[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 437 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 437

    To establish the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the 
           Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 14, 2005

 Mr. Dreier submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
   the Committee on Rules, and in addition to the Committee on House 
   Administration, 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


 
    To establish the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the 
           Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina.

    Resolved,

SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT.

    There is hereby established the Select Bipartisan Committee to 
Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina 
(hereinafter referred to as the ``select committee'').

SEC. 2. COMPOSITION.

    (a) The select committee shall be composed of 20 members appointed 
by the Speaker, of whom 9 shall be appointed after consultation with 
the Minority Leader. The Speaker shall designate one Member as 
chairman.
    (b)(1) The Speaker and the Minority Leader shall be ex officio 
members of the select committee but shall have no vote in the select 
committee and may not be counted for purposes of determining a quorum.
    (2) The Speaker and the Minority Leader each may designate a 
leadership staff member to assist in their capacity as ex officio 
members, with the same access to select committee meetings, hearings, 
briefings, and materials as employees of the select committee and 
subject to the same security clearance and confidentiality requirements 
as staff of the select committee.

SEC. 3. INVESTIGATION AND REPORT.

    The select committee is authorized and directed to conduct a full 
and complete investigation and study and to report its findings to the 
House not later than February 15, 2006, regarding--
            (1) the development, coordination, and execution by local, 
        State, and Federal authorities of emergency response plans and 
        other activities in preparation for Hurricane Katrina; and
            (2) the local, State, and Federal government response to 
        Hurricane Katrina.

SEC. 4. PROCEDURE.

    Rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives, including the 
items referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2), shall apply to the select 
committee:
            (1) Clause 2(j)(1) of rule XI (guaranteeing the minority 
        additional witnesses).
            (2) Clause 2(m)(3) of rule XI (providing for the authority 
        to subpoena witnesses and documents).

SEC. 5. JOINT OPERATIONS.

    The chairman of the select committee, in conducting the 
investigation and study described in section 3, shall consult with the 
chairman of a Senate committee conducting a parallel investigation and 
study regarding meeting jointly to receive testimony, the scheduling of 
hearings or issuance of subpoenas, and joint staff interviews of key 
witnesses.

SEC. 6. STAFF; FUNDING.

    (a)(1) To the greatest extent practicable, the select committee 
shall utilize the services of staff of employing entities of the House. 
At the request of the chairman in consultation with the ranking 
minority member, staff of employing entities of the House or a joint 
committee may be detailed to the select committee to carry out this 
resolution and shall be deemed to be staff of the select committee.
    (2) The chairman, upon consultation with the ranking minority 
member, may employ and fix the compensation of such staff as the 
chairman considers necessary to carry out this resolution.
    (b) There shall be paid out of the applicable accounts of the House 
$500,000 for the expenses of the select committee. Such payments shall 
be made on vouchers signed by the chairman and approved in the manner 
directed by the Committee on House Administration. Amounts made 
available under this subsection shall be expended in accordance with 
regulations prescribed by the Committee on House Administration.

SEC. 7. DISSOLUTION AND DISPOSITION OF RECORDS.

    (a) The select committee shall cease to exist 30 days after filing 
the report required under section 3.
    (b) Upon dissolution of the select committee, the records of the 
select committee shall become the records of any committee designated 
by the Speaker.
                                 <all>