[House Prints 115-1]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]






115th Congress  } 

 1st Session    }      HOUSE COMMITTEE PRINT NO. 1

_______________________________________________________________________

                                     

 
                      COMMITTEE RULES OF PROCEDURE

                                FOR THE

                             115TH CONGRESS

                                 OF THE

                            HOUSE COMMITTEE

                                   ON

                           VETERANS' AFFAIRS


                            JANUARY 31, 2017



[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]





 January 31, 2017.--Printed for the use of the Committee on Veterans' 
                Affairs of the House of Representatives
                
                                    ______

                         U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 

24-446                         WASHINGTON : 2017                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                     COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS

                     PHIL ROE, Tennessee, Chairman

GUS M. BILIRAKIS, Florida, Vice-     TIM WALZ, Minnesota, Ranking 
    Chairman                             Member
MIKE COFFMAN, Colorado               MARK TAKANO, California
BRAD WENSTRUP, Ohio                  JULIA BROWNLEY, California
AMATA RADEWAGEN, American Samoa      ANN KUSTER, New Hampshire
MIKE BOST, Illinois                  BETO O'ROURKE, Texas
BRUCE POLIQUIN, Maine                KATHLEEN RICE, New York
NEAL DUNN, Florida                   J. LUIS CORREA, California
JODEY ARRINGTON, Texas               GREGORIO KILILI CAMACHO SABLAN, 
JOHN RUTHERFORD, Florida                 Northern Mariana Islands
CLAY HIGGINS, Louisiana              ELIZABETH ESTY, Connecticut
JACK BERGMAN, Michigan               SCOTT PETERS, California
JIM BANKS, Indiana
JENNIFFER GONZALEZ-COLON, Puerto 
    Rico
                       Jon Towers, Staff Director
               Raymond Kelley, Democratic Staff Director
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
                         RULES OF THE COMMITTEE

                          ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS

                     U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                         FOR THE 115TH CONGRESS

        JURISDICTION OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS

    Rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives 
establishes the standing Committees of the House and their 
jurisdiction. Under that rule, all bills, resolutions, and 
other matters relating to the subjects within the jurisdiction 
of any standing Committee shall be referred to such Committee. 
Clause 1(s) of Rule X establishes the jurisdiction of the 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs as follows:
          (1) Veterans' measures generally.
          (2) Cemeteries of the United States in which veterans 
        of any war or conflict are or may be buried, whether in 
        the United States or abroad (except cemeteries 
        administered by the Secretary of the Interior).
          (3) Compensation, vocational rehabilitation, and 
        education of veterans.
          (4) Life insurance issued by the Government on 
        account of service in the Armed Forces.
          (5) Pensions of all the wars of the United States, 
        general and special.
          (6) Readjustment of servicemembers to civil life.
          (7) Servicemembers' civil relief.
          (8) Veterans' hospitals, medical care, and treatment 
        of veterans.

                       Rule 1--General Provisions


    (a) Applicability Of House Rules.--The Rules of the House 
are the rules of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and its 
Subcommittees so far as applicable, except that a motion to 
recess from day to day, and a motion to dispense with the first 
reading (in full) of a bill or resolution, if printed copies 
are available, are non-debatable privileged motions in 
Committees and Subcommittees.
    (b) Subcommittees.--Each Subcommittee of the Committee is a 
part of the Committee and is subject to the authority and 
direction of the Committee and to its rules so far as 
applicable.
    (c) Incorporation Of House Rule On Committee Procedure.--
Rule XI of the Rules of the House, which pertains entirely to 
Committee procedure, is incorporated and made part of the rules 
of the Committee to the extent applicable. Pursuant to clause 
2(a)(3) of Rule XI of the Rules of the House, the Chairman of 
the Full Committee is directed to offer a motion under clause 1 
of Rule XXII of the Rules of the House whenever the Chairman 
considers it appropriate.
    (d) Vice Chairman.--Pursuant to clause 2(d) of Rule XI of 
the Rules of the House, the Chairman of the Full Committee 
shall designate the Vice Chairman of the Committee.

