[House Prints, 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
116th Congress }
COMMITTEE PRINT
1st Session }
_______________________________________________________________________
COMMITTEE RULES
2019-2020
(Adopted March 28, 2019)
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PREPARED BY THE
SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE
CLIMATE CRISIS
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
MARCH 2019
116th Congress }
COMMITTEE PRINT
1st Session }
_______________________________________________________________________
COMMITTEE RULES
2019-2020
(Adopted March 28, 2019)
__________
PREPARED BY THE
SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE
CLIMATE CRISIS
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
MARCH 2019
______
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
36-995 WASHINGTON : 2019
SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE CLIMATE CRISIS
One Hundred Sixteenth Congress
KATHY CASTOR, Florida, Chair
BEN RAY LUJAN, New Mexico GARRET GRAVES, Louisiana,
SUZANNE BONAMICI, Oregon Ranking Member
JULIA BROWNLEY, California MORGAN GRIFFITH, Virginia
JARED HUFFMAN, California GARY PALMER, Alabama
A. DONALD McEACHIN, Virginia BUDDY CARTER, Georgia
MIKE LEVIN, California CAROL MILLER, West Virginia
SEAN CASTEN, Illinois KELLY ARMSTRONG, North Dakota
JOE NEGUSE, Colorado
Ana Unruh Cohen, Majority Staff Director
climatecrisis.house.gov
C O N T E N T S
Rule 1.--General Provisions...................................... 1
Rule 2.--Meetings................................................ 1
Rule 3.--Hearings................................................ 2
Rule 4.--Open Proceedings........................................ 4
Rule 5.--Reports................................................. 4
Rule 6.--Committee Records....................................... 5
Rule 7.--Quorums and Recorded Votes; Postponement of Votes....... 5
Rule 8.--Committee Staff......................................... 6
Rule 9.--Budget.................................................. 6
Rule 10.--Travel................................................. 6
Rule 11.--Website................................................ 7
RULES OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE CLIMATE CRISIS
(Adopted March 28, 2019)
Rule 1. General Provisions
(a) The provisions of section 104(f) of H. Res. 6 (116th
Congress) governing the proceedings of the Select Committee on
the Climate Crisis (hereinafter referred to as the
``Committee'') are hereby incorporated by reference and nothing
herein shall be construed as superseding any provision of that
section. The Rules of the House of Representatives shall apply
to the Committee to the extent that they are not inconsistent
with that title.
(b) The rules of the Committee shall be made publicly
available in electronic form and published in the Congressional
Record not later than 30 days after the Committee adopts its
rules.
Rule 2. Meetings
(a) In General.----
(1) The regular meeting date of the Committee shall
be the first Tuesday of every month when the House is
in session in accordance with clause 2(b) of rule XI of
the Rules of the House of Representatives. If the House
is not in session on the first Tuesday of a month, the
regular meeting date shall be the third Tuesday of that
month. A regular meeting of the Committee may be
dispensed with if, in the judgment of the Chair of the
Committee, there is no need for the meeting.
(2) Additional meetings may be called by the Chair of
the Committee as the Chair considers necessary, in
accordance with clause 2(g)(3) of rule XI of the Rules
of the House of Representatives.
(b) Meetings of the Committee shall be called to order and
presided over by the Chair or, in the Chair's absence, by a
member designated by the Chair to carry out such duties.
(c) Notification.----
(1) Pursuant to clause 2(g)(3) of rule XI of the
Rules of the House, the Chair shall make a public
announcement of the date, place, and subject matter of
a Committee meeting (other than a hearing), which may
not commence earlier than the third calendar day
(excluding Saturdays, Sundays, or legal holidays except
when the House is in session on such a day) on which
members have notice thereof.
(2) The agenda for each Committee meeting, setting
out all items of business to be considered, shall be
established by the Chair and provided to each member of
the Committee at least 36 hours (exclusive of
Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays except when the
House is in session on such days) in advance of the
commencement of such meeting.
