[Senate Prints 115-29]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


115th Congress}                                            { S. Prt.                       
        
 1st Session  }              COMMITTEE PRINT		   { 115-29

======================================================================
                                  
                            RULES OF PROCEDURE

                                 OF THE

                          SENATE COMMITTEE ON

                 HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR, AND PENSIONS

                            PREPARED BY THE

                    COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, EDUCATION,

                          LABOR, AND PENSIONS

                          UNITED STATES SENATE

                                     

[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
                                     

                              JANUARY 2017

                       Printed for the use of the
          Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions


                                __________
                               

                    U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE                    
34-494                      WASHINGTON : 2019   




          COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR, AND PENSIONS

                  LAMAR ALEXANDER, Tennessee, Chairman

MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming             PATTY MURRAY, Washington
RICHARD BURR, North Carolina         BERNARD SANDERS (I), Vermont
JOHNNY ISAKSON, Georgia              ROBERT P. CASEY, JR., Pennsylvania
RAND PAUL, Kentucky                  AL FRANKEN, Minnesota
SUSAN COLLINS, Maine                 MICHAEL F. BENNET, Colorado
BILL CASSIDY, M.D., Louisiana        SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island
TODD YOUNG, Indiana                  TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin
ORRIN G. HATCH, Utah                 CHRISTOPHER S. MURPHY, Connecticut
PAT ROBERTS, Kansas                  ELIZABETH WARREN, Massachusetts
LISA MURKOWSKI, Alaska               TIM KAINE, Virginia
TIM SCOTT, South Carolina            MARGARET WOOD HASSAN, 
                                     New Hampshire

               David P. Cleary, Republican Staff Director

         Lindsey Ward Seidman, Republican Deputy Staff Director

                  Evan Schatz, Democrat Staff Director

              John Righter, Democrat Deputy Staff Director

                                  (ii)


                               __________

                              SUBCOMMITTEES 

                               __________

                         CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

                           Mr. PAUL, Chairman

        Ms. MURKOWSKI                          Mr. CASEY
        Mr. BURR                               Mr. SANDERS (I)
        Mr. CASSIDY, M.D.                      Mr. FRANKEN
        Mr. YOUNG                              Mr. BENNET
        Mr. HATCH                              Mr. KAINE
        Mr. ROBERTS                            Ms. HASSAN
        Mr. ALEXANDER (ex officio)             Mrs. MURRAY (ex officio)

                    EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE SAFETY

                         Mr. ISAKSON, Chairman

        Mr. ROBERTS                            Mr. FRANKEN
        Mr. SCOTT                              Mr. CASEY
        Mr. BURR                               Mr. WHITEHOUSE
        Mr. PAUL                               Ms. BALDWIN
        Mr. CASSIDY, M.D.                      Mr. MURPHY
        Mr. YOUNG                              Ms. WARREN
        Mr. ALEXANDER (ex officio)             Mrs. MURRAY (ex officio)

                 PRIMARY HEALTH AND RETIREMENT SECURITY

                           Mr. ENZI, Chairman

        Mr. BURR                               Mr. SANDERS (I)
        Ms. COLLINS                            Mr. BENNET
        Mr. CASSIDY, M.D.                      Mr. WHITEHOUSE
        Mr. YOUNG                              Ms. BALDWIN
        Mr. HATCH                              Mr. MURPHY
        Mr. ROBERTS                            Ms. WARREN
        Mr. SCOTT                              Mr. KAINE
        Ms. MURKOWSKI                          Ms. HASSAN
        Mr. ALEXANDER (ex officio)             Mrs. MURRAY (ex officio)

                               __________
   
   
          The Chairman and the Ranking Minority Member are ex 
officio of the subcommittees they do not serve on.

                                 (iii)

                                     
                 SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, EDUCATION,

                          LABOR, AND PENSIONS

                       Lamar Alexander, Chairman
 
           rules of procedure (as agreed to january 31, 2017)

