[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 76 (Thursday, June 16, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 227--ORIGINAL RESOLUTION REPORTED TO IMPROVE THE 
                        OPERATIONS OF THE SENATE

  Mr. FORD, from the Committee on Rules and Administration, reported 
the following original resolution; which was placed on the calendar:

                              S. Res. 227

       Resolved,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE AND TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       (a) Short Title.--This resolution may be cited as the 
     ``Senate Procedures Reform Resolution of 1994''.
       (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents is as 
     follows:

Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents.
Sec. 2. Senate committee structure.
Sec. 3. Senate committee scheduling.
Sec. 4. Senate committee attendance.
Sec. 5. Report of unexpended funds.
Sec. 6. Effective date.

     SEC. 2. SENATE COMMITTEE STRUCTURE.

       Paragraphs 2, 3, and 4 of rule XXV of the Standing Rules of 
     the Senate are amended to read as follows:
       ``2. Except as otherwise provided by paragraph 4 of this 
     rule, each of the following standing committees shall consist 
     of the number of Senators set forth in the following table on 
     the line on which the name of that committee appears:

``Committee:                                                    Members
  ``Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.............................17
  ``Appropriations...................................................28
  ``Armed Services...................................................16
  ``Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs..............................14
  ``Commerce, Science, and Transportation............................16
  ``Energy and Natural Resources.....................................17
  ``Environment and Public Works.....................................13
  ``Finance..........................................................19
  ``Foreign Relations................................................14
  ``Governmental Affairs.............................................16
  ``Judiciary........................................................16
  ``Labor and Human Resources........................................14

       ``3. (a) Except as otherwise provided by paragraph 4 of 
     this rule, each of the following committees shall consist of 
     the number of Senators (or Senate members, in the case of a 
     joint committee) set forth in the following table on the line 
     on which the name of that committee appears:

``Committee:                                                    Members
  ``Aging............................................................14
  ``Budget...........................................................21
  ``Joint Economic...................................................10
  ``Rules and Administration.........................................11
  ``Small Business...................................................19
  ``Veterans' Affairs................................................11

       ``(b) The following committees shall consist of the number 
     of Senators set forth in the following table:

``Committee:                                                    Members
  ``Ethics............................................................6
  ``Indian Affairs...................................................14
  ``Intelligence.....................................................13

       ``4. (a)(1) Except as otherwise provided by this 
     paragraph--
       ``(A) each Senator may serve on only two committees listed 
     in paragraph 2; and
       ``(B) each Senator may serve on only one committee listed 
     in paragraph 3(a).
       ``(2) No Senator may serve on--
       ``(A) both the Committee on Appropriations and the 
     Committee on Finance; or
       ``(B) both the Committee on Armed Services and the 
     Committee on Foreign Relations.
       ``(b)(1) Each Senator may serve on not more than two 
     subcommittees of each committee (other than the Committee on 
     Appropriations) listed in paragraph 2 of which he is a 
     member.
       ``(2) Each Senator may serve on not more than one 
     subcommittee of a committee listed in paragraph 3(a) of which 
     he is a member.
       ``(3) Notwithstanding subparagraphs (1) and (2), a Senator 
     serving as chairman or ranking minority member of a standing, 
     select, or special committee of the Senate or joint committee 
     of the Congress may serve ex officio, without vote, as a 
     member of any subcommittee of such committee or joint 
     committee.
       ``(4) No committee of the Senate may establish any subunit 
     of that committee other than a subcommittee, unless the 
     Senate by resolution has given permission therefore. For 
     purposes of this subparagraph, any subunit of a joint 
     committee shall be treated as a subcommittee.
       ``(c) By agreement entered into by the majority leader and 
     the minority leader, the membership of one or more standing 
     committees may be increased temporarily from time to time by 
     such number or numbers as may be required to accord to the 
     majority party a majority of the membership of all standing 
     committees. When any such temporary increase is necessary to 
     accord to the majority party a majority of the membership of 
     all standing committees, members of the majority party in 
     such number as may be required for that purpose may serve as 
     members of three standing committees listed in paragraph 2. 
     No such temporary increase in the membership of any standing 
     committee under this subparagraph shall be continued in 
     effect after the need therefore has ended. No standing 
     committee may be increased in membership under this 
     subparagraph by more than two members in excess of the number 
     prescribed for that committee by paragraph 2 or 3(a).
       ``(d) A Senator may serve as a member of any joint 
     committee of the Congress the Senate members of which are 
     required by law to be appointed from a standing committee of 
     the Senate of which the Senator is a member, and service as a 
     member of any such joint committee shall not be taken into 
     account for purposes of subparagraph (a)(1).
       ``(e)(1) No Senator shall serve at any time as chairman of 
     more than one standing, select, or special committee of the 
     Senate or joint committee of the Congress, except that a 
     Senator may serve as chairman of any joint committee of the 
     Congress having jurisdiction with respect to a subject matter 
     which is directly related to the jurisdiction of a standing 
     committee of which he is chairman.
       ``(2) A Senator who is serving as the chairman of a 
     committee listed in paragraph 2 may serve at any time as the 
     chairman of only one subcommittee of all committees listed in 
     paragraph 2 of which he is a member and may serve at any time 
     as the chairman of only one subcommittee of each committee 
     listed in paragraph 3(a) of which he is a member. A Senator 
     who is serving as the chairman of a committee listed in 
     paragraph 3(a) may not serve as the chairman of any 
     subcommittee of that committee, and may serve at any time as 
     the chairman of only one subcommittee of each committee 
     listed in paragraph 2 of which he is a member. Any other 
     Senator may serve as the chairman of only one subcommittee of 
     each committee listed in paragraph 2 or 3(a) of which he is a 
     member.
       ``(f) The provisions of this paragraph may only be waived 
     by the Senate by a resolution designating the Senator or 
     Senators receiving the waiver and adopted by an affirmative 
     yea-and-nay vote of the Senators duly chosen and sworn. The 
     resolution shall be offered by the majority leader with the 
     approval of the minority leader. The resolution shall be 
     privileged and no amendment thereto shall be in order. Debate 
     on the resolution shall be limited to one hour, equally 
     divided.''.