                Rule 2--Regular and Additional Meetings


    (a) Regular Meetings.--The regular meeting day for the 
Committee shall be at 10 a.m. on the second Wednesday of each 
month in such place as the Chairman may designate. However, the 
Chairman may dispense with a regular Wednesday meeting of the 
Committee.
    (b) Additional Meetings.--The Chairman of the Committee may 
call and convene, as he considers necessary, additional 
meetings of the Committee for the consideration of any bill or 
resolution pending before the Committee or for the conduct of 
other Committee business. The Committee shall meet for such 
purpose pursuant to the call of the Chairman.
    (c) Notice.--The Chairman shall notify each Member of the 
Committee of the agenda of each regular and additional meeting 
of the Committee at least 24 hours before the time of the 
meeting, except under circumstances the Chairman determines to 
be of an emergency nature. Under such circumstances, the 
Chairman shall make an effort to consult the Ranking Minority 
Member, or in such Member's absence, the next ranking minority 
party Member of the Committee.

                Rule 3--Meetings and Hearings Generally


    (a) Open Meetings and Hearings.--Meetings and hearings of 
the Committee and each of its Subcommittees shall be open to 
the public unless closed in accordance with clause 2(g) of Rule 
XI of the Rules of the House.
    (b) Announcement Of Hearing.--The Chairman, in the case of 
a hearing to be conducted by the Committee, and the 
Subcommittee Chairman, in the case of a hearing to be conducted 
by a Subcommittee, shall make public announcement of the date, 
place, and subject matter of any hearing to be conducted on any 
measure or matter at least one week before the commencement of 
that hearing unless the Committee or the Subcommittee 
determines that there is good cause to begin the hearing at an 
earlier date, in accordance with Rule XI, clause 2(g)(3)(B) of 
the Rules of the House of Representatives. In the latter event, 
the Chairman or the Subcommittee Chairman, as the case may be, 
shall consult with the Ranking Minority Member and make such 
public announcement at the earliest possible date. The clerk of 
the Committee shall promptly notify the Daily Clerk of the 
Congressional Record and the Committee scheduling service of 
the House Information Resources as soon as possible after such 
public announcement is made.
    (c) Wireless Telephone Use Prohibited.--No person may use a 
wireless telephone during a Committee or Subcommittee meeting 
or hearing.
    (d) Media Coverage.--Any meeting of the Committee or its 
Subcommittees that is open to the public shall be open to 
coverage by radio, television, and still photography in 
accordance with the provisions of clause 4(f) of House rule XI 
as follows:
          (1) If audio or visual coverage of the hearing or 
        meeting is to be presented to the public as live 
        coverage, that coverage shall be conducted and 
        presented without commercial sponsorship.
          (2) The allocation among the television media of the 
        positions or the number of television cameras permitted 
        by a Committee or Subcommittee Chair in a hearing or 
        meeting room shall be in accordance with fair and 
        equitable procedures devised by the Executive Committee 
        of the Radio and Television Correspondents' Galleries.
          (3) Television cameras shall be placed so as not to 
        obstruct in any way the space between a witness giving 
        evidence or testimony and any Member of the Committee 
        or the visibility of that witness and that Member to 
        each other.
          (4) Television cameras shall operate from fixed 
        positions but may not be placed in positions that 
        obstruct unnecessarily the coverage of the hearing or 
        meeting by the other media.
          (5) Equipment necessary for coverage by the 
        television and radio media may not be installed in, or 
        removed from, the hearing or meeting room while the 
        Committee is in session.
          (6)(A) Except as provided in subdivision (B), 
        floodlights, spotlights, strobelights, and flashguns 
        may not be used in providing any method of coverage of 
        the hearing or meeting.
                  (B) The television media may install 
                additional lighting in a hearing or meeting 
                room, without cost to the Government, in order 
                to raise the ambient lighting level in a 
                hearing or meeting room to the lowest level 
                necessary to provide adequate television 
                coverage of a hearing or meeting at the current 
                state of the art of television coverage.
          (7) If requests are made by more of the media than 
        will be permitted by a Committee or Subcommittee Chair 
        for coverage of a hearing or meeting by still 
        photography, that coverage shall be permitted on the 
        basis of a fair and equitable pool arrangement devised 
        by the Standing Committee of Press Photographers.
          (8) Photographers may not position themselves between 
        the witness table and the Members of the Committee at 
        any time during the course of a hearing or meeting.
          (9) Photographers may not place themselves in 
        positions that obstruct unnecessarily the coverage of 
        the hearing by the other media.
          (10) Personnel providing coverage by the television 
        and radio media shall be currently accredited to the 
        Radio and Television Correspondents' Galleries.
          (11) Personnel providing coverage by still 
        photography shall be currently accredited to the Press 
        Photographers' Gallery.
          (12) Personnel providing coverage by the television 
        and radio media and by still photography shall conduct 
        themselves and their coverage activities in an orderly 
        and unobtrusive manner.
    (e) Requirements for Testimony.--
          (1) Each witness who is to appear before the 
        Committee or a Subcommittee shall file with the clerk 
        of the Committee, at least 48 hours (exclusive of 
        weekends and holidays) in advance of his or her 
        appearance, or at such other time as designated by the 
        Chairman after consultation with the Ranking Member, a 
        written statement of his or her proposed testimony. 
        Each witness shall, to the greatest extent practicable, 
        also provide a copy of such written testimony in an 