    Rule 1.--Subject to the provisions of rule XXVI, paragraph 
5, of the Standing Rules of the Senate, regular meetings of the 
committee shall be held on the second and fourth Wednesday of 
each month, at 10:00 a.m., in room SD-430, Dirksen Senate 
Office Building. The chairman may, upon proper notice, call 
such additional meetings as he may deem necessary.
    Rule 2.--The chairman of the committee or of a 
subcommittee, or if the chairman is not present, the ranking 
majority member present, shall preside at all meetings. The 
chairman may designate the ranking minority member to preside 
at hearings of the committee or subcommittee.
    Rule 3.--Meetings of the committee or a subcommittee, 
including meetings to conduct hearings, shall be open to the 
public except as otherwise specifically provided in subsections 
(b) and (d) of rule 26.5 of the Standing Rules of the Senate.
    Rule 4.--(a) Subject to paragraph (b), one-third of the 
membership of the committee, actually present, shall constitute 
a quorum for the purpose of transacting business. Any quorum of 
the committee which is composed of less than a majority of the 
members of the committee shall include at least one member of 
the majority and one member of the minority.
    (b) majority of the members of a subcommittee, actually 
present, shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of 
transacting business: provided, no measure or matter shall be 
ordered reported unless such majority shall include at least 
one member of the minority who is a member of the subcommittee. 
If, at any subcommittee meeting, a measure or matter cannot be 
ordered reported because of the absence of such a minority 
member, the measure or matter shall lay over for a day. If the 
presence of a member of the minority is not then obtained, a 
majority of the members of the subcommittee, actually present, 
may order such measure or matter reported.
    (c) No measure or matter shall be ordered reported from the 
committee or a subcommittee unless a majority of the committee 
or subcommittee is physically present.
    Rule 5.--With the approval of the chairman of the committee 
or subcommittee, one member thereof may conduct public hearings 
other than taking sworn testimony.
    Rule 6.--Proxy voting shall be allowed on all measures and 
matters before the committee or a subcommittee if the absent 
member has been informed of the matter on which he is being 
recorded and has affirmatively requested that he be so 
recorded. While proxies may be voted on a motion to report a 
measure or matter from the committee, such a motion shall also 
require the concurrence of a majority of the members who are 
actually present at the time such action is taken.
    The committee may poll any matters of committee business as 
a matter of unanimous consent; provided that every member is 
polled and every poll consists of the following two questions:
          (1) Do you agree or disagree to poll the proposal; 
        and
          (2) Do you favor or oppose the proposal.
    Rule 7.--There shall be prepared and kept a complete 
transcript or electronic recording adequate to fully record the 
proceedings of each committee or subcommittee meeting or 
conference whether or not such meetings or any part thereof is 
closed pursuant to the specific provisions of subsections (b) 
and (d) of rule 26.5 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, 
unless a majority of said members vote to forgo such a record. 
Such records shall contain the vote cast by each member of the 
committee or subcommittee on any question on which a ``yea and 
nay'' vote is demanded, and shall be available for inspection 
by any committee member. The clerk of the committee, or the 
clerk's designee, shall have the responsibility to make 
appropriate arrangements to implement this rule.
    Rule 8.--The committee and each subcommittee shall 
undertake, consistent with the provisions of rule XXVI, 
paragraph 4, of the Standing Rules of the Senate, to issue 
public announcement of any hearing or executive session it 
intends to hold at least one week prior to the commencement of 
such hearing or executive session. In the case of an executive 
session, the text of any bill or joint resolution to be 
considered must be provided to the chairman for prompt 
electronic distribution to the members of the committee.
    Rule 9.--The committee or a subcommittee shall require all 
witnesses heard before it to file written statements of their 
proposed testimony at least 24 hours before a hearing, unless 
the chairman and the ranking minority member determine that 
there is good cause for failure to so file, and to limit their 
oral presentation to brief summaries of their arguments. 
Testimony may be filed electronically. The presiding officer at 
any hearing is authorized to limit the time of each witness 
appearing before the committee or a subcommittee. The committee 
or a subcommittee shall, as far as practicable, utilize 
testimony previously taken on bills and measures similar to 
those before it for consideration.
    Rule 10.--Should a subcommittee fail to report back to the 
full committee on any measure within a reasonable time, the 
chairman may withdraw the measure from such subcommittee and 
report that fact to the full committee for further disposition.
    Rule 11.--No subcommittee may schedule a meeting or hearing 
at a time designated for a hearing or meeting of the full 
committee. No more than one subcommittee executive meeting may 
be held at the same time.
    Rule 12.--It shall be the duty of the chairman in 
accordance with section 133(c) of the Legislative 
Reorganization Act of 1946, as amended, to report or cause to 
be reported to the Senate, any measure or recommendation 
approved by the committee and to take or cause to be taken, 
necessary steps to bring the matter to a vote in the Senate.
    Rule 13.--Whenever a meeting of the committee or 
subcommittee is closed pursuant to the provisions of subsection 
(b) or (d) of rule 26.5 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, no 
person other than members of the committee, members of the 
staff of the committee, and designated assistants to members of 
the committee shall be permitted to attend such closed session, 
except by special dispensation of the committee or subcommittee 
or the chairman thereof.
    Rule 14.--The chairman of the committee or a subcommittee 
shall be empowered to adjourn any meeting of the committee or a 
subcommittee if a quorum is not present within fifteen minutes 
of the time schedule for such meeting.
    Rule 15.--Whenever a bill or joint resolution shall be 
before the committee or a subcommittee for final consideration, 
the clerk shall distribute to each member of the committee or 
subcommittee a document, prepared by the sponsor of the bill or 
joint resolution. If the bill or joint resolution has no 
