[House Prints, 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]




   117th Congress
                              COMMITTEE PRINT
   1st Session 
                    
_______________________________________________________________________

                                     



                            COMMITTEE RULES

                               2021-2022

                        (Adopted March 19, 2021)

                               ----------                              

                            PREPARED BY THE

                        SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE
                             CLIMATE CRISIS

                     U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                     
                     
                     
 [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]                    



                               MARCH 2021
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                            
 117th Congress                 
                            COMMITTEE PRINT
 1st Session                
_______________________________________________________________________

                                     


 
                            COMMITTEE RULES

                               2021-2022

                        (Adopted March 19, 2021)

                               __________

                            PREPARED BY THE

                        SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE

                             CLIMATE CRISIS

                     U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                     
                     
                     
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]                     



                        MARCH 2021
                               
                               
                               
                        ______

             U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 
47-777               WASHINGTON : 2022                              
                               
                               
                 SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE CLIMATE CRISIS
                    One Hundred Seventeenth Congress
                    

                      KATHY CASTOR, Florida, Chair
SUZANNE BONAMICI, Oregon             GARRET GRAVES, Louisiana,
JULIA BROWNLEY, California             Ranking Member
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                 DAN CRENSHAW, Texas
VERONICA ESCOBAR, Texas              ANTHONY GONZALEZ, Ohio
                Ana Unruh Cohen, Majority Staff Director
                  Marty Hall, Minority Staff Director
                        climatecrisis.house.gov
                        
                            C O N T E N T S

Rule I.--General Provisions......................................     1
Rule II.--Meetings...............................................     1
Rule III.--Hearings..............................................     2
Rule IV.--Open Proceedings.......................................     4
Rule V.--Reports.................................................     4
Rule VI.--Committee Records......................................     5
Rule VII.--Quorums and Recorded Votes; Postponement of Votes.....     5
Rule VIII.--Committee Staff......................................     6
Rule IX.--Budget.................................................     6
Rule X.--Travel..................................................     6
Rule XI.--Website................................................     7
          RULES OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE CLIMATE CRISIS

                        (Adopted March 19, 2021)

Rule 1. General Provisions

    (a) The provisions of section 4(d) of H. Res. 8 (117th 
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; a disclosure of any Federal grants or contracts, 
        or contracts, or grants, or payments originating with a 
        foreign government, received during the past 36 months 
        by the witness or by an entity represented by the 
        witness and related to the subject matter of the 
        hearing; and a disclosure of whether the witness is a 
        fiduciary (including, but not limited to, a director, 
        officer, advisor, or resident agent) of any 
        organization or entity that has an interest in the 
        subject matter of a hearing. The disclosure shall 
        include (A) the amount and country of origin of any 
        payment or contract related to the subject matter of 
        the hearing originating with a foreign government; 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 4(d) of H. Res. 8 (117th 
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 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 section 4(d) of H. Res. 8 
(117th 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 4(d) of H. Res. 8 (117th 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.