(d) The requirements of paragraph (c) may be waived by a
majority vote of those present, a quorum being present, or by
the Chair with the concurrence of the Ranking Member. If the
requirements of paragraph (c) are waived, the Chair shall
notify the members of the Committee at the earliest possible
time.
Rule 3. Hearings
(a) Announcement of Hearings.----
(1) Pursuant to clause 2(g)(3) of rule XI of the
Rules of the House, the Chair shall announce the date,
time, place, and subject matter of any hearing of the
Committee, which may not commence earlier than one week
after such notice.
(2) A hearing may commence sooner than specified in
(a)(1) if the Chair, with the concurrence of the
Ranking Member, determines there is good cause or the
Committee so determines by majority vote, a quorum
being present. The Chair shall announce the hearing at
the earliest possible time.
(b) Written Witness Statement; Oral Testimony.----
(1) Filing of Statement.--To the greatest extent
practicable, each witness who is to appear before the
Committee shall file with the clerk of the Committee a
written statement of his or her proposed testimony at
least two business days in advance of his or her
appearance. The clerk of the Committee shall distribute
this testimony to the Members of the Committee as soon
as is practicable and at least one business day before
the hearing. The requirements of this subparagraph may
be waived or modified by the Chair after consultation
with the Ranking Member.
(2) Each witness shall limit his or her oral
presentation of testimony to no more than five minutes.
(3) Truth in Testimony.--Each witness appearing in a
nongovernmental capacity shall include with the written
statement of his or her proposed testimony a curriculum
vitae and a disclosure of any Federal grants or
contracts or foreign government contracts and payments
related to the subject matter of the hearing received
during the current calendar year or either of the two
preceding calendar years by the witness or by an entity
represented by the witness. The disclosure shall
include (A) 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 (B) the amount and country of origin of any payment
or contract related to the subject matter of the
hearing originating with a foreign government.
(4) Availability of Information.--Statements filed
under this paragraph shall be made publicly available
in electronic form not later than one day after the
witness appears.
(c) Notification of Subject Matter.--As soon as practicable
but no later than 36 hours before the commencement of a
hearing, the Chair shall make available to the public and all
Members of the Committee a concise summary of the subject
matter under consideration at the hearing, any relevant reports
from departments or agencies on such matters, and a list of
witnesses, including minority witnesses.
(d) Minority Witnesses.--When any hearing is conducted by
the Committee on any measure or matter, the minority party
members on the Committee shall be entitled, upon request to the
Chair by a majority of those members, to call at least one
witness, as selected by the minority members, to testify with
respect to that measure or matter along with witnesses selected
by the Chair.
(e) Opening Statements.----
(1) Chair and Ranking Member.--At any hearing of the
Committee, the Chair and Ranking Member shall each
control five minutes for opening statements. The Chair
and Ranking Member may recognize other members within
their respective five minutes.
(2) Other Members.--The Chair may allow other members
of the Committee to deliver oral opening statements, as
appropriate, with the concurrence of the Ranking
Member. Such statements shall not exceed five minutes
in length and are to be equally distributed between
majority and minority members to the extent practicable
given the party makeup of the members present. Members
not recognized by the Chair for oral opening statements
may submit written opening statements for the record.
(f) Questioning of Witnesses.--The Chair shall initiate the
right to question witnesses before the Committee, followed by
the Ranking Member and all other members thereafter.
(1) Order of Member Recognition.--The right to
question the witnesses before the Committee shall
alternate between majority and minority members. A
member of the Committee may question a witness only
when recognized by the Chair for that purpose. The
Chair shall recognize in order of appearance members
who were not present when the meeting was called to
order after all members who were present when the
meeting was called to order have been recognized in the
order of seniority on the Committee.
(2) Procedures for Questioning of Witnesses by
Members.--Each member shall be limited to 5 minutes in
the questioning of witnesses and shall limit his or her
remarks to the subject matter of the hearing. After
consultation with the Ranking Member, the Chair may
recognize members who have already had an opportunity
to question the witness for a second period of 5
minutes once each member of the Committee present has
been recognized once for that purpose.
