) any service performed as a member or chairman of any 
        committee for less than a full session in any Congress shall be 
        disregarded; and
            ``(B) previous service on any committee before the One 
        Hundred Fourth Congress shall be disregarded.''.

SEC. 7. ELIMINATION OF SPECIAL-ORDER AND ONE-MINUTE SPEECHES ON THE 
              FLOOR OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

    Clause 2 of rule XIV of the Rules of the House of Representatives 
is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence: ``The 
Speaker shall not recognize any Member for the purpose of making a 
special-order or one-minute speech.''.

SEC. 8. ELIMINATION OF EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS.

    Rule XXXIV of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended 
by adding at the end the following:
    ``4. Extensions of remarks by Members may not be inserted in the 
Congressional Record, except as they pertain to legislative matters 
before the House of Representatives, its committees or 
subcommittees.''.

SEC. 9. APPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN LAWS TO THE HOUSE.

    (a) It is the policy of the House that the laws of the United 
States set forth in subsection (b) should be amended to apply to the 
House of Representatives in the same or similar manner as such laws 
apply to the Executive Branch.
    (b) Not later than September 15, 1993, the standing committees of 
the House with subject matter jurisdiction over the following laws of 
the United States shall report to the House legislation to implement 
subsection (a):
            (1) The National Labor Relations Act.
            (2) The Occupational Safety Act and Health Act of 1970.
            (3) The Equal Pay Act of 1963.
            (4) The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967.
            (5) Section 552 of title 5, United States Code (popularly 
        known as the Freedom of Information Act).
            (6) Section 552a of title 5, United States Code (popularly 
        known as the Privacy Act of 1974).
            (7) Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (relating to 
        equal employment opportunity).

                                 <all>