        electronic format prescribed by the Chairman. Each 
        witness shall limit any oral presentation to a summary 
        of the written statement.
          (2) Pursuant to clause 2(g)(5) of Rule XI of the 
        Rules of the House:
                  (A) In the case of a witness appearing in a 
                non-governmental capacity, a written statement 
                of proposed testimony shall include a 
                curriculum vitae and a disclosure of any 
                Federal grants or contracts, or contracts or 
                payments originating with a foreign government, 
                received during the current calendar year or 
                either of the two previous calendar years by 
                the witness and related to the subject matter 
                of the hearing.
                  (B) The disclosure required by this Rule 
                shall include the amount and source of each 
                Federal grant (or subgrant thereof) or contract 
                (or subcontract thereof) related to the subject 
                matter of the hearing and the amount and 
                country of origin of any payment or contract 
                related to the subject matter of the hearing 
                originating with a foreign government.
    (f) Calling and Questioning Witnesses.--
          (1) Committee and Subcommittee Members may question 
        witnesses only when they have been recognized by the 
        Chairman of the Committee or Subcommittee for that 
        purpose, and only for a 5-minute period until all 
        Members present have had an opportunity to question a 
        witness. The 5-minute period for questioning a witness 
        by any one Member may be extended only with the 
        unanimous consent of all Members present. The 
        questioning of witnesses in both Committee and 
        Subcommittee hearings shall be initiated by the 
        Chairman, followed by the ranking minority party Member 
        and all other Members alternating between the majority 
        and minority. Except as otherwise announced by the 
        Chairman at the beginning of a hearing, Members who are 
        present at the start of the hearing will be recognized 
        before other Members who arrive after the hearing has 
        begun. In recognizing Members to question witnesses in 
        this fashion, the Chairman shall take into 
        consideration the ratio of the majority to minority 
        Members present and shall establish the order of 
        recognition for questioning in such a manner as not to 
        disadvantage the Members of the majority.
          (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1) 
        regarding the 5-minute rule, the Chairman after 
        consultation with the Ranking Minority Member may 
        designate an equal number of Members of the Committee 
        or Subcommittee majority and minority party to question 
        a witness for a period not longer than 30 minutes. In 
        no event shall the Chairman allow a Member to question 
        a witness for an extended period under this rule until 
        all Members present have had the opportunity to ask 
        questions under the 5-minute rule. The Chairman after 
        consultation with the Ranking Minority Member may 
        permit Committee staff for its majority and minority 
        party Members to question a witness for equal specified 
        periods of time.
          (3) Non-Committee members may be invited to sit at 
        the dais for and participate in Committee hearings with 
        the unanimous consent of all Members present. Further, 
        non-Committee members may be recognized for questioning 
        of witnesses but only after all Committee Members have 
        first been recognized.
          (4) When a hearing is conducted by the Committee or a 
        Subcommittee on any measure or matter, the minority 
        party Members on the Committee shall be entitled, upon 
        request to the Chairman of a majority of those minority 
        Members before the completion of the hearing, to call 
        witnesses selected by the minority to testify with 
        respect to that measure or matter during at least one 
        day of the hearing thereon.
    (g) Subpoenas.--Pursuant to clause 2(m) of Rule XI of the 
Rules of the House, subpoenas may be authorized and issued by 
the Committee or a Subcommittee in the conduct of any 
investigation or series of investigations or activities, only 
when authorized by a majority of the Members voting, a majority 
being present.
    (h) Notice Requirements.--
          (1) The text of all bills or resolutions for markup, 
        and any amendments in the nature of a substitute to 
        such bills or resolution to be first recognized by the 
        Chairman, shall be made available, via written or 
        electronic notice, to Committee Members at least 48 
        hours prior to a scheduled markup, except as agreed to 
        by unanimous consent.
          (2) Subject to the second sentence of this paragraph, 
        it shall not be in order for the Committee to consider 
        any amendment proposed to a bill or resolution under 
        consideration by the Committee, or proposed to an 
        amendment in the nature of a substitute noticed under 
        paragraph (1), unless a written or electronic copy of 
        such amendment has been delivered to each Member of the 
        Committee (or Subcommittee for purposes of Subcommittee 
        markups) at least 24 hours before the meeting at which 
        the amendment is to be proposed, and such amendment is 
        in compliance with subsection (i) of this rule. This 
        paragraph may be waived by unanimous consent and shall 
        apply only when the 48-hour written notice has been 
        provided in accordance with paragraph (1).
    (i) Congressional Budget Office Scoring.--The Committee 
shall not include any bill or resolution for consideration 
during a Committee markup which is not accompanied by an 
accounting from the Congressional Budget Office of the 
mandatory and discretionary costs or savings associated with 
such bill or resolution.
    The accounting from the Congressional Budget Office need 
not be official, but is expected to provide Committee Members 
with an approximation of the budgetary impact a bill or 
resolution may have prior to any vote to favorably forward or 
report such bill or resolution. The requirements of this 
paragraph may be waived by a majority of Committee Members, a 
quorum being present.