(3) Extended Questioning of Witnesses by Members.--
Following the questioning of witnesses described in
(f)(2) above, the Chair, with the concurrence of the
Ranking Member or the Committee by motion, may permit a
specified number of members to question one or more
witnesses for a specified period of time not to exceed
60 minutes in the aggregate, equally divided between
and controlled by the Chair and the Ranking Member.
(4) Questions for the Record.--Each member may submit
to the Chair additional questions for the record to be
answered by the witnesses who have appeared. Each
member shall provide a copy of the questions in an
electronic format to the Committee no later than 10
business days following a hearing. The Chair shall
transmit all questions received from members of the
Committee to the appropriate witnesses and include the
transmittal letter and the responses from the witnesses
in the hearing record. After consultation with the
Ranking Member, the Chair is authorized to close the
hearing record no earlier than 15 business days from
the date the questions were transmitted to the
appropriate witnesses.
(g) Hearings of the Committee shall be called to order and
presided over by the Chair or, in the Chair's absence, by a
member designated by the Chair to carry out such duties.
(h) Oaths.--The Chair of the Committee, or a member
designated by the Chair, may administer oaths to any witness
before the Committee. The Chair or his or her designee may
administer the following oath to all witnesses prior to
receiving testimony: ``Do you solemnly swear or affirm, under
penalty of law, that the testimony you are about to give is the
truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you
God?''
(i) Claims of Privilege.--Claims of common-law privilege
made by witnesses in hearings, or by interviewees in
investigations or inquiries, are applicable only at the
discretion of the Chair, subject to appeal to the Committee.
Rule 4. Open Proceedings
(a) Meetings for the transaction of business and hearings
of the Committee shall be open to the public, including radio,
television, and still photography coverage, unless closed in
accordance with clause 2(g) of rule XI of the Rules of the
House of Representatives.
(b) The audio and video coverage of Committee proceeding
permitted under clause 4 of rule XI of the Rules of the House
of Representatives shall apply to the Committee.
Rule 5. Reports
(a) Approval of Official Committee Reports.--Any report
completed pursuant to section 104(f)(5) of H. Res. 6 (116th
Congress) that purports to express the views, findings,
conclusions, or recommendations of the Committee must be
approved by a majority vote of the Committee at a meeting at
which a quorum is present, in accordance with Committee Rule
7(a)(3). The total number of votes cast for and against, and
the names of those voting for and against, shall be included in
the Committee report on the matter.
(b) Notice of Committee Reports.--Any report described in
(a) shall not be considered in the Committee unless the
proposed report has been available to the members of the
Committee for at least three business days before consideration
of such report in the Committee.
(c) Additional Views.--If, at the time of approval of a
report, a member of the Committee gives notice of intent to
file supplemental, minority, additional, or dissenting views
for inclusion in the report, all members of the Committee shall
be entitled to no less than two business days after such notice
to file such views following clause 2(l) of rule XI and clause
3(a)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House.
(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. Pursuant to sections 104(f)(5) and
104(f)(6) of H. Res. 6 (116th Congress), the Committee shall
make its publications available to the general public in widely
accessible formats not later than 30 calendar days following
the respective dates for completion.
Rule 6. Committee Records
(a) Availability.--Documents reflecting the proceedings of
the Committee shall be made publicly available in electronic
form on the Committee's website and in the Committee office for
inspection by the public, as provided in clause 2(e) of rule XI
of the Rules of the House of Representatives, within 48 hours
of such recorded vote after each meeting has adjourned,
including a record showing those present at each meeting; and a
record of the vote on any question on which a recorded vote is
demanded, including a description of the motion, order, or
other proposition, the name of each member voting for and each
member voting against such motion, order, or proposition, and
the names of those members of the Committee present but not
voting.
(b) Archived Records.--The records of the Committee
deposited at the National Archives shall be made available for
public use in accordance with rule VII of the Rules of the
House. The Chair shall notify the Ranking Member of any
decision, pursuant to clause 3(b)(3) or clause 4(b) of such
rule, to withhold a record otherwise available. Upon written
request of any member of the Committee, the Chair shall present
the matter to the Committee for a determination, which shall be
subject to the same requirements for conduct of Committee
business under Committee Rule 2.