underlying statutory language, the document shall consist of a 
detailed summary of the purpose and impact of each section. If 
the bill or joint resolution repeals or amends any statute or 
part thereof, the document shall consist of a detailed summary 
of the underlying statute and the proposed changes in each 
section of the underlying law and either a print of the statute 
or the part or section thereof to be amended or replaced 
showing by stricken-through type, the part or parts to be 
omitted and, in italics, the matter proposed to be added, along 
with a summary of the proposed changes; or a side-by-side 
document showing a comparison of current law, the proposed 
legislative changes, and a detailed description of the proposed 
changes.
    Rule 16.--An appropriate opportunity shall be given the 
minority to examine the proposed text of committee reports 
prior to their filing or publication. In the event there are 
supplemental, minority, or additional views, an appropriate 
opportunity shall be given the majority to examine the proposed 
text prior to filing or publication. Unless the chairman and 
ranking minority member agree on a shorter period of time, the 
minority shall have no fewer than three business days to 
prepare supplemental, minority or additional views for 
inclusion in a committee report from the time the majority 
makes the proposed text of the committee report available to 
the minority.
    Rule 17.--(a) The committee, or any subcommittee, may issue 
subpoenas, or hold hearings to take sworn testimony or hear 
subpoenaed witnesses, only if such investigative activity has 
been authorized by majority vote of the committee.
    (b) For the purpose of holding a hearing to take sworn 
testimony or hear subpoenaed witnesses, three members of the 
committee or subcommittee shall constitute a quorum: provided, 
with the concurrence of the chairman and ranking minority 
member of the committee or subcommittee, a single member may 
hear subpoenaed witnesses or take sworn testimony.
    (c) The committee may, by a majority vote, delegate the 
authority to issue subpoenas to the chairman of the committee 
or a subcommittee, or to any member designated by such 
chairman. Prior to the issuance of each subpoena, the ranking 
minority member of the committee or subcommittee, and any other 
member so requesting, shall be notified regarding the identity 
of the person to whom it will be issued and the nature of the 
information sought and its relationship to the authorized 
investigative activity, except where the chairman of the 
committee or subcommittee, in consultation with the ranking 
minority member, determines that such notice would unduly 
impede the investigation. All information obtained pursuant to 
such investigative activity shall be made available as promptly 
as possible to each member of the committee requesting same, or 
to any assistant to a member of the committee designated by 
such member in writing, but the use of any such information is 
subject to restrictions imposed by the rules of the Senate. 
Such information, to the extent that it is relevant to the 
investigation shall, if requested by a member, be summarized in 
writing as soon as practicable. Upon the request of any member, 
the chairman of the committee or subcommittee shall call an 
executive session to discuss such investigative activity or the 
issuance of any subpoena in connection therewith.
    (d) Any witness summoned to testify at a hearing, or any 
witness giving sworn testimony, may be accompanied by counsel 
of his own choosing who shall be permitted, while the witness 
is testifying, to advise him of his legal rights.
    (e) No confidential testimony taken or confidential 
material presented in an executive hearing, or any report of 
the proceedings of such an executive hearing, shall be made 
public, either in whole or in part or by way of summary, unless 
authorized by a majority of the members of the committee or 
subcommittee.
    Rule 18.--Presidential nominees shall submit a statement of 
their background and financial interests, including the 
financial interests of their spouse and children living in 
their household, on a form approved by the committee which 
shall be sworn to as to its completeness and accuracy. The 
committee form shall be in two parts--
          (I) information relating to employment, education and 
        background of the nominee relating to the position to 
        which the individual is nominated, and which is to be 
        made public; and,
          (II) information relating to financial and other 
        background of the nominee, to be made public when the 
        committee determines that such information bears 
        directly on the nominee's qualifications to hold the 
        position to which the individual is nominated.
    Information relating to background and financial interests 
(parts I and II) shall not be required of nominees for less 
than full-time appointments to councils, commissions or boards 
when the committee determines that some or all of the 
information is not relevant to the nature of the position. 
Information relating to other background and financial 
interests (part II) shall not be required of any nominee when 
the committee determines that it is not relevant to the nature 
of the position.
    Committee action on a nomination, including hearings or 
meetings to consider a motion to recommend confirmation, shall 
not be initiated until at least five days after the nominee 
submits the form required by this rule unless the chairman, 
with the concurrence of the ranking minority member, waives 
this waiting period.
    Rule 19.--Subject to statutory requirements imposed on the 
committee with respect to procedure, the rules of the committee 
may be changed, modified, amended or suspended at any time; 
provided, not less than a majority of the entire membership so 
determine at a regular meeting with due notice, or at a meeting 
specifically called for that purpose.
    Rule 20.--When the ratio of members on the committee is 
even, the term ``majority'' as used in the committee's rules 
and guidelines shall refer to the party of the chairman for 
purposes of party identification. Numerical requirements for 
quorums, votes and the like shall be unaffected.
    Rule 21.--First degree amendments must be filed with the 
chairman at least 24 hours before an executive session. The 
chairman shall promptly distribute all filed amendments 
electronically to the members of the committee. The chairman 
may modify the filing requirements to meet special 
circumstances with the concurrence of the ranking minority 
member.
    Rule 22.--In addition to the foregoing, the proceedings of 
the committee shall be governed by the Standing Rules of the 
Senate and the provisions of the Legislative Reorganization Act 
of 1946, as amended.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