      Rule 4--Quorum and Record Votes; Postponement Of Proceedings


    (a) Working Quorum.--A majority of the Members of the 
Committee shall constitute a quorum for business and a majority 
of the Members of any Subcommittee shall constitute a quorum 
thereof for business, except that two Members shall constitute 
a quorum for the purpose of taking testimony and receiving 
evidence.
    (b) Quorum for Reporting.--No measure or recommendation 
shall be reported to the House of Representatives unless a 
majority of the Committee was actually present.
    (c) Record Votes.--A record vote may be demanded by one-
fifth of the Members present or, in the apparent absence of a 
quorum, by any one Member. With respect to any record vote on 
any motion to amend or report, the total number of votes cast 
for and against, and the names of those Members voting for and 
against, shall be included in the report of the Committee on 
the bill or resolution.
    (d) Prohibition Against Proxy Voting.--No vote by any 
Member of the Committee or a Subcommittee with respect to any 
measure or matter may be cast by proxy.
    (e) Postponing Proceedings.--Committee and Subcommittee 
Chairmen may postpone further proceedings when a record vote is 
ordered on the question of approving a measure or matter or on 
adopting an amendment, and may resume proceedings within two 
legislative days on a postponed question after reasonable 
notice. When proceedings resume on a postponed question, 
notwithstanding any intervening order for the previous 
question, an underlying proposition shall remain subject to 
further debate or amendment to the same extent as when the 
question was postponed.

