[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 480 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 480

  Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to implement the 
    recommendations of the Task Force on Committee Review regarding 
committee operations, procedures, and staffing, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 16, 1996

 Mr. Bass (for himself, Mr. Dreier, Mr. White, Mr. Brownback, and Mr. 
 Allard) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
     Committee on Rules, and in addition to the Committee on House 
 Oversight, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to implement the 
    recommendations of the Task Force on Committee Review regarding 
committee operations, procedures, and staffing, and for other purposes.

    Resolved,

SECTION 1. COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT.

    (a) Oversight Subcommittees.--The third sentence of clause 2(b)(1) 
of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended to 
read as follows: ``Each such committee having more than twenty members 
shall either establish an oversight committee or designate at least 
three staff members to be solely responsible for oversight.''.
    (b) Committee Funding Procedures Respecting GAO or Executive Branch 
Detailees.--The Committee on House Oversight is authorized and directed 
to modify its committee funding policies to allow committees, subject 
to appropriate safeguards, to use General Accounting Office and 
executive branch detailees, on a non-reimbursable basis, in order to be 
in a position to effectively undertake emerging or unexpected 
investigations.
    (c) Effective Tracking and Categorizing of Casework.--The Committee 
on House Oversight is authorized and directed to develop an electronic 
program such that Members may track and categorize their casework 
requests and report their findings to a central House unit for 
evaluation.
    (d) Sense of House on Investigative Resources of Committees, on 
Subpoenas, and on Use of Corrections Day.--It is the sense of the House 
of Representatives that--
            (1) the Committee on House Oversight should provide 
        committees with sufficient investigative resources, such as 
        bates stamping technology, document retrieval technology, 
        software for the planning of investigations, Lexis-Nexis and US 
        Newswire services, and other resources needed to 
        professionalize the practice of systemic and coordinated 
        oversight;
            (2) the General Counsel should provide more timely, 
        proactive, and strategic advice to committees respecting the 
        issuance of subpoenas, and the lack of compliance by executive 
        branch or other officials; and
            (3) committees should better utilize the Corrections Day 
        process as a proactive tool for conducting oversight and 
        correcting wasteful and corrupt practices by the executive 
        branch, and rules, regulations, and laws that are inconsistent 
        with legislative intent.

SEC. 2. AVAILABILITY OF MANAGEMENT AUDITS TO COMMITTEES.

    The Committee on House Oversight is authorized and directed to make 
resources available to the Chief Administrative Officer to perform 
management and technology audits of committees.

SEC. 3. PARLIAMENTARY TRAINING PROGRAM FOR COMMITTEE STAFF.

    The Parliamentarian shall establish a comprehensive program to 
train selected committee staff to serve as parliamentary advisors to 
their respective committees. For the purpose of carrying out this 
section, the Parliamentarian may utilize the services of personnel of 
congressional support agencies.

SEC. 4. RECODIFICATION OF RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

    The Parliamentarian shall, at the beginning of the 105th Congress, 
commence to recodify the Rules of the House of Representatives by 
clarifying conflicting definitions, eliminating anachronisms, and 
reorganizing the rules into a more coherent and logical structure. Such 
recodification shall be completed prior to the commencement of the 
second session of the 105th Congress. For the purpose of carrying out 
the recodification, the Parliamentarian may utilize the services of 
personnel in the Congressional Research Service and the Government 
Printing Office.

SEC. 5. ALTERNATIVE COMMITTEE HEARING FORMATS.

    (a) Audiovisual Participation at Committee Hearings.--Clause 
2(h)(1) of rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives is 
amended by inserting ``(A)'' after ``(1)'' and by adding at the end the 
following new subdivision:
    ``(B) Any member who is not physically present at the site of a 
committee hearing shall be considered present and may fully participate 
if that member is in audiovisual contact with that committee hearing, 
but that member shall not be counted for purposes of a quorum under 
subdivision (A).''.
    (b) Enhanced Flexibility for Application of Five-Minute Rule at 
Committee Hearings.--Clause 2(j)(2) of rule XI of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives is amended by inserting before the period at 
the end the following: ``, except to the extent that the rules of that 
committee permit any member to pursue an uninterrupted line of 
questioning of a witness without having to yield to any other member 
because of the strict application of the five-minute rule''.
    (c) Sense of the House on Alternate Committee Hearing Formats.--It 
is the sense of the House of Representatives that committees are 
encouraged to utilize alternative hearing formats, such as briefings, 
round table discussions, and debates.

SEC. 6. MODERNIZATION OF COMMITTEE REPORTS.

    (a) Substantial Compliance with Vote on Reporting.--Clause 
2(l)(2)(B) of rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives is 
amended by adding at the end the following new sentence: ``No point of 
order shall lie against any committee report for failing to comply with 
the preceding sentence if the report is in substantial compliance with 
the requirements of that sentence.''.
    (b) Elimination of Inflationary Impact Statements.--Clause 2(l) of 
rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended by 
repealing subparagraph (4) and by redesignating subparagraphs (5) 
through (7) as subparagraphs (4) through (6), respectively.
    (c) Statement of Performance Goals.--Clause 2(l) of rule XI of the 
Rules of the House of Representatives is amended by adding at the end 
the following new subparagraph:
    ``(7) Each report of a committee on a bill or joint resolution of a 
public character reported by such committee that authorizes or 
reauthorizes any program, project, or activity shall contain a 
statement of performance goals that define what it is intended to 
accomplish.''.
    (d) Joint Reports.--Clause 2 of rule XI of the Rules of the House 
of Representatives is amended by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph:
    ``(o) If two or more committees jointly study or investigate any 
matter, such committees may file a joint report on that matter.''.