  Guidelines of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions With Respect to Hearings, Markup Sessions, and Related Matters

                                hearings

    Section 133A(a) of the Legislative Reorganization Act 
requires each committee of the Senate to publicly announce the 
date, place, and subject matter of any hearing at least one 
week prior to the commencement of such hearing.
    The spirit of this requirement is to assure adequate notice 
to the public and other Members of the Senate as to the time 
and subject matter of proposed hearings. In the spirit of 
section 133A(a) and in order to assure that members of the 
committee are themselves fully informed and involved in the 
development of hearings:
          1. Public notice of the date, place, and subject 
        matter of each committee or subcommittee hearing should 
        be inserted in the Congressional Record seven days 
        prior to the commencement of such hearing.
          2. At least seven days prior to public notice of each 
        committee or subcommittee hearing, the majority should 
        provide notice to the minority of the time, place and 
        specific subject matter of such hearing.
          3. At least three days prior to the date of such 
        hearing, the committee or subcommittee should provide 
        to each member a list of witnesses who have been or are 
        proposed to be invited to appear.
          4. The committee and its subcommittee should, to the 
        maximum feasible extent, enforce the provisions of rule 
        9 of the committee rules as it relates to the 
        submission of written statements of witnesses twenty-
        four hours in advance of a hearing. Witnesses will be 
        urged to submit testimony even earlier whenever 
        possible. When statements are received in advance of a 
        hearing, the committee or subcommittee (as appropriate) 
        should distribute copies of such statements to each of 
        its members. Witness testimony may be submitted and 
        distributed electronically.

         executive sessions for the purpose of marking up bills

    In order to expedite the process of marking up bills and to 
assist each member of the committee so that there may be full 
and fair consideration of each bill which the committee or a 
subcommittee is marking up the following procedures should be 
followed:
    1. Seven days prior to the proposed date for an executive 
session for the purpose of marking up bills the committee or 
subcommittee (as appropriate) should provide written notice to 
each of its members as to the time, place, and specific subject 
matter of such session, including an agenda listing each bill 
or other matters to be considered and including:
          (a) a copy of each bill, joint resolution, or other 
        legislative matter (or committee print thereof) to be 
        considered at such executive session; and
          (b) a copy of a summary of the provisions of each 
        bill, joint resolution, or other legislative matter to 
        be considered at such executive session including, 
        whenever possible, an explanation of changes to 
        existing law proposed to be made.
    2. Insofar as practical, prior to the scheduled date for an 
executive session for the purpose of marking up bills, the 
committee or a subcommittee (as appropriate) should provide 
each member with a copy of the printed record or a summary of 
any hearings conducted by the committee or a subcommittee with 
respect to each bill, joint resolution, or other legislative 
matter to be considered at such executive session.

                                 [all]