                         Rule 5--Subcommittees


    (a) Establishment and Jurisdiction.--
          (1) There shall be four Subcommittees of the 
        Committee as follows:
                  (A) Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and 
                Memorial Affairs, which shall have legislative, 
                oversight, and investigative jurisdiction over 
                compensation; general and special pensions of 
                all the wars of the United States; life 
                insurance issued by the Government on account 
                of service in the Armed Forces; cemeteries of 
                the United States in which veterans of any war 
                or conflict are or may be buried, whether in 
                the United States or abroad, except cemeteries 
                administered by the Secretary of the Interior; 
                burial benefits; the Board of Veterans' 
                Appeals; and the United States Court of Appeals 
                for Veterans Claims.
                  (B) Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, 
                which shall have legislative, oversight, and 
                investigative jurisdiction over education of 
                veterans, employment and training of veterans, 
                vocational rehabilitation, veterans' housing 
                programs, transition of servicemembers to 
                civilian life, civil service reform and other 
                employee related issues at the Department of 
                Veterans Affairs, and servicemembers civil 
                relief.
                  (C) Subcommittee on Health, which shall have 
                legislative, oversight, and investigative 
                jurisdiction over the Veterans Health 
                Administration (VHA) including medical 
                services, medical support and compliance, 
                medical facilities, medical and prosthetic 
                research, homeless programs, and major and 
                minor construction.
                  (D) Subcommittee on Oversight and 
                Investigations, which shall have oversight and 
                investigative jurisdiction over veterans' 
                matters generally, and over such matters as may 
                be referred to the Subcommittee by the Chairman 
                of the Full Committee for its oversight or 
                investigation and for its appropriate 
                recommendations. The Subcommittee shall have 
                legislative jurisdiction over information 
                technology and procurement generally, and over 
                such bills or resolutions as may be referred to 
                it by the Chairman of the Full Committee.
          (2) Each Subcommittee shall have responsibility for 
        such other measures or matters as the Chairman refers 
        to it.
    (b) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the membership of a 
Subcommittee shall not affect the power of the remaining 
Members to execute the functions of that Subcommittee.
    (c) Ratios.--On each Subcommittee, there shall be a ratio 
of majority party Members to minority party Members, which 
shall be consistent with the ratio on the Full Committee.
    (d) Referral to Subcommittees.--The Chairman of the 
Committee may refer a measure or matter, which is within the 
general responsibility of more than one of the Subcommittees of 
the Committee, as the Chairman deems appropriate. In referring 
any measure or matter to a Subcommittee, the Chairman of the 
Committee may specify a date by which the Subcommittee shall 
report thereon to the Committee.
    (e) Powers and Duties.--
          (1) Each Subcommittee is authorized to meet, hold 
        hearings, receive evidence, and report to the Full 
        Committee on all matters referred to it or under its 
        jurisdiction. Subcommittee Chairmen shall set dates for 
        hearings and meetings of their respective Subcommittees 
        after consultation with the Chairman of the Committee 
        and other Subcommittee Chairmen with a view toward 
        avoiding simultaneous scheduling of Committee and 
        Subcommittee meetings or hearings whenever possible.
          (2) Whenever a Subcommittee has ordered a bill, 
        resolution, or other matter to be reported to the 
        Committee, the Chairman of the Subcommittee reporting 
        the bill, resolution, or matter to the Full Committee, 
        or any Member authorized by the Subcommittee to do so, 
        shall notify the Chairman and the Ranking Minority 
        Member of the Committee of the Subcommittee's action.
          (3) A Member of the Committee who is not a Member of 
        a particular Subcommittee may sit with the Subcommittee 
        during any of its meetings and hearings, but shall not 
        have authority to vote, cannot be counted for a quorum, 
        and cannot raise a point of order at the meeting or 
        hearing.
          (4) Non-Committee members may be invited to sit at 
        the dais for and participate in Subcommittee hearings 
        with the unanimous consent of all Members present. 
        Further, non-Committee members may be recognized for 
        questioning of witnesses, but only after all 
        Subcommittee Members have first been recognized for 
        questioning.
          (5) Each Subcommittee shall provide the Committee 
        with copies of such record votes taken in Subcommittee 
        and such other records with respect to the Subcommittee 
        as the Chairman of the Committee deems necessary for 
        the Committee to comply with all rules and regulations 
        of the House.