SEC. 7. MAINTENANCE AND STRENGTHENING OF OPENING DAY REFORMS.

    (a) Further Limitation on the Number of Subcommittees that the 
Committees on Government Reform and Oversight and on Transportation and 
Infrastructure May Have.--Clause 6(d) of rule X of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives is amended by striking the first semicolon and 
all that follows and inserting the following: ``, and the Committee on 
Government Reform and Oversight, which shall have no more than six).''.
    (b) Further Consolidation of Staff Budget and Biennial Funding 
Process.--Clause 5(a) of rule XI of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives is amended by striking ``(except the Committee on 
Appropriations)''.
    (c) Sense of the House on Enforcement of Subcommittee Assignment 
Limits.--It is the sense of the House of Representatives that the 
respective party caucus and conference should enforcement the 
subcommittee assignments limits set forth in clause 6(b)(2)(A) of rule 
X of the Rules of the House of Representatives.
    (d) Repeal of Limitation on Committees Sitting During the Five-
Minute Rule.--Clause 2(i) of rule XI of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives is amended by striking subparagraph (1) and by striking 
``(2)''.

SEC. 8. STRENGTHENING OF ETHICS PROCESS.

    (a) Amendment.--Clause 4(e) of rule X of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph:
    ``(3)(A) If a complaint is filed with the Committee on Standards of 
Official Conduct against a Member, officer, or employee of the House, 
the committee shall determine if it is properly filed and, if so, 
whether a preliminary investigation is warranted. No preliminary 
investigation shall occur unless approved by the affirmative vote of a 
majority of the members of the committee. Whenever the committee 
approves a preliminary investigation, the respective party conference 
or caucus shall each hold a random drawing from the names of its 
members (excluding members of the Committee on Standards of Official 
Conduct and any Member deemed by the conference or caucus to be exempt) 
and select 3 members to serve on an investigative panel respecting that 
complaint. If a member of a party conference or caucus has served on 
the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct or an investigative 
panel, the name of that member shall not be included in a drawing until 
all other members of that conference or caucus have served.
    ``(B) The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct shall adopt 
rules providing--
            ``(i) adequate staff and funding for each investigative 
        panel;
            ``(ii) a fixed date for the filing by each panel of a final 
        report to the committee and, if requested by that panel, a vote 
        by the committee to extend the date for filing its final 
        report;
            ``(iii) that if an investigative panel has been formed to 
        consider a complaint against a Member, officer, or employee of 
        the House and a subsequent complaint is filed with the 
        committee before the panel files its final report with the 
        committee, then the committee shall, by majority vote, 
        determine whether to merge the new complaint with the pending 
        complaint;
            ``(iv) that the proceedings of each investigative panel be 
        held in executive session and that no information or testimony 
        received shall be disclosed by any panel member, staff member, 
        or outside counsel assisting that panel to any Member or other 
        staff member of the committee before the panel files its final 
        report with the committee;
            ``(v) that each investigative panel shall determine if any 
        count in the complaint it has been formed to consider has been 
        proved; and if it determines, by majority vote, that any such 
        count has been proved it shall adopt a statement of alleged 
        violation; and if it determines that no count in the complaint 
        has been proved it shall recommend dismissal of the complaint;
            ``(vi) that, if the committee, by majority vote, determines 
        that the work of the investigative panel has been compromised 
        by outside influence, the full committee may disband the 
        investigative panel and request that a new panel be appointed;
            ``(vii) that upon the completion of an investigation, an 
        investigative panel shall report its findings and 
        recommendations to the committee;
            ``(viii) that the committee shall, by majority vote, 
        determine disposition of the investigative panel's 
        recommendations; and
            ``(ix) that a statement of alleged violation and any 
        written response thereto shall be made public at the first 
        meeting or hearing on the matter which is open to the public 
        after the respondent has been given full opportunity to respond 
        to the statement in accordance with committee rules, but, if no 
        public hearing or meeting is held on the matter, the statement 
        of alleged violation and any written response thereto shall be 
        included in the committee's final report to the House as 
        required by subparagraph (1)(B).
    ``(C)(i) The committee may, at any time, by a majority vote, 
determine that a complaint is frivolous.
    ``(ii) The committee may make such a determination if it deems that 
the complaint has no basis in fact, the alleged violation is of such a 
minor and technical nature that it does not reflect discredit upon the 
House or its Members, the complaint was filed for purely partisan 
reasons and not out of concern for maintaining the ethical standards of 
the House, or the complaint is part of a pattern of abuse and misuse of 
the committee.
    ``(iii) In the case of any complaint deemed frivolous, the 
committee shall determine the costs of its inquiry and report such 
costs to the Committee on House Oversight, the Clerk of the House, and 
the public.
    ``(iv) The committee may, by majority vote, recommend to the House 
that any Member who has filed a frivolous complaint--
            ``(I) repay the costs of the inquiry over a period of 
        greater than 1 year; or
            ``(II) be fined an appropriate amount.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Clause 4(e)(1)(B) of rule X of the Rules 
of the House of Representatives is amended by striking ``subject to 
subparagraph (2)'' and inserting ``subject to subparagraphs (2) and 
(3)''.

SEC. 9. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act and the amendments made by it shall take effect 
immediately prior to noon January 3, 1997. After that date, subsections 
(c), and (d) of section 803 of the Ethics in Government Act of 1989 
shall have no force or effect in the House.
                                 <all>