     SEC. 3. SENATE COMMITTEE SCHEDULING.

       Paragraph 3 of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the 
     Senate is amended to read as follows:
       ``3. (a) Each standing committee (except the Committee on 
     Appropriations) shall fix regular weekly, biweekly, or 
     monthly meeting days for the transaction of business before 
     the committee and additional meetings may be called by the 
     chairman as the chairman may deem necessary.
       ``(b)(1) The provisions of this subparagraph apply to the 
     committees' meetings (including meetings to conduct hearings) 
     of committees listed in paragraphs 2 and 3(a) of rule XXV 
     held on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.
       ``(2) On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, only those committees 
     listed in paragraph 2 of rule XXV (except the Committee on 
     Appropriations) shall meet for the transaction of business 
     before the committee.
       ``(3) On Thursdays, only those committees listed in 
     paragraph 3(a) of rule XXV (except the Committee on the 
     Budget) shall meet for the transaction of business before the 
     committee.
       ``(4) Subcommittees of a full committee referred to in 
     division (2) or (3) may only meet on a day that the full 
     committee may meet. Subcommittees may not meet when the full 
     committee is meeting.
       ``(5) No committee referred to in division (2) or (3) or 
     any subcommittee thereof may meet, without special leave, on 
     a day on which such committee or subcommittee is not 
     authorized to meet unless consent therefore has been obtained 
     from the majority leader and the minority leader (or in the 
     event of the absence of either of such leader, from the 
     designee of the leaders). The majority leader or the designee 
     of the majority leader shall announce to the Senate whenever 
     consent has been given under this division and shall state 
     the time and place of such meeting. The right to make such 
     announcement of consent shall have the same priority as the 
     filing of a cloture motion.
       ``(c) If at least three members of any standing committee 
     (except the Committee on Appropriations) desire that a 
     special meeting of the committee be called by the chairman 
     and subject to the provisions of subparagraph (b), those 
     members may file in the offices of the committee their 
     written request to the chairman for that special meeting. 
     Immediately upon the filing of the request, the clerk of the 
     committee shall notify the chairman of the filing of the 
     request. If, within three calendar days after the filing of 
     the request, the chairman does not call the requested special 
     meeting, to be held within seven calendar days after the 
     filing of the request, a majority of the members of the 
     committee may file in the offices of the committee their 
     written notice that a special meeting of the committee will 
     be held, specifying the date and hour of that special 
     meeting. The committee shall meet on that date and hour. 
     Immediately upon the filing of the notice, the clerk of the 
     committee shall notify all members of the committee that such 
     special meeting will be held and inform them of its date and 
     hour. If the chairman of any such committee is not present at 
     any regular, additional, or special meeting of the committee, 
     the ranking member of the majority party on the committee who 
     is present shall preside at that meeting.''.

     SEC. 4. SENATE COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE.

       Rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate is amended by 
     adding at the end thereof the following:
       ``(14) The chairman of each committee of the Senate shall 
     maintain a record of committee attendance and voting records 
     that shall be available to the public.''.

     SEC. 5. REPORT OF UNEXPENDED FUNDS.

       Not later than January 31, 1995, and by that date each year 
     thereafter, the Secretary of the Senate shall certify and 
     publish in the Congressional Record a list identifying each 
     member of the Senate who has used less than the amount 
     allocated to the personal office of the member during the 
     preceding fiscal year and the amount of such unused 
     allocation.

     SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.

       This resolution and the amendments made by this resolution 
     shall take effect on January 3, 1995.

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