                Rule 6--General Oversight Responsibility


    (a) Purpose.--Pursuant to clause 2 of Rule X of the Rules 
of the House, the Committee shall carry out oversight 
responsibilities. In order to assist the House in--
          (1) Its analysis, appraisal, evaluation of--
                  (A) The application, administration, 
                execution, and effectiveness of the laws 
                enacted by the Congress, or
                  (B) Conditions and circumstances, which may 
                indicate the necessity or desirability of 
                enacting new or additional legislation, and
          (2) Its formulation, consideration and enactment of 
        such modifications or changes in those laws, and of 
        such additional legislation, as may be necessary or 
        appropriate, the Committee and its various 
        Subcommittees, consistent with their jurisdiction as 
        set forth in Rule 5, shall have oversight 
        responsibilities as provided in subsection (b).
    (b) Review Of Laws and Programs.--The Committee and its 
Subcommittees shall review and study, on a continuing basis, 
the applications, administration, execution, and effectiveness 
of those laws, or parts of laws, the subject matter of which is 
within the jurisdiction of the Committee or Subcommittee, and 
the organization and operation of the Federal agencies and 
entities having responsibilities in or for the administration 
and execution thereof, in order to determine whether such laws 
and the programs thereunder are being implemented and carried 
out in accordance with the intent of the Congress and whether 
such programs should be continued, curtailed, or eliminated. In 
addition, the Committee and its Subcommittees shall review and 
study any conditions or circumstances which may indicate the 
necessity or desirability of enacting new or additional 
legislation within the jurisdiction of the Committee or 
Subcommittee (whether or not any bill or resolution has been 
introduced with respect thereto), and shall on a continuing 
basis undertake future research and forecasting on matters 
within the jurisdiction of the Committee or Subcommittee.
    (c) Oversight Plan.--Not later than February 15 of the 
first session of a Congress, the Committee shall meet in open 
session, with a quorum present, to adopt its oversight plans 
for that Congress for submission to the Committee on House 
Administration and the Committee on Oversight and Government 
Reform, in accordance with the provisions of clause 2(d) of 
Rule X of the Rules of the House.
    (d) Oversight by Subcommittees.--The existence and 
activities of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations 
shall in no way limit the responsibility of the other 
Subcommittees of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs for 
carrying out oversight duties.

                  Rule 7--Budget Act Responsibilities


    (a) Budget Act Responsibilities.--Pursuant to clause 
4(f)(1) of Rule X of the Rules of the House, the Committee 
shall submit to the Committee on the Budget not later than six 
weeks after the President submits his budget, or at such time 
as the Committee on the Budget may request--
          (1) Its views and estimates with respect to all 
        matters to be set forth in the concurrent resolution on 
        the budget for the ensuing fiscal year that are within 
        its jurisdiction or functions; and
          (2) An estimate of the total amounts of new budget 
        authority, and budget outlays resulting therefrom, to 
        be provided or authorized in all bills and resolutions 
        within its jurisdiction that it intends to be effective 
        during that fiscal year.