Rule 7. Quorums and Recorded Votes; Postponement of Votes
(a) Establishment of a Quorum.----
(1) For the purpose of taking testimony and receiving
evidence, no fewer than two members of the Committee
shall constitute a quorum.
(2) A majority of the members of the Committee shall
constitute a quorum for those actions for which the
Rules of the House of Representatives require a
majority quorum.
(3) A majority of the members of the Committee shall
constitute a quorum for issuing an official Committee
report pursuant to Rule 5 of the Committee rules and
section 104(f)(5) of H. Res. 6 (116th Congress).
(4) For the purposes of taking any other action, one-
third of the members of the Committee shall constitute
a quorum.
(b) Recorded Votes.--A recorded vote may be demanded by
one-fifth of the members present.
(c) Postponement of Votes.--Pursuant to clause 2(h)(4) of
the Rules of the House, the Chair, after consultation with the
Ranking Member, may postpone further proceedings when a
recorded vote is ordered on the question of approving any
measure or matter or adopting an amendment and may resume
proceedings on a postponed vote at any time after reasonable
notice to Members by the Clerk or other designee of the Chair.
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 8. Committee Staff
(a) Professional and other staff of the Committee are
subject to the provisions of clause 9 of rule X of the Rules of
the House of Representatives.
(b) Majority Staff.--The Chair shall appoint and determine
the remuneration of, and may remove, the employees of the
Committee not assigned to the minority. The staff of the
Committee not assigned to the minority shall be under the
general supervision and direction of the Chair, who shall
establish and assign the duties and responsibilities of such
staff members and delegate such authority as he or she
determines appropriate.
(c) Minority Staff.--The Ranking Member shall appoint and
determine the remuneration of, and may remove, the staff
assigned to the minority within the budget approved for such
purposes. The staff assigned to the minority shall be under the
general supervision and direction of the Ranking Member, who
may delegate any authority he or she determines appropriate.
(d) The Chair and Ranking Member have the right to secure
one or more detailees to assist with the work of the Committee.
Rule 9. Budget
(a) The Chair, in consultation with the Ranking Member,
shall prepare a budget providing amounts for staff, committee
travel, field hearings, investigation, and other expenses of
the Committee. Funds authorized for the Committee as provided
in clause 6 of rule X are for expenses incurred in the
activities of the Committee.
(b) Consistent with clause 9 of rule X, the Chair shall
designate an amount equal to 1/3 of the amount provided to the
Committee in the primary expense resolution adopted by the
House of Representatives to be under the direction of the
Ranking Member for the compensation of the minority staff,
travel expenses of minority members and staff, and minority
office expenses. All expenses of minority members and staff
shall be paid for out of the amount so set aside.
Rule 10. Travel
(a) The Chair may authorize travel for any member and any
staff member of the Committee in connection with activities or
subject matters under the general jurisdiction of the
Committee. Travel to be reimbursed from funds set aside for the
Committee for any member of staff member shall be paid only
upon the prior authorization of the Chair. Before such
authorization is granted, there shall be submitted to the Chair
in writing the following:
(1) The purpose of the travel.
(2) The dates during which the travel is to occur.
(3) The names of the states or countries to be
visited and the length of time to be spent in each.
(4) An agenda of anticipated activities.
(5) The names of members and staff of the Committee
for whom the authorization is sought.
(b) Members and staff of the Committee shall make a written
report to the Chair on any travel they have conducted under
this subsection, including a description of their itinerary,
expenses, and activities, and of pertinent information gained
as a result of such travel.
(c) 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 11. Website
The Chair shall maintain an official Committee website for
the purpose of carrying out the official responsibilities of
the Committee, including communicating information about the
Committee's activities. The Ranking Member may maintain a
minority website. To the maximum extent feasible, the Committee
shall make its publications available in electronic form on the
official Committee website maintained by the Chair.
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