                   Rule 8--Records and Other Matters


    (a) Transcripts.--There shall be a transcript made of each 
regular and additional meeting and hearing of the Committee and 
its Subcommittees. Any such transcript shall be a substantially 
verbatim account of remarks actually made during the 
proceedings, subject only to technical, grammatical, and 
typographical corrections authorized by the person making the 
remarks involved.
    (b) Records.--
          (1) The Committee shall keep a record of all actions 
        of the Committee and each of its Subcommittees. The 
        record shall contain all information required by clause 
        2(e)(1) of Rule XI of the Rules of the House and shall 
        be available for public inspection at reasonable times 
        in the offices of the Committee.
          (2) There shall be kept in writing a record of the 
        proceedings of the Committee and each of its 
        Subcommittees, including a record of the votes on any 
        question on which a recorded vote is demanded. The 
        result of each such record vote shall be made available 
        by the Committee for inspection by the public at 
        reasonable times in the offices of the Committee. 
        Information so available for public inspection shall 
        include a description of the amendment, motion, order 
        or other proposition and the name of each Member voting 
        for and each Member voting against such amendment, 
        motion, order, or proposition, and the names of those 
        Members present but not voting.
    (c) Availability Of Archived Records.--The records of the 
Committee at the National Archives and Records Administration 
shall be made available for public use in accordance with Rule 
VII of the Rules of the House. The Chairman shall notify the 
Ranking Minority Member of any decision, pursuant to clause 3 
or clause 4 of Rule VII of the Rules of the House, to withhold 
a record otherwise available, and the matter shall be presented 
to the Committee for a determination on written request of any 
Member of the Committee.
    (d) Availability Of Publications.--Pursuant to clause 
2(e)(4) of Rule XI of the Rules of the House, the Committee 
shall make its publications available in electronic form to the 
maximum extent feasible.

                             Rule 9--Travel


    (a) Requirements for Travel.--All requests for travel, 
funded by the Committee, for Members and staff in connection 
with activities or subject matters under the general 
jurisdiction of the Committee, shall be submitted to the Chair 
for approval or disapproval. All travel requests should be 
submitted to the Chair at least five working days in advance of 
the proposed travel. For all travel funded by any other source, 
notice shall be given to the Chair at least five working days 
in advance of the proposed travel. All travel requests shall be 
submitted to the Chair in writing and include the following:
          (1) The purpose of the travel.
          (2) The dates during which the travel is to occur.
          (3) The names of the locations to be visited and the 
        length of time to be spent in each.
          (4) The names of Members and staff of the Committee 
        for whom the authorization is sought. Travel by the 
        minority shall be submitted to the Chair via the 
        Ranking Member.
    (b) Trip Reports.--Members and staff shall make a written 
report to the Chair within 15 working days on all travel 
approved under this subsection. Reports shall include a 
description of their itinerary, expenses, and activities, and 
pertinent information gained as a result of such travel.
    When travel involves majority and minority Members or 
staff, the majority shall submit the report to the Chair on 
behalf of the majority and minority. The minority may append 
additional remarks to the report at their discretion.
    (c) Applicability Of House Rules.--Members and staff of the 
Committee performing authorized travel on official business 
shall be governed by applicable laws, resolutions, and 
regulations of the House and of the Committee on House 
Administration.

                        Rule 10--Facility Naming


    (a) Facility Naming.--No Department of Veterans Affairs 
(VA) facility or property shall be named after any individual 
by the Committee unless:
          (1) Such individual is deceased and was:
                  (A) A veteran who (i) was instrumental in the 
                construction or the operation of the facility 
                to be named, or (ii) was a recipient of the 
                Medal of Honor or, as determined by the 
                Chairman and Ranking Minority Member, otherwise 
                performed military service of an 
                extraordinarily distinguished character;
                  (B) A Member of the United States House of 
                Representatives or Senate who had a direct 
                association with such facility;
                  (C) An Administrator of Veterans' Affairs, a 
                Secretary of Veterans Affairs, a Secretary of 
                Defense or of a service branch, or a military 
                or other Federal civilian official of 
                comparable or higher rank; or
                  (D) An individual who, as determined by the 
                Chairman and Ranking Minority Member, performed 
                outstanding service for veterans.
          (2) Each Member of the Congressional delegation 
        representing the State in which the designated facility 
        is located must indicate in writing such Member's 
        support of the proposal to name such facility after 
        such individual. Evidence of a Member's support in 
        writing may either be in the form of a letter to the 
        Chairman and Ranking Member or co-sponsorship of 
        legislation proposing to name the particular VA 
        facility in question.
          (3) The pertinent State department or chapter of each 
        Congressionally chartered veterans' organization having 
        a national membership of at least 500,000 must indicate 
        in writing its support of such proposal.
    (b) The above criteria for naming a VA facility may be 
waived by unanimous consent.

                                 [all]